I remember several years ago when Double Dare host Marc Summers was interviewed on the Preston & Steve Show on 93.3 WMMR where he revealed for the first time in public that he had suffered lymphocytic leukemia for several years. "In show business, if you talk about that stuff, it's hard to get hired afterwards. My agent said, 'Well, don't talk about it.' I've sort of compressed this thing and it's made me nuts."
Since then, other celebrities were revealed to be suffering from cancer without letting the public know for similar reasons. Some were able to overcome it like voice actor Rob Paulsen and others had sadly succumb to it like actor Chadwick Boseman. But one I would've never guessed who not only went through cancer secretly, but had succumb to it recently was actor Paul Reubens a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman.
According to his estate, the following statement was posted saying, "Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness. Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit," it continued. "A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit."
Never would I have thought that I would hear such a heartbreaking announcement such as this! Literally, I was getting things ready for my sister's birthday when all of a sudden, this popped up on my social media outlets and I was reacted saying "What?! Are you serious?!" Over the past year, I have had people who I knew and loved pass away from cancer such as my aunt and a few acquaintances from church. Cancer is such a devastating disease that affects your entire body, mind, and emotions. You feel tired, weak, and hopeless. I hope that you or anyone you know never gets sick from cancer. It's not only devastating for you, but for those around you. Now that I think about it, it made so much sense why the Pee-wee's Big Adventure 35th anniversary tour didn't pick up after COVID-19 restrictions were gone or why there were no updates on Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Movie or the dark Pee-wee movie he had been working on for decades. He was very sick and couldn't do it. When I read more about Paul's death, I felt sadness coming into me. I was beyond crushed when people who I grew up with such as Robin Williams, Bob Hoskins, June Foray, and others had passed on. But I was introduced to Paul's work at a very young age which made this death a very hard one. Growing up in the late 80's and 90's, I knew about Pee-wee's Playhouse and Pee-wee's Big Adventure. I heard Paul's voice in many cartoons such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chowder, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Tron: Uprising, Adventure Time, and more. When Old School Lane first started in December 2011, I posted my top 10 Pee-wee Herman moments on my tumblr page because I was thrilled he was making a comeback and that became the first post that became viral because Paul himself Tweeted it. In a way, Old School Lane wouldn't have gotten its major start in the first place if it wasn't for Pee-wee Herman. So, if you loved my blog posts, podcasts, videos, and/or livestreams we've been doing for the past 10 years, Paul is partially to be thanked for getting us started.
There was also the time I met him in person at MegaCon 2018 waiting in line for almost an hour just to meet him. I remember talking with two women who were in their 40s wanting to meet Paul because they grew up with Pee-wee's Playhouse. The reason why it took so long was because he was talking to a little girl no older than 6 and answering all her questions. When I finally approached him, I told him thank you for his work and gave him a printout of the Tweet of my blog post. While he didn't remember it, he did sign it for me. I will be forever grateful of that.
The last thing I want to state before I conclude this blog post is the question I asked author and pop culture enthusiast Caseen Gaines about his book Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse way back in 2012.
Patricia- Let’s just say, heaven forbid, Paul Reubens passes away unexpectedly. Do you think that people would finally forget about his indiscretions and focus on his great achievements?
Caseen- I absolutely think so. I mean, Paul Reubens has done an amazing service in this world as Pee-wee Herman. Not only was the character entertaining, but it was inspiring to people like Kevin and a whole slew of other creative types. He has achieved great things and I think a lot of people are being reminded of that with his recent Pee-wee appearances.
Even though Paul had done his fair share of mistakes that had stilted his reputation and career, people still have fond memories of his work and how much of a sweet, kind, and gentle person he was. Craig Bartlett, the creator of Hey Arnold!, actress E.G. Daily, Stephanie Beatriz, Rob Paulsen, Wally Wingert, Lori Alan, Ricki Lake, artist Wayne White, actress and comedian Laraine Newman, animator Jorge Guitierrez, and more have left their condolences to Paul. Pee-wee Herman is currently trending on social media of people posting about their sadness for his passing and their fond memories of his work. Sure, there will be a few people who will always bring up his incidents to give their reasonings on why he shouldn't be easily forgiven, but many people have since moved on. Especially, since there were a slew of other celebrities who have done far, far worse. But I digress.
In closing, I'm going to miss Paul a lot! I will miss Pee-wee a lot! He was funny, quirky, sporadic, creative, and kind. He was one of the people I wanted to have on my podcast for an interview, but now I never will. I remember hearing about one of the last things he was working on was a memoir and a documentary about his life. I look forward to seeing them.
Let me know in the comments below about your fond memories on Paul's work. Thanks for reading and hope to see you at Old School Lane soon.
In this episode of Casual Chats, Patricia discusses about the 2016 Netflix exclusive film Pee-wee's Big Holiday, the first Pee-wee Herman movie in 28 years, alongside special guests Jaimetud, Jim Bevan, AlextheD, and book author Caseen Gaines. Warning: spoilers ahead.
Here's something that we haven't done in a long while: an article celebrating the anniversary of a form of media. As of yesterday, the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure had celebrated its 30th anniversary. For our older followers from back in 2011, some of you already know that Kevin and I are fans of Pee-wee, his stage shows, movies, and TV show. One of the very first posts that I did for Old School Lane was my top 10 Pee-wee Herman moments of 2011. It was that post that had gotten the attention of Paul Reubens, the man who performed as Pee-wee, and gave me the confidence to continue the blog. In a sense, without Pee-wee, Old School Lane probably wouldn't have existed. As a child, I saw Pee-wee's Playhouse on and off as a toddler of 3 or 4 because I am a Seventh Day Adventist and I went to church when the show aired. But when the incident at the XXX theater occurred in 1991, my mother, like many other parents at the time,forbade me from watching it. Later on, I was rewatching Pee-wee's Playhouse on Adult Swim as a young adult in college. I had to watch it in secret since my parents still felt the same disgust for Paul Reubens. The 2002 incident where the police went to his house and found vintage photos and magazines of young male models claiming it was pornography didn't help much. Now that we've gotten my history out of the way, let's talk about the movie.
It was around that time when I saw Pee-wee's Big Adventure for the first time on TV and fell in love with it. I found it to be very funny, quirky, and entertaining. Almost every single scene in the film has something quotable and memorable:the dream where Pee-wee won the Tour de France, the breakfast machine, the argument with Francis, meeting with Dottie at the bike store, the meeting with at the basement, the fortune teller giving the false prediction that the stolen bike was at the Alamo's basement, meeting up with Mickey, meeting up with Large Marge, meeting up with Simone, the Alamo tour, the Tequila dance at the biker bar, the bike montage at the Hollywood set, and the Pee-wee movie at the drive-in. It was also where I learned that this was Tim Burton's first movie that he directed. As a fan of Tim Burton movies such as Beetlejuice, Batman, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Big Fish, this was an additional treat. It was also the first time that Danny Elfman got to do a soundtrack for a Tim Burton movie and it perfectly fits the movie's fun/dark tones.
The movie was always considered to be a cult classic. It may not be a household name, but the dedicated fanbase has always kept it alive as one of the best comedies of the 80's. The adults who saw Pee-wee's Big Adventure as kids introduced it to their kids. The teenagers who saw Pee-wee's Playhouse on Adult Swim share the movie with their younger siblings. It seems to be the kind of fun movie that people at some point in their lives find and get drawn to it in some way shape or form. The fans of Pee-wee has gotten bigger over the years and still continues to grow. But why? Pee-wee and his content is simply timeless. Pee-wee is such a fun and endearing character who has the mind of a child that we all have deep down inside. The side characters are just as colorful and memorable. The adventure he went through just to retrieve his stolen bike is a blast to experience that we simply don't want to see end.
The upcoming movie coming next year Pee-wee's Big Holiday is going to be a road trip movie just like Big Adventure. I don't think it's going to be a rehash of Big Adventure since Pee-wee will be traveling to numerous places, meeting with different people, and driving a small car, but I'm very looking forward to the new film and can't wait to see where Pee-wee will take us next. I hope it'll be just as enjoyable as Big Adventure.
But for now, I highly recommend watching Big Adventure tonight. You won't regret it. In fact, you can check out my old review of the movie right here where I collaborated with Manic Expression member Les. That's all for now. Let me know in the comments below if you have any memories, favorite characters, and favorite moments of Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon. Thanks for reading.
For all the Florida residents out there like myself, it may not be a perfect day for celebration and rejoice. It's a time of preparing and keeping your home safe from Hurricane Isaac. But I would like to give some time to wish a very special happy birthday to a former Florida resident. A man whom I have mentioned many times in the blog as someone who has influenced not only Kevin and myself, but millions of others, with his movies, stage shows, and TV show Pee-wee's Playhouse. That man is none other than Paul Reubens a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman.
Over the years, he has done many great things to shape up his career to be the iconic phenomenon he is today. Performing his stage show in 1981 called The Pee-wee Herman Show was a huge cult hit among audiences. Taking a page from former kid's shows from the 50's such as Howdy Doody and Captain Kangaroo, he spoofs it and pays homage to it in a way that it's presented in a hilarious, campy, avant-garde, fresh, and awesome way. It's great not only for kids, but for adults as well with many subtle adult jokes that kids wouldn't understand until they get older.
This awesome show that took Paul Reubens' career as Pee-wee Herman by storm almost wouldn't have happened if he would have been accepted in Saturday Night Live. He was one of the last people called to audition for Saturday Night Live, but had lost it to Gilbert Gottfried. Angry and upset that he didn't get the part, he flew home back to L.A., called his parents to lend him money, and with the help of many people, got the stage show into fruition.
If only Reubens would have known earlier on that this rejection of not being in Saturday Night Live was actually a blessing in disguise. The season that he would have been in was referred to as "the worst season ever". Lorne Michaels temporarily left the show, the skits were not as funny as the previous skits, and the overall season was a complete disaster that almost got SNL cancelled. Thank God that Reubens didn't get in the show.
Things would have turned out so different if he would have gotten in. There would have been no stage show and possibly no Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Big Top Pee-wee, or Pee-wee's Playhouse. I can't imagine a world like that.
If you recall in my review of Pee-wee's Big Adventurewith Les from Manic Expression, it's truly one of my favorite movies that Tim Burton has ever been involved in. Easily one of my top 5 favorites. Everything about this movie still works today and I'm so surprised that a movie that was filmed in 6 weeks with a small budget could do so well. Truly the minds of Reubens, Burton, Phil Hartman, Michael Varhol, and all the other actors and crew members really crafted this movie into one amazing experience that you will not soon forget. So many memorable moments, quotes, and scenes still reside on my head to this very day. Especially the biker bar scene where he dances to "Tequila" by The Champs. You can't help but crack a smile when you see him dance.
But what really resides in my heart is the show Pee-wee's Playhouse. Truly, one of the greatest, most creative, groundbreaking kid's shows I've ever seen and I am beyond grateful that I was able to see it on Saturday mornings when I was 3 or 4. Taking the 1981 stage show and introducing new characters and making it more for children was something that many people didn't suspect when first seeing it. But guess what? It worked! Also, the things they got away with is so jarringly hilarious that it just can't be beat. From the 2 1/2 minute intro to Pee-wee riding his scooter at the end is nothing more than just wild, campy, colorful, creative, and amazingly good fun!
When watching the show as a kid, I felt a connection with Pee-wee that I never felt with any other person. Growing up with Asperger's Syndrome, I was ignored and hated by everyone and was teased constantly just because I was different from them. I hated the fact that I was different and didn't know why (I didn't find out about my condition until I was 15). I wanted to change myself many times to be just like everyone else, but for some reason or another, I didn't. When the show reaired again on Fox Family in 1998 and at Adult Swim in 2006, I fell in love with the character and the show all over again. It helped me in a time in which I had extremely low self-esteem and lacking confidence to approach people and talking to them. I learned from watching Pee-wee's Playhouse again that it was okay to be who you are. The whole world was filled with people who want to be like everyone else and the most coolest person in the world is a person who's not afraid to be themselves. It took me a long time to learn that lesson and I'm glad I did and it's partly thanks to Pee-wee.
Around the 90's after Reubens had his "misfortunes", many people still stood by his side and defended him. While Reubens was still around on and off, Pee-wee wasn't. It was during a period in which it was an empty void for many people who grew up with him. Although it would take Reubens a while to find out, we still loved him and supported him 100%. We still do! That love and support still hasn't left us. It felt like our best friend had moved away unexpectedly and we didn't get a proper goodbye. While many of us grew up and moved on with our lives, we never lost our inner child that Pee-wee demonstrated every week. We never lost our creativity, our crazy antics, and our inner child. That's why many people today who love Pee-wee and the movies and shows are actors, screenwriters, comedians, musicians, artists, writers, parents who are introducing their children to Pee-wee, and many more. While the press and the pretenders had and (unfortunately) still bring up the incidents, the people who truly matter remember the positives that he had brought to this world as a comedian, a movie star, a TV star, and a kid's host and celebrate them. That outweighs the negatives by a long shot!
When Reubens came back as Pee-wee at the Spike TV Guy's Choice Awards in 2007, my college friends and I were beyond shocked and amazed! Here we thought that we would never see Pee-wee again and there he was on TV giving the Funniest MF Award to Will Ferrell. There was cheering, screaming, and awe when we saw our childhood hero walk on stage, getting a standing ovation, people chanting his name, and making the audience laugh. He still hadn't lost his touch. Some of the lines we were saying were:
"Oh my God, it's Pee-wee. It's really him! He's back!"
"Oh, that Pee-wee. He's still got it!"
"He was the highlight of the whole show."
"It's so satisfying to see him again being so loved by people!"
But then one jerk comes in, looks at the TV, and said "Oh my God, is that Pee-wee Herman? It's sad to see him in a state like this. He's gotten so old and fat".
We stared him down and he shut his mouth during the duration of that time. No one was going to mess up that night, not even a jerky college kid. As we saw him leave the stage and being confronted with many people, I thought to myself, "It's about time! Sure it took a while, but I'm glad you're back! Don't leave us again."
Over the years, we did not see him again. That is until the 2010 stage shows in L.A. and New York. I didn't get the chance to see him live, but it was so satisfying to see him perform in front of thousands of people who had truly loved him and grew up with him. When he would talk to the audience in the L.A. shows and go outside to greet the audience in the Broadway shows, everyone cheered and said that they had loved him and supported him all the way.
It was so great to have him finally get all the affection from the people who truly stood by his side when he went through his struggles. The media who had bashed him now praised him. The kids who grew up with him were now adults who have kids who are growing up with him now by showing them the DVDs. Reubens couldn't believe that after all this time, people had loved him. He was so touched by it that it was reported that he would even get emotional to the point of crying with joy. Well, Paul, we're crying too with joy! We couldn't be more proud of you! You truly deserve whatever praise you get!
After that, the comeback wagon was chugging along! He was everywhere again! In talk shows, in guest appearances on TV shows such as SNL and Top Chef: Texas, and being praised for his innovative and creative work on the 2011 Spike TV Scream Awards and the 2012 TV Land Awards. As you know, I wrote an article of my favorite Pee-wee Herman moments of 2011 back in New Year's Eve. It was the biggest thrill in my life to have Paul Reubens himself love it so much that he shared it among his fans on Twitter and Facebook. I will never forget that, Paul. I'm still proud of that article to this very day and I can't wait to write a new one for this New Year's Eve! But what's next for Paul Reubens and Pee-wee Herman? Well, we know that he's doing Tron: Uprising as the evil second-in-commmand Pavel and he's working on getting a new movie done with Judd Apatow. But who knows what's next. One of the best things about his upcoming projects is that we don't know about them, but when we do, it's always a fun surprise!
As I close this birthday message, I have to say just one final thought. Paul, I see you as the white lotus: a flower that mostly grows in Southeast Asia. It's a delicate flower that grows in a wet, damp, dark, and muddy swamp. But when spring comes along and the sun comes out, it shines and blooms like no other. It's the most beautiful flower in the world! When you went through your setbacks, you crawled back into a dark place thinking that you were no longer accepted. But when you came out, you shined and blossomed like no other. You made people smile and happy in a period in which times have gotten tough with the economy, the war, and unemployment. You made people forget for one moment of their problems and brought them back into a world in which they didn't have to grow up. A simpler time in which they could laugh, play, and smile with their friends. Thank you for shining into our lives like the lotus flower: a flower that symbolizes beauty, determination, rebirth into a new life, and eternal youth.
While it's true that Pee-wee taught us to be ourselves, to be creative, to use our imagination, and that it was okay to be different, Paul had taught us an even more important lesson. He taught us to never give up when things were down. Did he give up when he didn't get into SNL? No! Did he give up when Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Pee-wee's Playhouse was almost not made? No. Did he give up when people were making fun of him and bashing him for his indiscretions? Absolutely not! He persisted and gotten up from his feet to move on and continue doing what he was good at: making people laugh. May you never give up that fighting spirit, Paul. May you continue to follow your dreams and goals even when things look hard and impossible. May you never lose that childish persona that we have come to know and love. May you never again forget that there are many, many people out there who still love you and respect you in every way!
Happy birthday Paul! May it be a special one and may you have many, many more.
Hey everyone, welcome back to our tribute to everyone's favorite eccentric, dark, yet goofy mastermind of film, Tim Burton. Today we're going to cover his very first film that he ever directed. A movie that has a combination of everything; laughs, scares, atmospheric scenes, convicts, bikers, hobos, the coolest bike in the world, the Alamo, and so much more. I'm talking, of course, about Pee-wee's Big Adventure.
After Tim was fired from Disney due to the fact that they thought that Frankenweenie was too scary for kids, he was giving many scripts from many movie studios for him to direct. Tim, uninterested in every single one of them due to it not using his creativity to his full potential, rejected them all. However, the same movie that got him fired would inspire one man to use Tim as a director for his first feature length film. That man's name was Paul Reubens, who played the crazy, zany, and lovable man-child Pee-wee Herman.
Already becoming a cult hit among many people thanks to his stage show that was filmed by HBO, The Pee-wee Herman Show.
His many appearances on late night talk shows such as David Letterman.
As well as being one of the first mascots for MTV.
For his first feature film, he needed a director that was very artistic and eccentric. When he went to a screening of Frankenweenie, 30 seconds into the movie, Paul knew that Tim was the one. Long story short, Tim accepted and the movie Pee-wee's Big Adventure was made.
Joining me today is Manic Expression's beloved administrator, talented piano man, and long time Pee-wee Herman fan, my buddy Les. Thank you so much for joining me, Les.
Les- Thanks for having me here, my friend. I’ve been looking forward to doing a collaboration blog with you, so WOOT!
Patricia- Now, before we begin on the review, how were you first introduced to Pee-wee?
Les- Believe it or not, my father found it while flipping tv channels. We landed on Pee-wee’s Big Adventure right as he was trying to escape the Warner Brothers Studio Lot on his bicycle, and from there, we sought out the tv show and have been fans ever since.
Patricia- I was first introduced to Pee-wee when I saw Pee-wee's Playhouse. I was around 3 or 4-years-old. I didn't see it all the time because my family and I are Seventh-Day Adventists and we would go to church every Saturday. Even if we didn't go, TV was still forbidden to watch unless it was a nature show or a Christian program. However, I still snuck downstairs early in the morning to watch Jim Henson's Muppet Babies, Pee-wee's Playhouse, and more. To this day, I still faintly remember sitting in my living room seeing Pee-wee interacting with his friends Chairry, Clockey, Globey, Ms. Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, and watching the cartoons like the Penny cartoons and El Hombre.
Les- Yep, that show was pure unadulterated fun, alright. It’s like he managed to bottle up all the joy, creativity and playfulness of childhood and shared it once a week to forget about the rigors and stresses of real life while you were with him.
Patricia- Alright then. Let's get this review started. Does this movie still ride our way to our hearts after over 25 years after its release or does it crash and burn for its obscurity? Let's journey our way into Pee-wee's Big Adventure.
Warning: Spoilers and awesome silliness ahead.....
The movie starts off with a group of bikers riding the Tour de France. The race is going smoothly until Pee-wee rides his bike swiftly towards the finish line. Yay! He's crowned by Miss France and wakes up to find out it was all a dream. He plays with his toys, crashes a Mr. Potato Head with his fire truck, slides down a pole, and suddenly wears his iconic tight gray glen plaid suit, red bow tie, and white loafers. Seriously, where did he get that pole? Did he borrow it from Batman and Robin? Is there a factory of poles that when you slide down, it changes your clothes when you land? If so, I want one.
Les- Oh HELL YES, I want one of those poles too, only mine would put me in a Superman Outfit LOL!
Patricia- He activates his breakfast machine that looks like he's stole the blueprints from Rube Goldberg from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
He's has his breakfast containing eggs, pancakes, a strawberry nose, and a bacon mouth and pours Mr. T cereal all over it.
Mr. T- I PITY THE FOOL WHO HASN’T EATEN MY CEREAL!!!!!
Patricia- Speaking of which, have you ever tried Mr. T cereal? If so, what does it taste like? Because everytime I see that cereal, I've always wanted to know what it tasted like.
Les- Yes, er....it tasted like Kellogg’s Corn Pops, actually.....
Patricia- Oh, really? Interesting. So, Pee-wee rides his bike to the Promenade and stops by Mario's Joke Shop. He picks up a few items there and stops by at Chuck's Bike-o-Rama. He picks up a horn from Dottie, one of the co-workers from the bike shop. She tells Pee-wee that she would like to have a date with him at the drive-in, but Pee-wee tells her no in one of the most memorable quotes in the whole movie. "There are some things that you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand. I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel".
Les- Ah...don’t forget his rivalry with next door neighbor spoiled rich kid, Francis, who was pestering him to let him ride his bike in the classic Kindergartener argument....It’s sort of a plot point later on, but I digress.......
Patricia- I remember that scene. So funny!
Anyway, he leaves the bike shop to find that...oh no! His bike has been stolen! He looks frantically everywhere for it, but can't find it anywhere. He runs back to Chuck's Bike-o-Rama, screams, knocks down all the bikes on display, and faints. After recovering, he knows that he must find his bike quickly or else it'll be too late.
Les- Naturally, he goes to the Police to try and put out an APB on his valuable bike, but they can’t really do that, but during the questioning, Pee-wee comes to the conclusion that Francis had the bike stolen....he rushes over....has a battle of wits with the butler(Who resembles Oddjob from Goldfinger) and attacks Francis in his Olympic sized bathtub(one of the funniest scenes in a film ever....). Francis’ Dad breaks it up and makes Pee-wee and Francis shake hands and apologize to each other....Pee-wee gets even with some Joke Gum before leaving.
Patricia- Knowing that he has to find the bike alone, he goes to the most reliable source of information: Madam Ruby's Fortune Telling. While walking to the fortune teller in the pouring rain, he's approached by a bunch of thugs who wish for him to leave their turf. Pee-wee hisses at them and they ran away scared. An interesting fact about this scene is that Tim Burton is playing one of the thugs in the movie.
Madam Ruby tells Pee-wee (falsely, of course) that his bike is located in the basement of the Alamo. So, our adventure begins!
He meets up with Mickey, a convict who commited a questionable crime of ripping off the Do Not Remove label from a mattress. While driving, a slew of cops block the road trying to find Mickey. Mickey pulls out his gun, but Pee-wee comes up with a better idea. They disguise each other as a married couple. It works flawlessly, but hilariously when Pee-wee is disguised as the wife.
Les- Yep, one of the goofier drag queen disguises in a film, then Pee-wee accidentally drives the car off a cliff and they both have a screaming moment during the fall that I think Bill and Ted spoofed on their fall to Hell in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. Fortunately, the soft top of the convertible works as a parachute and they survive. Mickey ends their partnership immediately after.
Patricia- After Mickey drops him off, Pee-wee is picked up by a trucker simply known as Large Marge. She starts telling him a story of the worst accident she had ever seen. While describing it to him, she pulls out something that no one ever expect it. "And when they finally pulled the driver's body from the twisted, burning wreck, it looked like this...
Holy crap! That scared the hell out of me when I first saw it!
The stop motion animation was done by Rick Heinrichs, who has done a lot of work for Tim Burton. If you're looking for someone to blame for giving you nightmares due to Large Marge, that'll be Rick. Also to a small extent, the Chiodo Brothers.Looking at it now, I laugh at this scene because its just comes out of freaking nowhere! It's something that you can show kids to this day and it catches them off guard. It's awesome!
Les- Yeah, I’ll second that. It’s almost as good a shock scene as the chestburster in 1979’s Alien. Both scenes were unexpected, shocking and had never been done before and were endlessly copied since...the difference? Large Marge’s surprise made me laugh my ass off!
Patricia- Finally, he makes it to the Alamo. Making his way to a tour through to the Alamo, the guide named Tina tells the history of the Alamo and its people. Can you say "adobe?"
Les- OMG! If this scene doesn’t piss you off, I don’t know what to tell you. Who hasn’t had something really important to do, but was stalled by someone official who had something endlessly trivial and annoying as hell that they forced you to suffer through before you could do what you wanted to do?COUGH! DMV COUGH!.....
Patricia- After waiting patiently for the tour to end, he asks the question of where the basement is. Tina laughs and tells him that there is no basement in the Alamo. Pee-wee was shocked and runs away from the Alamo. Still to this day, the term of "There's no basement in the Alamo" is being used. Whenever people go to the Alamo, they've asked tour guides that same question after the tours end. Some of them get the joke. Others don't. In the end, it has made the Alamo a more iconic place to visit like the Cabazon Dinosaurs.
An interesting thing to note is that Jan Hooks, the woman who played Tina, was a Groundlings member, like Paul Reubens. She improvised the entire scene of the tour through the Alamo. That's truly amazing!
Les- Yeah, she also put that talent to good use for her stint on SNL.
Patricia- There's actually a YouTube video that you can see in which Pee-wee actually discovers that...there IS a basementt in the Alamo. This took place at August 2011, right after he did the guest apperance in Top Chef: Texas. You might be wondering why I didn't include this in my top 10 Pee-wee Herman moments of 2011. Well, I was a bit disappointed. Sure, we're not allowed to go down there and it's not part of the tour, but knowing that it does exist kind of takes the charm away. Still, I still love that scene and if I ever have a chance to go to San Antonio, the first place I'll go is to the Alamo.
Les- Yeah...that's just wrong! There is no basement in the Alamo....NOPE!....No basement. I can't hear you LA! LA! LA! LA*fingers in my ears.
Patricia- Now we cut to the infamous biker bar scene. Pee-wee tries to make a phone call, but couldn't hear himself speak due to the bikers speaking too loud. After trying to quiet them down, he upsets him and tells him to leave the bar. He accidentally knocks down all their motorcycles and they force him back in to think of ways to make him pay! He asks for one last request and he does, what is in my opinion, my favorite scene in the movie, he goes into the jukebox, borrows a pair of white capezios from the cook, and he dances the iconic Pee-wee dance or Tequila dance as some people call it.
The song that was playing in the jukebox was the 1958 song "Tequila" by the Champs and it was brought back mainstream again similar to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" when Wayne's World was released.
Paul Reubens has said that the dance came from a joke that his father use to tell them. It ended with him putting his thumb from his mouth to his rear end and moving them both back and forth. Pretty bizarre, isn't it?
Les- It also includes his signature walk on his tip toes strut on the bar top. Try it sometimes, it’s damn hard to pull off, my friends....
Patricia- It's interesting to note that it was one of the most popular dance fads in the 80's. In 1986, Joeski Love released an album with the song "The Pee-wee Herman" that included dance moves. Before the Macarena, before the Dougie, before the LMFAO dance, the Pee-wee dance was the dance of the ages. As you've read in my top 10 Pee-wee Herman moments of 2011, it's still popular to this day, especially to NFL players.
Les- Also, my hometown college team, the University of Washington Huskies’ unofficial theme song(after the fight song, Bow Down to Washington) Is Tequila!...YEAH! BABY! YOU BET WE SAW SOME PEE-WEE DANCE STEPS THAT YEAR LOL!
Patricia- After Pee-wee steals his bike again, he goes through an awesome chase scene. Riding through the Warner Bros. studio, he rides through a filming of a beach movie, a Godzilla movie, a Christmas movie, and a music video by Twisted Sister. Finally escaping from the lot, he sees a pet store on fire. Pee-wee risks his life saving the dogs, cats, birds, monkey, mice, and the snakes. Similar to Indiana Jones, Pee-wee is afraid of snakes, but unlike our whip-weilding hero, Pee-wee gets up the courage to save them from harm. Although he does faint in the end.
Les- You can’t really do the bike chase justice just by text. You have to see this scene. The bike is loaded like Q branch from the James Bond films got their hands on it and accessorized the shit out of it. Seriously! Who else has a bicycle with detachable handles in case someone tries to grab them? I also liked the Tarzan swing over the lagoon scene LOL! THEN, after the police catch him, what does the studio do? Press Charges?....Nope! They offer him a movie deal to film his life story! This is brilliant!
Patricia- Today Pee-wee's iconic red bike is on display in many places, but the one that is the most known is the Hollywood Museum in Los Angeles. But starting next year, it'll be on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. alongside other things from Pee-wee's Playhouse like Chairry and the door.
Les- Wow! Yet another reason I really need to go see the Smithsonian Museum LOL!
Patricia- Also, an update! Apparently, a few objects from Pee-wee's Playhouse are going to be on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on July 29th for an exhibition called "Century of the Child". Kevin and I are going to visit that exhibit! We can't wait!
Les- The film concludes with a Drive in screening of the movie they made and Pee-wee and Dottie bringing concession snacks from the snack bar through the parking lot distributing snacks to nearly everyone Pee Wee interacted with in the film while stopping to appreciate the scenes that Pee-wee is in(He plays a Bellboy in the hotel scenes with a hysterically bad voice dub “Paging Mr. Herman.....Mr. P.W. Herman.....” Playing the character of Pee-wee in the film falls to James Brolin and Dottie is played by Morgan Fairchild. It’s hysterical seeing the sexy stars doing these roles, and the actual Pee-wee Herman cameos in it are just perfect.
Reaching their bikes, having given all the food away except for the last boxes of candy, Francis shows up giving an interview to reporters attempting to get his chance to sit on the bike. Pee Wee finally agrees, and Francis’s triumph is short lived as the bike’s ejector seat flings him away. Pee Wee and Dottie ride off together.
Patricia- Overall, this is a fantastic movie. It has a great balance of humor, atmosphere, and zany fun. This is just as much fun for kids as well as adults. The movie has aged extremely well. The jokes still work, the quotes are memorable, the characters are lovable, and the scenes are eye-popping and atmospheric, just like Tim Burton is known for. It's just a shame that when it comes to Tim Burton movies, this is the least recognized. To quote my buddy Caseen Gaines, the author of Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse, "Although many still choose to view Pee-wee's Big Adventure as Burton's "film before he got famous", that's simply an unfair claim. Pee-wee's Big Adventure is the movie that made Burton famous. By the director's own admission, the success of the film was the catalyst for Warner Bros. giving the green-light not only to Beetlejuice, but to Batman. The collaboration between Burton and Elfman, that began on Big Adventure, has lasted 25 years and will certainly continue for many more, creating memorable themes for films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands".
Les- I agree. These two artistic geniuses were tailor made for each other and the film was just phenomenally great.
Patricia- My hypothesis to why this movie isn't as recognized as much is because of the 1991 "incident" that happened to Paul Reubens. During those years, many people felt uncomfortable and forbade showing Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Big Top Pee-wee, or Pee-wee's Playhouse to their children during movie nights or film screenings. Today, that has completely changed! Thanks to the amazing comeback of Paul Reubens and Pee-wee, many people are remembering how much Pee-wee impacted their lives again. The Broadway show brought them back happy memories of their childhood.
They're also screening Pee-wee's Big Adventure in drive-in theaters and silver screen theaters again. This year alone, I've heard about 10 events that are doing this.
Les- Yeah, I’ve never understood why the media made such a big deal out of the “incident”....honestly! It’s not like little children would’ve been at the Porno theater to be traumatized by what he did, right? Now, if he’d done it in the Playhouse...that would’ve been different. I’m glad he’s made the comeback and a whole new generation can be entertained by the manchild who makes us laugh and remember how much fun being childish really is.
Patricia- So Les, do you recommend Pee-wee's Big Adventure?
Les- Without hesitation. You know, I screened it two months ago for my daughters, aged 10 and 11. They’d never seen Pee-wee Herman or the TV show, and within 20 minutes, they fell in love with him. It’s now their favorite film, with The Muppets coming in a very close second. There’s just such a charm and charisma about it and some undeniably funny scenes that would entertain almost anyone. For anyone out there who’s missed this film. Go ahead and treat yourselves! You deserve it, my friends.
Patricia- Here's hoping that upcoming Pee-wee movie produced by Judd Apatow will be just as memorable as Big Adventure. Regardless if it looks good or not, I'll be the first to buy a ticket.
Les- I will too, my friend. I look forward to Pee-wee's return on the big screen.
Patricia- Well said. That concludes our review of Pee-wee's Big Adventure. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm hoping that you check it out whenever you have the chance. If you have a favorite quote or scene that you want to mention to us or if you have fond memories of this movie or Pee-wee, post it in the comments below. Les, thank you so much for joining me. I had a lot of fun and I was glad that I was able to go over this movie with you.
Les- Me too, my friend. Next time, I’ll have you over on my blog.
Patricia- Well, hope to see you around Old School Lane real soon. Tune in next time as Kevin and I discuss Beetlejuice. Take care.
Around August 2009, Paul Reubens announced his comeback as his beloved character Pee-wee Herman. To start it off, a stage show based of his original 1981 stage show mixed with his hit CBS TV show Pee-wee’s Playhouse was going to be shown at the Club Nokia Theater in L.A. When hearing about this comeback, a high school English teacher from Hackensack, New Jersey named Caseen Gaines jumped at the chance to see the show starring his childhood hero. Along the way, he wanted to do some research about Pee-wee’s Playhouse and any behind-the-stories of this classic show. He was shocked to hear that there were no books containing that information and very little on the Internet. He dedicated two years of his life, interviewing over 200 people involved with the stage shows, the movies, and the TV show. On September 13, 2011, Pee-wee’s Playhouse celebrated its 25th anniversary.
I celebrated it with a couple of college friends who were also Pee-wee fans and we had a Pee-wee themed party. There was a buffet of 20 different cereals, we sat down and watched our favorite episodes, we watched Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, and we ended it dancing the “Tequila” dance. Less than 2 months later, on November 1, Caseen’s hardwork paid off as his first book, Inside Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Untold, Unauthorized, and Unpredictable Story of a Pop Phenomenon, was released in stores. To know more information about this book or if you want to purchase it, check out the website listed here: http://www.insidetheplayhouse.com/
Containing stories from actors, producers, artists, agents, and anyone else associated with Paul Reubens and his works and over 200 pictures never seen before, it chronicles the story of Paul Reubens from his early years at the Groundlings to the last day of his hit Broadway show on January 2, 2011. I already posted my review on this amazing book that you can check out here in the blog. Currently, his books are selling really well and he’s now traveling to different book stores and events doing book signings and interviews. Starting next week, February 24th, he will be at Quimby’s Bookstore in Chicago, Illinois. For more information, check out this website: http://www.quimbys.com/blog/store-events/caseen-gaines-presents-inside-pee-wees-playhouse/
Kevin and I had a chance to interview Caseen Gaines so I hope you will enjoy.
Patricia- Caseen, welcome to Old School Lane. Thanks a lot for taking the time to interview us.
Caseen- Thank you so much for having me!
Patricia- We have a lot of questions for you so I hope that you will be patient with us. (laughs) For those who don’t know about your book, can you please tell everyone a little bit about it?
Caseen- Surely. Inside Pee-wee’s Playhouse is the one and only book that covers the entire Pee-wee phenomenon. It starts off before Paul Reubens created the character and concludes with some speculation about future Pee-wee Herman projects that may be coming down the pike. Did I mention it’s filled with over 250 color photos that are all rare or never-before-seen?
Patricia- As you know, I posted your book as one of my favorite top 10 Pee-wee Herman moments of 2011. (For those who haven’t read it yet, check it out right over here). My Top 10 Favorite Pee-wee Herman moments of 2011 It was an amazing read and Kevin and I enjoyed it very much. What was the process of getting this book accomplished?
Caseen- First of all, I just wanted to say I was amazingly honored to have made your top 10. I shared the link with everyone I knew! Getting the book published was a life-changing experience. It was a lot of work, but it was also very rewarding finishing the book and, more importantly, getting feedback from Pee-wee fans around the world.
Patricia- From what I understand, you’ve interviewed over 200 people who were associated with Paul Reubens from the stage shows to the movies and TV show. However, only 100 allowed their words to be in the book. You even interviewed Reubens himself, but he chose to save his memories and stories for a future memoir. Who else did you interview that you found their stories to be just as fascinating, but never made it to the book?
Caseen- Just to clarify, I actually didn’t speak directly with Paul Reubens. I spoke with a lot of “his people,” but not actually him. In terms of people I interviewed that didn’t make the book, a lot of them were animators and backstage crew. There were so many people that worked on the show that I couldn’t fit them all in the book, unfortunately.
Patricia- A follow up to that question, the people who were also associate with Paul Reubens that you couldn’t get a hold of for some reason, who would you liked to have interviewed? Maybe E.G. Daily who played Dottie from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Rob Zombie who was a production assistant to Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Cyndi Lauper who sang the opening song, or anyone else?
Caseen- There’s a very long list of people that I had hoped to speak to that, for one reason or another, didn’t work out. I won’t go through the whole list, but I can say that we came very close to having a foreword to the book written by Little Richard. When that fell through, it was a little bit of a bummer.
Patricia- Wow, you almost got Little Richard? That’s awesome. Too bad he didn’t make it to the book. Anyway, Kevin’s ready for his first questions.
Kevin- Hi Caseen, I just want to let you know that I loved your book as well. For as long as I can remember, I always watched Pee-wee’s Playhouse in my playpen and had my Pee-wee doll with me. Now I’m a filmmaker working on my first movie and I partially credit Paul Reubens and his Pee-wee character for inspiring me to follow my passion in making movies. Reading your book has brought me back so many happy memories of me watching the show and the movies.
Anyway, I digressed. Here’s my first question: Phil Hartman worked with Paul Reubens for many years co-writing Big Adventure as well as playing Captain Carl in the stage show and the TV show. If he was still alive, what questions would you have asked him?
Caseen- Kevin, thanks so much for the compliment. There are a million things I would ask Phil. You know, Dawna Kaufmann, a woman who was a co-creator and the producer of the original The Pee-wee Herman Show in 1981 spoke so fondly about Phil that I really feel as if I’ve met him. He really was the secret backbone to a lot of Pee-wee Herman projects and a true comedic genius. It’s a real shame that he’s gone.
Kevin- Who was the most exciting and interesting person or people that you interviewed when doing this book?
Caseen- I think I had the largest freak out when I spoke to Suzanne Kent, who played Mrs. Rene, mostly because she sounds a lot like her character and kept slipping in to her Mrs. Rene voice! Also, a lot of the puppeteers slip in to their characters’ voices a lot, too. The very first person I interviewed was Kevin Carlson, who was Clockey, Conky, and Floorey from the second season until the fifth season. He did a portion of the interview as both Clockey and Floorey and it was amazing. I felt like I was really in the playhouse!
Kevin- If you have to pick another icon to write a book about, who would it be and why? Freddy Kruger, Ernest, Elvira, Steve Urkel, Ed Grimley to name a few.
Caseen- You know, that’s a great question. There isn’t really an individual pop icon that interests me as much as Pee-wee Herman, but there are a number of films and TV shows I’d love to write about. By the way, I’m not sure if you know, but Elvira was interviewed for the book. She was an usherette during the original The Pee-wee Herman Show. I had a great conversation with her about her character and the similarities between what she does and what Paul Reubens does with Pee-wee. It was by far one of my favorite and interested interviews, even though very little of it made it into the book. It was filled with wonderful tangents and digressions, much like the one I’m on right now.
Patricia- Back to me. Now Pee-wee Herman wasn’t the only alter ego that Paul Reubens created while he was at the Groundlings. He portrayed many characters such as Jay Longtoe, the Native American who danced on his toes. If Pee-wee never existed, which of these other alter-egos do you think would have been his magnum opus?
Caseen- I don’t really know if any of those other characters would have stuck like Pee-wee did, at least in the way that they were being presented. Pee-wee really stuck because that character had a full-length show based around it, which was really the brainchild of Dawna Kaufmann, the woman I alluded to earlier.
Patricia- Speaking of Dawna Kaufmann, after reading the first chapter of your book, I was a little bit surprised and shocked reading her story. What was your experience interviewing her?
Caseen- When I interviewed Dawna, the first chapter of the book had already been written. I was reaching out to her for some more background information and, after I spoke with her, I realized I had to do a major rewrite. She’s really a remarkable person who changed pop culture history and, unfortunately, has never received the credit she deserves. I think the most amazing thing from her interviews how she had long since made her peace with the whole Pee-wee Herman stuff. She’s an amazingly accomplished television writer, producer, and she’s since transitioned into writing true crime books.
Patricia- Now, when looking at the original show again, there were a lot of characters that didn’t make it to Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Hermit Hattie, Mailman Mike, Mr. and Mrs. Jelly Donut, and Monsieur Lecroc. Who did you think would have made an awesome entry into the Playhouse?
Caseen- I always loved the Jelly Donuts, even though they were in the show really briefly. I think they would have been a great addition to the children’s show. A character like Hermit Hattie would have also worked, I think. Miss Yvonne could have used a female suitor!
Patricia- Well, a lot better than the Del Rubio Triplets, in my opinion. Anyway, I recently saw Pee-wee’s Big Adventure with a bunch of other Pee-wee fans at the library. Some of them even brought their kids who had never seen the movie before at this event. At the end, the kids were smiling and laughing while quoting their favorite lines while the parents were smiling and talking about fond memories on when they first saw it. Compared to other movies in the 80’s or even now, in your opinion, what makes Pee-wee’s Big Adventure hold up so well?
Caseen- Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is still one of my favorite films. It sounds silly, but I think the movie has an honesty to it that makes it hold up. It’s a super-simple premise with an outrageous main character, but it still feels like everything in that film could really happen. The characters feel like real people — even Pee-wee! I think that’s a real testament to the writers, Paul Reubens, and Tim Burton, of course.
Patricia- Regarding about Pee-wee’s Playhouse, there were so many people and characters that we came to know and love. However, for some, there were some characters that just seemed out of place and didn’t really get a lot of recognition or love. For me, it’s a tie between Mrs. Steve and Floory. What about you?
Caseen- I’m a big fan of Jambi, but I suppose he’s a bit of a favorite. I like Dixie a lot. She sometimes gets forgotten about. I’m also pretty partial to the Playhouse Gang, since I interviewed a lot of them!
Kevin- My turn. For people who grew up with the show, what do you think that people have gained over it as compared to today’s generation with their kids’ shows?
Caseen- I think Pee-wee’s Playhouse appeals to kids and adults, which isn’t something I can say for a lot of kids shows nowadays. I was flipping the channels the other day and saw this show called Doodlebops or something like that. I couldn’t watch more than 45 seconds before changing the channel.
Patricia- Trust me, I don’t blame you. Sorry, Kev. Continue with your questions.
Kevin- If you could take any Playhouse memorabilia, what or who would it be and why?
Caseen- I would have to take the red door. It’s iconic! Who wouldn’t want that?
Kevin- Besides Pee-wee’s Playhouse, what was your favorite show from the 80’s? Also aside from Pee-wee’s Playhouse, what show did you think was the most successful?
Caseen- I liked Muppet Babies, Garfield and Friends, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I loved almost everything on Nickelodeon. I’m not sure what was the most successful, but shows likeFull House, Saved by the Bell, and Family Matters were huge when I was growing up — and also really popular with a wide audience.
Kevin- Do you think that Pee-wee had a crush of Ms. Yvonne?
Caseen- I think he did for sure, but I’m not sure if he knew it.
Kevin- I know that you own a Pee-wee Herman doll, just like me. Do you have your doll displayed or on its original box?
Caseen- I have a lot of Pee-wee Herman merchandise, including my doll, around the house. I have a 40 inch Pee-wee Herman doll sitting on a child’s size Chairry in my basement. It makes for a great conversation piece. Usually when I have guests sleep over, they request that I put Pee-wee in another room. I have to remind them that Pee-wee lives there, the guest is just visiting! I love that story, don’t you?
Patricia- I do. But here’s a story that I wasn’t too crazy about. Now when talking about Big Top Pee-wee, I admit that there are a lot of things about it that don’t make it as good as Big Adventure. The kiss, some of the characters, the love triangle, and Pee-wee being a farmer didn’t work for me. But when hearing the NPR interview from Paul Reubens in 2010 about his childhood growing up near a circus community and going to circus camp, I thought that was awesome. In my opinion, that would have been an awesome concept for Big Top Pee-wee if they would have focused on that a lot more. What changes do you think should have been done that would have made this movie as good as Big Adventure?
Caseen- I think Big Top Pee-wee focused too little on Pee-wee as a character. The circus folks and the romantic interests really commanded a lot of attention and drove the plot. Big Adventure is really all about Pee-wee and his quest for his prized possession. Almost 20 years later, I’m still not sure how to sum up Big Top Pee-wee in one sentence.
Kevin- I do. It sucks! It blows!
Patricia- Kevin, those are two sentences.
Kevin- Alright then; it sucks and blows.
Patricia- That’s better. Although it sounds like you’re describing a vacuum cleaner than a movie, but I’m digressing. Back to the questions. One of the most memorable moments in Pee-wee’s Playhouse was snack time. I can remember making the frozen juice pops after I saw that episode at 4 years old. What was your favorite moment in snack time? Have you actually tried to make something from snack time after you saw it? If so, what?
Caseen- I also made frozen juice pops and ice cream soup. Snack time was a great segment.
Patricia- Another one for me were the cartoons ranging from the old cartoons from the 30’s and 40’s to the Penny cartoons and El Hombre. Which were your favorites?
Caseen- I always loved the Penny cartoons. I thought they were brilliantly animated and hilarious. I still watch them on YouTube from time to time.
Kevin- Back to me, again. In the 80’s, there was another icon who portrayed himself as a man-child who became very popular with his movies and TV show, Ernest P. Worrell played by the late Jim Varney. Was there a comparison between Pee-wee and Ernest among fans?
Caseen- I think so. I also liked Ernest a lot, although he was always very different to me. Pee-wee was a smart, almost nerdy child. Ernest, in my opinion, was a very dumb adult. They were always opposite sides of the coin to me.
Kevin- In discussing the Christmas special, Patricia had mentioned that if there would have been a balance of celebrities between what Paul Reubens and the producers wanted and that kids would have wanted at the time, it would have been a bit better. I definitely agree since more than half of them only showed up for less than a minute. Here are some of the celebrities I would have loved to see at the Christmas Special:
Kermit the Frog and the Muppets
Big Bird and the cast of Sesame Street
Alf
Elvira
Beetlejuice
Roger Corman
Ernest
Rocky Balboa
Hulk Hogan
Michael Jackson
ET
R2D2 and C3P0
Who would you have loved to see on the Christmas Special?
Caseen- I was a massive Sesame Street kid, so seeing Big Bird on Pee-wee’s Playhouse would have been awesome. I would have loved to have seen some Sesame Street characters, maybe Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, and could we have gotten Howard the Duck, just for the sheer weirdness factor?
Kevin- I am a huge Muppet fan as well. Are you one? If so, do you have any Muppet memorabilia? How did you feel about the new Muppet movie?
Caseen- I do love the Muppets. I don’t have any Muppet memorabilia really, but I did meet Carroll Spinney, who is the actor inside Big Bird, who is a proud owner of Inside Pee-wee’s Playhouse! I thought the new Muppet movie was cute, but it fell a bit short of my expectations.
Kevin- I felt that way about the movie as well. Anyway, what was your reaction when you saw Pee-wee Herman at the Muppets magazine?
Caseen- I actually own that Muppet magazine! I thought it was awesome.
Patricia- You know, Kev, Pee-wee was made into an Honorary Muppet.
Kevin- Yeah, I know. That was awesome! One more Muppet question: Do you think that the Muppets should host next year’s Oscars?
Caseen- The Muppets should have another late-night show. Remember when they had that show in the late 90’s?
Kevin- Okay, Pat. Your turn.
Patricia- Thanks, Kevin. After Pee-wee’s Playhouse was off the air, Nickelodeon became gaining in popularity with the show Rugrats. However, most recently when doing research, I noticed something interesting. One of the writers for the show was Hey Arnold and Dinosaur Train creator Craig Bartlett, who did the animation for the Penny cartoons. The voice for one of the main characters, Tommy Pickles, was E.G. Daily, who played Dottie inPee-wee’s Big Adventure. The person who did the opening theme and some of the music was Mark Mothersbaugh, who also did the opening theme and some of the music for Pee-wee’s Playhouse. The woman who sung the opening theme for Pee-wee's Playhouse was Cyndi Lauper, who also sung a song called "I Want A Mom That'll Last Forever" for Rugrats in Paris. A few years later, Paul Reubens even voiced a character in one of the Rugrats Christmas specials. Big coincidence or subtle homage?
Caseen- Big coincidence, I think! A lot of people who worked on Pee-wee’s Playhouse had no problem getting other work in the endless realm of children’s television. I think your stats prove that to be true!
Patricia- Indeed. It’s time to discuss some major thinkers. I hope you’re ready.
Caseen- Go for it!
Patricia- Over the years, a lot of celebrities have been caught with huge scandals. Some more drastic and serious than others. Eddie Murphy was caught with a transvestite prostitute, yet when he was doing mostly family films in the 90’s and early 00’s, no parent forbade their kids from watching Dr. Doolittle or the Shrekmovies. Rob Lowe did a sex tape, yet no one complained or criticized him when he’s in Parks and Recreations. However, Paul Reubens did a lesser crime in the theater, yet to this day, he’s still criticized for it. Why do you think that after 20 years later, people will still not let that go in their minds?
Caseen- I think the fact that he was a kid show performer made a big difference. Also, the fact that there was no line between Paul Reubens and Pee-wee Herman in the 1980’s made it very easy for people to go, “Oh my God, is THAT who you really are?” I don’t think he’ll ever fully have redemption from that.
Patricia- Unfortunately, I think you’re right. Following up to that question, some of the greatest icons in history have had scandals or have had problems with a substanceof whatever sort. It seems that people seem to notice that than their great achievements. They tend to make jokes about it. However, in recent years, that seems to change when great people such as Michael Jackson and more recently Whitney Houston have passed away and people finally focus on their great work. Let’s just say, heaven forbid, Paul Reubens passes away unexpectedly. Do you think that people would finally forget about his indiscretions and focus on his great achievements?
Caseen- I absolutely think so. I mean, Paul Reubens has done an amazing service in this world as Pee-wee Herman. Not only was the character entertaining, but it was inspiring to people like Kevin and a whole slew of other creative types. He has achieved great things and I think a lot of people are being reminded of that with his recent Pee-wee appearances.
Patricia- He’s also an inspiration for me too. Right now, I’m working on writing two books that were influenced by Paul Reubens, his Pee-wee movies, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and his recent comeback. One that I plan to make a series out of and the other one is a full on novel.
Anyway, I’m not sure about you, Caseen, but I feel that some things happen for a reason, no matter how bad it seems. I know that Paul Reubens had talked about taking a break as Pee-wee in 1990 after being exhausted doing all the work he did for starring, writing, producing, and co-directing Pee-wee’s Playhouse. However, I felt that he was going to go back to being as Pee-wee at some point, but “the incident” pretty much stopped that from happening for 15 years. When he came back as Pee-wee, from what I read in your book, dozens of interviews from fans, reviews from the stage shows, and the entertainment news, people had missed him terribly and were beyond happy to see him again, you, me and Kevin included. They needed a moment of happiness and laughter, especially with these trying times.
Now here’s my hypothetical question. If the incidents never happened and Paul Reubens made his comeback as Pee-wee without any changes, do you think that he would’ve gotten the same love, support, attention, and welcoming of open arms that he got?
Caseen- That’s a great question. I never really thought about that. For me, the separation anxiety of having Pee-wee disappear all of a sudden did add to my enthusiasm for his return, I believe.
A great example on people’s reactions to Pee-wee’s comeback can be seeing here in this Funny or Die video last October when Paul Reubens was promoting his upcoming Broadway show.
Kevin- Alright, Pat. Time to take a break from the serious stuff. My turn.
Patricia- Go right ahead.
Kevin- Paul Reubens has done a lot of other roles over the years, including voice work. I really didn’t like Batman: The Brave and the Bold, but I loved Paul playing as Bat-Mite. How did you feel about it?
Caseen- To be honest, I never actually saw his Batman: The Brave and the Bold stuff! When it came out, I was deep in book promo, so I missed it entirely. Shame on me!
Patricia- Speaking of which, Paul has done a lot of movie and TV roles over the years. What are your favorite non Pee-wee roles and why?
Caseen- I loved him in Todd Solondz’s Life During Wartime. He’s fantastic. I think that’s my favorite non-Pee-wee role of his.
Patricia- Let’s talk about the new Pee-wee movie being produced by Judd Apatow. When I discussed it with people, I’ve gotten three different reactions: “Oh my God, I can’t wait”, “Oh, that movie has been talked about for years, it’ll never be done”, and “Really? Isn’t Paul Reubens a bit too old to play as Pee-wee? He’s way past his prime”. Let’s talk about the second statement: people that I know who play video games are calling it the Duke Nukem Forever of movies. If you don’t know about the game, it’s basically the sequel of a popular FPS game of the 90’s called Duke Nukem 3D. The character Duke Nukem was known for his one liners and over the top gameplay. The game was announced in 1997 but came out just last year after many delays. After it finally came out, critics hated it for being extremely dated, both the gameplay and Duke Nukem himself. Do you think that’ll be the case for the new movie?
Caseen- I totally remember Duke Nukem and didn’t realize a game had come out last year. You know, I’m a big fan of Paul’s and hope the film comes out, but I think the longer he waits, the worse it will do. I couldn’t imagine a Pee-wee Herman movie doing better in 2015 than it would have in 2005 or even 1995. If it doesn’t get greenlit soon, I don’t even know if it’s worth doing, financially.
Patricia- Now, let’s bring up the third statement. I remember 6 years ago when Sylvester Stallone announced that he was doing Rocky Balboa and people criticized and talked about not seeing the movie just because Stallone at the time was 60 years old and they felt that he was too old to play Rocky. However, after I saw the movie at the theaters, people were cheering for him and chanting “Rocky”, “Rocky”! at the fight scene with Mason Dixon. They loved it. Now Stallone is going to turn 66 and he’s doing The Expendables 2.
When I saw the Broadway show on DVD, I loved it and didn’t think for one second that Paul Reubens shouldn’t be doing it. I saw Pee-wee and he still got it. Do you think that people will react the same way at first when they hear more about the movie? Do you think the same results will occur if the movie is a success?
Caseen- I think Pee-wee fans will go see it, but I don’t know how well a Pee-wee movie would do broadly. I always thought the Apatow film would do really well if they took a cue from Pee-wee’s SNL digital short and added a bunch of cameos like the early Muppet movies. That might get people interested in it.
Kevin- What would be your next project?
Caseen- I know, but I can’t tell you just yet! It’s a good one though, trust me.
Kevin- One last question for me. When The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast was re-released in theaters, I saw that toy stores were carrying their toys and action figures again. Now that Pee-wee made a huge comeback and when the movie comes out, do you think that they should release new toys and merchandise at the toy stores?
Caseen- I’m a little surprised we didn’t see Pee-wee merchandise in stores with his recent Broadway run. If he’s back on TV or on the big screen, I think we’ll see Pee-wee stuff for sure.
Kevin- Alright, that’s it for me. Thanks a lot, Caseen.
Caseen- Thank you for your awesome questions!
Patricia- I have a few more questions. Thanks for being patient with me. It can be established that Pee-wee Herman, his movies and shows has made a huge influence in pop culture. Movies, TV shows, music, art, and even commercials have paid homage to Pee-wee. What is your favorite homage? What was the last one you saw?
Caseen- I loved The Simpsons episode that you cited in your Top 10 favorite Pee-wee moments. I nearly choked to death of laughter when I saw that!
Patricia- Nowadays, we see a lot of remakes based on popular cartoons and TV shows from the past. Most of them have not done as well as the originals and some of them have been downright awful. The best comeback I’ve seen in recent years is the Muppets. They went full force with their comeback; releasing hilarious YouTube videos, guest appearances on TV shows, and the movie. However, with Pee-wee’s comeback, it’s kind of the opposite. It’s a slower, but steady comeback. Whenever he appears on TV, such as the Spike TV Scream Awards last October and the guest appearance in Top Chef: Texas a few weeks ago, he becomes a huge trending topic on the Internet and people demand to see more. Which of these comebacks do you think is better: consistent appearances left and right all over the media or a slower, but steady comeback that has people craving for more?
Caseen- You know, it’s a great question, but I don’t know the answer yet. I think the comeback of Pee-wee Herman is sort of the first real slow roll out that we’ve seen of a major pop phenomenon like that. Then again, if you think about it, The Muppets have had a slow roll out too. Remember Bohemian Rhapsody a few years ago?
Patricia- In 2001, Paul Reubens had the opportunity to host a game show called You Don’t Know Jack, based off the PC game and the more recent one on the PS3 and XBOX 360. I’ve played both of them and see some similarities, while seeing some new stuff. I loved watching it, since it reminded me of those crazy 70’s game shows like Match Game in which the host interacts with the contestants and jokes around with them. I was very sad when it only lasted 6 episodes. Do you know if Paul had any involvement with the game show? Why do you think it didn’t last longer than it did?
Caseen- I enjoyed You Don’t Know Jack a lot, but I think the show was a little too wacky for primetime television. Remember, game shows were, and still are, a bit out of style, so it’s hard for them to catch on. For every Who Wants to be a Millionaire, there’s several more that lasted only a handful of episodes. With that being said, I think a lot of people were turned off by Paul Reubens’ character. He wasn’t Paul Reubens hosting the show, but Troy Stevens. The show was obviously heavily scripted and, if you’re one of the few people who actually care about watching a game show to see people win money, You Don’t Know Jack wasn’t going to satisfy you.
Patricia- True, very true. Plus, as you said, other game shows at the time such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire,The Weakest Link, Survivor, and Fear Factor pretty much cemented that You Don’t Know Jack wasn’t going to catch on. However, it is a fun game show when you play it as a video game. It’s a lot of fun on game nights.
Here’s the first episode of You Don’t Know Jack for your enjoyment.
Patricia- One last question. Are you thinking about taking this book to the next level and probably make it into a documentary?
Caseen- I’d love it! If anyone out there is a filmmaker and wants to talk, get a hold of me. Kevin, I hope you heard that part!!!
Patricia- We were actually talking about that a week ago. We were thinking of taking a huge road trip to all the places that were shown in the movies like the Alamo and the Cabazon dinosaurs. We could interview all the fans, the people who were behind it, get some rare clips and bloopers from the movies and show. You could definately join us, it’ll be fun. Anyway, Caseen Gaines, thank you so much for taking your time for this interview. Kevin and I really appreciate it. I hope that we get a chance to interview you again when you sell your 1 millionth copy of the book.
Caseen- You’ll be the first two people I’ll talk to! Thanks for the fun time. You both had great questions. By far this was the most thorough interview I’ve had about the book. I appreciated it! :) KEEP IN TOUCH!!!
Patricia- We certainly will.
Caseen Gaines will be making an appearance next week, February 24th at Quimby’s Bookstore in Chicago, Illinois. For all you Chicago or Illinois residents, head over to Quimby’s and check out the book signing. For more information about the book, check out http://www.insidetheplayhouse.com/.
