Big Top Pee-Wee

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

Pee-wee Herman has a dream of being a famous singer. He makes his exit by disguising himself as Abraham Lincoln. One of the fans asks him for his autograph, but his disguise is promptly exposed. They chase after him and he flies off to his ranch. Pee-wee finally awakens from his dream that morning to work on his farm with Vance the pig. Later, he has lunch with his fiancée, schoolteacher Winnie Johnson. Next, he races Vance to a general store owned by Mr. Ryan to order a cheese sandwich with a pickle.

The sheriff warns everyone of a large storm approaching town. After the storm ends, Pee-wee emerges from his storm shelter to discover that an entire traveling circus has been blown into his backyard. Befriended by Cabrini Circus manager Mace Montana, Pee-wee is hoping to impress Gina Piccolapupula, a trapeze artist and the circus’ star attraction, thereby incurring the jealousy of his Winnie until she meets Gina’s older brothers: The Piccolapupula Brothers. Gina leaves Pee-wee when she finds out about Winnie, but later returns to him when she realizes that Pee-wee actually loves her.

Pee-wee wants to join the circus, but his attempts fail. Gina then tells Pee-wee about her deceased father Papa Piccolapupula who was a famous aerialist who suffered a fall performing the Spiral of Death. Gina states that Pee-wee should try walking the tightrope in his honor.

Mace comes up with a brilliant idea: to stage a three-ring spectacular saluting the American Farm. The problem is that the majority of the town’s residents are disgruntled, uncaring elderly people who have been demanding the circus Pee-wee is helping leave town.

The Sheriff and the townspeople show up and attempts to arrest Pee-wee, The Sheriff promises to drop the charges if the circus leaves town. While the Circus is packing, Mace tells Pee-wee they will do the circus somewhere else to prevent Pee-wee from going to jail, but Pee-wee saves the day when he sneaks modified cocktail weenies from his hot-dog tree to the townspeople, causing them to become children once again. Without any memories of what happened, the children watch Mace’s circus and Pee-wee perform

REVIEW:

Pee-Wee Herman returns, complete with red bow-tie and small grey suit, to entertain audiences with another adventure. Big Top Pee-Wee is a film that I remember seeing when it came out, but don’t recall a thing about it. Guess that means I’ll have a fresh perspective on this cinematic tour de force, right?

What is this about?

Pee-Wee Herman joins the circus when a giant storm deposits a big-top tent — and the menagerie to go with it — in his front yard. Now it’s up to Pee-Wee, the animals and a troupe of circus performers to put on the best show the town’s ever seen.

What did I like?

Absurd. Those familiar with the work of Pee-Wee Herman are more than aware that it is anything but serious. As a matter of fact, it can be over the top. I mean, we are talking about a grown man who acts as like child while no one bats an eye. It is this detachment from reality that I really appreciated. This is a film that has cows producing chocolate milk, hot dogs growing on trees, etc. How can one not be drawn into the absurdity?

Small town. Living in a big city these last few years, I have come to realize that I miss small town life. As a matter of fact, in the town that I grew up in, they are having a peach festival this week. You don’t get that kind of down home activity anywhere but in small town, USA. So, perhaps that is why I identify so much with these small town folks. A handful of individuals who seem to know any and everything. No chain supermarket, but a general store (though it did have name brand products). A school taught by just one teacher. Ok, that seemed out of place and time, but you get the idea with the nostalgia for the perfect small town that I’m sure was the idea when this town was created for the film.

Talking pig. I actually did a bit of research the other day about talking pigs, and there aren’t as many films about them as you may think. Don’t ask why I was doing the research, just do with it. At any rate, Pee-Wee’s pig doesn’t spend the whole film talking, nor does he try to steal the show. He actually plays a sidekick role to Herman, which surprisingly works, even though we know him to be more of a solo act.

What didn’t I like?

Circus hate. For some reason, the people of the town hate the circus. It is never really said why, but they hate it so much that they do refuse service to the performers, attempt to have Pee-Wee arrested on some fabricated charges, and all but run the operation out of town before they even get settled. I couldn’t help but think that there was a story, or at least a flashback, that should have been shown to the audience explaining all of this to us.

All you need is love. There are just some things that are not meant to happen. Pee-Wee Herman having a love life is one of them. Having an innocent romance is fine, but this film has him cheating on his fiancée, dealing with relationship issues, and we see him kiss a girl. That kiss goes on for a good 5 minutes or so. It was very uncomfortable to watch. Do I not want Pee-Wee to find happiness in the arms of a good woman? That isn’t what I’m saying. I just don’t think of Pee-Wee as a sexual being, much in the same way Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory was before they ruined his character by bringing in Amy, but that’s a topic for whole different post.

Farm mystery. Where did Pee-Wee get this farm from? In Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, he was living in a small house in the city. Did a relative pass away and leave him some land? Did he get tired of the city life and move out in the country? What happened here? It just seems sudden for him to be in a totally different setting but, considering the different directors, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, should I?

Big Top Pee-Wee gets a lot of hate from fans and critics. Make no mistake, this is not a good film, but it doesn’t deserve the vitriol many spew towards it. The circus and farm plot actually work for me, but I can’t pardon the un-Pee-Weeing of Pee-Wee. A love story, a science angle, and he becomes an acrobat? What happened to him just being a goofy social outcast? Do I recommend this? Not really. If you want to see Pee-Wee, either watch the previous film or go on Netflix and watch some episodes of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.

3 out of 5 stars

Cry-Baby

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

In 1954 Baltimore, Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker is the leader of a gang of “Drapes”, which includes his sister Pepper, a teenage mother, Mona “Hatchet Face” Malnorowski, who is facially disfigured, Wanda Woodward, a wild and free-spirit, and Milton Hackett, the nervous son of overzealous religious activists. His ability to shed a single tear drives all the girls wild. One day after school, he is approached by Allison Vernon-Williams, a pretty girl tired of being a “square”, and the two fall in love. That same day, Cry-Baby approaches the “square” part of town to a talent show (“Sh-Boom”, “A Teenage Prayer”) at the recreation center where Allison’s grandmother hosts events, and introduces himself to her, who is skeptical of his motives. Cry-Baby invites Allison to a party at Turkey Point, a local hangout spot for the drapes.

Despite her grandmother’s skepticism, Allison accompanies Cry-Baby to Turkey Point and sings with the drapes (“King Cry-Baby”). As Cry-Baby and Allison tell each other about their orphan lives (Cry-Baby’s father was sent to the electric chair after being the “Alphabet Bomber” – a killer who bombed places in alphabetical order airport, barber shop etc; Allison’s parents always took separate flights to avoid orphaning her if they crashed, but one day both their planes went down), Allison’s jealous square boyfriend, Baldwin, starts a riot. Cry-Baby is blamed for the fight and sent to a penitentiary, outraging all his friends and even Allison’s grandmother, who is impressed by Cry-Baby’s posture, manners, and musical talent.

As Lenora Frigid, a girl with a crush on Cry-Baby but constantly rejected by him, claims to be pregnant with his child, Allison feels betrayed and returns to Baldwin and the squares, though her grandmother advises her against rushing into a decision. Meanwhile, in the penitentiary, Cry-Baby gets a teardrop tattoo. He tells the tattoo artist, fellow drape Dupree (Robert Tyree): “I’ve been hurt all my life, but real tears wash away. This one’s for Allison, and I want it to last forever!”.

Eventually, Allison is persuaded by the newly-established alliance between the Drapes and her grandmother to stand by Cry-Baby and join the campaign for his release (“Please, Mr. Jailer”). Cry-Baby is released but immediately insulted by Baldwin who, after revealing that his grandfather is the one who electrocuted Cry-Baby’s father, challenges him to a chicken race. Cry-Baby wins, as Baldwin chickens out, and is reunited with Allison.

The film ends with all watching the chicken race crying a single tear, all except for Allison and Cry-Baby, who has finally let go of the past, enabling him to cry from both eyes.

REVIEW:

Earlier this year, someone asked me what I thought of Cry-Baby being turned into a Broadway show. Since I hadn’t seen either at the time, I couldn’t really comment. Now, I can at least comment on the film part.

What is this about?

Helmed by director John Waters, this kitschy comedy set in 1950s Baltimore stars Johnny Depp as Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker, a street hood who falls for a goody-two-shoes girl. The unlikely romance sparks a battle between rival factions.

What did I like?

Humor. This is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. John Watters may be known as some kind of creepy weirdo nowadays, bu they guy known how to make an entertaining film. Johnny Depp is the only one who seems to be playing it straight, and that has more to do with the way his character was written. The jokes and humorous situations all poke fun at 50s teen movies. It seems that there is a heavy swing towards the Elvis films, just in terms of music and style, but having never seen any of his films, I can’t really tell you.

Bottom to the top. When it comes to acting, a gig you don’t really want to get into, at least if you have aspirations of having a real career is porn. The number of porn stars to have made it to the big time can be counted on one’s fingers. Hollywood just doesn’t seem to care for them. The roles they tend to earn don’t really give them much credibility. Traci Lords is one of those that looked to break the pattern. While this role isn’t necessarily huge, it was an actual acting gig and showed filmmakers that porn stars can do more than lay on their backs and do various sexual acts.

You gotta do it. Arguably the biggest 50s era film is Grease. Watching the film, you can see nods to it here and there, but the parts that stuck out were the change in the good girl to a “bad girl” near the end and the design og Cry-Baby’s car. It is an almost exact duplication of the Scorpions’ car, but I think they had a convertible.

What didn’t I like?

Confederate flag. This is set in Baltimore, MD, but for some reason at a party, or whatever it was, there is a big Confederate flag. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how divisive this flag is. For me, if it is used for historical purposed, that is fine ,but to just have one up as a random decoration can be a bit offensive, especially in a place that is considered the north. It made no sense to have it in display like that.

Overacting. I know that no one is really taking this film seriously, but there are times throughout this picture, it seems that they aren’t even trying to do anything but exaggerate their lines, Depp being the biggest offender. A John Watters film is not known for subtlety, but good grief! They really could have scaled it back a little bit.

Cry-Baby is a really entertaining musical parody of those teen rockin’ rebel films from the 50s. I think many will actually enjoy it from start to finish, just as I did. While this isn’t a film that everyone should see, it is something that is worth checking out on a weekend when you’re stumped as to what to watch. Give it a shot, sometime!

4 out of 5 stars

Forbidden Zone

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

The film begins on “Friday, April 17” at 4 pm in Venice, California. Huckleberry P. Jones (Gene Cunningham), local pimp, narcotics peddler and slumlord, enters a vacant house that he owns. While stashing heroin in the basement, he stumbles upon a mysterious door and enters it, falling into the Sixth Dimension, from which he promptly escapes. After retrieving the heroin, he sells the house to the Hercules family. On their way to school, Frenchy Hercules (Marie-Pascale Elfman) and her brother Flash (Phil Gordon) have a conversation with Squeezit Henderson (Matthew Bright), who tells them that, while being violently beaten by his mother, he had a vision of his transgendered sister René (also played by Bright), who had fallen into the Sixth Dimension through the door in the Hercules’ basement. Frenchy returns home to confide in her mother, and decides to take just a “little peek” behind the forbidden door in the basement. After arriving in the Sixth Dimension, she is captured by the perpetually topless Princess, who brings Frenchy to the rulers of the Sixth Dimension, the midget King Fausto (Hervé Villechaize) and his queen, Doris (Susan Tyrrell). When the king falls for Frenchy, Queen Doris orders their frog servant, Bust Rod, to lock her up. In order to make sure that Frenchy is not harmed, King Fausto tells Bust Rod to take Frenchy to Cell 63, where the king keeps his favorite concubines (as well as René). The next day at school, Flash tries to convince Squeezit to help him rescue René and Frenchy. When Squeezit refuses, Flash enlists the help of Gramps instead. In the Sixth Dimension, they speak to an old Jewish man who tells them how to help Frenchy escape, but they soon are captured by Bust Rod. Queen Doris interrogates Flash and Gramps and then lowers them into a large septic tank. She then plots her revenge against Frenchy, relocating all the denizens of Cell 63 to a torture chamber. She leaves the Princess to oversee Frenchy’s torture and execution, but when a fuse is blown, the torture is put on hold and the prisoners from cell 63 are relocated to keep the King from finding them.

After escaping the septic tank, Flash and Gramps come across a woman who tells them that she was once happily married to the king, until Doris stole the throne by seducing her, “even though she’s not my type”. The ex-queen has been sitting in her cell for 1,000 years, and has been writing a screenplay in order to keep her sanity. Meanwhile, Pa Hercules is blasted through the stratosphere by an explosion caused by improperly extinguishing his cigarette in a vat of highly flammable tar during his work break at the La Brea Tar Pit Factory. After re-entry, Pa falls through the Hercules family basement and into the Sixth Dimension, where he is imprisoned. Finding a phone, Flash calls Squeezit and again asks for his help. Finally, Squeezit agrees to go into the Sixth Dimension to help rescue Frenchy and René. There, he is captured by Satan (Danny Elfman), with whom he makes a deal to bring him the Princess in exchange for Satan’s help freeing René and Frenchy. After Squeezit accomplishes this task, Satan tells him not to worry about his friends before having him decapitated. Queen Doris sends Bust Rod to keep an eye on the king, and to ensure he doesn’t find out where she’s hidden Frenchy. King Fausto catches Bust Rod and forces him to lead him to Frenchy and René, whom he orders to leave the Sixth Dimension to avoid the Queen’s wrath. However, en route to safety, René is stricken with pseudo-menstrual cramps, and they are again captured by the frog. Squeezit’s head, which has now sprouted chicken wings, finds the king and informs him of what has happened. While preparing to kill Frenchy, Doris is confronted by the ex-queen, and the two engage in a cat-fight, with Doris eventually coming out as the victor. Just as she is about to kill Frenchy, King Fausto stops her, explaining that Satan’s Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo are holding the Princess hostage, and will kill her should anything befall Frenchy. Flash and Gramps arrive, and Flash is knocked down by Gramps. Ma Hercules enters and, seeing a seemingly dead Flash, shoots Queen Doris. King Fausto mourns Doris, then marries Frenchy. The surviving characters look toward a great future as they plan to take over everyone and everything in the Galaxy

REVIEW:

I’ve seen some messed up and twisted things in my day, but Forbidden Zone had to be near the top of the list! An acquaintance of mine asked me to check out and see what I thought. He and I are having some words about this acid trip tomorrow, let me tell you!

What is this about?

Welcome to the Sixth Dimension — a topsy-turvy universe of frog butlers, topless princesses, machine gun-toting teachers, chicken boys, human chandeliers and the devil himself (Danny Elfman). They’re all ruled by a sex-obsessed midget king (Herve Villechaize) and his insane queen (Susan Tyrrell).

What did I like?

Homage. Much of this film plays out as an homage to those films of yesteryear that I hold to such high esteem. Starting with the black and white camera to the various styles of music and even including a satirical statement on the way race was handled in those old films (something that apparently caused much controversy upon this film’s release).

Music. Many of the songs are done in the old style of, I want to say the 20s, but there are some departures. The boys in the classroom turn the alphabet into disco, funk, jazz, and I can’t remember what the other style was. All this is nothing compared to Danny Elfman’s appearance as Satan, or should I say Cab Calloway. He sings a song that is so much like Cab that you would think the man himself was doing it himself!

What didn’t I like?

Plot. To say there is a plot here is like saying that dubstep is music. Some will argue the point until they are blue in the face, but there isn’t really a plot here, just a bunch of twisted happenings tied together by some songs and animation. This probably would have worked better, at least for me, if they would have gone as a strict variety film, rather than trying to make a legit comedy.

Where did the money go? The budget for this is $300,000 and I must ask…where did the money go? The acting sucks. Other than the little guy from Fantasy Island, there are no big names here. Story was apparently optional when this was put to paper, the make up seems about as cheap as a $2 whore. I guess they blew their wad on the animation, because nothing else seemed to be worth any amount of money that could have been spent.

Forbidden Zone just didn’t resonate with me. Whether that was because of its twisted nature or because I just wasn’t feeling it, I cannot tell you, but this wasn’t the film for me. With that being said, should you take a chance on it? Well, I will only say yes if you are into the disturbed and absurd, otherwise it is best to just pass on this one.

2 out of 5 stars