Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989): A Retrospect

[The Edge]

Originally Posted by Sky_Captain

Button it, Harry Potter.

word.

[The Edge]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I saw Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure on the weekend of its release back in 1989 with a friend during the summer before my senior year of high school.

I had a blast watching the movie at the theater that weekend, I had a blast watching it on VHS tape over the following years, I had a blast watching my old DVD copy, and I still have a blast watching my Blu-ray.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is not the most cerebral movie in the world, but it has a charm all its own. I hate it when people say that you had to be there, but, in this case, you had to be there. The force of my 1989 nostalgia is strong with this one.


I've only seen Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey once, though.

There's a sore spot in my memory associated with that sequel.

Why a sore spot, you ask?

Well...

Early in the fall of 1991, during my sophomore year of college, some dorm friends and I decided to go to the theater to see Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey.

Another friend, who worked at the Georgia Tech radio station and often got free concert tickets to for backstage interviews, called me just before I left for the theater, and invited me to a concert that night at a small local dive, because he wanted me to help him interview a band backstage after the show. I politely declined, telling him that I had already made plans for the night, and that I was just leaving to see Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey with the people in my dorm.

The next day, I was talking with this friend on the phone, and I was telling him how much the movie sucked.

I then asked him about the concert, and he replied, "The show was great. It was a band called Nirvana. They were cool during the interview after the show. You should have been there!"

Yes, my friends... I missed out on seeing Nirvana in a small club venue during the fall of 1991, just before Nevermind became popular, and I missed out on meeting and interviewing Kurt Cobain... Because I went to see Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey instead.

23 years have passed, and I'm still kicking myself in the rear over that.

Now I feel bad for you after reading that. Shame you didn't enjoy the film, though.

[JeffTheMovieGuy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hg59w4CbR0

[Just Me]

Just discovered this poll. I love both these movies (and I hope the third one does eventually get made…), and can't wait for Bogus Journey to join Excellent Adventure on Blu-Ray.

[L.J.]

I remember enjoying these when I was a kid, so why not a blu.

[JeffTheMovieGuy]

If only they would do a digibook collection like the Ghostbusters are getting it would be perfect. I got the first one on blu-ray.

I also remember seeing the 2nd movie in theaters when I was a kid. Both movies are great in my book and look forward to The Bill and Ted Reunion Tour when they finally get to filming it.

[xander]

Excellent Adventure got a surprisingly, uh, excellent, transfer for a catalog title. Sucks that it clearly didn't sell well enough to warrant Bogus coming out. Most non non heinous. STATION.

[JeffTheMovieGuy]

Originally Posted by xander

Excellent Adventure got a surprisingly, uh, excellent, transfer for a catalog title. Sucks that it clearly didn't sell well enough to warrant Bogus coming out. Most non non heinous. STATION.

Its really a damn shame when it all comes down to money when blu-ray should be looked as a savior of film.

[Trigger89]

I love both movies although I would lean a little more towards Bogus Journey solely down to nostalgia. I still have to pick up Excellent Adventure on Blu.

[Spirit Zero]

First film easily.

[Hellraiserfan]

Excellent Adventure gets my vote even though I also really enjoyed Bogus Journey.

[arcadeforest]

The Original - just watched this a few weeks ago and even without seeing it for many years I could still quote more than 2/3 of the movie.

[theprestige85]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

Woooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I laughed so hard when I heard how much trouble the Wachowski Brothers had in getting Keanu Reeves to say "Woah" in The Matrix when he witnessed Morpheus make that impossible leap in the jump simulation.

Apparently Keanu is ashamed of his roots!

Lol, I didn't know they had a hard time getting him to say that

I picked Bogus Journey because it's the one I remember liking much more than Excellent Adventure which was just alright. Journey felt like more of an adventure.

[Moviefan2k4]

"Excellent Adventure", all the way. "Bogus Journey" had some good moments, but it was far too self-aware. The original had more heart, and less winking at the camera.

[Galactus]

Is the 3rd movie still happening?

[Moviefan2k4]

Originally Posted by Galactus

Is the 3rd movie still happening?

Last I heard, there is a script finished. Its just a matter of getting a studio to finance it, and working around Keanu's schedule.

[DenOfEarth]

It's been 25 years since one of the coolest and funniest cult comedies hit the big screen, i saw this in theaters when i was 7 3 times and i dug it as i had a t-shirt, coloring book, watched the animated series on CBS, ate the cereal and i saw the sequel 3 times in theaters.

Wild Styllaons rule!

[Moviefan2k4]

(plays air guitar)

I first saw this on TV as a kid in the early '90s, and have loved it ever since (the sequel's pretty lacking, though). The Blu-Ray release looks and sounds pretty good, especially for a low-budget '80s comedy. I remember cracking up after hearing Keanu Reeves mention his fear of his tombstone someday reading, "he played Ted".

[xander]

Excellent Adventure will always have a special place for me. I saw it when it came out opening weekend at 12 years old and they gave us all free copies of the comic book which I still have (see below). Watched it countless times over the years and am glad it got a decent Blu release as well. When I got married 2 years ago, it's the one dvd I brought that the groomsmen and I watched while drinking good bourbon in the groom's waiting room before it was time for the ceremony. Bill and Ted forever!

[Moviefan2k4]

No Rufus on the comic cover? Shame...