This is just a hilarious and unique thing, a filmed act that Paul Reubens was doing in the early 80s that could be described as theater or stand-up or whatever you want to call it. Essentially it's like an adult or R-rated version of what he later did with "Pee Wee's Playhouse" -- it's a ribald satire of 1950s and 60s local access kiddie shows, and seems to take place in an alternate universe from one of Captain Kangaroo's nightmares. Reubens' Pee Wee act never was better, because he's really cut loose and crazy. This reminds me more of his famous David Letterman appearances and so forth as opposed to some of the more toned down stuff he did later on when he figured out you could make even more money from actually catering to kids and not just spoofing them.
One of the other great joys in this little filmed sketch is Phil Hartman in a hilarious bit as Kap'n Karl, whose love for Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart) forms whatever plot this hourlong sketch has to offer. Hartman was such a joy in these kinds of roles, and it's great to have this video on hand whenever I get nostalgic for his talent.
If you watch this movie sober, by the end of the movie you will feel like you just ingested LSD or some other mind altering drug. The graphics and the whole style of thing is brilliantly stylized and carried out with perfection, never once with a wink or a nod towards the audience. And going on with the drug metaphor, compared to the excellent show and even Tim Burton's wonderful Pee-Wee film, this little video (which I first saw on HBO in the early 90s) is the uncut and undilluted stuff. Fans of Pee-Wee Herman and of sketch comedy in general will want to seek it out, and watching it might just generate some new fans as well.
One of the other great joys in this little filmed sketch is Phil Hartman in a hilarious bit as Kap'n Karl, whose love for Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart) forms whatever plot this hourlong sketch has to offer. Hartman was such a joy in these kinds of roles, and it's great to have this video on hand whenever I get nostalgic for his talent.
If you watch this movie sober, by the end of the movie you will feel like you just ingested LSD or some other mind altering drug. The graphics and the whole style of thing is brilliantly stylized and carried out with perfection, never once with a wink or a nod towards the audience. And going on with the drug metaphor, compared to the excellent show and even Tim Burton's wonderful Pee-Wee film, this little video (which I first saw on HBO in the early 90s) is the uncut and undilluted stuff. Fans of Pee-Wee Herman and of sketch comedy in general will want to seek it out, and watching it might just generate some new fans as well.