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Forbes
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Pee-Wee As Himself' Director Had No Idea Paul Reubens Was Dying
"I was scheduled to do a final interview with him the week after Paul Reubens passed away, and we had a conversation a week before he died. I could tell something was up with his health, but I didn't understand the gravity of it," recalls Pee-wee as Himself director Matt Wolf. "I had no reason to believe he was terminally ill, but we had a meaningful private conversation that gave me the assurances I needed to move forward with the film." "I left that conversation feeling like it was intense but not thinking too much about it. I found out on Instagram that he died, along with the rest of the world; only a very small group of close friends were aware that he was dying." Reubens passed away from cancer on Sunday, July, 30, 2023. He was 70 years old. The two-part documentary Pee-wee as Himself spotlights the life and career of iconic actor and comedian Paul Reubens, best known for his child-like character Pee-wee Herman. Both parts are now streaming on Max. Wolf and his team transferred, logged, and digitized over 1,000 hours of archival footage, much of it from Reubens' own private collection. Despite agreeing to the project, it's clear that the iconic entertainer is never entirely comfortable with the process. "As a documentary filmmaker, they always ask you, 'Who is your dream subject?' And I would say, 'Paul Reubens,' but I didn't know that much about Paul," Wolf muses. "I knew he went to CalArts in the heyday of conceptual art and was part of The Groundlings, but that was about it. I knew about his arrest, but that wasn't really my point of interest in making a film. We were connected by the Safdie Brothers and my producer, Emma Koskoff, through an unexpected convergence." "When Paul and I met, he started the conversation the same way the film starts, saying, 'I want to direct a film myself, but everybody's advising me against it, and I don't understand why.' I said, 'Well, I'm here to talk to you about directing a film, so why don't we get to know each other and see if we can conceive of an approach that would appeal to you.' That began a very long and involved process of communication, but in that initial meeting, I didn't relate to Paul as a fan." Pee-wee's Playhouse served as Wolf's gateway to Reubens' creative world, being "transfixed" as a kid. "Pee-wee's Playhouse was probably my first encounter with art that I had a visceral, emotional relationship to, and that stuck with me," Wolf muses. "In retrospect, Playhouse was depicted as this place of radical acceptance where creativity thrived, and it got wrapped up in my DNA. Pee-wee remained a touchstone for me, not as an uber fan, but as something influential that was part of the slate of references that informed who I am and what I do." The filmmaker realized Reubens was "very different" from Pee-wee Herman and more "intense and skeptical." "Every word I said counted and mattered," he explains. "It began a long process of building a relationship. Something I always say to people when I start a film is that I don't think trust should be expected. It has to be earned, and I wanted to earn Paul's trust. That proved to be a very difficult endeavor." At what point did he feel that his subject trusted him? "It's a good question, and I don't fully know, but I know he said, 'At some point, you just have to take a leap of faith.' He took a leap of faith with me, and I'm grateful for it," Wolf, who also produced the documentary, reveals. "That said, it wasn't because he fully trusted me; it was because he wanted a documentary to be made, and I think he felt I was the right person. He felt I understood how to do something artistic that wasn't a run-of-the-mill celebrity biopic and that, while I may not have been a pushover who would do as I was told, I was willing to collaborate with him and engage in the hours of conversation that he needed to feel involved and secure that his point of view would be included in the film." "I maintained the final cut, and Paul had meaningful consultation, which is an arrangement that's typical of docs these days, but that's fairly ambiguous as to what that means. We kept punting the issue of what that meant and doing the kind of precarious dance people do when making a documentary." Among the many anecdotes Reubens shares is how much weed he and his co-writers smoked when creating Pee-wee's Big Adventure, the movie that made the pop culture phenomenon a movie star. However, the revelation didn't shock Wolf. "Stoners love Pee-wee, myself included," he shares with a laugh. "I think that was also part of what was so odd about Pee-wee's Playhouse. You would have the stoner college kids, get up in the morning, then wake and bake and watch Pee-wee's Playhouse, and you'd have little kids. The two could exist side by side." "There was nothing tawdry about that; it was just a sensibility that crossed boundaries. There was something psychedelic and out there about the world that Pee-Wee lived in, and the world that Paul and his collaborators built, that I think was transfixing to kids like myself and trippy to adults who found the sweetness in Pee-wee, but also this aversiveness in his wild imagination." Now considered a classic, Pee-wee's Big Adventure was a box office hit, grossing $40.9 million despite Warner Bros., the studio behind it, having little faith in it. The screwball caper marked the feature directorial debut of Tim Burton, Reubens' pick for the job. Securing time with him for the documentary was a coup for Wolf. "Tim said no initially, and then he said yes, and I was incredibly grateful," he confirms. "It was a quick and fast interview, but Tim said everything I needed to hear, and it would have been such an oversight not to have him and to hear his point of view because I think it was a magical collaboration. It was a case of right place, right time. The first big work people make, that first foray into the public eye, has something so naive about it. There's a freedom that I think is on full display in that film, so it was a very kismet collaboration, and I'm glad that Tim took the time to share those memories." "There were a fair amount of interviews that were shot after Paul's death, for instance, his sister, Tim, and artist Gary Panter, and some interviews that were unresolved became possible after Paul died. People wanted to reflect on their relationships with him. We also created a sort of museum of Paul's collections and props, so we were able to do that after Paul passed away and to film that as well. It was a great representation of his creativity and his mind that we still had access to." Aside from Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Reuben's other notable movie work includes Batman Returns, Flight of the Navigator, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mystery Men, and Blow. Paul Reubens in 'Pee-wee as Himself.' HBO Wolf and Reubens were due to have one last mammoth interview session before his death. Although he had much of what he needed to complete the film, was there a burning question Wolf wanted to answer to but never received? "It wasn't that I wanted an answer, but I was working chronologically through Paul's life in this epic interview, and we stopped before the arrest in Florida," he laments, referencing the entertainer's 1991 detention for indecent exposure at an adult movie theatre in Sarasota. "Paul anecdotally discussed that because we had a digressive conversation over 40 hours, but I wanted to go in more detail through his arrest step by step. At the end of the film, I wanted to reflect with him, not only about his late career work, but also about how he felt having gone through the full interview about this process, if he did have all the perspective he thought he had, or if he had learned something about himself through the course of telling his full story. He had also been on the record and in the media discussing his second arrest." "There was material that allowed me to give his last words in his own voice, but it was important to me for the film to end in his voice. The day after Paul Reubens died, I started reading the 1,500-page transcript of my interview with him, and I found significance and meaning and all sorts of things that I wouldn't have understood before. I did encounter what are the last words of Pee-wee as Himself, which were profound and moving to me, and they actually were the last things Paul said in the interview."
Winnipeg Free Press
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Phil Henley's Spellbound, an account of life with dyslexia, inspires
Some might know Canadian standup comedian Phil Hanley from memorable appearances on late night talk shows or festival appearances found on Instagram, where his intelligence and quick crowd work have won the Oshawa native a growing audience. In his surprising and moving memoir Spellbound, we learn that planting his feet on the standup stage and finding comfort and a career came to Hanley after many globetrotting adventures — all the while struggling with a severe form of dyslexia that made almost everything he undertook at school painstaking and fraught with anxiety. As is often the case with many brain processing issues, his one challenge is often compounded with others. Whether his distractibility and obsessive compulsions are also medical grade is less relevant than how Hanley has managed to cope and flourish. Spellbound While Hanley mixes up letters and numbers, it seems the number '10' starts to stick. Fancy folks in the fashion business see a commodity in his healthy figure and handsome face. Suddenly, a standup memoir becomes a book about high fashion during a fertile and freaky era. (The more the better!) Soon Hanley is in Milan working as a runway model. He finds a similar lost soul in the troubled and ill-fated designer Alexander McQueen. But life on the upside has its downs, and after a whirlwind season or so and a heavy heartbreak, Hanley lands back in North America. Next up, he's testing his quick wit with the improv collective Upright Citizen's Brigade — who, along with L.A.'s The Groundlings, have been keeping Saturday Night Live in cast members for many seasons. It's during this period in New York that Hanley begins to explore whether solo standup might be the ideal job. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. At the same time, a need to stay grounded leads him to transcendental meditation, made famous by the likes of the Beatles and David Lynch. The practice helps Hanley write, focus and tap into the absurd ideas that make his comedy unique. Being a former model doesn't help much on open mics, but it comes in handy as his prospects improve. Hanley's description of his rise to current fame takes up the last quarter of the book and is funny, wise and engaging. But near the end of his story so far, he circles back to his most steadfast companion — dyslexia. With Spellbound, and in his talks in schools, he is working to remove stigma and dispense encouragement. It must be said that it's not in paper format that we feel the full power of Hanley's resilience. He has recorded an audiobook, which took him over twice as long as a regular reader. Dyslexia doesn't care that he wrote the book. So while this review of Spellbound covers the print edition, the audiobook is a massive personal accomplishment, and should be mentioned as such. Lara Rae deals with attention deficit disorder and borderline personality disorder, and is a standup comic originally from Glasgow.
Boston Globe
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘Pee-wee as Himself' is a bittersweet look at the price of fame
Former Groundlings Laraine Newman (of 'Saturday Night Live' fame) and Cassandra Peterson (a.k.a. 'Elvira, Mistress of the Dark') appear as talking heads here. The late Phil Hartman, alum of both 'SNL' and The Groundlings, is seen in archival clips. Hartman, along with Reubens and Michael Varhol, wrote the 1985 box office hit, 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure,' the movie that put both Pee-wee and its novice director, Tim Burton, on the map. Additionally, Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson appear to remind us they were on ' A frame of Tim Burton and Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman while filming 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure" at the Alamo in the documentary "Pee-wee as Himself." Warner Bros. With documentaries like this one, I've often wondered how much control, if any, was ceded by the filmmakers in exchange for access. Especially when the subject is credited as an executive producer, as the late Reubens is here. Wolf pulls back the curtain by providing clips of Reubens talking about how upset he is at not being in control of the footage. There's even a scene at the beginning of the second episode where Reubens FaceTimes Wolf to ask if he can submit questions for the other interviewees. Advertisement 'You know the answer to that question is no,' says a stunned Wolf after a brief pause. We're privy to Wolf's relieved response when Reubens reveals that he's pranking him. 'Do you trust me?' Wolf is heard asking at another point. Reubens responds that he never will, though he admits there might be a little bit of trust between them. It's occasionally hard to ascertain how serious Reubens is in his responses; even without his trademark makeup, the familiar, mischievous Pee-wee smirk appears in those moments. Actor Paul Reubens transforms himself in the mirror into his character Pee-wee Herman in May 1980 in Los Angeles. MichaelThe title 'Pee-wee as Himself' is an intriguing summation of the documentary. Reubens, The title is also bittersweet. As the first, and more interesting, episode reveals, Paul Reubens was always himself until he tasted enormous success. Those of us old enough to have seen 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' in theaters, or watched the five seasons of the CBS hit 'Pee-wee's Playhouse,' remember the darker elements that populate the second episode. Advertisement But despite watching ' 'I was as out as you can be,' he tells us, 'and then I went back in the closet. Because I could pass.' Being identified as gay was always potentially career-ending, which is why so many Hollywood stars, like Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, stayed closeted at the height of their fame. Reubens's situation is the opposite, and much of 'Pee-wee as Himself' implicitly deals with the psychological repercussions of going into the closet after tasting the freedom of avoiding it for so long. A frame of Pee-wee Herman's playhouse in the documentary "Pee-Wee as Himself." Warner Bros. Still, there was plenty of gay subtext on 'Pee-wee's Playhouse' (and some of the clips here highlight how sneaky the show could be). But not enough to negate plausible deniability. And when folks expressed concern about the believability of Pee-wee's relationship with his girlfriend in 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure,' Reubens counter-attacked by staging that ridiculously long kiss between him and Valeria Golino in the box office flop, 'Big-Top Pee-wee.' In a way, the success of Pee-wee Herman was a reward for Reubens hiding his true self. I found this idea to be so profoundly sad that the overall documentary left me somewhat depressed. I can imagine how painful it would be if I had to go back into the closet, so my reaction is strictly personal. Advertisement The saddest part of 'Pee-wee as Himself' is that Reubens's death from the cancer he privately battled for six years prohibited him from appearing on camera to speak about his most devastating scandal. Not the 1991 Overall, 'Pee-wee as Himself' is a worthwhile documentary for fans of Pee-wee Herman and for folks who want to know more. But even at its most entertaining, it can be an emotionally difficult viewing experience. PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF Starring: Paul Reubens On: HBO Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
Axios
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Titans score win with schedule release campaign
The Titans once again earned high marks for their social media video to announce the team's schedule. Why it matters: Schedule release day creates a friendly competition among NFL franchises for which team can come up with the most creative campaign. Flashback: Two years ago the Titans went viral for their schedule release video, which featured bumbling tourists getting the name of their opponents wrong. Flash forward: This year's video mimicked a prescription drug commercial, depicting forlorn Titans fans suffering from football season withdrawal (or FSW). The solution? "Schedule-rizi, a once-a-season schedule fix that cures FSW." The Titans worked with The Groundlings, a Los Angeles-based improvisation and sketch comedy troupe, to produce the Schedule-rizi video. Groundlings members Kiel Kennedy and Eliot Schwartz helped write and acted in the video. What they're saying: The video earned props from NFL media people like Mike Golic, who said it was "in the running for #1." ESPN's Adam Schefter called it"A Titans win" to his 11.5 million followers on X. Zoom out: As for the schedule itself, the most scrutiny was around the team's opening game, since it will presumably be rookie quarterback Cam Ward's debut. The Titans and Ward will be challenged with a road game against the Denver Broncos, who boasted a ferocious defense last season. The Broncos led the league in sacks and were No. 5 overall against the pass last season. Also of note, the Titans schedule includes zero prime-time games, which is a demonstration that NFL media doesn't expect much of the team this season.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Pee-wee as Himself OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Matt Wolf's documentary series ft. Paul Reubens
Pee-wee as Himself OTT Release Date: This one's a heartfelt tribute to the man behind the bowtie, now coming to your screens. If you grew up watching the quirky, wide-eyed, and always-energetic Pee-wee Herman, then there's something special heading your way. Pee-wee as Himself, a touching documentary series about Paul Reubens, the man who gave life to Pee-wee, is all set to release on May 24, 2025, on JioHotstar. Directed by Matt Wolf, this two-part documentary dives into the colourful and complex life of Reubens. With never-before-heard interviews recorded before his passing, rare archive footage, and heartfelt stories, Pee-wee as Himself gives fans a close, unfiltered look at who Paul Reubens really was beneath the bowtie and red bicycle. From Pee-wee's playhouse to pop culture icon Paul Reubens was a creator, a performer, and a phenomenon. Pee-wee as Himself tracks how he developed the Pee-wee character while studying at CalArts and performing with the famous improv group The Groundlings in Los Angeles. Pee-wee Herman started as a stage act but quickly transformed into a household name thanks to the hit children's TV show Pee-wee's Playhouse and movies like Pee-wee's Big Adventure (directed by Tim Burton). This part of the documentary celebrates how Reubens broke the mould by creating a show that was whimsical, weird, and wildly ahead of its time. Where Pee-wee as Himself truly hits home is in its exploration of Reubens' personal life - his struggles, vulnerabilities, and battles behind the scenes. In recordings done before his death in July 2023, Reubens opens up about his identity, revealing for the first time that he was gay. He talks honestly about his relationships, his fear of public judgment, and the reasons why he kept many things private for so long. Pee-wee as Himself also doesn't shy away from controversies that affected his life and career, including his 1991 and 2002 arrests. Reubens addresses the pain of being misjudged and misunderstood and how the experience deeply impacted him. The documentary features interviews with collaborators and admirers, including Tim Burton, Judd Apatow, and others who reflect on his influence in comedy, children's television, and beyond.
