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From: henry@rochester.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Pee Wee Hermans Big Adventure
Message-ID: <11094@rochester.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Aug-85 18:43:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: rocheste.11094
Posted: Fri Aug 16 18:43:27 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Aug-85 03:47:36 EDT
Sender: henry@rochester.UUCP
Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept.
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From: Henry.Kautz

PEEWEE HERMAN'S BIG ADVENTURE

PeeWee Herman is a classic comic character, a modern-day Buster Keaton
or "Little Tramp".  His costume and makeup is, in fact, that of a
silent-movie star.  His personality is that of the innocent child, who
none the less is infinitely resouceful (like Chaplin's character), but
pathos is replaced by the manic energy of Bugs Bunny.   PeeWee Herman
has appeared on the Tonight Show and MTV; now he has a full-length
movie out, his BIG ADVENTURE.  Nominally, the film is about PeeWee's
search for his stolen bicycle.  In reality, it is a reworking and
distillation of dozens of old silent comedies (his main enemy in the
movie, by the way, is an imitation of Fatty Arbuckle), classic Warner
Brother cartoons of the 50's, and 60's TV shows, such as Leave it to
Beaver.

So its a movie about movies, and its also a movie about STUFF.  What
kinds of STUFF?  TOYS, the NEAT STUFF that was advertised in comic
books and Boy's Life, like X-Ray Specs or crystal radio kits, which
were always a bit disappointing when you finally got them, but were
wonderful to dream about.   PeeWee is never disappointed; he loves it
all, and refuses to enter the adult world, where we must "put away our
childish things".  The central THING in the movie is the Bicycle:  it
is the bike you dreamed about on Christmas Eve as a little kid, the
bike that can take you anywhere, at least in your imagination.
PeeWee's imagination is very close to the surface; his dreams -- and
nightmares -- get mixed up with reality.  I think that's an important
part of childhood, too.

I won't spoil the movie by telling you the jokes:  it's mostly physical
and visual humor (but very little real violence; nothing like the Three
Stooges brand of head-bashing).  Besides, none of the bits are new!  The
movie does go on too long; even at 90 minutes, it could stand to either
lose about 20 minutes, or pack in some more jokes.  (Mel Brook's SILENT
MOVIE suffered on the same account, as I recall.)  I enjoyed the movie
a lot.  (Many other people there, however, were puzzled and bored.  Oh,
well...)  Sex 'n violence 'n filthy language?  None (ah, too bad).
Take Grandma and the kids...
---- Henry Kautz
	:uucp:	{seismo|allegra}!rochester!henry
	:arpa:	henry@rochester
	:mail:  Dept. of Comp. Sci., U. of Rochester, NY 14627
	:phone: (716) 275-5766