If I had to sum up 2020 so far in one word, it would be... bogus. Or, maybe we're just stuck in one of the darkest timelines? Either way, we could all use some pure escapism right now, and if anything can take you away from all the awfulness in the world and transport you to some place / space positive—if only for a couple hours—it's a good movie.
I present to you one most-triumphant cinematic experience, featuring Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted "Theodore" Logan—known across the universe and throughout time as Bill and Ted!
[cue Wyld Stallyns air guitar riff]
Bill and Ted Face the Music, the third installment in the most excellent music / comedy / time-travel / adventure film franchise (and comic books, and music too!), debuts today on streaming platforms, in select movie theaters (if you can find one that has reopened), or you could even roll up to see it at the drive-in! The dudes are older, although perhaps not much wiser, but nonetheless are once again being summoned on a quest to save the universe the only way they know how—with the perfect song!
Here are some totally non-heinous rock 'n' roll / music will save your soul flicks with [spoiler alert: happy endings!] you can checkout from our catalog!
Wayne's World (1992)
Starring: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Tia Carerra, Rob Lowe
Synopsis: This would be that other movie featuring two rockin' slackers! Wayne and Garth fight against the odds and lame authority figures to create a hit television show and live out their fantasies of fame and fortune.
Highlights: Hairfarming headbangers singing along to Queen, Garth's drum solo, Alice Cooper's history lesson, and multiple Scooby-Doo endings.
Purple Rain (1984)
Starring: Prince, Apollonia, Morris Day, Olga Karlatos, Clarence Williams III
Synopsis: A young musician, tormented by an abusive family, must contend with a rival singer, a burgeoning romance, and his own dysfunctional bandmates, as his star begins to rise in the real-life biopic filtered through fiction that made Prince a multimedia star.
Highlights: Amazing concert footage, purple motorcycle point-of-view cinematography, and Minneapolis landmarks such as Crystal Court, legendary First Avenue nightclub, and Lake Minnetonka.
School of Rock (2003)
Starring: Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Miranda Cosgrove.
Synopsis: Down on his luck Dewey gets kicked out of his latest band but still needs to rock—and pay his bills. After faking his way into a substitute teaching job and witnessing the musical talents of his fifth-grade students, he enters them and himself in a Battle of the Bands. Life lessons are learned by both Dewey and the kids, with a heartwarmingly epic ending.
Highlights: Jack Black stage diving, music history lessons montage, and guitar-heavy soundtrack with the sounds of AC/DC, Ramones, Iggy and the Stooges, David Bowie, Black Sabbath, and many others.
The Muppet Movie (1979)
Starring: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Sweetums, Rowlf the Dog, Swedish Chef, Bunsen Honeydew, and Beaker
Synopsis: The fabled story of a green frog and his newfound fuzzy felt friends who road trip across America to find success in Hollywood.
Highlights: Puppet slapstick, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, all-Muppet rendition of the "Rainbow Connection", plus cameos from Mel Brooks, Paul Williams, Richard Pryor, Madeline Kahn, Dom Deluise, Steve Martin, Carol Kane, and Elliott Gould, to name just a few!
Blinded by the Light (2019)
Starring: Billy Barratt, Ronak Singh Chadha Berges, Viveik Kalra
Synopsis: A coming-of-age story about a teenager from a Pakistani immigrant family living in late-1980s working-class England who finds his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Highlights: 1980s fashion filtered through Hollywood's nostalgic lense, teenage angst-fueled dance numbers, creative cinematography, and a Boss soundtrack (natch!)
You can find these music movies and many more through our catalog, both in physical and streaming formats!
And remember the following sage advice once given by a certain wise dude...
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