Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is the best.  STILL the best.  Saw it the other night and it is STILL a fcuking amazing adventure.  ‘Big’ as an adjective doesn’t even begin to cover its giantness of how truly massive it truly is.  Truly.  Seriously.  TRULY SERIOUSLY!!!

Anywho, I dug up some odds and ends, after digging thru the Big Adventure IMDb page…

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this is what Large Marge (aka Alice Nunn) looked like as a younger lady.  she actually died 3 years after Big Adventure‘s release

when I saw the movie in theaters as a 7 year old, the part where she went all bugged-eyed caused my penis to invert, right into my body – and I coined the term ‘reverse boner‘.  I swear, this happened!  And I swear I invited this term!  although probably not at age 7

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remember Pee-wee’s gadgety house with Rube Goldbergian machinery?

it was apparently heavily influenced by the ‘Snub’ Pollard short film from 1923 called It’s a Gift

woah!!!!

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Amazing Larry (Lou Cutell) and Mario (Monte Landis) are both still alive!

Larry is 86 and Mario is 83!  Madam Ruby is still alive too and played David Silver’s granny on 90210!

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the giant Dinosaurs still stand

but the Wheel Inn Restaurant next to them has closed

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Elvira is in the movie!

credited with her lesser-known real name - Cassandra Peterson, although a picture of her as Elvira is also in the movie

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Dottie aka E.G. (Elizabeth) Daily

was so super sexy cute adorable in the 80s. she went topless two years earlier in Valley Girl [NSFW]

and also was the sultry singer at the big dance in Better Off Dead

later in life, she kept her inner-child going by providing the voice of the pig Babe, Tommy Pickles on ‘Rugrats‘ and Buttercup on ‘The Powerpuff Girls‘, and piped her pipes on ‘The Voice’!

she and Morgan Fairchild (who played the big screen version of Dottie) finally met on the set of the 2011 film Boy Toy

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the Santa Monica Mall/Third Street Promenade was not only home to Chuck’s Bike-O-Rama and Mario’s Magic shop, but also to Pretty In Pink‘s record store Trax, and numerous other filmed entertainments 

sadly, it doesn’t look like the 80s or Tim Burtony or Pee-wee-y anymore

btw – these ‘then & now’ Big Adventure filming location photos are beyond BLAMMMAZIN!!!  YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.  I COMMAND YOU!!!

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Francis Buxton‘s father - Ed Herlihy was famous for his voice - the voice of newsreels, and Kraft!

he played an announcer/newscaster in Zelig, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The King of Comedy, and Malcolm X

and he was also in Police Academy 2!

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the director of the orphan-nun movie - Zack Hoffman

was also the voice of GI Joe‘s Zartan!

FCUKING ZARTAN!!! Zartan was so rock n roll!!!

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ten 1953 Schwinn DX bikes were built for the film – and this one was sold (in pieces) for $36,600 back in March of 2014

no word on its current owner or status, but lets hope it has a good home

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the guy who played Warner Bros studio chief Terry Hawthorne - Tony Bill

is an actor (Shampoo), director (Untamed Heart) and producer, who won an Oscar for producing 1973’s The Sting!!!!!

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one the BMX biker kids - David Glasser 

is an up and coming movie producer

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two wrestlers wrestled with Pee-wee…

Big John Harris/Silo Sam

and Professor Tanaka (a tag team partner of Mr Fuji)

no word on if the two ever wrestled each other!

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Playhouse pals, and players in the original Pee-wee Herman Show stage production - Jambi (John Paragon), Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart) and Mailman Mike (John Moody) all had bit parts in the movie

along with OG member and the film’s co-writer Phil Hartman + the film’s other co-writer Michael Varhol.  Edie McClurg was in the original stage show, and her brother Bob played a security guard in the movie

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two dudes must have made some impression on Tim Burton that they appeared in his next film – Beetlejuice

Carmen Filpi

and Simmy Bow

both are in the afterlife now, along with these cast members

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Simone (Diane Salinger) and Pee-wee didn’t say ‘au revoir‘ for long, as they reunited to play the Penguin’s parents – the Cobblepots in Burton’s Batman Returns!!!!!!

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Francis (Mark Holton) hasn’t had a credited role since 2008, which is a shame cause the guy is simply incredible

but he’s still around… and as of 2015, he’s never visited the Alamo (which apparently now has 2 basements!!!)

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Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is one of my dad’s all time favorite movies.  same here.  we have good taste.  if you made it this far, you probably do too!

Peace The Forks Out

to

Gene Wilder

There’s no denying the incredible and indelible talent and humor that Gene Wilder gave the world, starting for most with 1967’s Bonnie & Clyde (a not so funny subjected movie that felt really fun), and further excelled in the hands of Mel Brooks (The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles), or anyone who was wise to put him in their films (even Sidney Poitier!).  But what made Gene so great is how unhinged, and nervous and nutty he came across.  We like our movie stars to put us at ease, but Gene kept us on our toes – seizing us in a worrying state of panic from frame 1 to frame done.  Boy did he make us laugh, but uncomfortably, and thankfully – uncontrollably.  Thank you Gene.  You are the DNA of modern American humor

–

&

Mr Fuji

&

John McLaughlin
and his Group

&

The Tree From
Shawshank Redemption

&

Dennis Green

+

directed the love story to end all love stories – Love Story!

the voice of ‘Top Cat’s Choo Choo

the dude who harmonicaed on the ‘Sesame Street’ theme!!!

ESPN’s John Saunders

ghost singer to the stars

some Mexican singer

Backstreet N’SYNC maestro

‘Law & Order’ DA

THE Big Lebowski

tops in labs

C-SPAN’s daddy

gone Elsewhere

Mars candy man

Fyvush Finkel!!!!

some American spy

some designer

some Children’s author

some Romanian actor

some guy from ‘Family Matters’ and ‘Star Trek Deep Space Nine’

some Jewish lady

some jazzy clarinetist 

some guy on ‘Babylon 5’

that guy!!

3 Doors down axeman

Chef Michel Richard

he talked hostages

he was a hostage

Mrs Mangel

Steinbeck’s son

Dean Martin’s wife

Dean Martin’s son

Marion Barry’s son

Vikings owner’s dad

Miss Cleo

Hollywood guy

Hollywood musical gal

Broadway guy

Fred the Furrier

‘Postman Pat’s voice

&

Mad Magazine’s Jack Davis

Groupon is great!  It makes things that you want to do and see and eat cheaper!  This past weekend, I used 4 of dems and what a weekend it was…

Indignation
Trying The Old College That Doesn’t Want To Give
Official Site | Trailer
R | 110 min

Didn’t realize good ole Philip Roth released a book called Indignation 8 years ago, mainly cause I don’t read books, although I have read two of his books!  It’s true!  But I’m game for anything Roth – mainly cause I know it will involve Jews, neuroses, and Jewish neuroses!

This book was turned into a movie by former Focus Features studio chief, James Schamus, making his writing/directing debut! And it’s pretty good stuff!  It kinda feels like a stage play, and kinda staged like one – but it has one blow job and TWO hand job scenes!!!  STAGE THAT!!!

Our protagonist is an atheist Jew Logan Lerman (the Wallflower showing some acting chops here), who’s just gettin started at a WASPy Ohio college in the early 50s.  All he wants to do is work and study hard, but runs into trouble when a bedeviling shiksa (Sarah Gadon) gives him said BJ and saids HJs.  She’s unstable, and throws him for a loop.  Then he throws the dean (Tracy Letts, in full a$$hole mode) for a loop, and the two clash in a war of words – in two scenes which are easily the best parts of the film – yes, even more than the scenes involving the BJ and the HJs.  This tête–à–tête is the definition of the word ‘indignation’ - anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment – which was great, cause this movie made me learn a new word AND the movie entertained me!  Learning AND being entertained – a deadly combo that is actually very lively!  STAGE THAT!!!

In case you were wondering what Groupon was used here – it was for Fandango monies!

Verdictgo:  Jeepers Worth A Peepers

dig into Indignation, currently playing in limited release

and until next thyme the balcony is clothed…

–

and then if was off to use a Groupon for dinner at this Georgian (USSR style, not the Peachy state) restaurant called Pepela.  it was a really cool space, but when we arrived, we were the only customers in the entire place for 20 minutes.  we literally thought we were going to get murdered, but the only things that died were our fears after we delved into the delicious meal – featuring a thing that’s better than a pizza – a khachapuri!!!

(this isn’t an actual picture of the one I ate, but this is what ours looked like)

–

next night, and new Groupon adventures awaited!

first it was dinner – at Serenata, a nice modern Mexican restaurant.  I stuffed my face on gauc, queso fundido, some empanadas, some enchiladas and a quesadilla. MUY BIEN!!!!

and then off to see..

The Bangles
Irving Plaza
August 27th, 2016

#HazyShadeofAwesome #MoreThanZero #BanglesYourHead #SetItHoffs #SimonAndGarfunky

A video posted by Thigh Master (@thighmaster) on Aug 27, 2016 at 7:41pm PDT

in 75 RAWKING minutes, the three Bangles (Michael Steele left in 2005) rawked the fcuk outta 22 songs for a thousand dudes in their 50s who came to relive the 80s.  I’m close to 40, but I’m old in thought, and young in farts.  Age and decades aside, their spirit is still strong and their fans still love them (and they all still look pretty mad fly)  

While the ladies have written some timeless tunes in their time, they can cover the crap outta other people’s ditties.  Personally, their cover of Simon & Garf’s ‘Hazy Shady of Winter’ (see video above), might Might MIGHT be, my most flavorite cover version of a song EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.  Yes, ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  EAT THAT BEATLES!!!!  (who were like a male Bangles of their time)

Man, is Susana Hoffs like the all time hottest Jew mt EVERest* and Sinai or wat????

*that isn’t my wife :)

Setlist - Mary Street / Some Dreams Come True / Manic Monday / Restless / James / He’s Got a Secret / Going Down to Liverpool (Katrina and the Waves cover) / September Gurls (Big Star cover) / I’m in Line / The Real World / Live (The Merry‐Go‐Round cover) / A Hazy Shade of Winter(Simon & Garfunke cover) / If She Knew What She Wants (Jules Shear cover) / Want You / Dover Beach / Open My Eyes (Nazz cover) / Silent Treatment / In Your Room / Hero Takes a Fall

Encore – How Is the Air Up There (The Changin’ Times cover) / Walk Like an Egyptian / Eternal Flame

–

to cap the weekend, I got to see my beloved Peabs, but no Groupon exists for such hotness - as love don’t cost a thing.  although we bought pizza at face value and got to see Edie Brickell do the same thing with her kin!

@pleaves/@thighmaster 2016 #SpockTheVote

A photo posted by Thigh Master (@thighmaster) on Aug 28, 2016 at 2:04pm PDT

Tom M Johnson’s Pittsburgh Parking Lot Booths and Their Attendants

Tom M Johnson’s Pittsburgh Parking Lot Booths and Their Attendants

bless you Ashley Richardson and your early-90s see-thru boobies

[memory mammory-jogging by Fidddler]