Growing up, there was a billboard over by the mall that was owned by the local movie theater. They would update it every couple weeks with titles for movies that were coming soon. This sort of thing was catnip for a lil cinephile like myself. At the time I couldn't just log on to the internet and find out what movies were coming out soon. The only way to find out about upcoming releases was in the 'future releases' blurb in entertainment magazines. Well, one evening we were driving over to the mall and I saw that the theater had just updated the billboard. One of the latest releases had my heart skip a beat: 'Bill & Ted Go to Hell'. What?!? there was another Bill and Ted movie coming out?!? I was instantly hyperventilating in excitement! Unfortunately, having grown up in a sometimes strict Christian household, my mom saw that title and said 'no way!' My new excitement came immediately crashing down. Months passed. The studio eventually decided to change the name of the film (probably because of reactions like my mother) to 'Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'. When it eventually came out, much to my disappointment, my mom had remembered it's initial title and still forbade my from going to see it. As an 11 year old I wasn't really able to go against their wishes, considering I couldn't really drive myself to the theater... Not being able to see the movie just emboldened me... I would cut out ads for the movie from the newspaper every day and paste them on my bedroom wall. I watched the Bill & Ted cartoon every Saturday morning. I even ordered the movie novelization from the book orders at school. (For some reason my mom didn't have a problem with me reading the novelization of the movie? I don't know, maybe she knew she wouldn't win and hey, at least I'm reading, right?) Eventually she relented and let me rent it when it came out on VHS. I was excited to see it, but was disappointed that it wasn't as amazing as the first one. It was good, but not absolute perfection like the first.
I continued to watch the first movie often and the second movie not as often, but my love for them was eternal. Time marched on. Every time Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, or George Carlin would pop up in different movies or comedy specials, I would be excited to see Ted, Bill, and Rufus again. Reeves blasted to superstardom in Speed and rose again in The Matrix and again in John Wick. Every time I would always say that his new stuff is fine but I just wish he would come back and continue the Bill & Ted series. So imagine my elation when they finally announced what I had been dreaming about for the last 25 years: they are finally making a third one!
For about a year leading up to the release of 'Bill & Ted Face the Music' it was all I thought about. You can ask Diana- for months almost all of our conversations would begin with me saying 'So, the Bill & Ted movie...' I would (half) jokingly say to friends 'It doesn't matter what happens in the world just so long as I survive long enough to see Bill & Ted 3!'. This past year, in anticipation, I have been collecting anything and everything Bill & Ted. I've gotten trades of all the old comics as well as the new ones leading up to the new movie.
Finally the day came: I got to see the movie! It wasn't what I expected but that's probably what made is so much fun! I absolutely love it! Its been a while since it came out and I think I've watched it 7 times already. Being able to see my favorite characters again is like a warm blanket, it's just so cozy. I'm sure it won't be long before I'm on my 20th viewing. I think watching the trilogy will become a new annual event for me!
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