The Big Campy Adventure That Helped Launch Tim Burton's Career

Seal Beach and Los Alamitos only have one movie theater, but it’s one of a kind. Each week the historic Bay Theatre offers a new release paired with a cinematic classic. Each week, Patch will tell you what classic is playing at the classic theatre.

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is classic camp.

Pee-wee Herman’s (Paul Reubens) quest to recover his stolen bike takes him on a journey to the Alamo’s nonexistent basement, and ultimately behind the scenes at Warner Bros’ Studio. The Pee-wee Herman persona embodies all the hallmarks of camp from the effeminate demeanor to exaggerated naiveté, not to mention short pants and a bowtie. For its campy aesthetic and irony, and the colorful narrative, the film managed to appeal to both children and adults when it was released in 1985 to capitalize on the success of the Pee-wee Herman Show.

Peewee’s journey takes him to several landmarks familiar to Southern California audiences, most notably the Cabazon dinosaurs off the 10 freeway that still exist today - now as part of a creationist museum.

The film helped launch the career of its director Tim Burton. It also marks one of the early cinematic partnerships between Burton and composer Danny Elfman, a partnership that has endured two decades and enhanced films such as Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes (2001), Big Fish and Alice in Wonderland.

Bay Theatre Showtimes:

• 6 p.m. Sunday
• 8 p.m. Monday
• 8 p.m. Wednesday