• THE LASTING POWER OF PEE-WEE HERMAN

    As a kid, brushing my teeth seemed infinitely more exciting when I employed
    Pee-wee Herman's technique. As featured in the 1985 film "Pee-wee's Big
    Adventure", starring Paul Reubens as the titular eccentric, this involves lathering chompers with a toothbrush the size of a spatula and growling "Mad
    dog!"

    Pee-wee's universe of souped-up bicycles, toast-toting pterodactyls and
    prankster chewing-gum recently seduced a sell-out crowd to a screening at New York's Museum of Modern Art as part of their Tim Burton retrospective.
    Not everyone knows to attribute this cheery cult classic to Burton, whose body of work skews much darker. Yet his hand can be seen in the quirky art direction and oddball details, as well as in the film's place in that murky space between gawky childhood and reluctant adulthood.

    After a brief introduction by Burton, who mentioned the film's place on a number of "worst-of" lists, the adventure began with applause and appreciative yelps. The film was a surprise box-office hit when it opened, made for $6m but earning $45m in ticket sales. The screening at MoMA revealed its lasting appeal. The audience's jittery excitement was soon matched by the hysteric staccato of Danny Elfman's score, his second ever (and the start of a rich and longstanding partnership with Burton). If you haven't heard the Pee-wee theme, think of a circus marching band headed off a cliff.  read more »


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  • APPLE'S REVOLUTIONARY NEW LAPTOP

    At a time when everyone is fretting over the health of Steve Jobs, the Onion has decided to train its attention on something lighter: a laptop with no keyboard.  As one chap says about this fascinating new product: “I’ll buy anything if it’s shiny and made by Apple.”


    Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

    True Apple devotees may also consider this product from the Onion's online store.


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