Greetings, my excellent friends. EvildeadInks here with another outside the box review for ya. Today, I tackle a comedy with some elements of creepy — Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey… of the original title, Bill and Ted Go to Hell… that’s a metal title, huh?
We pick up with Bill and Ted post-high school, their living on their own and still trying to get the band Wyld Stallions off the ground. I love how messy their place is and how the dad still has some way to pressure them into military school… no idea how that’s possible. The boys have to learn how to play their instruments seemingly days before a battle of the bands that will get broadcast on the local TV. In the far off future, we have an old gym teacher that’s’ planning a revolution against the Wyld Stallion’s way of harmony. This plan involves sending two evil robot Bill and Teds back in time to kill the real ones and then, as they say, utterly destroy ’em. The evil robots are pretty cool, gotta admit it. They do successfully kill Bill and Ted and then we get to follow them into the afterlife.
William Sadler plays the role of Death itself in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey and, wow, is he just so damn cool. Steals all the scenes that he is in and funny as hell. Okay, now for the creepy part, which is why I wanted it in my review today. We get to see the boys in their own personal Hell, at one point. Ted has to relive being a child and facing off with an evil Easter bunny. Bill, on the other hand, also as a child, has to face his granny. Grandma just wants a kiss, hairy lips and creepy as hell looking, by the way. Fun fact, the grandma was played by the same actor who portrayed Bill.
As a kid, I always had a bit of trouble shaking off that grandma character; Not quite Zelda from Pet Sematary bad, but in the same ballpark. The boys do escape hell by playing the reaper in a contest… several contests. From there, we get to meet the greatest mind in the universe, come from heaven to help the boys build their own robots. The theory is having good robots fight the evil ones. That is the name of the game and it all must be done before the battle of the bands.
Bill and Ted travel all throughout the afterlife, Heaven, and Hell to save the babes and rock the world. Death even joins the band. How wild is that? Does that mean he gives up his day job? How does all that work… surely people still are dying or does death take a holiday?
Anyway, this is another classic. Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey recently received a killer double feature release from Shout! Factory, and I highly recommend getting yourself a copy. It has some pretty sweet bonus features, stickers, and a guitar pick.
I honestly can’t wait to see the loooooong awaited part three get made. I do give this film and franchise 4 outta 5 stations! Go check it out, have a laugh and possibly a lil’ creep. Always remember, you might be a king or a little street sweeper, but sooner or later you dance with the reaper!
