You wouldn't guess that a PG-rated movie that is essentially a love story between a special boy and his special bike would be such a notorious traumatizer but here we are. Of course, knowing that the film is also the directorial feature debut of Tim Burton makes it all that much more understandable.
Poor Pee-Wee (Paul Reubens) is on a cross-country adventure to reclaim his bicycle which he believes resides in the basement of the Alamo in Texas thanks to some shady information from a dubious psychic. At one point in his journey, he is picked up from the side of the road by a gruff, older female truck driver (character actress Alice Nunn) with wild hair and a crazed, unblinking look on her face. She tells Pee-Wee of a horrible accident she witnessed as he stares at her in shock and awe. At one point, as she describes the gruesome appearance of the accident victim, her entire face transforms (with the aid of stop-motion, Claymation trickery) into a bug-eyed howling freak with frazzled hair. As she shrieks so does Pee-Wee and rightfully so.
Later, as she drops a bewildered and still stunned Pee-Wee off at a roadside dinner she says, "Tell them Large Marge sent you." Dutifully our hero repeats the trucker's words to the diner patrons who gasp in amazement and point to a nearby shrine/memorial; it turns out Large Marge has been dead for ten years and tonight is the anniversary of her demise!
Large Marge is as humorous as she is freaky and her monstrous appearance is as cartoonish and over the top as the rest of this classic eighties comedy. Still, it's not surprising that younger viewers might be taken completely off guard with this lightning strike of surreal imagery, especially with the hushed ghost story build-up that is delivered beforehand. Large Marge is the perfect dosage of horror and hilarity and nobody who has seen the film would ever disagree.
Special Bonus Trauma: Pee–Wee's Nightmares. Pee-Wee experiences very relatable anxiety when he is separated from the love of his life, his cherished bicycle. His emotional turmoil is expressed with Hitchcock-level paranoia and chronic bad dreams. His first nightmare involving a dinosaur chomping on his bike is basically adorable but his second, which centers on a group of hideous clowns preparing his beloved for surgery, is anything but. For a moment there seems to be one doctor who may be reliable and competent but then he takes off his surgical mask to reveal he's a terrifying clown with a twisted traumatizing grimace as well. All eventually ends happily with Pee-Wee becoming a celebrated hero with a movie made from his many tribulations but you'd never guess it from this horrifying clown-strewn nightmare.
"And when they finally pulled the driver's body from the twisted, burning wreck. It looked like …. this…!"
Such a great flick. I used to quote it to friends in circumstances that recalled the movie to me, only to be regarded as dorky at best, at worst insane.
"Is this something you can share with the rest of us, Amazing Larry?"
Oooh, boy. Yes, this one scared me to death when I was ten. The fact that Marge’s face becomes what looks like a Claymation effect – seamlessly, which is impressive – gives the scene an uncanny feeling.
I rewatched the 1986 heavy metal horror movie Trick or Treat a couple of years ago, after not having seen it in years. None other than Alice Nunn turns up for a scene, as a metal-hating PMRC scold who ends up zapped by resurrected rock star Sammy Curr, when he reaches through a television set broadcasting her appearance on a talk show (neat effect).
My other favorite scene is Pee-Wee turning on his flashlight glasses when he's in the middle of nowhere.
Large Marge absolutely ruined me when I was a kid! I was on a trip to Florida when I was like 9, and I was watching it during a dry lightning storm (which I didn't know was even a thing!). I was freaking terrified! I didn't watch the rest of the movie. I just hid in my bed for the rest of the night.
Unrelated I know, but I just had to chime in and say tomorrow (August 13th) is the 40th anniversary of Jason putting on his hockey mask. Happy anniversary.