As a master of popcorn movies and a one-of-a-kind eye whose macabre style is so recognizable his last name is basically an adjective, one would think Tim Burton would own a spot in the Criterion Collection, but alas, no. Neither the critically acclaimed dramas (Ed Wood, Big Fish) nor his weirdo comedies (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice) have earned him a spot in the film world’s most elite home video line. That is, until now.
On Monday, Criterion announced that a Burton film would finally earn a spine in the collection — #1293 to be exact. And not only is it his first movie to make it, it’s his first movie to make it. Burton’s directorial feature debut, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, will join the collection on Dec. 16.
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was the brainchild of the late Paul Reubens, who leveraged a tour of his character Pee-Wee Herman into a feature film deal with Warner Bros. Pictures. (Such things were possible in the 1980s!) After actor Shelley Duvall introduced Reubens to Burton at a party, and together watched his film Frankenweenie, the actor insisted to WB that the young animator direct his live-action movie. Burton got the job, collaborated with Reubens on making Big Adventure the weirdo odyssey it is today — including roping in Oingo Boingo’s Danny Elfman to do the score — and the rest is history.
For its Criterion release, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure has been given a 4K digital restoration overseen by Burton himself, with both 2.0 surround and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks included. The UHD package comes with a Dolby Vision HDR disc as well as a Blu-ray housing the movie and its supplements. Extras lean heavily into the film’s creative history, with two audio commentaries (one with Burton and Paul Reubens, another with Danny Elfman over a music-only track), and a slate of new interviews. There are also deleted scenes, the original trailer, and footage from a 40th anniversary screening hosted by comedian Dana Gould.
In recent years, the Criterion Collection has expanded its purview beyond arthouse fare and European cinema (although it’s still pretty much No. 1 for those sectors, too). A time when Wall-E and House Party have entered the collection was bound to provide Burton’s in, and it sounds like his brand of kitsch will get the deluxe treatment. Pre-orders aren’t yet open for the set, but the 4K Blu-ray will retail for $49.95, with a standard Blu-ray at $39.95.