New "Bill & Ted" DVD Set's Fourth Disc Has Odd, Not-So-Special Features

by christopher s. taylor, esq. & christopher "theodore" logan

LOS ANGELES--MGM Home Entertainment has decided to release a four-disc box set commemorating the fourteenth anniversary of the release of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure in February. The set, especially the set's fourth disc, is causing the DVD community to take note for its odd, not-so-special features.

Bill & Ted is "widely regarded as 1989's best time-travel comedy featuring George Carlin", according to MGM spokesman Henry McCarty. "And the sequel [Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey] wasn't too bad either. I'm told by [MGM-employed] philosophers that there were some interesting questions raised by the 'Station' character. And I can verify that Bill & Ted II featured the very best scene featuring Alex Winter playing board games against Death not involving the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is what prompted the natural idea of creating a 'Bill & Ted' set."

The set will contain Excellent Adventure; Bogus Journey; a disc containing bloopers, outtakes, a mini-documentary on the cultural impact of "Bill & Ted", interviews with cast members, and other typical DVD features; and a disc containing a novel series of "reedited short films."

It is the fourth disc that is causing a stir in the DVD critic community.

"Basically what they've done is take the two 'Bill & Ted' films, and certain portions of the two 'Bill & Ted' television programs, and splice them together into four twenty minute short films," says Jack Offerman, of DVDsaremylife.com [Ed.: The "DVDsaremylife.com" site appears to have ceased operations since this article was written. My apologies.]. "The shorts are entirely incoherent, and have obnoxious titles like 'Ted & Bill's Bogus Adventure' and 'Excellent Bill & Ted's Journey'. MGM should be very ashamed of, and likely should fire, whomever handled this project."

The set is scheduled to be released on February 18th, 2003, with a suggested retail price of $39.95.