Latest news with #Pee-weeHerman
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Help Fight Cancer
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Help Fight Cancer originally appeared on L.A. Mag. Pee-wee Herman was born at L.A.'s Groundlings theater in the late 1970s. The zany alter ego of Paul Reubens started to emerge through small parts on game shows like The Newlywed Game and a late-night stage shows at the Roxy before becoming one of the biggest pop culture icons of the 1980s. The character inspired TV, movies, toys and even a Halloween costume. On June 14, the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his first feature film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, which was also the feature debut for director Tim Burton, with a screening, reunion and party featuring many members of the original cast and crew. Comedian Dana Gould will interview E.G. Daily, who played Pee-wee's girlfriend Dottie. Mark Holton who played Pee-wee's nemesis Francis will also hit the stage along with Diane Salinger, remembered for her monologue in the mouth of a giant dinosaur, her dream of Paris, France and her 'big but.' The event benefits Stand Up To Cancer, which is fighting the disease that claimed Reubens in 2023, and is produced by Nostalgic Nebula, who have also rounded up original crew members including producer Rich Abramson, co-writer Michael Varhol, production designer David Snyder and the Chiodo Brothers, who created the terrifying stop-motion Large Marge character for the film. The HBO documentary Pee-wee as Himself, premiered last month and has revived interest in Paul Reubens' life and career. The two-part film allowed the comedy icon to tell his own story, clarify misconceptions around him, and come out as gay. 'My whole career,' he says in the film. 'Everything I did and wrote was based on love.' This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
HBO debuts new documentary about Pee-wee Herman — How to watch live and on Max
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. A new documentary airing on HBO tonight will serve as the definitive portrait of Paul Reubens and his comedic alter-ego Pee-wee Herman. 'Pee-wee as Himself' was primarily filmed prior to Reubens' death in July 2023 and includes voice recordings done the day before he passed. The comedian, 70, died following a private battle with cancer. The candid documentary will reportedly show Reubens and director Matt Wolf sparring over creative control, something Reubens wanted more of despite ceding the director's chair to Wolf. The doc, a 2025 Sundance Film Festival selection, traces Reubens' comedic origins as he left his Florida hometown for California, began performing with the storied Groundlings improv group, and created the character he would become known for: Pee-wee Herman. It will also discuss the effects that his 1991 public indecency arrest at a porno movie theater had on his career going forward. Advertisement Ultimately, in this set of emotional final interviews, Reubens reflects on his life as a closeted gay man who made the decision to conceal his private life entirely behind the Pee-wee Herman persona. 'Pee-wee as Himself' streaming release date: 'Pee-wee as Himself' premieres tonight, May 23, at 8 p.m. ET. The two-part documentary will air back-to-back on HBO linear premium cable channel with the episodes dropping on the Max streaming service at the same time. How to watch 'Pee-wee as Himself': If you don't have HBO through traditional cable, you'll need a Max subscription to watch 'Pee-wee as Himself.' Advertisement Max, which you can subscribe to via Prime Video, starts at $9.99/month with ads and costs $16.99/month ad-free. That's not the only way to subscribe, though. Sling TV is among the best value for money among live tv streaming services, thanks to some great offers. You'll need Sling's Blue plan with a Max add-on to watch HBO live. And when you subscribe to Max through Sling, the money-saving never stops! You'll get 50% off your first month, plus $5 off your bill every month after that. 'Pee-wee as Himself' episode guide: Both parts of 'Pee-wee as Himself' will air back-to-back tonight, May 23. Advertisement Part One ( 8:00-9:40 p.m. ET ): 'Part one details Reubens' childhood and desire to be an actor, inspired by such television shows as 'Howdy Doody,' 'Captain Kangaroo,' and'I Love Lucy.' He finds acceptance at CalArts, where he hones his performance art skills. At the Los Angeles improv group The Groundlings, Reubens creates the alter ego of Pee-wee Herman and puts on a live late-night show that becomes a cult sensation and evolves into a popular tour. The hit 1985 film 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' made him a global sensation. Subsuming himself into the character of Pee-wee, Reubens hides his personal life, and recognizes too late that fame makes for a complicated companion.' 'Part one details Reubens' childhood and desire to be an actor, inspired by such television shows as 'Howdy Doody,' 'Captain Kangaroo,' and'I Love Lucy.' He finds acceptance at CalArts, where he hones his performance art skills. At the Los Angeles improv group The Groundlings, Reubens creates the alter ego of Pee-wee Herman and puts on a live late-night show that becomes a cult sensation and evolves into a popular tour. The hit 1985 film 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' made him a global sensation. Subsuming himself into the character of Pee-wee, Reubens hides his personal life, and recognizes too late that fame makes for a complicated companion.' Part Two (9:40-11:20 p.m. ET): 'Reubens' profile continues to grow with an Emmy®-winning weekly Saturday morning television show 'Pee-wee's Playhouse,' which unabashedly celebrates diversity and nonconformity. The episode explores the casting, production design, and creative process of the show that ran for five seasons. Reubens talks candidly about his fame as a pop culture icon and the lows he endured as he faced rumors, vilification, and the vitriol of the media. Reemerging as a cult figure with cameo roles in films and TV shows, a Broadway revival of his Pee-wee stage show, and a final Pee-wee film, Reubens refuses to have his legacy be defined by media scandals based on false rumors. He shares final words with the public, reinforcing his lifelong dream to bring joy, creativity, and acceptance to everyone.' 'Pee-wee as Himself' trailer: Who will appear in the 'Pee-wee as Himself' documentary? In addition to footage from over 40 hours of interviews and over 1,000 hours of archival material, the following people sat for interviews that will be featured in the documentary: Reubens' sister Abby Rubenfeld; artists Gary Panter and Wayne White; actors Lynne Stewart, John Moody, Alison Mork, Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurence Fishburne, Debi Mazar, David Arquette, Laraine Newman, and Cassandra Peterson; and filmmakers Tim Burton and Judd Apatow. Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping and New York Post's streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on each streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she's also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Where to Watch ‘Pee-wee as Himself'
Director Matt Wolf spent two years interviewing Paul Reubens for his new HBO documentary 'Pee-Wee as Himself,' not realizing that the actor was dying of cancer. As he told TheWrap at Sundance earlier this year, 'I did have the sense that Paul was motivated to tell his story in a way he hadn't been before, that it was going to be challenging for him, but that he threw himself into that process and was fully committed to being himself on camera in a way that was totally uncomfortable and something he had never done.' 'The idea that these would be the last words that he would share publicly with the world was completely off my radar,' he continued. Here's how to watch the two-part documentary about the Pee-wee Herman star. It premieres Friday, May 23, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on HBO and Max. 'Pee-wee as Himself' is a two-part documentary. Both episodes premiere on May 23. Part One, which follows Reubens from his childhood through the creation of Pee-wee and his breakout with the 1985 film 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure,' premieres Friday, May 23, at 8:00-9:40 p.m. ET/PT. Part Two follows immediately, debuting at 9:40 p.m. ET/PT. It covers casting, production design and the creative process behind his Emmy-winning series 'Pee-wee's Playhouse,' which ran from 1986 to 1990 on CBS. It also features the actor's final interview before his death in July of 2023. The documentary is about the late Paul Reubens and his alter-ego persona, Pee-wee Herman. The film features interviews with filmmakers Tim Burton and Judd Apatow, actors Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurence Fishburne, Debi Mazar, David Arquette, Laraine Newman and Cassandra Peterson, artists Gary Panter and Wayne White and Reubens' sister Abby Rubenfeld. The post Where to Watch 'Pee-wee as Himself' appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Pee-wee as Himself' gives Paul Reubens the final word on his identity
"I was born in 1938 in a little house on the edge of the Mississippi River; my father worked on a steamboat and his name was Steamboat Milton," says Paul Reubens by way of misdirection in Matt Wolf's sideways-titled documentary epic "Pee-wee as Himself," premiering Friday on HBO. (Pee-wee is always only himself, but Paul Reubens was often — and the only — Pee-wee Herman.) Identity is at the heart of this story — the unresolvable relationship between the real self, the created self and the public self. He wants to "be more known," to "explain myself," to "answer some questions … who I really am, and what's my story, and how did it all, like, shake down" and "to set the record straight on a couple of things, and that's pretty much it." It is also joyful and delightful in a way that needs no explanation because it is full of Pee-wee Herman, knocked down to rise again. "It turns out you're not supposed to direct your own documentary," says Reubens, who also tells Wolf, "I feel like I'm going to come out at the other end of this process and be like, tch, I told everybody, I could have directed this documentary." Read more: Everyone knew Pee-wee Herman. But few knew the man behind the man-child Unknown to Wolf, Reubens, who sat for 40 hours of interviews before withdrawing from the project for unstated reasons in the film, had been sick with a blood cancer for six years. (He died in 2023.) But the subject offers some foreshadowing. "This is such a dumb thing to say, but death is so final that to be able to get your message in at the last minute, or at some point, is incredible." Whose film is it anyway? Control is a recurring theme, as it regards his work but also his person and what he would and wouldn't show the world. First he decided to abandon all his other comedy characters — he had several — to concentrate on Pee-wee, and then to retreat into the character, conducting his public business exclusively in costume. He had already determined, in the service of his career, to hide the fact that he was gay, and walked away from a relationship that was making him feel too settled: "I was as out as you could be, and then I went back in the closet. I could pass." (There would be "many, many secretive relationships.") These were different times, at least for an actor looking for mainstream success. Reubens can look like an uncooperative subject — though no subject who sits for 40 hours of interviews can really be said to be uncooperative — and there is a certain puckishness, or Pee-wee-ness, in his fencing with Wolf: "I think really if you don't agree with me then you're wrong — no, I don't really think that — all right, maybe I do think that a little bit — no, I don't, I'm kidding. Or am I? I don't know. I don't know if I'm kidding. I know. But you don't." And he does make a point. While many celebrity documentaries are innocuous self-celebrations produced by the subjects or by their estates, in a more open arrangement, the person behind the camera may have leave to form and express their own ideas about the person in front of it. And though "Pee-wee as Himself" is rich and respectful, it is, like any such slice of life, also selective — edited and ordered, shaped to an end: "I feel like it's very easy to turn my story into, 'I'm a victim' in some way or 'I'm the man behind the mask, the tears of a clown' … I don't want it to be that." Wolf has not made that movie, and though he might have left such comments out of the film — and while it's possible to make too much of them, or to take seriously what's meant ironically — they do fill out the portrait, interestingly. Read more: Paul Reubens, actor and comedian behind Pee-wee Herman, dies at 70 The bulk of it, of course, is illustrated history, framed by remarks from Reubens and his colleagues, co-stars, family and friends. It's the story of a person driven to make a show of himself — from circus camp and performances with Sarasota's Asolo Repertory Theatre, to California Institute of the Arts, where Reubens let his freak flag fly (theater department classmates included Katey Sagal and David Hasselhoff — if there's a big revelation in "Pee-wee as Himself" it's that the Hoff went to CalArts). After graduation, the life of a young actor struggling in 1970s Hollywood led him to the Groundlings Theatre on Melrose Avenue, where he created and developed the character that would be his own making. The name comes from a brand of tiny harmonica and the last name of a kid he knew in school, and he liked it because he thought it sounded real: "If you were making up a name, wouldn't you make up a better name than that?" As in an old Hollywood movie where a show business career grows from stage to stage and scene to scene, "The Pee-wee Herman Show" moved up from the Groundlings to the Roxy Theatre, and then to an HBO special, as the star made appearances on David Letterman and went on a national tour at the end of which he was given the chance to make a movie. Then he was signed to make a Saturday morning kids show, the divine "Pee-wee's Playhouse," a colorful, chaotic bastion of diversity, inclusivity and all-around acceptance, before anyone was throwing around those words. Even if you were there for this, you might have forgotten the impact and excitement it generated. He was a cult figure, not just for some, but for everyone. "There wasn't really a moment in the '80s," says Reuben, "that it wasn't super cool to be me." On the (mildly) negative side, we learn that, as a perfectionist, he could be hard to work with. That he could hold a grudge. (Of Phil Hartman, who played Captain Carl in the original "Pee-wee Herman Show" until he left for "Saturday Night Live," Reubens says, "Good for him," not sounding like he means it — then, self-mocking, "I'll get my violin.") Reubens regretted the anonymity that made Pee-wee a hit, but at the same time didn't feel like he was properly recognized for his creative contribution to "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," which he co-wrote with Hartman and Michael Varhol, and notes that while Pee-wee has a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, he doesn't. ("Little bit of irony … Gives me somewhere to go.") And there are, unavoidably, two arrests that made a lot of headlines, and which said more about the investigators than the investigated. The first, for indecent exposure in an adult movie theater, "I lost control of my anonymity, and it was devastating." The second, a cooked-up charge of owning child pornography, hung on a single image from Reuben's collection of vintage erotica (out of some 30,000 examined), and was finally bumped down to a misdemeanor obscenity charge. Fans — many? most? all? — saw these arrests as special bad treatment accorded to a famous person, but, says Reubens, "30 years later, I still feel the effects all the time." Reubens made a recording the day before he died, which Wolf plays over shots of the actor's garden and its animal visitors. (He had, we learn, a green thumb, and loved nature.) His voice is audibly weaker and tired than his on-camera interviews. The idea of the film, says Reubens, who was still wounded by the idea that he might be mistaken for a pedophile, "was to let people see who I really am and how painful or difficult it was to be labeled something I wasn't … to be labeled a pariah and have people scared of you or unsure of you or untrusting, or who look at what your intentions are through some kind of filter that's not true … I wanted people to understand that where there's smoke, there isn't always fire." His whole career, he says, "was based in love and my desire to entertain and bring glee and creativity to young people, and to everyone." "Pee-wee as Himself" is essentially a love song, as is only proper; there'd be no reason to make the film if it weren't. Would Reubens have liked it? Maybe yes, maybe no, quite possibly yes and no. But it's a rewarding tour of the life and career of a person who long remained private about things that weren't really anybody's business, yet one day decided to talk about (some of) them, and had much to say about the things he shared with everyone. One would hope that viewers will find in Reuben's own life the message he beamed from the "Playhouse." Be creative, be brave, be yourself. Not everyone will love you for it, and life will not always be easy. But how dull would the alternative be. Sign up for Screen Gab, a free newsletter about the TV and movies everyone's talking about from the L.A. Times. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Sydney Morning Herald
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
What to stream this week: Julianne Moore's new drama, plus five more picks
This week's picks include Julianne Moore's crackling class satire, Paul Reubens' Pee-wee Herman documentary, Stanley Tucci's return to Italy and the revival of Australian classic Number 96. Sirens ★★★½ (Netflix) In this shape-shifting black comedy, concrete definitions are merely assumptions we're determined not to see through. The title is initially the code word shared between two sisters – Devon (Meghann Fahy) and Simone DeWitt (Milly Alcock) – when one desperately needs the other's help, but as this ambitious show unfolds, the mythological meaning comes into play: the female-like creatures whose song draws listeners to their demise. Loading Which of the show's female protagonists is the true siren, and what song does she sing – these are the true mysteries. A working-class Buffalo gal hiding from the dementia that is dragging down her father, Bruce (Bill Camp), with booze and bad hook-ups, Devon goes searching for Simone after yet another 'SIRENS' text gets snubbed. She finds her working as the live-in assistant to Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore), the imposing second wife of hedge fund billionaire Peter (Kevin Bacon). Simone is in thrall to her demanding boss, acting as fixer, No.1 supporter and emotional support human. Devon swiftly decides her sister is in a cult and must be rescued. At first glance, Sirens might appear to sit alongside The Perfect Couple, last year's enjoyably tart Netflix murder-mystery where Nicole Kidman's formidable matriarch held sway over a wealthy beachside household. But creator Molly Smith Metzler, who thoroughly expands her 2011 play Elemeno Pea, has much more on her mind. Occasionally, too much. There's class satire and Stockholm Syndrome, as Simone slavishly serves Michaela and parrots her beliefs, plus layers of overlapping trauma. The dialogue can crackle: 'I have rich people Tourette's,' Devon says after one expletive-laden broadside about Michaela's privilege. There are updates of drawing-room farce and some soap-adjacent intrigue, notably around Simone's secret romance with the Kell's neighbour, Ethan (Glenn Howerton), but there's also an otherworldly hum permeating the storytelling machinery. Moore gives Michaela a level of self-possession that is hypnotic. Her caring can come across as controlling, and very much vice versa. Michaela holds a funeral service for the peregrine falcon she rescued (RIP Barnaby) and wields non-disclosure agreements as a cudgel, but she's never a mere cliche. Sirens isn't messy, but there are many lanes it could have easily opted to stay in. It's refusal to be compact and conform is fitting because that's the struggle these women face. The realisation could unite them, but being adversaries comes naturally. The show hits bedrock in a lacerating scene between Devon and Simone, where their dynamic unravels with truths that feel like they're carrying a lifetime of anger and regret. It's a startling representation of how sisters are tied together, a siren's song only they can sing. Pee-wee as Himself ★★★★ (Max) Pee-wee Herman was a one-of-a-kind. Literally. Throughout the 1980s, when the hyperactive, bow-tied character was starring in hit movies and hosting an acclaimed children's television show, his creator, Paul Reubens, stayed hidden away while his alter-ego flourished. This thorough and eventually moving documentary, which takes in professional success and personal setbacks, balances the ledger. Secretly battling cancer, Reubens sat for 40 hours of revelatory interviews with director Matt Wolf before he died in 2023. Loading The chronological narrative explains what the public saw and what they didn't know. A child of 1950s America, Reubens was a conceptual comedian who created Pee-wee as his own little rascal; his naivete both bratty or absurd. Off-stage, Reubens chose to go back into the closet, having been out as a gay man in 1970s Los Angeles, when he decided to obsessively focus on Pee-wee. With hindsight, he describes it as 'self-hatred and self-preservation'. Reubens' need for control on everything Pee-wee did is not only made clear, it's echoed in his smiling skirmishes with Wolf, which pepper the documentary. Reubens offers commentary on their dialogue, and jokes about how people are watching to hear about his private life and the legal issues. But it's clear Reubens, who used Pee-wee to extol the virtues of 'non-conformity', wanted to set the record straight. Thankfully, he succeeds. Tucci in Italy ★★★½ (Disney+) Picking up where his cancelled CNN series – Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy – left off, the celebrated character actor and author's regional culinary tour continues to be charming fare. Tucci understands food is a means of discovery, whether of new experiences or a long-lost heritage, and he samples the menus from restaurants and food stalls alike in regions such as Tuscany and Lombardy with a good appetite, an observant eye and a genuine interest in the people he's meeting. It's not challenging, but it's entertaining and informative. Overcompensating ★★★ (Amazon Prime Video) The leap from social media star to series creator isn't an easy one, but Benito Skinner does a decent job with this autobiographically tinged comic drama about a closeted gay American high school student and sports star who gingerly begins to rethink how the world sees him when he gets to college. In a mix of bravura energy, pop star playfulness (Charli XCX appears) and heartfelt growth, Skinner's Benny has a terrific foil in Carmen (Wally Baram), who has her own issues to surmount. One glitch: some actors, including Skinner, are plainly older than their characters. Number 96 ★★★½ (Brollie) Kudos to the niche streaming platform Brollie, which specialises in classic Australian movies and television, for resurfacing this ground-breaking soap opera that debuted in 1972 and quickly changed the parameters of what could be shown on our television screens. Sadly, only 18 of the original 584 black-and-white episodes have survived, but as an archival sampler they're a welcome time capsule (going forward, the subsequent colour television episodes will be added in batches of five a week). Watching yesterday's taboos get broken, it makes you wonder if we need more of the same daring today? Brassic (seasons 1-5) ★★★★ (Netflix) A new-to-Netflix binge, this raucous but always genuine British comedy follows a group of petty criminals not making ends meet in a northern English town. Created by Joe Gilgun and Danny Brocklehurst, it begins with Vinnie O'Neill (Gilgun), who suffers from bipolar disorder and a dangerous surplus of confidence, and takes in his misfit pals turned accomplices. There are chaotic capers and eccentric reckonings with the past's burdens, but also genuine empathy and absurd reason – shout out to Dominic West (The Crown), who guests as Vinnie's eccentric GP.
