The hubster and I have somehow incorporated many of the sayings from the 80’s teen movie, “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”, into our daily life.
You could say we live life according to Bill and Ted!
If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favour – it’s a bit of a comedy cult classic.
It’s about two dopey but likeable high school seniors (“dudes”), in danger of flunking their history class – because they are more interested in “babes”, and starting a heavy metal band, than studying. Turns out, they have a huge destiny ahead of them – but ONLY if they pass their history oral report. Thanks to a mysterious dude from the future and his telephone box, Bill and Ted go on to present an outstanding report – and receive a standing ovation from their classmates!
It’s funny, family-friendly, and is worth watching just for some of the tragic 80’s fashion. Oh, and it has some most “excellent” music!
A sequel, “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey” was released in 1991; although not quite as good as the original, it’s still fun to watch. There is even some talk of another sequel being in production, featuring the guys 20 years later.
Ted is played by none other than Keanu Reeves (I can’t believe he’s now 50 – a middle aged heart throb!), while Bill is played by the lesser known Alex Winter.
We have watched the movie so many times over the years I honestly can’t remember when we first saw it; and our kids grew up with it. In fact when we were travelling Australia with our caravan in 2001, we made an audio tape of the movie and played it to keep the kids entertained during long car trips!
Life According to Bill and Ted
When asked to share their “wisdom” with a future society, Bill and Ted come up with these two gems:
“Be excellent to each other”;
and
“Party on, dudes!”
But this is just the start of the one-liners that have become a part of our family folklore and are easily adapted into everyday conversation. Here are some other great examples …
-
- Bill: “Strange things are afoot at the Circle K” (we even used to have a Circle K convenience store just up the road from us!).
- Circle K cashier when asked a question: “I don’t know. I just work here.”
- Teacher: “Who was Joan of Arc?” … Ted: “Noah’s wife?!”
- Teacher: “It seems to me the only thing you’ve learned is that Caesar is ‘a salad dressing, dude’.”
- Bill: “Oh Ted, don’t be dead, dude!”
- Bill (reading from a textbook): “The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing.” … Ted: “That’s us, dude!”
- Bill (describing Ancient Greece): “There were many steps and columns. It was most tranquil.” (Funnily enough the hubster and I found ourselves spouting this one quite a bit on our Mediterranean trip!)
- Bill: “Billy, you are dealing with the oddity of time travel most excellently” (and we might have said that, substituting “foreign” for “time”, LOL)
- Ted (upon being served a beer at a bar in the Wild West): “Whoa, he didn’t even card us dude!” … Bill: “We have to remember this place!”
- Bill (again in the Wild West saloon, playing cards): “Dude, you gotta have a poker face like me”.
- Bill (pretending to be Deputy Van Halen): “Look, we found your keys. If you want ’em, better come and get ’em.”
- Both: “How’s it going, royal ugly dudes?!”
- And a range of words to express approval: “Bodacious”; “Most triumphant”; “Excellent”; and when things are not so good they are: “Most non-triumphant”; “Heinous”, and “Bogus”.
Okay, reading through them now, some of them don’t sound that funny. I guess it’s all in the delivery – so like I said, if you haven’t seen the movie, make sure you do soon!
Do you subscribe to the teachings of life according to Bill and Ted?! Is there a movie that you find yourself quoting all the time, or that has become a part of your family folklore?!
Snoskred says
There is a local cafe here called Socrates. I always say it the Bill and Ted way – So-Crates. π
This movie was one I watched many times and I still love it. I really feel like it might be time for another part to the story.. though knowing our luck Hollywood will completely re-boot it instead which would be most heinous and non-triumphant!
Though it is interesting to consider who could play these roles today.. I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head.. π
Janet Camilleri says
LOL so glad we are not the only ones who say “So-Crates” π
Deborah says
I was CRAZY about Keanu around the time Point Break was released (and Speed). Sigh.
I think B&T paved the way for the Hangover type (man-flick) movies of the 21st century. (Although The Blues Brothers probably did that first!)
Pinky Poinker says
My husband loves these movies and can quote them too Janet. We love Zoolander, Dumb and Dumber and anything from Seinfeld and often lapse into quotes from those movies and telly shows. Oh and “Muskrat” from Meet the Fockers! We should all go out to dinner sometime. I think we’d all have a ball!
Hugzilla says
Oh my god I remember all of those quotes and LOVE them. I actually want to run off and watch it right now! I had a massive crush on Keanu Reeves as a teenager, and this is one of the reasons why.
Kirsty @ My Home Truths says
I LOVE Bill and Ted. I have not seen either film in many years but you’ve inspired to get them out again and enjoy the ride!
EssentiallyJess says
My dad made me watch it as a kid, but I never loved it. I should give it another go really.
Janet Camilleri says
Really?! Maybe you were too young to get it back then.
Leisa says
I quote Bill and Ted often – often when I’m on an escalator, reminding people not to get sucked under. I also say, “She ate the pig! Ziggy Piggy!” after eating a ridiculous amount of food.
I was quite excited when our 7/11 became a Circle K and hoped that I’d see “strange things afoot”.
Everything I know about history is because of them, which is quite sad, I know.
I think I’ll give the dvd a burl again when I get home!
Janet Camilleri says
Haha yes I forgot about that – Ziggy Piggy!!!!! We do that one too!