What the F-
So I had wanted to talk about Angry Black White Boy, but everything I had wanted to say about it has to do with African American Literature, which a very small number of people were in. So instead I'll talk about Pee-wee Herman's Big Adventure.
Whenever I watch a movie, I tend to make snide comments about what's going on. If you were in 2nd hour you probably heard me say some observations or jokes about the movie and I'm sorry if it ruined your watching experience. I promise I don't do this in movie theaters, just at home. Basically, I was thinking about the meta perspective of the entire movie the whole time. And all I say for it is "What the ****".
This movie is confusing but not because of the plot exactly. There are just several things about how the movie is constructed, the characters, everything. The whole experience is a surreal adventure across the United States that gives me Forest Gump deja vu. It also reminds me somewhat of O Brother, Where Art Thou since that also had a long surreal travel (although Man of Constant Sorrow doesn't fit nearly as well with Pee-Wee's antics). At the beginning I didn't think the adventure could get any weirder after seeing Pee-Wee's house, but his encounters with Large Marge and his dreams proved me wrong.
The biggest thing that got me to consider this movie was the fact that the movie is not exactly for kids but not exactly for adults. It walks this strange middle space where its too juvenile to be targeted at adults, but a little too serious for younger kids. It does it's job well as a satire of the roadtrip genre, but also embraces it a little bit. I'm honestly very confused at the whole movie and Pee-Wee Herman as a character, but since I don't have to write another essay for this class I'll just think about it later.
Whenever I watch a movie, I tend to make snide comments about what's going on. If you were in 2nd hour you probably heard me say some observations or jokes about the movie and I'm sorry if it ruined your watching experience. I promise I don't do this in movie theaters, just at home. Basically, I was thinking about the meta perspective of the entire movie the whole time. And all I say for it is "What the ****".
This movie is confusing but not because of the plot exactly. There are just several things about how the movie is constructed, the characters, everything. The whole experience is a surreal adventure across the United States that gives me Forest Gump deja vu. It also reminds me somewhat of O Brother, Where Art Thou since that also had a long surreal travel (although Man of Constant Sorrow doesn't fit nearly as well with Pee-Wee's antics). At the beginning I didn't think the adventure could get any weirder after seeing Pee-Wee's house, but his encounters with Large Marge and his dreams proved me wrong.
The biggest thing that got me to consider this movie was the fact that the movie is not exactly for kids but not exactly for adults. It walks this strange middle space where its too juvenile to be targeted at adults, but a little too serious for younger kids. It does it's job well as a satire of the roadtrip genre, but also embraces it a little bit. I'm honestly very confused at the whole movie and Pee-Wee Herman as a character, but since I don't have to write another essay for this class I'll just think about it later.
Pee Wee's Big Adventure made me viscerally uncomfortable throughout the whole movie, but in a good, entertaining way. I don't know if it was his laugh or the strangely shifting voices he used, but it gave me a the same feeling you get when you saw a spider on your wall but now its gone and you don't know where.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! I have semi-extreme arachnophobia and this movie did not creep me out that much, but I had only just gotten used to his high pitched voice at the end of the movie and then the meta-movie came up and his low voice completely startled me.
DeleteI think the movie's very self-aware of the tropes and whatnot they're using, and surprises you in small ways when you think "oh it's just gonna be another of those scenes". Even at the start, when I expected Pee-wee to be a subject of ridicule for his community, it was refreshing to see him getting along with other more "normal" people.
ReplyDeleteI kind of got Courage the Cowardly Dog vibes from this movie, especially from the Large Marge scene. It's kind of the same "children's show, but not really" thing. I really like the kind of unsettling feelings it gives you. Also, the mid-movie comments were pretty funny.
ReplyDeleteIf you're familiar with other Tim Burton's work, this movie made sense to me as his directorial debut. Creepiness is his bread and butter, and there are so many cases in which that creepiness showed through. Perhaps it's because we aren't familiar with Pee Wee, and we don't have fond childhood memories associated with him as some other adults have. But I found this movie just as creepy as you, and felt that it was a movie for adults as you say.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! When we finished the movie, I was just thinking "wow, that was very Tim Burton." He really excels at making the ordinary strange and his movies are so surreal in such a fabulous but disorienting and creepy way.
DeletePee-Wee was an absolutely bizarre character to watch, and I definitely got sick of that laugh at some point during the movie. But I agree that the movie walks a strange middle ground of aimed at kids in plot and some scenes, but too serious for kids at other points. However, I think it also walked an area that was funny while also perfectly bizarre in the Tim Burton way that makes you go "okay, why was that funny?" All in all, I really enjoyed the movie.
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that it's disturbingly in the middle ground makes the whole concept of Pee-Wee so surreal. There were times that had slapstick humor but I was honestly more creeped out than amused. Although I guess that's part of the experience so it's accomplishing what it's meant to do. Overall i wouldn't say I loved the movie but I think it was a very fun ending to a good class.
ReplyDeleteI was also pretty confused, especially at tthe beginning of the movie (which is maybe to be expected with an earlier Tim Burton). Despite all the weirdness, though, I think Peewie works as a character - he's just strange enough to set the meta (and perhaps ironic???) mood that I think Burton wanted to establish. The not-quite-rightness of Peewie kind of made me analyze everything that was going on, and it was interesting to see that adult-kid dynamic you mentioned play out.
ReplyDelete