Imagine pitching this to a movie studio in the 80s: two clueless slackers travel through time in a phone booth, rounding up historical figures for their high school history project. Not exactly an easy sell, right? But what started as a quirky stand-up routine from college pals Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon turned into a surprise hit. The film didn’t just make money—it inspired a sequel, an animated series, a comic book, and even its own breakfast cereal!
After a challenging production—complete with budget issues, a rewritten ending, and hundreds of auditions—Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure finally hit theaters. While initial reviews were most heinous, it steadily won over audiences, and the rest is, well, history.
So, jump into the time-traveling phone booth, practice your air guitar skills, and don’t forget to wind your watch as Nicholas Pepin, Chad Sheppard, Laramy Wells, and I discuss Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure from 1989 on this episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast!
Here are some additional behind-the-scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:
Many of the historical figures that Bill and Ted brought back died in tragic ways. Several, including Socrates, Joan of Arc, Billy the Kid, and Abraham Lincoln, were either executed or assassinated. Sigmund Freud died by assisted suicide. Some people believe Napoleon Bonaparte's death under house arrest was the result of arsenic poisoning. Historically, Genghis Khan and Ludwig van Beethoven died of natural causes.
Bill's "philosophy" to Socrates, "All we are is dust in the wind, dude," is a line from "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas. Socrates' response is, "Like sands of the hourglass, such are the days of our lives." For decades, that was the opening credits voiceover for "Days of Our Lives". Amy Stoch (Missy) appeared in 26 episodes of Days of Our Lives in 1986, while Tony Steedman (Socrates) appeared in 15 episodes in 1990.
Sources:
Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/alex-winter-bill-ted-excellent-adventure-lost-scene-interview-955329/
https://screenrant.com/bill-ted-excellent-adventure-behind-scenes-facts/
https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2551533/bill-and-teds-excellent-adventure-non-heinous-behind-the-scenes-facts-about-the-time-travel-movie
https://keithandthemovies.com/2020/04/22/retro-review-bill-teds-excellent-adventure-1989/
Some sections were composed by ChatGPT
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