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Entertainment
An Excellent Adventure
by Darrell J. White
Collegian Staff Writer
BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT
ADVENTURE Starring Alex
Winter, Keanau Reeves, George
Carlin Rated PG
Rating •E.ai
Most semi-serious filmgoers
like myself would have a hard
time seeing a movie like this
with any friends I want to keep.
It was with mixed emotions that
I darkened the doorstep of the
theater that showed this film. To
my ultimate delight, I found that
this was not the case. If the
promoters play their cards right,
"Bill and Ted's Excellent
Adventure" could become a
classic, right between "Citizen
Kane" and "Monty Python and
the Holy Grail"
The movie starts out with two
male valley girls, Bill (Alex
Winter) and Ted (Keanau Reeves)
playing two garage-sale bought
guitars in a garage, dreaming of
someday turning their rock
group, the "Wyld Stallyons",
into a money maker. but als, as
the promos say, these two boys
can't even spell. Their language
is pockmarked by the California
style words-"dude",. "excellent",
"bogus", and the like. Their
major problem is as follows:
they have been flunking their
history class together for the
whole year. They have a final
project that will serve as a final
exam. It is an oral report based
upon what they believe a figure
from past history would think of
modern society: life in 1988. To
complicate matters even further,
Ted's father is a strict
disciplinarian. If he doesn't pass
this course, Ted will be sent to a
military school in Alaska.
Most of the people I was with
immediately saw this as a bad
thing. These two guys were
lovable, in a stupid sort of way,
after all. but the film
immediately whacks us back into
fantasy, and gives us a reason
why these potential burdens-on
society must be saved.
A future society looked back
on Bill and Ted's plight. At this
Disarmament from page 1
advance. The Soviets have met
steel and are retreating," Taylor
concluded.
Taylor is the chief operating
officer and director of
political/military studies at
Georgetown. Until his recent
retirement, he served as a
professional soldier for 27 years.
Among his latest books are "The
Future of Conflict in the 80s,"
"American National Security:
Policy and Process" and
"Strategic Responses to Conflict
in the 1980 s."
Musil brought his added
experience as the education
director of the SANE Educational
time, Bill and Ted's music was
the foundation of their peaceful
existence. Yes, the Wyld
Stallyons had created a
utopia,...but that's in the future.
wisely, the film stays away from
any specifics as to how this
occured, thus avoiding insulting
our intelligence. We just know
that this happens. Rufus (George
Caplin), a futuristic "go-fer" then
steps into a telephone booth of
the time and transports himself to
California, 1988.
The encounter with Rufus
began the film's decline into
ultimate hysteria. If a time
traveler approached two
California simpletons, and told
them he was going to help them
with their history report, chances
are that they'd believe it. (Pardon
my insulting of California - I
acknowledge the fact that many
intelligent people live in
California. I just wish to avoid
any Dave Friend-like reactions.)
A further nice touch was added
when Bill and Ted visited Bill and
Ted, right there at that first
meeting with Rufus outside Ted's
home. They were on their way
back form the trip through time
and accidentally stopped there
prematurely- but enough of that.
It can get too-confusing, who's
doing what or- going where...erk.
Bill and Ted proceed to travel
through time and extract
historical figures from their
natural surroundings and bring
them back to California, 1988, to
take them around, ask them what
they think, and then bring them
to their school and ad-lib a
presentation. Sound stupid? You
know it. Nevertheless, it works
with astounding hilarity.
The climax happened when
the gang, consisting of such
figures as Billy the Kid, Socrates
(pronounced soh-crates by the
actors), Abraham Lincoln,
Genghis Khan, Beethoven, Joan
of Arc, and Sigmund Freud, who
was socializing and eating
chocolate covered bananas (yes,
an additional phallic symbol-and
funny as anything I've ever seen).
Genghis Khan destroyed a
sporting goods store with a
softball bat and skateboard,
Beethoven wowed the crowds
Fund and as a lecturer in
American studies at Temple
University, where he also teaches
an honors course on nuclear
disarmament. He is co-producer
and host of SANE's nationally
syndicated public affairs radio
program, "Consider the
Alternatives," which is broadcast
by 150 stations coast-to-coast
each week. Musil, a former Army
captain and instructor at the
Defense Information School (Ft.
Benjamin Harrison, Indiana), is a
former associate of the Center for
National Security Studies in
Washington, D.C.
playing the synthesizers in an
organ shop, and Joan of Arc took
over an aerobic class. Napoleon,
the first to get picked up, was
accidentally left behind in a water
park. By the time he's done, he's
howling with delight. This is
astoundingly stupid stuff, but it
appeals to your sense of humor
that laughs even at bad jokes. It
works, and it works well.
When I left the theater, I knew
that two catch-phrases used in the
film would soon institute
themselves into everyday speech:
"Be excellent to each other" and
"PARTY ON, DUDE!"
May Dr. Reinig, who teaches
a course in film study, have
mercy on my soul. This film,
made by nobodies, and starring
virtual nobodies, should be one
of the top grossing films of
1989, because it is an excellent
flick.
Party on, dudes.
Soap Opera Update
by Julie. Tibolla
Collegian • Staff , 'Writer -
GUIDING LIGHT
Phillip rushed to the
estate to find that Harley and
Alan Michael had already gone
but had left everything behind.
On Fifth Street, Harley
and Alan Michael were trying to
make their new place homey.
Harley broke down after reading a
note from Frank which said,
"Welcome home Harley." Alan
Michael was confused by her
sadness and she explained that
when she left Fifth Street, she
vowed that she'd never return.
Alan Michael held her in his
arms and assured her it was only
temporary.
Back at the estate,
Nadine was covering all her bases
by telling Phillip that he could
count on her for help when it
came to Harley and Alan Michael
(although she told Alan Michael
once before that she'd be keeping
an eye on Phillip).
4Flit--****************Aueetlet-y-*****
CUNCE - 11211 - CONNECIFICN
March 24 -
March 25 -
March 26 -
March 29 -
March 29 -
March 31 -
April 2&3 -
April 5 -
April 6 -
April 20 -
April 30 -
The Collegian Wednesday, March 22
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Harvey Griffin appeared Thursday, March 16th
in the Reed Building's Lecture Ha ll. Griffin has
played at the White House and around the world,
and his repertoire includes everything from Bach
to rock. photo by Ken Anderson
SANTA BARBARA
At the 'realization_ that
she and Scott would never
reunite, Celeste went back to
prostitution as she and a man left
a club. When they got back to
her apartment, she broke down
into tears, and said she couldn't
go through with it and asked the
man to leave.
Meanwhile, Heather and
Scott were in a huge fight over
Celeste. Scott argued that
Celeste brought out the real
person he is and should be.
Heather was offended and told
him he was rationalizing, that
Celeste was his one and only
love and now that Celeste was
back in town, things would never
be the same between them.
At the police station,
Cruz and Victor got a warrant and
went to look for Ramone. Cruz
saw Ramone - heading for the
church, and Ramone grabbed
Laura and held her at gun point.
He yelled to Cruz that if he didn't
call off the S.W.A.T. team, she
was dead. When the back-up
arrived, Cruz informed them there
WWF/Hulk Hogan
Bon Jovi
8.8. King
The Fixx
Lou Reed
Bobby Brown,
Karyn White
Grateful Dead
Elvis Costello
REM
Jay Leno
Morton Downey, Jr.
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LaVert,
were three hostages; - Heather,
Lania, and Father Michael.
Father Michael convinced
Ramone to let the women go and
take him instead. When Heather
and Laura were out safely, Father
Michael saw Cruz standing by an
air vent. He led Ramone to the
air vent where Cruz tackled him.
ANOTHER WORLD
At Brava, Mac
confronted Iris about releasing
Felicia's novel early. He told Iris
to play by his rules or leave the
company. Later, Iris packed her
bags and planned a trip for
Europe.
At the hospital,
everyone panicked when baby
Stephen stopped breathing. The
doctors placed him in I.C.U. and
monitored his every move.
Hoping to find more
evidence in Felicia's case, Cass
and Zach visited the Top. They
said they were antique collectors
and wanted to browse.
Erie Civic Center
Cleveland Colosseum
Metropol
Metropol
Palace Theater
Buff. Memorial Audi
Pgh. Civic Arena
A:J. Palumbo
Cleveland Colosseum
Warner Theater
Pgh. Syria Mosque
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