It all depends on the Soundtrack. It’s a movie which rises and falls on it. And the second one was crap because it was just famous bands crap B-sides to sell. A baffling choice of taking the names with bad songs, over good songs.
The original Bill and Ted had a soundtrack with one known name nowadays: Extreme, and they weren’t famous when they did that song.
The music was superb, but the bands disappeared: have you heard much from Big Pig, Tora Tora, Bricklin, Shark Island, Power Tool, Rori, Vital signs, Robbie Robb and Range War? They were chosen because their songs were excellent. Even Stevie Salas, who did the shredding bits, never really made it big…
Power Tool was an alternate name used by Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, the twin sons of Ricky Nelson. They were the first unsigned band to play on Saturday Night Live and had a moderate hit with their first album After the Rain under the name Nelson. Their manager advised them not to record their song for Bill and Ted under their own names since they were in the process of securing their first record deal. They continue to record independently and release albums under their own record label.
It’s incredibly stupid, but it’s also very smart. The people who wrote it were clearly very clever; they knew exactly what they were doing. Dumb people could not have written that movie.
“Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” is a difficult movie to describe to someone who hasn’t seen it because it is really not like any other movie. It’s science fiction, but it isn’t. It’s a stoner comedy about two guys who aren’t stoners. It’s stupid but intelligent. Despite being an 80’s comedy it has no nudity, almost no swearing, and it’s really quite sweet. It uses cliches and yet it’s really not like any other movie ever made. The use of time travel is ten times smarter than any number of serious sci fi movies but it’s also dumb as hell. As screenplays go it’s a work of genius. It takes a bizarre idea, with a lot of conflicting needs, and just nails it. It’s perfectly designed; the plotting and pacing could not be better.
The likelihood this movie will be just as good is a hundred to one, at best, because the first one is miraculously good. “Bogus Journey” has a lot going for it - Bill and Ted are a delightful duo, the scenes playing games with Death are hilarious, the visuals are great, and it tries a new angle, but you just can’t strike gold that often. I’ll be floored if Face The Music is closer to #1 than #2.
So I rewatched Excellent Adventure tonight. I noticed in the scene where everyone is running up the escalator attempting to escape the mall cops, it looks like (from the side) Freud has a sign on his back. From some unlisted deleted scene?
Station seemed like an in-joke that was only known to 2 people who worked pre-pro but then were gone from the project. Everyone else figured it must be important since it was so prominent and so they just left it in there and filmed it.
ETA: Just watched Trailer #2 and I gotta say: I’m ready to watch this movie; it looks fun.
I went to HS with Alex Winter, he’s a good guy - started out on B’way (we were in NJ) in Peter Pan, he used to leave early every day.
His career went no where (or not very far) on screen but he’s been behind the camera and directed a new HBO doc about child actors that is getting good reviews:
The funny part about B&T to us was that he was nothing like his character at our HS, but there were MANY who were - he had a lot of material to work with.
I’m totally all in after the second trailer. I’m thinking about renting it opening night just to encourage fun, light hearted movie concepts!
I sat through all 17? Marvel movies last month with my kids. I love sci-fi, I love action, and they were just blah. I wouldn’t recommend them. In one eye and immediately left my brain. Whereas Napolean and Beethoven are still there from Bill & Ted #1.
Well, yes and no. It’s also Keanu Reeves giving fans what they want. He’s making the Matrix 4 as well, just like Harrison Ford made Indy 4, Star Wars VII, and Blade Runner 2.
Going back to things in your early career is very popular right now.
I was hearing about Bill and Ted 3 back in the mid to late 90’s, but it always stalled. I’m glad they actually made it.
Based on the trailer, I think this movie is all about alternate futures. It looks like we saw two different future Bill&Teds. So maybe those papers were from a timeline where everything worked out fine.
