The appeal of Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) in Stephen Herek‘s 1989 sci-fi hit “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” is their persistent ability to remain upbeat and relaxed. The characters may be a pair of none-too-bright wastoids from San Dimas, California, more interested in playing in their crappy metal band than, y’know, reading books, but they seem completely comfortable with themselves, confident with their surfers’ patois and thimble-deep perception of the world. The characters only come to appreciate world history when they’re given a time machine and meet famous historical figures — Joan of Arc, Sigmund Freud, Genghis Khan, et al — in person. Through films like “Bill & Ted,” mass audiences learned that metal fans weren’t Satan-worshiping bullies, but affable, silly, generally nice dudes.
Bill & Ted spoke like L.A. surfers, but weren’t part of the beach scene. As such, their costuming needed to denote their characters specifically,…
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