All Episodes

April 3, 2019 61 mins

Kerri Gross prayed for it, and listener CarmelitaValdezMcKoy answered. We’re reviewing the 1985 oddity “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”

This groundbreaking movie made Paul Reubens a star, put Tim Burton on the map, and was the first time Oingo Boingo's Danny Elfman worked with Burton on an irresistible film score.

Gene Lyons argues “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” is the most memorable movie of all time. Who could forget Pee-wee’s legendary bike, Large Marge, Dee Snyder, the singing hobo, the pet shop, or the fact Jimmy Smits was not in this movie?

The Shat Crew touches on Pee-wee’s adult-theater arrest, the failure of Pee-wee sequels, and whether hitch hiking is an Out West thing or a Florida thing.

Kerri recalls seeing Pee-wee live while sitting between Andy Dick and Corey Feldman. Dick Ebert asks how this film is so funny when it shouldn’t be. And Gene applauds Pee-wee’s glorious ensemble ending. 

Help Support the Podcast

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2

Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2

Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.