Search
Search results
Kelly Knows (95 KP) rated Big Top Pee-wee (1988) in Movies
Jun 30, 2019
The People VS Pee-wee
Big Top Pee-wee is that rare movie that some will find irresistible and charming, while others will see it as utterly irritating. I revel in the glory that is the truth. It is both. Pee-wee started from the bottom of the playhouse, had a big adventure and wound up facing the real world in this movie. Pee-wee's world has always been goofy, surreal, and over the top. That is the draw of it, in my humble opinion. Unfortunately, this doesn't translate well when you slap our bow-tie bedecked hero in the midst of regular folk. Even the cast seems to be in a perpetual state of almost breaking character either due to intentional awkwardness in the writing, or some mix of inability to handle Pee-wee outside of his playhouse. I lean toward the latter. Looking back on the memory of this movie with a warm nostalgic lens, I was a bit taken aback on more recent viewing. Paul Reubens is in fine form as always, and all the jokes landed with a familiarity that had me cracking up at the same time I was wincing. It is a very humorous movie if you watch it with the kids, and turn your brain off. Even watching it on a "so bad it's good" mindset can be a good decision here. Nothing too crazy for the parents to watch out for. There is a love triangle storyline that felt like a betrayal of the innocence of the original themes but this movie does feel like an attempt to have Pee-wee grow up a bit, so agree to disagree on that one. The historical fact is that Pee-wee will always be an outstanding character brought to life by a talented actor. Big Top Pee-wee might not be one of the finest movies ever made, but if you have it locked in your memory banks under a soft sepia tone light. Keep it there.
Jimmy Fallon recommended Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) in Movies (curated)
Lindsay (1812 KP) rated Shadows of the Missing ( A Chris Matheson Mystery #5) in Books
May 5, 2026
Lauren Carr does it again. Pulling out all the stops for a hidden secret family disappearance. How the siblings react and what happened years later. This book brought tears to my eyes a few times. I love what a plot. I loved it. The plots, twists, and turns were always a surprise, keeping you guessing to the end.
We met Helen in her 5th-grade classroom as she waited for school to be out and had to go home with her mother and siblings.
We also meet Helen's best friend, Stacey. We know her mother pulled in, but did she return to take Helen and her siblings home?
We get a glance at Chris and a few helpers, including his daughters, by Nikki, who is helping out.
When Chris spots his wife after she pulls in, he is in the barn.
As they review the cold case Doris has received, they are looking up information. Just before dinner is ready. Somebody came up to the house, and it seems that they forgot to close the security gate.
Who could this person in the company be?
Kassie seems to drop by out of nowhere, and why? Why would she bring up her father or think she might have found him? Then bring up her mother's disappearance, and think she was abducted by someone named Pee Wee Herman?
The Geezer Squad gets more info and another cold case. Could Lady in Barrel be connected to two missing parents? Are Helen's parents another cold case unrelated to the one the Geezer Squad is working on? Or is it?
We met Helen in her 5th-grade classroom as she waited for school to be out and had to go home with her mother and siblings.
We also meet Helen's best friend, Stacey. We know her mother pulled in, but did she return to take Helen and her siblings home?
We get a glance at Chris and a few helpers, including his daughters, by Nikki, who is helping out.
When Chris spots his wife after she pulls in, he is in the barn.
As they review the cold case Doris has received, they are looking up information. Just before dinner is ready. Somebody came up to the house, and it seems that they forgot to close the security gate.
Who could this person in the company be?
Kassie seems to drop by out of nowhere, and why? Why would she bring up her father or think she might have found him? Then bring up her mother's disappearance, and think she was abducted by someone named Pee Wee Herman?
The Geezer Squad gets more info and another cold case. Could Lady in Barrel be connected to two missing parents? Are Helen's parents another cold case unrelated to the one the Geezer Squad is working on? Or is it?


