The man staring into the camera is notPee-wee Herman.
Youre not supposed to control [it].
Its probably not the first time theyve had this exchange.
Paul Reubens and Pee-wee Herman in ‘Pee-wee as Himself.‘Dennis Keeley/HBO
Not the last, either.
(It premiered at Sundance last night and will play on HBO in the spring.)
The title comes from his credit on the 1985 movie that helped make Herman a household name.
Judges would have also acceptedPee-wee vs.
This was where the allure of all that showbiz happening on television became a reality for Reubens.
David Hasselhoff and Katy Segal were in his acting ensemble.
The idea of living conceptually of performance art as a full-time lifestyle choice really begins here.
They moved in together in Los Angeles, and per Paul, began playing house.
It was serious enough that Reubens introduced Guy to his parents.
This is where Pee-wee Ground Zero enters the picture.
The concept was a stand-up comic who was irredeemably awkward.
A Pee-wee harmonica provided the first name.
Memories of a manic, obnoxious kid in Florida whose surname was Herman completed the handle.
The groups stage show would double as something like a live-act pilot for a fake TV series.
The commitment to the conceptual bit would be total.
As an experiment, Reubens decided to go onThe Dating Gameto see if people would take Pee-wee seriously.
A star is born.
Part Two details the lows, the shaming and the trials by court of public opinion.
It also gives you glimpses of a tug-of-war happening behind the scenes.
Wolf wants a full warts-and-all picture.
Reubens doesnt trust him in terms of the warts.
Part One details someone finally opening up.
Part Two details a gradual closing down.
But if Reubens becomes slightly less of a mystery, he still remains a mystery.
The doc wants everything on the table, and the subject wants to handpick how said table is set.
It ends in a draw.
