Pee-Wee's Big Adventure - A Quick Review

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

A Quick and Partial Review

The opening scene of the movie sets the tone. It's a fantasy of a man aspiring to be a hero. I love Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. If you want to have fun, you'll enjoy it. It's a movie I could watch a hundred times. So, my opinion is not impartial and never could be.

What's the deal?

Pee-Wee travels around the country looking for his beloved bike. He's sent on this adventure after a fortune teller tells him his bike is in the basement of the Alamo. The movie's got bikers, escaped prisoners, fake nuns, clown surgeons and more.

Why should you watch it?

Tim Burton's feature directorial debut is a classic that spawned a television series, two sequels and a live tour. It has a soundtrack by Danny Elfman, Phil Hartman (love him <3) among the writers and a custom made bike that makes me want to ride. I can't ride bikes, I'm too big of a klutz. Paul Reubens had a dream team to bring this vision to life.

Why do I love it?

I over-analyze films. Shutting off my brain and going "Gee, this is fun." is not in my nature. Movies that appear superficial and frivolous often aren't. Film like this appeal to me as long as they're weird enough to keep me entertained. The kitsch and oddities of the film show careful thought and the wild imagination of the crew.

I'm not fond of CGI being used when other tools would work. Practical effects and stop motion animation give a film visual interest. They also give films a reality that cannot be achieved otherwise because the things actually exist. This film has some of the most effective use of stop motion I've ever seen in a live action film.

Some movies try so hard to fool us rather than can create a world for us to enter. They can create another reality while acknowledging that it's just a movie. This movie succeeds in creating another reality, another world and inviting the viewer in.

Like so many of my favorite films, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is just good, quirky fun. I love it and it's worth watching over and over until you're permanently humming the Tequila Song.

5 Things I Did to Expand my Mind - Week of 12/12/16

Five Ways to Expand My Imagination

 

For the week of December 12, 2016

The imagination cannot be allowed to atrophy. It's hard to imagine amazing places when reality dominates every thought. So that's my frame of mind.  Reality is taking its toll on me but I'm fighting for my dreams.

I think I'm having another quarter-life crisis or maybe I just convinced myself I was done with my first one when I wasn't. So, I'm dealing with my probable quarter-life crisis through proactive efforts to change myself and my life. It's my only positive coping mechanism.

I did five things this week to expand my mind, flex my imagination's muscle and generally try to improve myself as a creator. Maybe it's less about expanding my mind but imagination life support but I'll try to keep The Rel Show's advice in mind and remember I can get through anything. These are five of the things I did this week.

1. Studied Ruby Programming

Derek Banas has a channel on youtube with comprehensive lessons on Ruby. Ruby is a dynamic programming language with an easy to understand syntax. Banas's videos were the perfect thing the watch while I did paperwork. He goes fast but I didn't watch the video expecting to remember every detail. His introductory video exposes the viewer to many concepts of Ruby and offers a strong launching off point.

Ruby has attracted me because of the sound of the language. Also Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby is just too cool for me not to want to know about Ruby. I am attracted to anything that can inspire such strange creative works of art.

My programming skills are non-existent but my aspirations continue. Next, I need to find good resources for learning the theories of programming and how to actually make something useful.

2. Watched Monty Python

I have had a long standing bias against Monty Python. I saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail once and I didn't get it. I swore off Monty Python from then on. Yes, I know I never gave it a chance. Now, I have and I love it.

Saturday before last, on a whim I grabbed 3 Monty Python DVDs when I was at the library. I watched all 3 in succession then last Saturday I got the rest of the DVDs for a binge.

It's mad, crazy, strange and I'm sure I don't understand all the jokes. The interstitial animations are fantastic. I'm sorry for doubting you for so long Monty Python. Forgive me?

3. Studied Puppetry

I received my first puppet this week. All part of a grand scheme of mine but not one of my larger grand schemes. I want to be a puppeteer and, like so many things in life, the way to be a puppeteer is to get a puppet and work with the puppet. Puppetry lead me to watching videos about how to work a puppet and practicing (because I don't want to just be a crappy puppeteer). It also lead me to number 4 on the list.

4. Watched Muppet Show

Can anyone name a more influential puppeteer than Jim Henson? If so, I want to know. I've seen a few episodes over the years but now I'm studying it to see what made these characters so iconic. (There are not enough hours in the day to binge everything. But I'm make progress.)

5. Listened to The Dollop

Shudder inducing and so funny. The Dollop is a podcast featuring Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds. The typical episode is Dave telling Gareth a story from American history (We are an insane country founded by lunatics and still chiefly composed of lunatics. Am I lunatic? Maybe. I'll own it, I might be a typical American lunatic.). I am a late comer to the show meaning I still have days of abject horror spiced with funny left to catch up on.

When I'm listening to The Dollop, everyone around me thinks I'm insane when they learn I'm laughing about the history of sanitation in New York. So, bonus.

For next week? I don't know yet.

Poem - Dream Drug

Dream Drug

If dreams were a drug,

I would overdose every night

I would make morning wait
I would leave the world unattended
I would never be present in the day
I would pound the snooze with one clenched fist
I would fight afternoon withdrawals with a my head on a pillow
The war on drugs would require an armistice

Or prohibition would render the world criminal

If dreams were a drug,
I would never abstain