HAPPY 50TH, JAWS (6/20)

 

I SAW PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF

Pee-wee as Himself (now streaming on HBO Max) is an absorbing documentary/biography from director Matt Wolf, with Pee-wee Herman's mastermind, Paul Reubens, hosting the affair with endearing, dry-witted reflections, captured not long before his untimely death. 

The production shows Reubens from his earliest days and earliest characters, sometimes catering to his sexual preference, but more so his many friends and foes, such as Debbie Mazar, with whom he had a cozy relationship, Lynne Marie Stewart, who became a strong confidant and the essential co-creator of Miss Yvonne, and Phil Hartman, who harbored resentment for not receiving the credit he believed he deserved in the famed man-child's ascent.

Reuben's artsy endeavors consume a further chunk of is tale, covering his influential, stage production, the groundbreaking, HBO special, the Cheech & Chong movies, Tim Burton's Pee-wee's Big Adventure, the much maligned Big Top Pee-wee (which I'm not ashamed to say I prefer over the latter), the pop-cultural sensation, Pee-wee's Playhouse and a super-beloved, Christmas special, which flaunts an all-star cast (some of whom I still admire, with others having fallen from my favor over the years). 

The startling scandals that nearly derailed Reubens' career and his vast, "warehouse" of collectibles, which appear to rival even that of Andy Warhol, consume the margins, but above all, Pee-Wee As Himself is a tribute to a creative rebel who certainly had his ups and downs and yet left an indelible impression on all he encountered. 

In a time when a blowhard, CNN personality can pleasure themselves on camera (without impunity) and libraries can go the extra mile to promote pedophile fiction, one has to wonder why Reubens took as much flack as he did when the chips were down. At least this thorough, two-part movie shames the haters, and for those who relish Reubens' work, Pee-wee as Himself can be perceived as true, nostalgic gift. 

WELCOME SUMMER 2025 (6/20)

 

COLLECTIBLE TIME: NECA 7" VINCENT PRICE ACTION FIGURE

I landed a NECA, 7", Vincent Price, Ultimate Action Figure, which represents the great thespian in a stylish, black suit with four interchangeable heads: two as Price appeared in the early 1950s (circa House of Wax and The Mad Magician), with one featuring eyes aimed straight forward and the other with eyes steered left; the second as he appeared in the late 1950s/early 1960s (circa The House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler and The Bat), and lastly (but not leastly), as he appeared from the early 1970s to the early1980s (spanning Scream and Scream Again, The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, The Monster Club and House of the Long Shadows).

This spot-on collectible comes with other accessories, too: five hands (to support various objects), upper shirts (red cravat, standard tie and bowtie), a skull (with moveable jaw, which is designed to attach to the body in lieu of a head), a cat, a raven, a lower arm (upon which the raven may be perched), four cigarettes, a cup and saucer, flamed candle, cookbook and record albums. 

The figure is (as with all 7" NECA releases) housed in a vivid, flip-box, which in its own right works as a pleasing display case, the front of which features Price's distinguished portrait and elegant signature. 

I do believe this NECA release offers one of the best, Price representations ever rendered, and I'd love to see the company do specific Price characters to join it, in particular Dr. Phibes and maybe a Vulnavia to go along with it, including interchangeable Virginia North and Valli Kemp heads. 

The NECA, 7" Vincent Price, Ultimate Action Figure can be purchased at

https://store.necaonline.com/products/ultimate-vincent-price-action-figure?_pos=1&_psq=vincent+pr&_ss=e&_v=1.0

PINUP TIME: HELEN SLATER IS SUPERGIRL

 

MR. LOBO'S CINEMA INSOMNIA: FATHER OF THE DEVIL BAT'S DAUGHTER RETURNS THIS SATURDAY

A special, encore showing of the sensational splicing of The Devil Bat & Devil Bat's Daughter will be shown this Saturday night (June 13, 10pm on Twitch, OSI74/Roku & Amazon Fire) via Mr. Lobo's Cinema Insomnia. The below is a post published prior to the original, April 26th transmission, which offers insights on the fun-filled event.

Devil Bat's Daughter might be as forgotten as it's misunderstood. The entry is a 1946 sequel (of sorts) to the 1940, B-flick favorite, The Devil Bat, but it doesn't cling much to the original plot, beyond dishing a few establishing references. With this said, the connection has now been lovingly strengthened with inserts from the initial chapter.   

This brash alteration/combination comes courtesy of Mr. Lobo and Cinema Insomnia, in what's been coined "The Least Ambitious Episode Ever," but for the sake of ensuring mass appeal, it's being promoted as Father of the Devil Bat's Daughter and includes spiffy, new title cards fashioned by our magnanimous host. 

For the sake of some further, movie background, The Devil Bat is probably PRC's most popular offering, directed by Jean (The Creeper/The Brute Man) Yarborough and written by John Thomas Neville and George Bricker. Bela Lugosi portrays Dr. Paul Carruthers, a scientist who nurtures oversized bats to attack those who swindled him in a business deal. As the murders mount, Dave (Captain Midnight/Reefer Madness) O'Brien's hotshot reporter, Johnny Layton, and his comedic, sidekick photographer, Donald Kerr's "One Shot" McGuire, investigate.  

Devil Bat's Daughter is directed by Frank (Strangler of the Swamp) Wisbar, written by Griffin Jay and stars veteran, B-movie/movie-serial actress Rosemary La Planche, a lady whom many (myself included) find quite fetching, which isn't so surprising since La Planche holds the prestigious distinction of having been crowned Miss California from 1939 - 1941; she also won Miss America in 1941. 

Devil Bat's Daughter depicts Carruthers' offspring, Nina, enduring unending guilt over her dad's ghastly actions, believing she turns into a killer after she "blanks out." On the other hand, her hypnotist-shrink may be toying with her for selfish reasons. To reveal more than this would spoil the catch, but it's suffice to say that Devil Bat's Daughter would make a dandy double feature with the psychological She-Wolf of London. Devil Bat's Daughter also holds a regression slant similar to The She-Creature, I Was a Teenage Werewolf and Blood of Dracula, which fans of that 1950s trio will appreciate. 

For the episode's "least ambitious," bare-bones in-betweens, Mr. Lobo stands in humble command (assisted by producer Paul Sanders), with a slew of references lifted from his 25-year career (that even goes back to his significant, Sacramento/KXT days), shot within the swift span of a week. The Devil Bat double whammy is also spiced up by visiting characters, including the voice of adult-star Amber Lily (who portrays Mr. Lobo's "mistress" rival; guess who!), all to warm the heart and tickle the frightful funny bone.  

Be sure to tune in this Saturday night. Father of the Devil Bat's Daughter promises to deliver a hybrid of elevated, misunderstood entertainment. 

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