Customer Reviews

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985 Film) / Back To School (1986 Film): Original Motion Picture Scores [2 on 1]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Peewee's big adventure is easily one of the most popular and beloved movie scores out there. It's dynamite! Who can argue with that? The 3 stars that I do give the CD are solid. Unfortunately, there is only 20:43 of Big Adventure here. No incidental music. And apparently the only available version of the score. I have no problem with Back to School's soundtrack, but Peewee's is pure magic. Of all of Elfman's work, Peewee's most deserves to be heard, complete. Very disappointing.

"Thank you" to all the previous reviewers who pointed out the limitations of this re-scored music. I thought I'd chime in with a discovery. The DVD of the movie has the isolated original score! Yeah!

If you buy or rent the DVD, just go into the menu options and there's a way to play the movie with only the music score isolated. (There's commentary by Danny Elfman too, but he doesn't talk over the music.)

The score to Tim Burton's PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE is one Danny Elfman greatest achievements. And for those who are upset about the lack of the film's music on this album [not that I blame you], I have some info. The original masters used to score the film were recorded w/an L.A. union orchestra, an orchestra that would have to be paid an enormous amount of money [and I am talking hundreds of thousands of dollar$] for the masters' release. Given this, 20+ mins of the score was re-recorded w/The National Philharmonic Orchestra [a Lodon orchestra]. Why only 20+ mins? You'll have to ask Danny Elfman or the record label, Varese Sarabande, about that.

I do not have this album, but I do have Danny Elfman's Music For A Darkened Theater Vol 1. which contains excerpts of this score. Since it is re-recorded, one might think that it doesn't sound as good as the original master tapes. Actually, some of the tracks sound identical those in the film, and some are somewhat similar.

Anyway, unless you really REALLY want this score, I suggest you wait for an expanded album, which I have no doubt [given its popularity] will eventually pop up. However this CD is not a total loss. After all, it has some of the best cues: "Main Title", "Breakfast", and "Clown Dream".

The music from Back to School and Pee Wee is classic Elfman. It's a great CD to listen to when you're feeling down right silly. Unfortunately, the rights fell into the EVIL hands of Varese Sarabande. I don't know how they managed to cut so much out that they fit TWO scores into one half hour. Other than the fact that I loathe Varese Sarabande with a passion for time and time again depriving me of so much music, this CD is still a good buy.

"Pee-Wee" is a great score, borrowing from 60's European films (especially Fellini's "8 1/2"), but it seems to be overshadowed by the "Back to School" section. I wonder where the rest of the "Studio Chase" is. Danny, why is there only fifteen minutes of the Pee-Wee score? Danny?

I like Danny Elfman, he writes movie scores that are always great and one of his best is the score for Pee Wee's Big Adventure and while the Pee Wee tracks with the National Philharmonic Orchestra are great it would have been even greater if they had used the original master tracks and the scores on this CD are just too short. I have never watched the movie Back to School and that score does seem to overshadow the Pee Wee's Big Adventure score. Now I do recommend this CD but be prepared to be a little disappointed with the Pee Wee score getting the short end of the stick!

Peee-Wee's Big Adventure is a good movie that is very funny and I loved the music used in the movie but this CD is disappointing. I'm very disappointed that this isn't even the original score used in the movie but is instead an imitation performance. A Reinactment!

pee wee hermans movie is exciting and suspencefull. The movie is chocked full of adventure and the attention to details always amazes me. Every time i watch it i see something new.

I absolutely love this CD. Why they felt the need to tack on the Back to School music is beyond me, but the tracks from Pee Wee's Big Adventure are fabulous and a treat to listen to.

Well, Pee Wee's Big Adventure is on the Hub a Cable Channel right now. During the Rube Goldberg breakfast scene, I turned the volume WAY up.

It sounded fantastic. I LOVE that music.

So I would LOVE a whole, actual Soundtrack CD of Pee Wee's Big Adventure.