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Bill & Ted's Excellent Filming Locations Tour
The 1989 film, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure has
always had a special place in my heart. The story of 2 California rocker/slacker
buddies who travel through time to collect famous historical figures for a high
school history class presentation that will determine the future of the world
as we know it, straddles the line between cult classic and cultural phenomenon
in a way few others do. Responsible for countless quotable lines (Excellent!) and
forever cementing Keanu Reeves as a brainless surfer dude in the mind of
moviegoers, this buddy comedy actually produced a superior sequel in 1991 called Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, a forgotten TV series, a video game and even a short-lived Saturday morning cartoon with tie-in action figures and cereal!
While talks of a 3rd Bill & Ted film have
been swirling around for the last decade and a controversial stage show is
presented featuring the characters each Halloween at Universal Studios
Hollywood, nothing can beat the sweetness and fun of the original film. It was
among my most quoted movies in elementary school before Wayne’s World hit in
1992 (Schwing!) and being from Southern California myself, I always felt a special
connection to these dudes from San Dimas. I often dreamed of traveling the time
circuits myself and visiting epic events in history. My love and long
relationship with the film recently inspired an Excellent Adventure of my own
that I can’t wait to share with you.
You see, though I’m originally a California kid, life brought me to the desert of Arizona several years ago and as it turns out,
I live and work in the areas where a majority of Bill & Ted’s Excellent
Adventure was filmed in 1988! So on a recent Saturday with my 2 year old son
playing Bill S. Preston, Esquire to my Ted “Theodore” Logan (I always wanted to
be Ted), we hopped in our vehicle and traveled Arizona’s freeways to see what
time has done to the “most excellent” filming locations. It was fun to
walk in the footsteps of the Wyld Stallyns and now you can too, dudes!
When mapping out the plans for this adventure, I knew my first stop would be the Circle K where Bill & Ted first meet their mentor, Rufus as played by George Carlin and step into the time travelling phone booth to begin their wild ride. In Orange County where I grew up, there are no Circle K stores to be found, 7-11 definitely has the monopoly in that area. It wasn’t until I moved to Arizona that I began seeing them every 3 or 4 blocks, especially in the more “economically challenged” neighborhoods. Often while at a stop light I would see “pharmaceutical transactions” taking place in the parking lot of this urban establishment, which definitely brought to mind the line, “Strange things are afoot at the Circle K”. But when I arrived on the hallowed ground once tread by Reeves, Winter and Carlin I was the only strange one.
Yeah, I got some curious looks from the local clientele while snapping pictures with my phone, but it was totally worth it. Though this shot was taken in the daytime, it’s plain to see that this is the same structure featured in the film. What’s cooler is that most every detail is still in place as it was when Bill and Ted asked that question for the ages, “Excuse me, do you know when the Mongols ruled China?” From the payphones, to the ice machine, to the trash can, they basically just slapped a 21st century coat of paint on this Circle K that’s been located at 1010 W Southern Ave in Tempe, AZ since the mid 80’s. I did inspect the section of the parking lot where the phone booth landed, but unfortunately there was no remnant of scorched asphalt. I'm half-inspired to take up a collection to get a commemorative plaque placed on the spot for the sake of posterity, but I have a feeling I would be the only one coming to visit it. Next up was the Bowling alley where an infamous French leader got into some trouble.
You might recall that the first historic figure nabbed by
Bill & Ted was that “short dead dude” Napoleon Bonaparte, who was left in
the care of Ted’s younger brother, Deacon. After some “strategic scorekeeping”
and embarrassing attempt at knocking down some pins, Napoleon gets into an
altercation with the manager of the lanes and is thrown out. Luckily, I didn’t
run into the same issue as I began snapping photos of the newly renovated AMF Tempe
Village Lanes 4407 S. Rural Road, Tempe, AZ. You can see they have
changed the generic “Bowl” sign into a giant wall mural that matches the new
red and white color scheme, but the basic structure is still very recognizable.
Inside they have really upgraded their décor. The place is in perpetual Rock N’ Bowl mode. Gone are the wood grain and earth tones,
replaced with mood-lighting, red leather furniture and projector screens that
play retro music videos. Arriving at Noon on a Saturday we got Rick-Rolled as
we walked in. Seeing Rick Astly strutting his stuff to “Never Gonna Give You
Up”, definitely put me in the head space of 80’s pop culture.
They’ve even upgraded their snack counter and turned it into a mini-sports bar and lounge. I got a chance to talk to the manager on duty who was aware of the lanes’ claim to fame. He said that before the re-model they used to have a Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure movie poster hanging in the bar that was signed by the cast. One lucky manager got to go home with that unique piece of movie memorabilia when he retired a few years earlier, sweet deal! As you’ll remember, after Napoleon was ejected from the “10-Pin Palace”, he ended up at the most famous San Dimas waterpark, the aptly named “Waterloo”, so that was our next stop.
What’s interesting is that San Dimas is home to the famous land of waterslides, Raging Waters, but since filming was already taking place in Arizona it was more cost effective to move the cameras down the road to the Golfland-Sunsplash water park in Mesa, AZ. We caught them during the off season (yes, it gets cold in the desert), but that didn’t dampen the sunny spirit of our expedition. Here you can see 2 of the waterslides that Napoleon slid giddily down in disturbingly see-through undergarments during his day of fun in the sun. The pure joy he exudes as he races up and down the steps is so fun to watch. My favorite moment of the Waterloo montage is when Napoleon has a deep philosophical discussion with a 7 year old girl about the transcendent experience of zooming down the water slide, all in French. He is just so earnest about how important it all is to him.
As I said, the slides were closed this day, so I couldn’t
give you an actual re-creation of the view Napoleon gets before his
descent into the watery pool below, but believe me I’m just crazy enough to do
it for the sake of an article that only me and...OK, I know I’m the only one
reading this thing. Despite the change in color scheme, that is clearly the
same castle the tiny dictator glimpsed in that thrilling moment of
water-based fun.
Finally because I am completely obsessive, here is a look at
the pool area you can see when Bill & Ted come to wrap Napoleon in a towel
and drag him away to San Dimas High for the big History class presentation. It
was crazy to think that Keanu Reeves spent 5 minutes waiting in that spot by the
pool to dry-off a soggy Frenchman, but even movie stars have to pay their dues,
I guess. Getting back to the history report, let’s take a look at the school
that doubled for Bill & Ted’s alma mater.
This is the only location I wasn’t able to visit personally.
Not for lack of trying, I just missed the exit and by this point my partner in
crime was getting the munchies, so these photos will have to suffice. You can
see that the campus of Coronado High School in Scottsdale, AZ has been heavily
renovated since it was filmed, but the mural on the Performing Arts Building
remains as a testament to what once was. I did get a chance to talk to my
co-worker who attended Coronado several years back and he said that the
school’s notoriety was passed on through the generations of students. He
remembered renting the movie with his friends during his school days and
getting all excited when they saw their daily paths immortalized on the screen.
It would be pretty sweet to say you went to the same school as Wyld Stallyns,
but what about seeing their rehearsal space?
This was the point at which I was feeling a little
“stalkerish”, driving by and shooting photos of people’s homes. But come on,
the Tours To Stars Homes thing is big business in Hollywood and I wasn’t even
charging anything (Paypal donations can be made to HojuKoolander@...just kidding.) But there
it is, the garage from the opening of the film where while lamenting the lack
of Eddie Van Halen on lead guitar, the dudes fry their equipment with poor
musicianship…if that’s possible…which it isn’t. The garage is really the only
exterior part of Bill’s house that you see in the film, it looks like they got
rid of the second mini garage door, but otherwise that is the place where the
music that united a galaxy was created. You may commence your slow-mo power
chord strumming motion now.
More prominently featured during the movie is Ted’s house, where
repeated threats from his Dad of being shipped off to General Oates’ Military
Academy in Alaska echoed through its hallowed halls. Though it looks like the
new owners added some arched roofing to the entryway, they left the
unmistakable lattice work on the window and extended patio area which made it
so distinct. Oh and though the address for these homes is available online at
this awesome website, I decided to remove myself from any liability in the off
chance that a whacked-out “Royal Ugly Dude” shows up for revenge against the
bandits who stole the hearts of the Princesses.
We’re down to the last location on this epic journey through
time and traffic. That's right, it’s the San Dimas Mall where the true mayhem took place when
the icons of the past were let loose on the modern day gathering place of all
humanity! Actually filmed at the Metrocenter Mall in Glendale, AZ this place is
pretty rundown. Most of the shops spaces are empty, but as the security guard
who asked me why I was taking pictures informed me, they are
looking to bring consumers back by putting a Wal-Mart into the 2 story
department store space that used to be Robinson’s–May. Yeah, classy.
To my knowledge most aerobics classes in the 80s were confined to
health clubs and fitness centers, but maybe spandex manufacturers knew the
material was on the way out once flannel hit in the early 90’s and thought mixing it with workout equipment demonstrations would be a great way to get one last push for the stuff. Anyway, the aerobics
set was pretty dressed up, but the giveaway is the area behind the instructor
where you can see a glass and steel structure. While watching the film you can
actually see that it’s an elevator going up and down. Plus if you look just
past “The New Nautilus” sign you can observe the now empty space that used to house
Waldenbooks.
I love the fact that this
corner which once housed a fancy Dolcis ladies shoe boutique is now the site of
a Sprint. Truly a sign of the times and how things have changed since the movie
was made. We switch out our cell phones like they’re a pair of shoes these days,
whereas as businessmen looking to get Gordon Gecko cool were paying thousands for that kind of mobility in the late 80’s. May I also draw
your attention to the mohawk on that gal walking through, she’s definitely
keeping the flame of the 80’s punk scene alive.
You might recall the scene where Billy the Kid and So-Crates
try to unsuccessfully to hit on some Valley Girls while Sigmund Freud or
“Siggy” as he likes to be called, bought a corn dog at Hot Dog On A Stick
stand-in, “Hot Dog On A Bat”. Well up until 2 years ago this was still a Hot
Dog On A Stick where I personally bought a snack once or twice. But the funniest
thing to me is the tag line of the current Gelato vendor. It’s almost as if they
thought they could trick loyal customers who arrived on auto-pilot asking, “Can
I have 1 hot dog on a stick?” to which they would reply, “No, but I can offer
you heaven on a spoon.” It rolls off the tongue almost identically, very clever.
My buddy, “Little Bill” doesn’t see the humor, but he’ll learn.
Do you see what I see? That’s right, the New Jade Chinese Food
restaurant is still there! Sure, they ditched the neon and re-branded to Jade: The Taste of China, but the fact that this food court staple has hung in there for
25 years fills me with ridiculous glee. Who's to say Abraham Lincoln didn’t try
his first egg roll on that very spot or perhaps Ghengis Khan beheaded the cook
in a fit of rage for not making chow-mein like his grandma did. They have
earned my business for years to come, just so I can sit at that table and shout
“Party on, Dudes!” like Honest Abe.
Sojourns like this are a guilty pleasure of mine, but I
know that discovering the architectural changes of fictional cinematic world’s
isn’t for everyone. So if you made it to the end of this thing I applaud you.
I’m just excited that now I can watch the movie with my son when he’s old
enough not to repeat the line, “You medieval d*&%-weeds!” in front his
Kindergarten teacher and tell him that he personally visited all those famous
locales, while following in the footsteps of Bill & Ted.
So tell me, have they filmed any famous films or TV shows in
your neck of the woods? I’m hoping it wasn’t for an episode of COPS, but hey,
killer theme song, man.
EDP2000 Posted on Aug 21, 2018 at 10:17 PM
Maybe I need to visit San Dimas sometime soon.
Frankayy81 Posted on Sep 10, 2015 at 02:32 PM
DIRT BIKE KID! I grew up in Oak Cliff (suburb in Dallas) where the movie was filmed. The hot dog stand looks about the same...but is now a Mexican-style chicken joint.
Hoju Koolander Posted on Jan 09, 2015 at 11:07 PM
It was was also posted to the Twitter and Facebook accounts of Bill and Ted's Excellent Online Adventure by their most excellent websmaster, Linda. They are THE source for all things Bill and Ted. Check 'em out here http://www.billandted.org/
Vaporman87 Posted on Jan 09, 2015 at 09:36 PM
It's not the world, but I brought it to our Facebook page's attention. LOL
vkimo Posted on Jan 09, 2015 at 01:34 PM
This article needs to be brought to the world's attention!
Vaporman87 Posted on Jan 08, 2015 at 05:46 PM
Not a cold shoulder for Lincoln. It was just that I had already heard enough about him in school. I didn't need any more information on the man.
That being said, I daily sport a stove pipe hat.
Hoju Koolander Posted on Jan 08, 2015 at 04:12 PM
@Vaporman87 Why did you give Lincoln the cold shoulder during your history boom? You got something against stove pipe hats?
@echidna64 Glad you dig it.
Small correction: Excellent Adventure was actually filmed in 1987, not '88 like I stated.
echidna64 Posted on Jan 08, 2015 at 02:28 AM
I adore this article.
It is amazing how many places are still "the same" i.e. the Chinese place
Vaporman87 Posted on Jan 07, 2015 at 04:57 PM
EXCELLENT!!!
Darn you Hoju, you have tread on hallowed "retro" ground and I'm extremely jealous. I would have done the exact same road trip with the whole family, given the chance. That is just awesome.
Bill and Ted made history just a little bit cooler than it once was for the remaining 3 years of my high school life, following the release of the movie. Suddenly I found myself looking up history on all these characters (excluding Abraham Lincoln), because I had never paid much attention prior to that (you only memorize stuff for tests, then it fades into obscurity like every other piece of knowledge you'll never need).
My friend is an avid Con attendee, and he had the opportunity to meet and chat with Alex Winter (whom he said looked the same today as in '89). He had mentioned that a new film was in the works and that Keanu was on board with it, but who knows if that will ever surface.
As for places nearby caught on film, there isn't much to speak of here in no man's land. Even so, it's not completely devoid of filming locations. Here in Rutland, our streets and buildings have been caught by the camera for documentaries and specials pertaining to the infamous Skatopia skate park. Not something we're proud of.
But just a few miles away, in Point Pleasant, WV, many television shows and documentaries have been made regarding The Mothman. Most famously referred to in the Richard Gere movie, The Mothman Prophecies (though no filming for that movie was done in the actual town it happened in... seriously, why do they do that?)
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