Pee-Wee Herman

I've got good news for those of you who aren't familiar with Pee-wee Herman's cinematic ouvre. There's a surprise in it.

Pee-wee hit the big time in 1985 with his masterpiece, "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure." Directed by Tim Burton, the film is an all-time classic. It has as many memorable lines as "Casablanca," as much humor as "The Big Lebowsky" and uniquely quirky characters. I've seen it two dozen times and watched it again this week. The film holds up.

Soon after that film Pee-wee released a movie so bad we don't speak of it. Ssshhh...

The surprise is that thirty years after his first two movies, Pee-wee made a final film, "Pee-Wee's Big Holiday." Almost as good as his masterpiece, "Big Holiday" is currently available on Netflix. The most remarkable thing about the film is that at the time it was made (2016) Pee-wee (Paul Reubens) was 64 years old. 64!! And he looks exactly the same as he did thirty years earlier. Makeup helped but you have to admire someone who can do physical comedy at that age rivaling work in his prime.

The theme of "Big Holiday" is Pee-wee's friendship with actor Joe Manganiello (playing himself). Joe rides into town on a loud motorcycle, befriends Pee-wee at the diner where Pee-wee works and then takes him for a ride. Joe later invites Pee-wee to his birthday party in New York City -- encouraging Pee-wee to experience life on open road as he travels there: 

Pee-wee Herman: I've never each been on an airplane.

Joe Manganiello: No! The only thing you're gonna learn about yourself on a plane is if you like the honey-roasted peanuts better than the plain salted. If you're really hungry, the open road is a smorgasbord of life experience. A few days on the open road is worth a lifetime in Fairville. Way I see it, Pee-wee Herman, you got a choice to make. Stick around here or live a little... [Joe revs his motorcycle engine]

Pee-wee takes Joe's advice, hits the road and has a series of amusing, impossible adventures. He's taken hostage by three female bank-robbers, sees the world's scariest snake, gets taken to the wedding chapel by a farmer with nine daughters and a shotgun, jumps out of a plunging airplane, etc. 

It's a real Pee-wee film!