Bill S Preston and Ted “Theodore” Logan, are returning to our theatre screens next year for a third Bill & Ted movie, almost three decades after the last one. Excitement is building and while we wait, the first two movies are still available for our viewing pleasure. These comedy classics have stood the test of time but did you realize they also contain some hidden extras?
If you are rewatching these classics then we’ve pulled together a list of things to look for. These little details are all hidden in the first two films and most fans missed them the first time around. Get ready to be surprised.
The Statues In Bogus Journey
Bogus Journey is quite a strange concept for a sequel, killing off our two heroes in the first act and having them battle through heaven and hell, trying to find their way back to our plane of existence. When the two finally get to have a meeting with God, you can see a series of statues leading up the stairways.
The first two statues either side of the stairs are that of Michael Powell and David Niven. It’s a nod to the director and actors’ movie “A Matter Of Life And Death” another adventure film set in the afterlife.
The Classroom Chalkboard In Excellent Adventure
Bill and Ted, despite being well-meaning heroes, are not the sharpest tools in the box, and our first indication of this is Ted’s answer when asked who was Joan of Arc. “Noah’s Wife?”
If you look closely at the chalkboard behind his teacher, not only can you see Joan Of Arc, but every other historical figure that they are about to encounter on their Excellent Adventure, setting up the rest of the movie.
Rufus Never Introduces Himself To Bill and Ted
Rufus, played by the late great George Carlin, is from the future and acts as Bill and Ted’s guide and mentor throughout their journeys in time. What’s interesting is he never really introduces himself to the two. Whilst his is the first phonebox to land at the Circle K, and he does say that he is there to help them with their history report, he waits a few moments later for future Bill and Ted to arrive and explain precisely what is happening to cause a time loop (don’t overthink it, you’ll go mad).
Maybe Rufus is wise enough to know that a man in shades crashing from the sky might not be quite as trustworthy as, well, yourself crashing from the sky.
Vasquez Rocks Is Not The Only Star Trek Location In Bogus Journey
At the start of the second film, Bill and Ted are watching the classic episode Star Trek episode “Arena” where Kirk fights the Gorn on a rocky planet. Later on, the Wyld Stallions are taken to that precise real-life location, Vasquez Rocks, and murdered by their evil robot selves.
Less obvious, or intentional, is the second Star Trek location in the movie. The Tillman Water Reclamation Park in Van Nuys, California, is used in the year 2691 for the Bill & Ted University. It would go on to feature as another futuristic education center, Starfleet Acadamy, in both Next Generation and Voyager.
The Potential Nod To Airplane!
This one may or may not be intentional, as there are no sources to confirm or deny, but it’s interesting none the less. The bar fight that takes place after Bill & Ted meet Billy The Kid is extremely similar to the girl scout fight in Airplane!
Both battles take place during a game of poker, have the same punches, bottle smashes and bar stool hits, and both end with someone being slid across the bar and having their heads smashed through a jukebox/wall.
While it’s entirely possible this is coincidental, as both fights tick the boxes for a generic barroom brawl, film writers Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson are comedy writers and Airplane! is one of, if not the most, respected comedy films of all time. Maybe it was intentional, maybe it was subconscious, either way, the comparison is likely too close to be chance.
Ed and Chris Rule The World
Film writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon do enjoy making cameos, and Bogus Journey is no exception. As well as physically appearing during the seance scene where Missy contacts Bill & Ted’s spirits (they’re the only two men there) their names are also subliminally mentioned.
The chant used to send our heroes away from the frightened spiritualists? It’s “Ed and Chris Will Rule The World” spelled backward. On top of that, the villainous De Nomolos is also Ed Solomon in reverse.
Evil Robot Bill & Teds Discarded Disguise
In a cut scene, when Evil Robot Bill & Ted reveal who they are to Missy and the princesses, they rip off their robot skins to reveal they’re actually in disguise as themselves! (Bill is Ted and Ted is Bill).
Thanks to editing, in the final version they just pull apart their abs to reveal the robotics underneath, a shot that was taken from another deleted scene, but if you look closely in the background where Evil Bill answers the phone to Good Bill, you can actually see the discarded disguises in the background on the floor.
While we’re on the subject, the plot of an evil robot who wears sunglasses sent back in time in a human disguise to eliminate a target that will ensure victory in the future may sound familiar. Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey peaked at number two in the American box office. The film that took number one? Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
Will Sadler Plays Two Roles
One of most surprisingly enduring characters in the sequel is Death himself, played brilliantly by Will Sadler who will return to the role when Bill & Ted Face The Music hits theaters next year, but did you know he also plays another part?
At the end of the film, where the battle of the bands is being broadcast worldwide, the father of the British family is also played by Sadler. His real-life wife and daughter, Marni Joan Baskt and Sadler Colley Baskt make up the rest of the family.
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