The Company of Wolves (1984) * * *

THE COMPANY OF WOLVES is a Freudian film version of Charles Perrault's "Little Red Riding Hood" set in modern times. It takes place in the frightening dreams of pubescent girl Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson). She dreams that she lives in a fairytale forest with her parents (Tusse Silberg and David Warner) and sister Alice (Georgia Slowe), but one day her sister is killed by wolves. While her parents are mourning, Rosaleen goes to live with her grandmother (Angela Lansbury), who knits a bright red shawl for her to wear. Granny warns her to never trust a man whose eyebrows meet in the middle and to be wary, not of the wolves that haunt the forest, but of the men who are hairy on the inside.

Granny: Never stray from the path, never eat a windfall apple and never trust a man whose eyebrows meet in the middle. Oh, they're nice as pie until they've had their way with you. But once the bloom is gone... oh, the beast comes out. Your only sister, all alone in the woods, and nobody there to save her. Poor little lamb.
Rosaleen: Why couldn't she save herself?

Mother: You pay too much attention to your granny. She knows a lot but she doesn't know everything. And if there's a beast in men, it meets its match in women, too.

Rosaleen returns to the village where her parents live, but finds that she must deal with the advances of an amorous boy (Shane Johnstone). Rosaleen and the boy take a walk through the forest, but the boy discovers that the village's cattle have come under attack from a wolf. The villagers set out to hunt the wolf, but once caught and killed, the wolf's corpse transforms into that of a human being.

Later Rosaleen takes a basket of goods through the woods to her grandmother's cottage, but on her way she encounters an attractive huntsman (Micha Bergese) whose eyebrows meet in the middle. He challenges her, saying that he can find his way to her grandmother's house before she can, and the pair set off. The hunter arrives at Rosaleen's grandmother's house first, where he reveals his bestial nature and eats her. Rosaleen arrives later and discovers the carnage, but her need to avenge her grandmother is complicated by her desire for the hunter. Ultimately the villagers arrive at the house, looking for a werewolf within, only to discover a transformed Rosaleen.

Granny: Get ye back to Hell from whence ye came!
Huntsman: I don't come from Hell, I come from the forest.
Granny: What have you done with my Grand-daughter?
Huntsman: Nothing she didn't want!

Rosaleen: (a lock of hair singes in the fireplace) Is that all you left of her? Your kind can't stomach hair, can you? Even if the worst wolves are hairy on the inside.
Huntsman: Are you very much afraid?
Rosaleen: It wouldn't do me much good to be afraid, would it? What big eyes you have.
Huntsman: All the better to see you with.
Rosaleen: They say seeing is believing, but I'd never swear to it. They say the Prince of Darkness is a gentleman. And as it turns out, they're right. A fine gentleman. Poor creatures. It's freezing cold out there. No wonder they howl so. I'm sorry. I never knew a wolf could cry.

Back in the present day, Rosaleen wakes with a scream. Countless wolves descend on her home, but most are actually large dogs--they don't have manes. The film ends in slow motion with a wolf smashing through Rosaleen's bedroom window: a very obvious phallic symbol. This wolf doesn't only smash the window, it also shatters the toys that are in its way.

Charles Perrault's moral from "Le Petit Chaperon Rouge" (1697) is then read over the beginning of the credits. The moral warns girls to beware of charming strangers.

Throughout the course of this gothic fantasy-horror film, a number of stories are interspersed into the main narrative as tales are told by several of the characters. Granny tells Rosaleen about a young groom (Stephen Rea) who is about to bed his new bride (Kathryn Pogson) when a call of nature summons him outside. He completely disappears and his bride is terrified to see wolves howling. A search the following day yields only a wolf paw print. Years later, she remarries and has children, only to have her original husband finally return. Angered at her having had children with a new husband, the groom transforms into werewolf form, but is slain when the new husband (Jim Carter) returns. Granny's second tale to Rosaleen is about a young man walking through the enchanted forest when he encounters the Devil (Terence Stamp), arriving in a chauffeured Rolls-Royce, who offers the boy a transformation potion, which ultimately monstrously transforms him against his will.

Rosaleen tells her mother about a woman (Dawn Archibald) who was "done a terrible wrong" by a rich young nobleman (Richard Morant) who turns up at his wedding party. She magically transforms the groom, the bride and the guests into wolves. They escape into the forest, but the sorceress commands the wolves to serenade her and her child each night. Rosaleen also tells the huntsman/wolf about a she-wolf who arrives at a village. Despite meaning no harm, she is shot by a villager. She reveals herself in her human form (Danielle Dax) to an old priest (Graham Crowden), who bandages her wound. Ultimately she returns to hell through the village well.

Old Priest: (to wolf-girl) Are you God's work, or the Devil's? Oh, what do I care whose work you are? You poor, silent creature. (he binds her wound) It will heal. In time.

THE COMPANY OF WOLVES takes you into the disturbing world of a young girl's imagination where wolves run wild and witches cast spells. The ethereal setting develops into a Freudian nightmare, explaining adolescence through a twisted reenactment of "Little Red Riding Hood." Definitely one of the strangest movies made--a strangeness that alienates itself from high ratings but guarantees it a top place as a cult classic. It successfully combines the complexity of written literature with the visual symbolism of film. But the depth of abstract ideas it delivers come at the cost of fluent comprehension. Many of the ideas in the film require the complete understanding of the smallest detail. This movie requires viewers to actively connect ideas from each scene and is not suitable for those only prepared to watch a superficial horror flick.

Essentially a coming-of-age story, the movie came from a compilation of several short stories from Angela Carter, a short story writer who writes about women and adulthood. Carter is known for her attempts to deconstruct fairy tales in terms of adult meaning and to bring out an underlying Freudian subtext. Neil Jordan, the director of the movie, is a less known writer of horror novels, but a very well known director. Both took an active part in the adapting and expanding the story for the movie. The film is mostly based on Angela Carter's "The Company of Wolves" and "Wolf-Alice" from her book "The Bloody Chamber".

There is no linear story, rather the film is a series of vignettes and dreams within dreams, all of which point to old wives tales and folk superstitions. The film is a dark retelling of the classic fairytale "Little Red Riding Hood", making explicit its sexual and Freudian subtext. Perrault's original morality fable warns children not to trust strangers or stray from the path. However, Rosaleen doesn't simply fear being devoured by a wolf: she fears being sexually devoured. It is this fear and fascination with sexuality that is the heart of the film, a theme emphasized by the recurrent apple and the snake in Eden motif symbolizing sexual temptation, seduction, and loss of innocence. Despite her blossoming sexual awareness, Rosaleen fears marriage and adult responsibilities. Granny's warnings do nothing to dispel these fears, and she kisses a handsome man-wolf, choosing to become a wolf rather than his victim. She escapes the dreary conventional life that would have faced her, and instead finds personal and sexual freedom. The film uses the changing body of the werewolf as a metaphor for the horrors of puberty, menstruation, and sexual maturity. It's symbolism suggests that while adulthood and sexuality can be threatening, it can also be a desirable and necessary transition.

The cast also includes: Brian Glover (Amorous Boy's father), Susan Porrett (Amorous Boy's mother), Dawn Archibald (Witch Woman), Vincent McClaren (Devil Boy), Ruby Buchanan (Dowager), Jimmy Gardner (Ancient), Roy Evans (Eyepatch), Edward Marsen (Lame Fiddler), Jim Brown (Blind Fiddler), and Jim Carter (Second Husband). George Fenton composed the original music. Neil Jordan wrote the screenplay from Angela Carter's story. Neil Jordan directed.

The choice of music and sound becomes part of what the movie conveys. Classical and Irish music goes well with THE COMPANY OF WOLVES, creating the eerie ethereal atmosphere for the movie. In the wedding scene there is a good mix of classical and carnival music, re-enforcing the paradox amid the chaos of the ensuing horror brewing in the pack of wolves.

Music Track listing

1. "The Message And Main Theme"
2. "Rosaleen's First Dream"
3. "The Story Of The Bride And Groom: The Village Wedding/The Return Of The Groom"
4. "The Forest And The Huntsman's Theme"
5. "The Wedding Party"
6. "The Boy And The Devil"
7. "One Sunday Afternoon"
8. "All The Better To Eat You With: Arriving At Granny's Cottage/The Promise And Transformation"
9. "The Wolfgirl"
10. "Liberation"

Good acting in the movie definitely adds to the power of the story. Sarah Patterson and Angela Lansbury do an excellent job. The entire cast is impressive, even the priest in the trees. Special effects used in the movie are a little outdated by today's digital-age standards. However, the incredible setting, scenery shots, and props successfully maintain the enchanting atmosphere required by the story. Almost everything in the movie is deliberate. Grandma's head is supposed to shatter, because it was intended to be symbolic.

It's difficult to make sense of THE COMPANY OF WOLVES, but it is frequently quite funny, and often meant to be. The special-effects people come up with a couple of comparatively conventional, horror-film decapitations and several unconventional ways in which men can turn into wolves on camera. This Red Riding Hood, sharing a single-room cabin with her mother and father, witnesses what in analysis is usually called ''the primal scene.'' The next morning she asks her mother if her father had hurt her. Mother answers, ''If there's a beast in men, it meets its match in women, too.''

The wolves are also a key to understanding this superficially puzzling film. It is very important that not all of the wolves in the film are male. The beast in women that Rosaleen's mother assures her daughter of is a feminist rebuke of the young woman as hapless victim--as sexual prey for a predatory male. These assurances also become fantastical reality later in the film. After Rosaleen's huntsman is reduced to a rather tame and whimpering wolf, she pets him and tells him the tale of a she-wolf before becoming one herself. Rosaleen's transformation seems both voluntary and freeing. It offers us a definitive reversal of the victim role in which Red Riding Hood and those interchangeable female horror film characters are typically cast. Although it is a lurid horror film, THE COMPANY OF WOLVES does not simply play on or reinforce the sexual anxieties of its audience. Instead, it presents both sides of sexuality, both threatening and desirable, as well as a level playing field for both genders.

Filming took place at Shepperton studios in England, with a cast primarily made up of British actors. THE COMPANY OF WOLVES found an appreciative audience among audiences and critics in the UK, but its US release was a disaster. Cannon bought the distribition rights and tried to market it as a gory horror film. There are some gruesome moments, but this movie would never satisfy an audience looking for cheap thrills. Financially, the film only broke even on its opening weekend in the U.S., having been made for approximately $2 million and taking $2,234,776 in 995 theaters. However, in total, the film took over $4 million in the U.S.

Critics generally responded positively to the film's aesthetics. Feminist critic Maggie Anwell decried the film for its over-emphasis on bloody werewolf special effects, but Charlotte Crofts argued that the film is a sensitive adaptation of Carter's reworking of Charles Perrault's "Little Red Riding Hood" fairytale. The film won one award for best film and best special effects and was nominated for four BAFTAs for costume design, make up, production design/art direction and special visual effects.

In the DVD commentary, Neil Jordan notes the difficulty of having to create the look of the film on a limited budget, having to create a fairytale forest out of "twelve trees." He nevertheless succeeded in creating a sunless, mystical, wondrous and claustrophobic setting saturated with fantastic elements and symbols. The script required a great number of wolves to appear. However, due to budgetary constraints and other factors such as cast safety, most of the "wolves" shown in the film are Belgian Shepherd Dogs, mainly Terveurens and Groenendals, whose fur was specially dyed. In the DVD commentary for the film, Jordan notes the bravery of young star Sarah Patterson when acting among the genuine wolves. Using particular light angles, the eyes of both real and "shepherd" wolves are made to glow dramatically in the film.

The Call of the Wild (1972) * * ¾

(first lines: narration)
The Indians in this frozen land tell of a ghost dog which runs at the head of a wolf pack. They are afraid. For it has more strength than any wolf, more cunning than any dog. No one knows from whence he came or why he stays. (Chapter 7: "The Sounding of the Call" from the book "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London.)

The movie begins with a winter scene of a pack of wolves including a German Shepherd dog surveying and then preying upon a large herd of caribou. It then cuts to the summer of 1897 in Santa Clara, California where Buck, a loyal spirited German Shepherd has it made as the family pet. That is until it is discovered that he is worth his weight in gold, or at least $75. He is sold to a broker who takes him to the Klondike where only dogs can do the work usually done by horses. There Buck goes through many lives, trials, and tribulations, and finally realizes his potential. On the way he learns many concepts such as surprise, deceit, cunning, loyalty, devotion, and love. As he is growing he feels "the call of the wild".

During the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush, Buck is sold as a sled dog to rugged and fearless John Thorton (Charlton Heston), a kindly prospector out to make it rich in the snow-covered Yukon. Thorton is a twenty year veteran of Alaska and its harsh living and traveling conditions. He saw opportunity in the gold rush but it wasn't the gold. His plan was making his money by selling supplies to the onslaught of would be miners. John and his partner Pete (Raimund Harmstorf) landed their first job delivering mail for the U.S. government to isolated gold towns. All they needed for this job was knowledge and a good dog sled team. They had the knowledge and purchased the dogs.

Pete: I've never seen so many people.
John Thornton: And more are coming all the time. I tell ya, Pete, if this is the promised land, I'll take the open trail.

One of the dogs Thorton buys is Buck. They are both lucky to have each other. Unaccustomed to the freezing temperatures and snow through which he must pull Thorton's sled, Buck finds his new life quite difficult. However, Thorton does whatever he can to help Buck make the transition. As a result, a bond and unique friendship is formed between man and dog, and together they are able to endure the frigid weather and hardship of the wilderness, the savage lawlessness of the men who call it home, and survive life in the treacherous frozen North. Buck is a very intelligent German Shepard and learns to lead the team in no time. He is in good hands with Thornton who knows how to treat his dogs and actually cares for them. A lot of the greenhorn gold seekers treat their dogs badly and end up getting themselves killed along with their dogs.

Thorton and his team make their tough journey to Skagway and deliver the mail. Buck leads the dog team in covering the treacherous 600 mile journey from Skaguay to Dawson as the lead sled-dog in record time when no other dog team and it's owners would dare to try it. While the dogs are in a kennel for some much needed rest, some unscrupulous characters who couldn’t buy the dogs from Thornton steal the tired dogs. So with no rest at all the dogs are back out in the Alaskan countryside with a couple of thieves intent on making some big money. There are no other dogs in the town, so there is no way for Pete and Thornton to go after their dogs--they are gone. Buck is very smart and his captors die. One falls into a frozen river, and the other is frozen solid to the sled. The dogs take the sled to a small town where they are "claimed" and sold at an auction.

John Thornton: You hit that dog one more time, I'm gonna kill ya.
Hal: Go to hell! He's mine and I'll do what I like with him.
John Thornton: I shot four varmints already this morning. One more don't matter none to me.

Buck is stolen a number of times from Thorton, and once is almost shot and killed by the local bootlegger, but Buck always manages to escape and return home to John and Pete. Later Buck begins to yearn for a home in the wild. In the woods he develops a strong friendship with the local Timber Wolves. Torn between his two kind and caring human masters and his wolf family, Buck can't quite bring himself to break away from civilization to live in the wild. But one night a band of Indians attack the cabin where Thorton and Pete are staying and kill both of them. Buck and his wolf pack try to come to their rescue but are too late to save them.

With the two humans whom Buck loved now gone, he can now return to his distant descendants, the wild wolves in the dark and cold woods of the Klondike. In the end, Buck answers to something that was ingrained in his consciousness from the thousands of generations of canines that he evolved from: The Call of the Wild.

Academy Award winner Charlton Heston heads an international cast as John Thornton in this adaptation of the classic adventure novella by Jack London, famed author of "The Sea Wolf" and "White Fang". Like most movies based on great books, it falls a bit short. The directing was good, and the film has a good pace to it with a decent mixture of Alaskan scenery, action, romance, dreams, dogs and bad guys. And the story doesn't opt for the Hollywood "happy ending", it is a much more realistic.

The film was actually shot in Finland, but it looks like Alaska, with spectacular scenery. Acting is top notch. Heston gives us his usual with a great performance. Also very good are Raimund Harmstorf as his partner Pete, and Michèle Mercier as Calliope Laurent. The best acting of all may come from the dog Buck, especially when he interacts with the wolves . He does a remarkable job and makes his role a real character and not just an animal doing tricks. The sets are also noteworthy, with the era, clothing, gear and sets believably authentic and very well done. It's very reminiscent of the WHITE FANG (1991) sets, but they look even more authentic. The cinematography is very good with many outdoor shots of the pristine frozen wilderness. However, the lush music score doesn't always fit the film--it's a bit over dramatic and unsuitable at times. Near the beginning there is some choir music more appropriate for a horror film.

The cast also includes: George Eastman (Black Burton), Maria Rohm (Mercedes), Juan Luis Galiardo (Seze), Sancho Gracia (Taglish Charlie), Friedhelm Lehmann (Charles), Horst Heuck (Hal), Rik Battaglia (Dutch Harry), Alf Malland (Constantine), Alfredo Mayo (Judge Miller), Sverre Wilberg (Colonel), Olov Pedersen (Red Sweater), Per Amvik (François), Torbjørn Halvorsen (Perrault), Hans Stormoen (Master of Ceremonies), Kåre Siem (Piano Player), Dan Rosse (Old Miner), Roy Bjørnstad (Storeman), Ola B. Johannessen (Con Man), Per Tofte (Runner), Antonio Mayans (Jack), Jennifer Roberts (Mollie), Jody Hanson (Alice), Luis Barboo, Charly Bravo, and Buck the dog (Buck). Carlo Rustichelli composed the original music. Peter Yeldham, Win Wells, Harry Alan Towers, and Tíbor Reves wrote the screenplay based on Jack London's book. Hubert Frank wrote the German screenplay. Federico De Urrutia wrote the Italian screenplay. Ken Annakin directed.

This wonderfully naturalistic movie is not for the weak at heart. The story line was taken from Jack London's adventures of his own life experiences. It's moving and not supposed to be easy on the emotions. This film holds nothing back. All the highlights of the original story are portrayed and Charlton Heston has the main character John Thornton down to a tee. And unlike some Disney versions we see Buck's tribute and love for John. It's an adventure movie that parents and kids can enjoy together. However, the love story between Thorton and Buck is beautifully captured but some should be warned that there are a lot of scenes of animal abuse, which will certainly bother some.

The film is a European co-production with actors of several nations: German Raimund Harmstorf, French Michele Mercier, English Maria Rohm, Spanish Juan Luis Galiardo, and Italian George Eastaman. Charlton Heston said this is his worst film, but it is entertaining and watchable although it has a familiar story. This is definitely a European-style film from the 1970s. Everything about it speaks loudly about the European influence: the cast, the music, the cinematography, and the editing. Heston isn't miscast here like some say, he's just very different from what might be expected, but does an admirable job. Some of his best film work was during this time, not the studio blockbusters he was known for prior to this.

THE CALL OF THE WILD has been adapted to film a number of times. In 1908 D.W. Griffith produced an American short film. A 1923 version directed by Hal Roach starred Jack Mulhall. In 1935, William Wellman directed Clark Gable and Loretta Young in a Hollywood-style romance about a young widow and a Yukon prospector. A popular success, this version of the film took various liberties with London's plot. In 1976 James Dickey wrote the script for a made for TV movie starring John Beck as John Thornton. In 1997 THE CALL OF THE WILD: DOG OF THE YUKON was made in Canada for TV, narrated by Richard Dreyfuss and starring Rutger Hauer. CALL OF THE WILD is also a 2000 TV series on Animal Planet. In 2007 a documentary THE CALL OF THE WILD was produced about the American wanderer Christopher McCandless.

In Jack London's book, Buck's father was a Saint Bernard and his mother was a German Shepherd. The German Shepherd or Alsatian breed was created in 1889 by Captain Max von Stephanitz. He used a breeding "formula" which included 25 to 35 % wolf. All dogs trace their ancestry back 10,000 years to Old World wolves, but the German Shepherd is one third "recent wolf".

White Fang (1991) * * *

A fluffy white rabbit is seen at the beginning of WHITE FANG, attacked and devoured by a wolf pack almost before the opening credits are over. It's a scenic and enveloping nature film about a young man and his pet wolf. The movie is adapted from Jack London's classic 1906 novel "White Fang", a tale of a wolf and his encounters with civilized man. "White Fang" is basically a sequel to "Call of the Wild", Jack London's 1903 story of a dog who becomes wild and leads a wolf pack, whereas "White Fang" is the story of a wolf who eventually lives a dog’s life with a loving master. Most of the encounters are between animals and are presented from the wolf's point of view.

This movie has almost nothing to do with London's novel. The screenwriters invented a seasoned gold miner named Alex Larson (Klaus Maria Brandauer) and a city kid named Jack Conroy (Ethan Hawke), who comes to Alaska to pick up his father's prospecting claim, to fulfill his father's dying wish to find gold in the Yukon Valley. It's a familiar story: boy meets wolf, boy loses wolf and so on. When Jack first arrives in the Klondike, he catches sight of a "golden staircase", an endless line of miners climbing a snowy trail high up a mountain peak. The film includes many other Alaska images as strikingly beautiful as this.

Jack finds his father's old partners: the moody foreigner Alex Larson and the amiable but wild Skunker (Seymour Cassel). Ringleader Alex reluctantly agrees to let Jack accompany them as they travel to bury their partner Dutch. Before this man can be buried, the expedition becomes imperiled by a couple of gruesome but rivetingly staged mishaps. Skunker and Alex may not be the easiest two men to get along with, but they're all the company Jack has in braving the treacherous Yukon Territory. Alex guides Jack to his father's claim. On the quest, the men must endure grueling weather, thin ice, and a hungry pack of wolves. This last obstacle provides the film's second central orphan, a wolf who comes to be adopted by Han Indians and named Mia Tuk, which translates as "White Fang."

Jack Conroy: Is there any good reason why we can't just bury him here? I don't think he'll know the difference.
Alex Larson: I gave him my word.
(They have just finished burying Dutch)
Alex Larson: Let's move out.
Jack Conroy: Aren't you going to say anything?
Alex Larson: You know what?
Jack Conroy: What?
Alex Larson: I never really liked the bastard.

(About Jack Conroy)
Skunker: What's he doing?
Alex Larson: Cleaning his teeth.
Skunker: How'd they get dirty?

Jack Conroy: What's his name?
Grey Beaver: Mia Tuk.
Jack Conroy: What's that mean?
Grey Beaver: White Fang.

As the film progresses, each of its two narrative threads moves from the peril-laced wilderness to the seemingly safer confines of domesticity. For Jack, this means digging for gold and teaching Alex to read on the side. For White Fang (Jed), his relocation to a nearby harbor town brings a far worse fate. His new owners transform him into a savage warrior in illegal to-the-death dogfights that allow them to prosper.

Because the film's story has been stitched together out of separate episodes, it is held together chiefly by White Fang himself. He is a hybrid wolf, ¾ wolf and ¼ dog. First glimpsed as a puppy, he is later found in an Indian settlement working for Grey Beaver (Pius Savage), who views him as a resource rather than a pet. When Jack finds White Fang living under these circumstances, he is saddened but helpless to rescue the animal. Only when White Fang is sold to the evil Beauty Smith (James Remar), who trains him as a fighter, does Jack have an opportunity to retrieve and rehabilitate his animal friend. Beauty and his lackeys train White Fang to hate so he can win vicious dogfights and earn money for his opportunistic owners. White Fang is put in an illegal dog fighting pen where he becomes a professional, experienced and cruel killer.

Jack rescues the wolf, which he names White Fang, a kindred spirit who changes his life forever. They have adventures and make a few enemies on their way to finding the gold mine. From the taming of a wolf, to the taming of the wild, Jack must find the courage to conquer his fears and become a man in this spectacular outdoor adventure. When a group of criminals tries to steal Jack's gold, White Fang is the only one who can help him to fight them off.

Jack and White Fang must endure some trying times, and one of these--a close encounter with a big brown bear--involves both, as the wild dog stands up to the much larger, more imposing foe and saves the terrified Jack's life. The incident reinforces Jack's admiration for the fierce wolf. While the two part ways--Jack with Alex to reach his father's isolated cabin, White Fang to remain an unappreciated worker for the Han--it's inevitable that their paths will cross again. The movie does forecast its moments of danger and suspense a bit more than needed, but this is probably the only way of catering to its family film classification.

The film's picturesque episodes include scenes of the young White Fang exploring an ice cave, glimpses of the young wolf fishing and a wolf versus bear fight featuring the animal actors Jed and Bart, both of which perform well. Humans are upstaged by both the animals and the stunning Alaskan landscape, from the snow-covered mountains and frozen lakes of winter to the rich green forests and whitecap rivers of summer. The simulated scenes of dogfights and wild wolves hunting game are carefully shot to avoid bloodshed, but they may still be too intense for young children. Among the sorts of incidental touches that help sustain interest, the film also shows how gold is mined and tested. However, the film has a savage wolf pack attacking some humans and gobbling up another off-screen. These scenes trouble naturalists battling centuries of anti-wolf prejudice. Albert Manville, a senior biologist for the Defenders of Wildlife and a consultant on the movie, objected to the wolf attack scene during production. Disney quickly agreed to run a disclaimer reminding audiences, "There has never been a documented case of a healthy wolf or pack of wolves attacking a human in North America."

WHITE FANG is a sweet, understated movie. As the best-known of at least eleven film adaptations that date back to 1925 and span the globe, this version may not satisfy those expecting a faithful retelling of London's famous novel. Perhaps inevitably, the author's unique manner of prose, animal point-of-view, and comments on violence and civilization get lost in favor of a somewhat simple but poignant human-driven story. Still, the movie seems to have its heart in the right place, celebrating some easily supportable spirit, even if it's not London's. For viewers unfamiliar with London's book, it is a great movie.

Dialogue is used sparingly and always serves the film and its characters. Director Randal Kleiser brings a steady hand to the proceedings, which never wander into sentimentality. Even the semi-clear parallels between Jack and the wolf are never overplayed for the sake of young audience members. The movie boasts impressive photography of the snowy and mountainous scenery (Alaska fills in for the Yukon) and a pleasing prominent score from Basil Poledouris. Ethan Hawke proves competent in a role that transitioned him from child actor to young leading man, Seymour Cassel is very memorable in his limited screen time, and Jed the hybrid wolf gives a superb performance.

An adventurous film that's almost certain to frighten youngsters, WHITE FANG feels like one of the last installments in the era of edgy live-action fare that marked 1980s Disney. Though not humorless, White Fang definitely merits a PG rating, with several intense action sequences that has disclaimers both at the beginning and end vouching for the filmmakers' humane treatment of animal actors. There is also a scary blue corpse. Though not excellent, this period drama succeeds in evoking sympathy for and interest in its compelling human and canine leads. While it's too intense for younger children, older kids and adults should easily take to this film. It's straightforward and fairly simple, but difficult not to like, a heart-warming story with good performances and photography that captures all the epic majesty of the Alaskan landscape.

The cast also includes: Susan Hogan (Belinda Casey), Bill Moseley (Luke), Aaron Hotch (Little Beaver), Charles Jimmie Sr. (Older Indian), Clifford Fossman (Old Timer 1), Irvin Sogge (Old Timer 2), Tom Fallon (Prospector), Dick Mackey (Sled Dog Prospector), Suzanne Kent (Heather), Robert C. Hoelen (Bar Patron), George Rogers (Registrar), Michael David Lally (Sykes), Raymond R. Menaker (Shopkeeper), David Fallon (Lookout), Michael A. Hagen (Teenager), Diane E. Benson (Grey Beaver's Wife), Robert Scott Kyker (Frozen Prospector 1), Tom Yewell (Frozen Prospector 2), John Beers (Sykes' Dog Handler), Van Clifton (Piano Player), Jim Moore (Violin Player), Marliese Schneider (Woman of the Night), Bart the Bear (The Bear), and Jed the hybrid wolf (White Fang). Basil Poledouris composed the original music. Jeanne Rosenberg, Nick Thiel, and David Fallon wrote the screenplay from Jack London's novel. Randal Kleiser directed.

Though treated to a 16x9 enhanced transfer for DVD release overseas, WHITE FANG is relegated to a 1.33:1 fullscreen presentation in the US, mildly differing from its 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio. Compared to the Region 2 disc, this is an open-matte presentation. While that means that cropping on the sides is usually minimal, careful compositions are sacrificed with the addition of excess space at the top and bottom of the frame. The removal of mattes is more noticeable here than on similarly-processed films. Furthermore, the picture quality just isn't very good. The opening credits and logo are especially spotty and plagued with artifacts. Even if the apparent shortcomings of optical shots can be quickly forgiven, the entire film looks grainy, blurry, and soft. It never allows the detail or sharpness that DVD usually provides and, in turn, the movie feels a little more distant than it should.

There's not as much to complain about with the Dolby Surround soundtrack, but it sets no standard for quality. Dialogue is often difficult to make out, perhaps due in part to the authentic environment or Mr. Brandauer's thick accent, though I think some blame probably lies with this DVD's sound mix. On the other hand, Poledouris's fine score is nicely conveyed, spreading into the rear channel to add a welcome layer of depth. There are no bonus features, not even a sympathy stretch like a set of promos for the studio's other DVDs. There's nothing except a Spanish audio track. The 4x3 menus are as basic as possible, with the still, silent screens featuring wintry imagery from the film.

It's always frustrating when a movie gets treated to an extremely feeble DVD, one which flounders in the picture and sound departments, provides no bonus features whatsoever, and fails to even present the film in its intended ratio. It's all the more disheartening when the movie has merit, as this one does. WHITE FANG would merit consideration for nearly any DVD collection were it treated with some respect or at least underwent a couple more price cuts. As it is, this presentation is nearly as much a letdown of a DVD as its 1994 sequel is of a movie.

Disney released the sequel WHITE FANG 2: MYTH OF THE WHITE WOLF four years later in 1994. Besides the presence of a hybrid wolf (part dog) named White Fang and its setting in the Alaska Gold Rush days, the story bears no resemblance to London's original story. Jack Conroy (Ethan Hawke), the hero of the first Disney film, has bequeathed his gold mine and the wolf White Fang to young Henry Casey (Scott Barstow). The boy and wolf thwart a would-be thief and decide to take their gold to San Francisco. While rafting to the nearest town, they capsize, lose their gold, and are separated. Lily Joseph (Charmaine Craig), a young Indian princess, rescues Henry from the rapids. She, along with her tribal chief Moses Joseph (Al Harrington) and his followers, believes that Henry is the reincarnation of a great spirit wolf who will help the Haida tribe find the Great Caribou. Henry and Lily fall in love, and Henry sets out to find the legendary Caribou who will save the tribe from extinction.

The pair must rely on their sharp, cunning instincts for survival when they risk it all to protect a peaceful Native American tribe whose homeland is targeted by dangerous miners. Henry Casey and White Fang help the Indian tribe solve the mystery of their disappearing caribou supply. Combining incredible outdoor action and breathtaking wilderness scenery, this is a rousing story of extraordinary courage and bold determination. Although some scenes take place in the dwellings of Henry and the Indians, most of the action takes place outdoors. In one of the first action scenes, White Fang jumps through an open window in Henry's cabin to stop an intruder outside who is about to shoot Henry. This was a completely open window, posing no danger to the dog. White Fang was played by several dogs.

Like every sequel Disney makes, WHITE FANG 2 is inferior to the original. What makes it inferior is not that it is rehashing the same concept, because it actually moves away from the ideas and focus of the original movie. WHITE FANG 2 capitalizes on the wolf's heroic qualities seen from the ending moments of the original to carry an entire film. We're still in Alaska, and it's still the same time period, but the sequel's story focuses on Jack's friend Henry Casey, whom he has left in charge of his cabin and gold-mining operations. Ethan does appear in the opening sequence, as he writes a letter from the San Fransisco hotel that he is now working on with Alex. It is this one brief appearance at the opening that is probably the best part about WHITE FANG 2. The new star of the show is Scott Bairstow and his adequate performance is the sole beacon of hope in this disappointing film.

The Journey of Natty Gann (1985) * * ¾

In 1935, 14 year-old Natty Gann (Meredith Salenger) lives in Chicago with her father Sol (Ray Wise) and her dog. She sneaks cigarettes in the bathroom, and gets into scuffles with the boys who are her friends. Natty is an old-fashioned tomboy heroine who is feisty and spunky. Her father, her one living parent leaves their Chicago home to work in the state of Washington at a logging job. He has to leave so quickly that there isn't time for him to say good-bye to Natty. With only an hour or so to get on the bus, he arranges with Connie (Lainie Kazan), the burly, bad-tempered landlady of the rooming house where he and Natty are living, to look after Natty until he can send for her. After overhearing Connie reporting her as an abandoned child, Natty is only temporarily daunted by this setback. She quickly takes matters into her own hands and runs away.

Sherman: Sol, you got no choice. It's a job.
Sol Gann: Yeah.
Sherman: Oh, no, Natty. (puppy yips in background) Do I look like an animal shelter?
Natty Gann: Don't worry, I'll keep this one.
Sherman: That's what you said the last time.

Natty hits the rails and heads west in a quest to find her father, and has many anecdotal bittersweet adventures. On her journey, she comes across all sorts of people, and very few are interested in helping her. Some of the cruel or kindly strangers she encounters take her in. There are many scenes of Natty barely making it through her scrapes as she rides in rail-road cars, backs of trucks, and hikes her way through the woods trying to find her way to Seattle. Her unpleasant encounters and various obstacles test her courage, perseverance, and ingenuity. She is tough enough to eat a wild rabbit for food, but still cringes when she has to gut it with her pocket knife. There are definitely some tense, scary moments on her journey. Natty's saving grace is that she finds parent figures along the way.

Logging Boss: What's the matter, Gann?
Sol Gann: They found my kid's wallet buried under a train in Colorado.
Logging Boss: Ah no.
Sol Gann: What the hell was she doing in Colorado?

To a great extent, this is a girl meets wolf love story, with some of the film's most satisfying moments being those between Natty and Wolf (Jed), the animal companion she encounters and befriends, and who quickly gives her his complete devotion and protection. They travel together for much of the movie. As Wolf, Jed the hybrid wolf (part dog) gives a brilliant and believable performance. Salenger is equally excellent, and she carries the movie nicely. Her scenes with Wolf are as moving as anything that takes place among the film's human characters.

Harry: Nice dog.
Natty Gann: It's a wolf. I'm cold.
Harry: Buck up kid, will ya?
Natty Gann: I'm bucking! (turns to Wolf) I'm bucking, right?
Harry: You're a real woman of the world, kid.
(Harry has just hauled Natty into the boxcar, where she was dangling dangerously over the edge)
Harry: You know, uh, you can get hurt that way.
Hobo: I thought that one was a goner. Rail meat. Little bits of blood and busted...
Harry: Leave the kid alone!
Natty Gann: You ain't seen Chicago, you ain't seen nothin'.
Harry: (opens the door to a barn, looks inside, then speaks to Natty) It looks safe. Come on. Come on! It's empty! Nothin' in here but a pig, and he sure don't care.

Louie: Shh. Hold your ears.
Natty Gann: What?
Louie: Don't listen.
Natty Gann: Don't be dumb. I've heard a man pee before.
Louie: Yeah? Where?
Natty Gann: None of your business.

She meets a farm wife (Verna Bloom), tough but nice juvenile delinquent Parker
(Barry Miller), and Harry (John Cusack) who similarly lost his own father years earlier and had to survive the harsh world of a drifter. The pair develop an innocent romantic attachment. Harry teaches her how to ride the rails and offers her his meager can of beans when she's hungry. Because of his fatherly kindness to Natty, it's a little off-putting when a romance blooms between the two. Harry's role is well acted and richly developed, but frustration comes from the misleading cover art and posters. The viewer would think that he's in almost every scene and carries the film with Meredith Salenger. Harry is half of this movie but still doesn't have enough screen time to warrant second billing above Natty's father or even the wolf. Still, Harry helps this film, keeping his fedora firmly in place with his small share of running, jumping and falling off of water towers. Meanwhile, her father has found out about Natty's disappearance and, seriously worried, sets out to look for her. There is genuine pathos in the final development of events.

THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN is a subtle road movie that captures the feel of the Depression era. The despair of the time looms over the entire movie, but equally present is a sense of hope in Natty's journey. It's not a perfect movie, but it's certainly an intelligent and thoughtful one, enjoyable but rather slow. NATTY GANN is both a period piece which captures the spirit of 1930's America and a coming-of-age adventure story for its title character. Though good-hearted it is relatively uninvolving, and the whole thing should probably be a good deal more wrenching than it feels. Granted, it follows the Disney formula but it has the cuts and scrapes from playing too close to the razor’s edge. It's rough around the edges and yet isn't a movie that you would be embarrassed to see with your kids. It's suitable for all audiences, but contains a little bit of strong language and a couple of mildly gory lumbering accidents.

The cast also includes: Scatman Crothers (Sherman), Bruce M. Fischer (Charlie Linfield), John Finnegan (Logging Boss), Jack Rader (Employment Agent), Matthew Faison (Buzz), Jordan Pratt (Frankie), Zachary Ansley (Louie), Campbell Lane (Chicago Moderator), Max Trumpower (Chicago Worker), Doug MacLeod (Chicago Worker), Gary Chalk (Chicago Worker), Dwight McFee (Chicago Worker), Peter Anderson (Unemployed Worker), Corliss M. Smith Jr. (Bus Driver), Hagan Beggs (Policeman), Ian Black (Hobo), Ray Michal (Hobo), Clint Rowe (Bullwhip), Frank C. Turner (Farmer), Jack Ackroyd (Grocery Clerk), Grant Heslov (Parker's Gang), Gary Riley (Parker's Gang), Scott Andersen (Parker's Gang), Ian Tracey (Parker's Gang), Jennifer Michas (Parker's Gang), Wally Marsh (Interrogator), Kaye Grieve (Matron), Hannah Cutrona (Twinky), Gabrielle Rose (Exercise Matron), Marie Klingenberg (Dormitory Matron), Stephen E. Miller (Guard), Robert Clothier (Railroad Official), Don S. Davis (Railroad Brakeman), Alex Diakun (Station Master), Tom Heaton (Railroad Deek), Harvey M. Miller (Railroad Deek), Sheelah Megill (Lady at Mill), Jeff Ramsey (Logging Driver), Gary Hendrickson (Logger), Wally Beeton (Logger), Doug Boyd (Logger), Bryan Couture (Logger), Al MacIntosh (Logger), Lorne LaRiviere (Logger), Bob Storms (Logger), Nancy-Rae Aaron (Girl Hobo), Rachael Clark (Destitute Child), David Paul Hewitt White (Unemployed worker), and hybrid wolf Jed (Wolf). James Horner composed the original music. Jeanne Rosenberg wrote the screenplay. Jeremy Kagan directed.

Music Tracklist:

01. Main Title (01:57)
02. Leaving (03:21)
03. Freight Train (02:45)
04. First Love (03:31)
05. Into Town (02:32)
06. Goodbye (02:22)
07. Rustling (03:07)
08. The Forest (02:01)
09. Early Morning (01:45)
10. Getting There (01:14)
11. Farewell (03:23)
12. Reunion – End Title (05:10)
13. Locked Up (03:12)
14. Hotel Escape (01:54)
15. Riding The Rails (01:29)
16. To Seattle (03:18)

On DVD you feel as if you're only seeing half the picture. And you are. Since THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN is a 2.35:1 widescreen film, and Disney has released it exclusively in Pan and Scan, the result is a loss of just under 50% of the image. The video quality on this DVD is horrible. It looks like an old, worn-out videocassette. The picture is extremely soft and grainy, and it feels as if the movie is about twice as old as it really is. Detail is awful, the entire video just feels soft and faded, like a dollar bill having been run in the washing machine. There are digital artefacts and other distracting flaws throughout, a number of framing problems that result from the pan and scan, and significant image loss. Furthermore, the wide photography of the images in nature that play a large role in the film's journey are rendered completely ineffective. You are constantly aware that the picture is heavily zoomed in and that you are missing much visual information.

It's a shame that the filmmakers spent time and effort to frame Natty Gann meticulously, only to have the movie drastically chopped up to fit the dimensions of a 4 x 3 television set. The quality of the film in general varies from crystal clear landscapes to grainy night and interior shots. Had Anchor Bay held onto the DVD release rights to this film that they once had, we would have undoubtedly seen a 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, and there is no way it could look as bad as the pan & scan transfer looks on this DVD. It's tragic that a great movie with some truly majestic outdoor photography and impressive set designs is released in a disappointing version. There's some hope that if this is ever released on Disney Blu-Ray that we'll get to see the non-cropped version of this for the first time in over 20 years.

Matching the video quality in terms of futility, the audio mix for THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN sounds like an old worn-out videocassette. The track sounds distant and lacks clarity throughout. It's almost as disappointing as the video. There are a number of instances where, if you haven't seen the movie before, you'll have to rewind to hear what was said. Either that, or there's the English subtitles which can decode some of the fuzzy dialogue. Like the other recent live-action catalogue Disney DVD releases, NATTY GANN has nothing in the way of extras. No trailer, no production notes, no making-of features, no cast and crew bios and notes. Absolutely barebones for this disc, which looks like it was made in the time it took to convert the laserdisc files to DVD. It has "rush job" written all over it. No effort was made to present the movie in a decent fashion. It's appalling that a DVD looking like this makes its way onto the market today.

Wolf (1994) * * ¾

Will Randall (Jack Nicholson) is a mild-mannered, middle-aged man who is a senior book editor for a publishing company. Driving home one night from a business trip in Vermont, he hits an animal on the road. When he gets out of his car to check on the condition of the animal, he discovers it to be a wolf, which bites him under a full moon. Randall is demoted from his job as managing editor of a publishing house when the company is taken over by wealthy business tycoon Raymond Alden (Christopher Plummer). Alden replaces him with Randall's own ambitious protege Stewart Swinton (James Spader), who also happens to be having an affair with Randall's wife Charlotte (Kate Nelligan).

Randall: I did it the old fashioned way.
Charlotte: What do you mean?
Randall: I begged.
Charlotte: I never loved Stewart. It was a mistake Will. I'm going to talk to him. Stewart, never for one moment, mentioned he loved me.
Randall: You think that makes it better? To betray me over and over again with a man that meant nothing to you? To know you betrayed me for nothing.
Charlotte: Don't be a smug...
Randall: Don't touch me! And keep away.

Randall begins undergoing a physical metamorphosis. He no longer needs reading glasses, his hearing is extremely acute, and he has a very keen sense of smell. He can smell tequila on the breath of a coworker from 20 feet away and hear conversations from across the lobby. Soon he starts feeling rejuvenated, revitalized, more aggressive, and becomes more assertive in fighting for his job back. Eventually, Randall also realizes that he is taking on the characteristics of a wolf. He is supported by his loyal secretary Mary (Eileen Atkins) and underling Roy (David Hyde Pierce), and gets his job back. Swinton is informed, in no uncertain terms, who is top dog. Randall also discovers that Charlotte has betrayed his love and devotion, causing him to leave her. It is a betrayal that is to have dire consequences for her.

Randall: I've been offered a choice between no job and a job no one would want.
Mary: Is the worm turning, Mr. Randall?
Randall: The worm has turned and it is now packing an Uzi, Mary.
Mary: It's about f**king time, sir.

Roy: How many investors do we have?
Randall: I don't know. Haven't called any yet.
Roy: But you want me to say it anyway?
Randall: Yes.
Roy: Second thing: Is any of this true?
Randall: Not yet.
Roy: You are my God.

Randall: You are such a polished ass kisser that it takes my breath away.
Swinton: I kiss 'em like I see 'em. (Randall urinates on his shoes) What are you crazy?
Randall: No! I'm just marking my territory, and you got in the way.

In the process of regaining his life, Randall falls in love with the boss's beautiful, headstrong daughter Laura (Michelle Pfeiffer), and she with him. The transformation of Randall into a werewolf is subtle, and there is very little use of special effects to enhance his metamorphosis. He conveys to the viewer what he is undergoing with a flick of the eyebrow, a twitch of the nose, and a curl of the lips. However, he also finds that he has the urge to hunt and kill at nighttime, and becomes terrified of the monster he carries inside. His first escapade as a wolf takes place at Laura's countryside cottage, where he wakes up in the middle of the night and hunts down a deer. In the morning he finds himself on the bank of a forest stream, dunks his head in water and realizes he has blood all over his face and hands. He then drives back to the city in a state of confused trepidation, his alarm at his animal characteristics leading him to ignore conventional medical tests.

Randall: What do you do?
Laura: Why do you care?
Randall: I don't. I was just making polite conversation.
Laura: I'd rather not discuss what I do.
Randall: You know, I think I understand what you're like now. You're very beautiful and you think men are only interested in you because you're beautiful, but you want them to be interested in you because you're you. The problem is, aside from all that beauty, you're not very interesting. You're rude, you're hostile, you're sullen, you're withdrawn. I know you want someone to look past all that at the real person underneath but the only reason anyone would bother to look past all that is because you're beautiful. Ironic, isn't it? In an odd way you're your own problem.
Laura: Sorry. Wrong line. I am not taken aback by your keen insight and suddenly challenged by you.
Randall: I've never loved anybody this way. Never looked at a woman and thought, if civilization fails, if the world ends, I'll still understand what God meant.

He visits an Indian healer, Dr. Vijay Alezias (Om Puri), who gives him an amulet intended to protect him from turning completely into a wolf. Alezias asks Randall to bite him as a return favor, as Alezias himself does not have long to live. On being asked by Randall whether he would "prefer demonization to death", Dr. Alezias replies that it would be a boon rather than a bane. He tells Randall that he is a good man at heart and so has nothing to fear. Dr. Vijay Alezias also explains that sometimes one does not even need to be bitten to change. Sometimes the mere passion of the wolf inside of them can transform them.

Dr. Alezias: The demon wolf is not evil, unless the man he has bitten is evil. And it feels good to be a wolf, doesn't it?
Randall: Indeed it does.
Dr. Alezias: Power without guilt. Love without doubt.

As his professional life is restored, Randall fires his young nemesis Stewart, deepening each others hatred for the other. Later, Randall inadvertently bites Stewart, who becomes a werewolf as well. Stewart ends up murdering Charlotte, in an attempt to frame Randall and seize back Randall's job at the publishing house.

Randall is shattered by his wife's murder, and thinking that it might have been his alter-ego state that killed her, goes back with Laura to her cottage, where he agrees to be locked up in the barn. Laura then gets a call from the police detective Bridger (Richard Jenkins) investigating Charlotte's murder, and learns that it was a canine attack that killed her. Alarmed that Randall might be the unknowing perpetrator, she goes alone to the police station to find out more. There she runs into Stewart, who makes an animal-like pass at her, revealing himself to also be a werewolf. Laura hurries off from the station, making arrangements for Randall and her to leave the country.

Swinton: Good evening Miss Alden. May I call you Laura? Laura, if you scream, I'll kill you. I'll just... break your neck, okay? If you find me so attractive, how about me f**king you to death right now darling, how would that be?
Laura Alden: I don't know I'll have to try it.
Swinton: I'm not a fool, Laura.
Laura Alden: I know that.

Swinton realizes that she has gone back, and follows her to the cottage and kills her two guards. After a brief struggle in the barn, where Randall is locked in, he tries to rape her. But Randall frees himself from his stall, and they battle as werewolves. Evil Swinton is then shot to death by Laura. Randall, meanwhile, turns into a complete wolf and runs off into the forest. Laura shows signs of a wolf's heightened senses when the police arrive, telling the lead detective that she can smell the Vodka on his breath. The last scene is a close-up of her face fading into dark, lupine eyes, preceded with previously-shown shots of an animal running wildly through the forest. It's a peculiar but great finale with a twist.

Jack Nicholson becomes a werewolf in this bizarre comedy-horror film directed by Mike Nichols. This is a contemporary thinking person's werewolf movie. If you are a horror film fan who likes excessive gore, as well as high-tech special effects, this is not the film for you, as there is very little of that in WOLF. This is a subtle, multi-layered, symbolic horror film that will leave you analyzing what you see. The opening sequences are beautifully filmed, and the moon and snow look gorgeous. It's an intelligent, literate story about a mid-life crisis and an interesting updating of the werewolf nonsense.

Film critics generally like it, but many viewers seem to find it dull and uninteresting, with elements of several genres thrown together in a big mess. It's a little dull in places, and probably could have been edited down by at least fifteen minutes. WOLF is much more intelligent than other werewolf movies, and does have a few interesting ideas and metaphors that haven't been done before. This thriller doesn't have any transformation scenes. When the hero turns into a humanoid wolf, he suddenly has muttonchop sideburns and his hair is messed up.

The cast also includes: Eileen Atkins (Mary), Ron Rifkin (Doctor), Prunella Scales (Maude), Brian Markinson (Detective Wade), Peter Gerety (George), Bradford English (Keyes), Stewart J. Zully (Gary), Thomas F. Duffy (Tom), Tom Oppenheim (Butler), Shirin Devrim (Party Guest), Allison Janney (Party Guest), Kirby Mitchell (Party Guest), Madhur Jaffrey (Party Guest), William Hill (Party Guest), Cynthia O'Neal (Party Guest), Timothy Thomas (Party Guest), Lisa Emery (Party Guest), Leigh Carlson (Party Guest), Alice Liu (Party Guest), Max Weitzenhoffer (Party Guest), Irene Forrest (Office Worker), Jennifer Nicholson (Office Worker), Jack Nisbet (Office Worker), Dale Kasman (Office Worker), Jeffrey Allen O'Den (Office Worker), Jose Soto (Gang Member), Van Bailey (Gang Member), Dwayne McClary (Gang Member), Elizabeth Massie (Alden's Secretary), Joanna Sanchez (Receptionist), Eva Rodriguez (Maid), Lia Chang (Desk Clerk), Starletta DuPois (Victim's Mother), Oz Perkins (Cop), David Schwimmer (Cop), Christopher Birt (Cop), Kaity Tong (TV Newscaster), Dorinda Katz (Shopper), Rawleigh Moreland (Party Guest / Publisher), and Michael Raynor. The original music was composed by Ennio Morricone. Jim Harrison and Wesley Strick wrote the screenplay. Mike Nichols directed.

The casting is inspired, the storyline is intelligent, and the pace alternates appropriately between day and night. What ultimately cripples WOLF is that the script seems to dry up as it goes along. There is a scene with the expert about half way through the movie that is filled with potential plot developments. Unfortunately, the internal logic soon begins to break down. Many of the possibilities suggested earlier never emerge and new random elements appear as the plot begins to spiral out of control, ending in a series of confrontations that are unsubtle, unsatisfying and weak.

Sophisticated to a point, this well-executed werewolf tale works due to its clever setting and enormous star power. Director Mike Nicholson keeps the action alive in the first half but the film peters out at the end with cheap theatrics and the overuse of slow motion. Michelle Pfeiffer has little to do as simply the love interest with a grittier than average personality. Better is James Spader as a smarmy colleague. Nicholson is in fine form, relying on his acting skills to spark interest instead of using make-up. Giuseppe Rotunno's sweeping camerawork sets the mood quite well.

Music for the movie was by Ennia Marricane. Editing was done by Sam O'Steen with distribution and production by Columbia Pictures. Filming locations were the Bradbury Building in Los Angeles, the General William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster, California, New York City, New York, Long Island, New York, Sony Picture Studios, Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York and Roxbury, Vermont. Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. holds the copyright to the movie.

WOLF was released to US theaters on June 17th, 1994, with a run time of 2 hours and 5 minutes. The movie's gross at the box office was $65,002,597 domestically and $131,002,597 worldwide, while making another $34,000,000 on US rentals. The budget was $70,000,000. WOLF was initially delayed for six to eight months due to poor critical reaction to the third act. After re-shoots, however, critics thought the ending was more satisfying and thrilling.

The movie was released in South Korea on July 23rd, 1994, Argentina on August 4th 1994, the UK on August 26th, 1994, the Netherlands on September 1st, 1994, Finland on September 2nd, 1994, France on September 14th, 1994, the Phillipines on September 14th, 1994, Germany on September 15th, 1994, Australia on September 22nd, 1994, Spain on September 30th, 1994 and Sweden on September 30th, 1994. It also premiered on TV in Indonesia on January 15th, 2005.

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) * * ¾

(first lines)
Pee-wee: Look out, Mister Potato Head!

Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens), a childish geek, loves his super-deluxe red bike more than anything else in the world and refuses to sell it to Francis Buxton (Mark Holton), a neighborhood rich kid. Francis pays someone to steal Pee-wee's bike while Pee-wee visits Chuck's Bikeorama and his girlfriend Dottie (Elizabeth Daily), resulting in a relentless campaign to find it. In a search for answers, Pee-wee visits fake psychic Madam Ruby (Erica Yohn) who lies and tells him that the bike is hidden in the basement of the Alamo. Pee-Wee embarks on a quest to find his stolen bicycle, and comes into contact with characters even crazier than he is. He hitches a ride with a man named Mickey (Judd Omen), a fugitive on the run from the law because he cut off a "do not remove under the penalty of law" mattress tag. Mickey abandons him after Pee-wee nearly kills the two of them by accident.

Mr. Buxton: Pee-wee, Pee-wee what is going on here.
Pee-wee: He's a thief, he stole my bike.
Francis: You liar. I swear I didn't do it, dad
Mr. Buxton: Pee-wee, this is a wild accusation. Do you have any proof?
Pee-wee: Well, not exactly.
Mr. Buxton: Pee-wee, the Buxtons are not thieves. We've been preparing Francis's birthday plans all day.

Pee-wee: Exhibit "Q". A scale-model of the entire mall. X marks the scene of the crime. These arrows here show the exact position of the sun at the hour of the crime. Jupiter was aligned with Pluto! The moon was in the seventh...
Chuck: Pee-wee!
Pee-wee: Please save your questions until I'm through, Chuck!
Chuck: Well, when will that be? A long time, we wait! We've been here for over 3 hours now, and I'm not sure if any of us can see what all this is supposed to mean.
Pee-wee: Supposed to mean? Supposed to mean!?

Madame Ruby: For twenty dollars I can tell you a lot of things. For thirty dollars I can tell you more. And for fifty dollars I can tell you everything.
Pee-wee: Tell me why I'm here first.
Madame Ruby: You're here because you... want something!

Pee-wee is picked up by Large Marge (Alice Nunn), learning at a truck stop diner that Large Marge was actually a ghost. Pee-wee meets Simone (Diane Salinger), a friendly waitress who wants to move to Paris. Her huge boyfriend Andy (Jon Harris) thinks Pee-wee and Simone are romantically linked, chasing Pee-wee and causing him to flee in a boxcar of a moving train. Making it to San Antonio he finds that the Alamo has no basement. Realizing his whole trip was a sham, he goes to the bus station to return home. Along the way he runs afoul of the "Satan's Helpers" biker gang after accidentally knocking over their motorcycles. Fearing they are going to kill him, Pee-wee asks for one last request and dances to "Tequila", winning the respect of the bikers. The bikers give him a motorcycle, but Pee-wee quickly crashes it, ending up in the hospital. There, he learns from a TV program that his bike now belongs to Kevin Morton (Jason Hervey), a child star who is currently filming a movie with the bike as a prominent prop.

Simone: Do you have any dreams?
Pee-wee: Yeah, I'm all alone. I'm rolling a big doughnut and this snake wearing a vest...
Simone: Ah! Pee-Wee! Ha ha! C'est magnifique! Voici Pierre.
Pierre: Bonsoir.
Pee-wee: Ditto. Here, brought you guys French Fries! Ha ha ha!
Simone and Pierre: Merci beaucoup, Pee-Wee!
Pee-wee: Merci-bleh-bleh!

Biker: Did anybody tell you that this is the private club of the Satan's Helpers?
Pee-wee: Nobody hipped me to that, dude.
Biker: It's off-limits!

Pee-wee sneaks into Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California and locates the set on which Kevin is acting. Pee-wee disguises himself as a nun in order to infiltrate the set and reclaim his bike. In a wild chase scene, he flees from the Warner Bros. security staff through a variety of sets. Various actors and props, including a boat-shaped car, a Santa Claus sleigh, and a man in a Godzilla costume, get swept into the chase. He also interrupts the shooting of a Twisted Sister music video for "Burn in Hell" from "Stay Hungry". Using the gadgets on his bike, Pee-wee manages to evade the guards and escape the studio. As he blissfully rides away, however, Pee-wee discovers a pet shop in flames. After heroically saving all the animals, even the scary snakes, Pee-wee faints on the store's doorstep just as the fire department and police arrive. Though the firemen consider Pee-wee a hero, the police place Pee-wee under arrest.

Kevin Morton: Well, is everything straightened out?
Jerry: We are ready whenever you are.
Kevin Morton: Doesn't it look like I'm ready? I am always ready! I have been ready since first call! I am ready! Roll!
Jerry: Quiet, please! This is a take. Roll, please.
Cameraman: Speed!
Kevin Morton: Action!
Jerry: Action!

Pee-wee is brought before a Warner Bros. studio executive who offers to buy the rights to Pee-wee's story in exchange for dropping all charges. Pee-wee agrees and attends the premiere at his local drive-in. All of the friends Pee-wee made during his trip come to see the film, and Pee-wee greets each of them. He ends with Dottie, having finally fulfilled her demands for a date at the drive-in. As a final act of vengeance, Pee-wee allows Francis to sit on his bike, who triggers the ejector seat and goes flying. Pee-wee's movie turns out to be a James Bond-style action film involving James Brolin and Morgan Fairchild fighting ninjas. Pee-wee has a cameo appearance as a bell-boy, but his dialogue is dubbed over with a funny deep voice. After watching for a few minutes, Pee-wee decides to leave, having already lived the real story, saying "I don't need to see it, Dottie. I lived it." Reunited with his bike, he happily rides away with Dottie.

The success of the live stage show THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW in 1980 prompted Warner Brothers to hire Paul Reubens to write a script for a full-length Pee-wee Herman film. With imaginative sets and dream sequences that use claymation and pixilated models, PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE is a side-splitting comedy that references almost every Hollywood genre, especially the perennial favorite Road Movies. Former animator Tim Burton made his feature directorial debut with this delightful comedy, co-scripted by Phil Hartman, who also appears briefly as a reporter. They keep the story simple to concentrate on the characters. Pee-wee's most prized possession, his shiny new bicycle, is stolen, and he sets off on an obsessive cross-country journey, determined to recover it. Pee-wee's awkward and childish attempts to be cool and mature are hysterical, as when he tells his girlfriend Simone: "There's things about me you don't know, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand.... I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel." Reubens is on-screen for the majority of the film, and he never fails to entertain. As Pee-wee, he can take the most innocuous lines and make them hilarious.

Pee-wee is never interested in women or the men who admire him. He loves only his bike. The bicycle functions, in fact, as the love interest of the narrative. An object of extraordinary beauty, attended by falling cherry blossoms and ethereal music, the bike is supremely desirable. Filming locations included Glendale, California, Pomona, Santa Monica, Burbank, Cabazon, and the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas. Burton and Reubens had tensions with Warner Bros. studio executives over the shooting schedule, and Burton hired CalArts classmate Rick Heinrichs for scenes involving stop-motion animation. To compose the film score, Burton brought in Danny Elfman, who had not composed a film before. Elfman already had the main title theme written before he signed on, and is now a top movie composer in Hollywood.

The cast also includes: Irving Hellman (Mr. Crowtray), Monte Landis (Mario), Damon Martin (Chip), David Glasser (BMX Kid), Gregory Brown (BMX Kid), Mark Everett (BMX Kid), Daryl Keith Roach (Chuck), Bill Cable (Policeman 1), Peter Looney (Policeman 2), Starletta DuPois (Sgt. Hunter), Professor Toru Tanaka (Butler), Ed Herlihy (Mr. Buxton), Ralph Seymour (Francis' Accomplice), Lou Cutell (Amazing Larry), Raymond Martino (Gang Member), Bill W. Richmond (Highway Patrolman), Ed Griffith (Trucker), Simmy Bow (Man in Diner), Jon Harris (Andy), Carmen Filpi (Hobo Jack), Jan Hooks (Tina), John Moody (Bus Clerk), john O'Neill (Cowboy 1), Alex Sharp (Cowboy 2), Chester Grimes (Biker 1), luis Contreras (Biker 2), Lonnie Parkinson (Biker 3), Howard Hirdler (Biker 4), Cassandra Peterson (Biker Mama), Bob McClurg (Studio Guard), John Paragon (Movie Lot Actor), Susan Barnes (Movie Lot Actress), Zachary Hoffman (Director), Lynne Marie Stewart (Mother Superior), George Sasaki (Japanese Director), Richard Brose (Tarzan), Drew Seward (Kid 1), Brett Fellman (Kid 2), Bob Drew (Fireman), John Gilgreen (Policeman at Pet Shop), Noreen Hennessey (Reporter), Phil Hartman (Reporter), Michael Varhol (Photographer), David Rothenberg (Hobo), Patrick Cranshaw (Hobo), Sunshine Parker (Hobo), Gilles Savard (Pierre), James Brolin (Himself - as PeeWee), Morgan Fairchild (Herself - as Dottie), Tony Bill (Terry Hawthorne), Dee Snider (Himself), Milton Berle (Himself), Terry Bolo (Biker Chick), Tim Burton (Thug in alley), and Cleve Hall (Godzilla, Biker Gang Member). Danny Elfman composed the original music. Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens, and Michael Varhol wrote the screenplay. Tim Burton directed.

Music Track listing:

1. "Overture / The Big Race (03:07)
2. "Breakfast Machine (02:36)
3. "Park Ride (01:14)
4. "Stolen Bike (01:44)
5. "Hitchhike (00:56)
6. "Dinosaur Dream (00:48)
7. "Simone's Theme (01:35)
8. "Clown Dream (01:58)
9. "Studio Chase (01:24)
10. "The Drive-In (02:02)
11. "Finale (03:12)

Also in the film are "Burn in Hell" by Twisted Sister and "Tequila" by The Champs.

PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE opened on August 9, 1985 in the United States in 829 theaters, accumulating $4,545,847 over its opening weekend. The film went on to gross $40,940,662 domestically, recouping five times of its $7 million budget, making it a financial success. The film was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Family Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical). The success of this movie prompted CBS to to sign Reubens to act, produce, and direct his own live-action Saturday morning children's program, PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE in 1986.

At the time of its release in 1985, the film received mixed reviews. Gene Siskel called it one of the worst films of 1985, but PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE developed into a cult film. Christopher Null gave positive feedback, calling it "Burton's strangest film." Variety compared Paul Reubens to Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, while Empire called the film "a one-comic masterpiece" and "a dazzling debut" for Burton. Stephanie Zacharek of Salon wrote, "Everything about PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE, from its toy-box colors to its superb, hyper-animated Danny Elfman score to the butch-waxed hairdo and wooden-puppet walk of its star and mastermind is pure pleasure."

Warner Home Video released PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE on DVD in May 2000. Special features include audio commentary with Paul Reubens, Danny Elfman, and Tim Burton, premiere party footage, the original theatrical trailer, deleted scenes, and a compilation of story boards and sketches with a third commentary by the production designer. In the deleted scenes you'll learn the origin of "Amazing Larry", meet Boone the Bear, and see Pee-wee fling the boomerang bow tie he bought at the magic shop. The anamorphic widescreen picture is perfect, and it appears in its original theatrical aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this single-sided, dual-layered DVD. The image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. This is the first time the movie has appeared in its original aspect ratio. Previous releases were full-frame and actually offered more information on the top and bottom. Sharpness is consistently good, with only some moderate softness that appears during a few wider shots. The print used for the transfer looks fairly clean, with some occasional speckling but no grain or more significant flaws such as scratches or hairs. This film features a lot of bold primary colors, and the DVD does a decent but unspectacular job of rendering these. Hues seem fairly accurate but slightly bland.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) * * ½

(first lines)
Rufus: Hi, welcome to the future. San Dimas California 2688. And I'm telling you it's great here. The air is clean, the water's clean, even the dirt, it's clean. Bowling averages are way up, mini-golf scores are way down. And we have more excellent water slides than any other planet we communicate with. I'm telling you this place is great! But it almost wasn't. You see, 700 years ago, the two great ones, ran into a few problems. So now I have to travel back in time to help them out. If I should fail to keep these two on the correct path, the basis of our society will be in danger. Don't worry, it'll all make sense. I'm a professional.

The film opens in the future San Dimas, California, with agent Rufus (George Carlin) preparing to use a time-traveling phone booth to go back 700 years to 1988 to make sure that Bill S. Preston (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) remain together in the band "Wyld Stallyns", as their music is the core of the future's utopian society. There's only one problem: they can't play their instruments. Rufus finds that Bill and Ted are on the verge of failing their high school history class. Their hard nosed history teacher tells them that if they don't pass their oral history report, they will flunk out of school. This oral report involves imagining what historical characters would've thought of the present day and the local environment.

Ted: What are you doin' home, dad?
Capt. Logan: I'm looking for my keys.
Ted: Oh!
Capt. Logan: You haven't done anything with them, have ya?
Ted: No, sir.
Capt. Logan: I spoke to your principal today, Ted. He said you're failing history.
Ted: Me and Bill...
Capt. Logan: He also said that if fail history, you flunk out of school. You know what that would mean, don't ya, Ted?
Ted: That I would have to go to Oats' military acadamy, sir.
Capt. Logan: Uh huh. I spoke to Colonel Oats this morning. He's anxious to meet you, Ted. You pack your bags, Ted.
Ted: What?
Capt. Logan: You're going to military school, Ted.
Ted: But, dad...
Capt. Logan: No, I don't wanna hear it, Ted.
Ted: But...
Capt. Logan: Ted! You go home and pack your bags now.

If Ted fails, his father police Captain Logan (Hal Langdon) will ship him off to an Alaskan military academy, effectively ending the pair's rock band. As the two try to write a history report by asking customers at a local Circle K, Rufus introduces himself to them. Though Bill and Ted are skeptical of Rufus' claims, they are convinced when future versions of themselves land nearby and explain the situation to them. Rufus shows Bill and Ted how the time machine works by taking them back to see Napoleon Bonaparte (Terry Camilleri) preparing for battle. Rufus returns to the present and leaves the two with the time machine. After Rufus leaves, they discover that Napoleon was dragged with them back to the present, and they get an idea. To pass their history exam, they will go back in time and kidnap other historical figures and have them explain what they think of the San Dimas of the present. Bill and Ted leave Napoleon with Ted's younger brother Deacon (Frazier Bain) while they travel back to the past.

Bill: Okay, wait, if we were one of Europe's greatest leaders, and we were stranded in San Dimas for one day, where would we go?
Bill and Ted: Waterloo!
Ted: (after Napoleon explains his new waterslide war strategy) I don't think it's gonna work.
Napoleon: Non? (he slams his pointer down on a map) Triomphe Napoleon!

Bill and Ted first collect Billy the Kid (Dan Shor) and Socrates (Tony Steedman), who are both confused but eager to help the pair. When they travel to medieval Europe, they become smitten with Princesses Elizabeth (Kimberley Kates) and Joanna (Diane Franklin), but fall into trouble with their father the King. They manage to escape with the help of Billy and Socrates and continue traveling through time. Soon, they have collected Sigmund Freud (Rod Loomis), Ludwig van Beethoven (Clifford David), Genghis Khan (Al Leong), Joan of Arc (Jane Wiedlin), and Abraham Lincoln (Robert V. Barron). The passengers encounter brief technical difficulties, and when attempting to return to the present, end up returning on the previous day outside the Circle K with Rufus introducing himself to their past selves. Bill and Ted recount their experience to their past selves, and learn how to properly return to the present from Rufus in order to give their history report on time.

Bill and Ted: Hows it goin' ladies?
Princess Elizabeth: You're the ones we saw in front of the castle.
Ted: I am Ted of San Dimas, and, uh, I bring to you a message of love.
Princess Elizabeth: (giggles) From who?
Ted: From... from myself.
Princess Elizabeth: And what is this message you speak of?
Ted: Uh...
Bill: Lyrics dude, recite them some lyrics.
Ted: Oh, you beautiful babes from England, for whom we have traveled through time... will you go to the prom with us in San Dimas? We will have a most triumphant time!

Bill: (approaching Socrates) How's it going? I'm Bill, this is Ted. We're from the future.
Socrates: Socrates.
Ted: (whispering to Bill) Now what?
Bill: I dunno. Philosophize with him!
Ted: "All we are is dust in the wind," dude. (Socrates gives them a blank stare)
Bill: (scoops up a pile of dust lets it run out of his hand) Dust. (he blows the remainder away)
Bill: Wind.
Ted: (points at Socrates) Dude. (Socrates gasps)
Billy the Kid: Not bad, eh, Socrates? Where are we, dude?
Bill: England, 15th century.

Sigmund Freud: Hello. I'm Dr. Freud, but you may call me Siggy. What is a geek?
Bill: (responding to Freud's invitation to examine him) Nah. Just got a minor Oedipal complex.
Sigmund Freud: This must be a dream. You both seem to be suffering from a mild form of hysteria.

Abraham Lincoln: Fourscore and... (looks at his pocket watch) Seven minutes ago... we, your forefathers, were brought forth upon a most excellent adventure conceived by our new friends, Bill... and Ted. These two great gentlemen are dedicated to a proposition which was true in my time, just as it's true today. Be excellent to each other. And... party on dudes!

Bill: Dude, you gotta have a poker face, like me. (Ted stops grinning at his cards, Bill looks at his own cards)
Bill: Whoa, three aces!
Bearded Cowboy: What the hell's going on here, Billy?
Old West Ugly Dude: Are you a-cheatin' us kid?
Billy the Kid: Cheating? Me? (leaps up, flips table over screaming) Aah!

While trying to get the other historical figures accustomed to life in San Dimas by dropping them off at the local shopping mall, Ted learns that Deacon abandoned Napoleon at a bowling alley the night before. Bill and Ted go off to search for him, finding him enjoying himself at a local water park, "Waterloo". When they return to the mall, they find the other historical figures have been arrested by Ted's father due to the chaos they caused. The two try to figure out how to rescue them when they realize they can use the time machine to go back in time and plant elements, such as the cell keys, at the police station for their escape plan. They successfully free the historical figures and make it to the school on time for their report. The report is an outstanding success, and the two pass their course.

Bill: It is indeed a pleasure to introduce to you a gentleman we picked up in medieval Mongolia in the year 1269.
Ted: Please welcome, the very excellent barbarian...
Ted and Bill: ...Mr. Genghis Khan! (All the students applaud wildly for Khan)
Ted: This is a dude who, 700 years ago, totally ravaged China, and who, we were told, 2 hours ago, totally ravaged Oshman's Sporting Goods.

These two guys don't actually have to do anything to be funny. You laugh at them even if they're just standing there. It turns out they can be quite resourceful. Like a lot of teenagers, they just need motivation. It's hard not to like them, since they're about as good-natured kids as you're likely to find. Bill has the initiative, willing to take risks without hesitation because he doesn't have a clue of what he's getting into. Ted is a born romantic, a sweet-faced kid who all the girls think is really cute. Any time he sees a good-looking girl his heart leaps into his throat and stars flicker in his eyes.

At the end of the film, Rufus joins Bill and Ted as they practice and congratulates them on their report. Rufus brings in Princesses Elizabeth and Joanna, whom he rescued from their father, and explains that he's introduced them to the modern century, and that they too are destined to be part of Wyld Stallyns. As the four begin to play a cacophony of music, Rufus speaks the film's last lines: "They do get better."

BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE is a combination comedy and science fiction/fantasy that presents the viewer with an interesting premise: What if the actions and words of a pair of southern California teenagers are actually important to the survival of the world? This idea seems doomed to failure when we meet Bill and Ted for the first time. The two teens are nice enough guys but apparently are real airheads when it comes to academics. It works as a film because it provides us with humor on a number of levels. The film is actually great family fare because it doesn't contain a lot of profanity, gratuitous violence or sexual activity and provides audiences of all ages with a pleasant time. It is clearly an important influence on humor of the 1990s when you think of subsequent projects like WAYNE'S WORLD (1992).

This slacker comedy provides some good low-brow laughs. One of the silliest movies of all time, the humor is juvenile, and the teenage protagonists seem almost completely vacant-minded. The film aggravated some educators with its frivolous treatment of academia but brought praise from others for making history fun and palatable. It also stamped words like "bogus" and "gnarley" firmly into the 1990s slang lexicon. George Carlin's appearance as the time-traveler Rufus adds a little comedic legitimacy to this little film, which essentially boils down to engaging and well-paced silly, mindless fun with a fairly well-written script. The legacy of Bill and Ted can be traced to the slacker comedies of Adam Sandler.

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter make a great comedy team and their valley dude act and vocabulary becomes very humorous in the context of all of the historical figures we see. Could you imagine greeting Genghis Khan or Napoleon with the line "How's it goin', dude?" Another premise that works very well is the whole idea that the vacuous valley talk like "party on" and "be excellent" or heavy metal music from a teenage garage band actually becomes the mantras of a future society. Finally a lot of humor is made from taking famous historical figures and inserting them into contemporary American suburban society. When we see Napoleon downing a huge sundae at an ice cream store, or delighting to the tidal wave at a water theme park, Beethoven jamming on modern music synthesizers at a shopping mall, Billy the Kid and Socrates learning to play Nerf ball, and Joan of Arc getting into aerobic dance, it becomes an interesting commentary on our society and what the impact of common things we take for granted will have on the future. It provides us with the more subtle idea that maybe the perceptions and attitudes of this generation will have some importance in our future, and that the teenagers of today eventually may amount to something in our culture.

The cast also includes: Bernie Casey (Mr. Ryan), Amy Stock-Poynton (Missy Preston), J. Patrick McNamara (Mr. Preston), William Robbins (Ox Robbins), Steve Shepherd (Randolf Shepherd), Anne Machette (Buffy), (Traci Dawn Davis), (Jody Davis), Duncan McLeod (Old West Bartender), John Clure (Tattooed Cowboy), Jim Cody Williams (Bearded Cowboy), Dusty O'Dee (Old West Ugly Dude), Heather Pittman (Kerry), Ruth Pittman (Daphne), Richard Alexander (Bowling Alley Manager), James Bowbitch (John the Serf), John Karlsen (Evil Duke), Jeanne Hermine Herek (Mother at Waterslides), Jonathan Bond (Waterslide Attendant), Jeff S. Goodrich (Music Store Salesman), Lisa Rubin (Girl at Mall), Marjean Holden (Student Speaker), Claudia Templeton (Aerobic Saleswoman), Carol Gossler (Aerobic Instructor), J. Donovan Nelson (Mall Photographer), Marcia Darroch (Store Clerk), Steven Rotblatt (Police Psychiatrist), Ed Solomon (Stupid Waiter), Chris Matheson (Ugly Waiter), Mark Ogden (Neanderthal 1), Tom Dugan (Neanderthal 2), Ron Althoff (Security Guard), Clarence Clemons (The Three Most Important People in the World), Martha Davis (The Three Most Important People in the World), Fee Waybill (The Three Most Important People in the World), Phillip V. Caruso (Dance Photographer), Lee Hollingsworth (Student), Tricia Porter (Bowling Score Keeper), and Golan Ramras (Kid at Waterloo). David Newman composed the original music. Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon wrote the screenplay. Stephen Herek directed.

The film was shot in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area, mostly in and around Coronado High School in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1987. This movie was actually made and planned for release in 1987, but due to the bankruptcy of the film's original distributor, the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, the project was not released theatrically until February 17, 1989. As a partial result of the delay, certain dates in the movie originally scripted as "1987" had to be redubbed as "1988". The copyright date of this movie is 1988 and the same date appears on the DVD cover.

Originally, the time machine was to be a 1969 Chevrolet van, but the idea was nixed as being too close in concept to the De Lorean used in the BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogy. Instead, the time machine was styled after a 1960s American telephone booth. Its similarity to the time-traveling British police box-shaped TARDIS of the BBC's television programme DOCTOR WHO is reflected in the "Cracked" parody in which the Doctor threatens to sue Rufus. However, the Bill & Ted telephone booth lacked the huge interior spaces of the Doctor's TARDIS.

As is often the case with movie soundtracks with rock music in them, the songs are arranged in a different order than they are heard in the movie. The sequence of the songs in the movie is as follows:

6. I Can't Break Away (Big Pig)
4. Dancing with a Gypsy (Tora Tora)
5. Father Time (Shark Island)
7. Dangerous (Shark Island)
9. In Time (Robbi Robb)
10. Two Heads Are Better Than One (Power Tool)
2. Boys and Girls Are Doing It (Vital Signs)
1. Play With Me (Extreme)
8. Walk Away (Bricklin)
3. Not So Far Away (Glen Burtnik)
10. Two Heads Are Better Than One (reprise) (Power Tool)

Two spin-off TV series were produced as BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURES. The first, an animated series, featured the voices of Carlin, Winter, and Reeves, ran for 21 episodes in 1990 and 1991. A later live-action series, featuring none of the cast from the movie, included Evan Richards as Bill and Christopher Kennedy as Ted, and lasted seven episodes in 1992 on FOX. Video games from Game Boy, NES and Atari Lynx were released, very loosely based on the film's plot. A PC title and nearly identical Amiga and Commodore 64 port were made in 1991 by Off the Wall Productions and IntraCorp, Inc. under contract by Capstone Software and followed the original movie very closely.

BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE was followed in 1991 by the sequel BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY. Like the first film, it stars Keanu Reeves as "Ted" Theodore Logan and Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston Esq. The film's working title was "Bill & Ted Go To Hell" and it is slightly better than the original.

The movie opens in the future, where Chuck De Nomolos (Joss Ackland) steals a time traveling phone booth, and then sends robotic duplicates of Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) back to the past to prevent their band "Wyld Stallyns" from winning the Fourth Annual San Dimas Battle of the Bands, thereby removing their influence on history. Rufus (George Carlin) attempts to stop De Nomolos' plan but ends up lost in time. In the present, Bill and Ted struggle with their band Wyld Stallyns. While former 15th-century princesses and current fiancées Elizabeth (Annette Azcuy) and Joanna (Sarah Trigger) have become skilled on their instruments, Bill and Ted are still inept. De Nomolos' clones capture Bill and Ted, and kill the pair by throwing them over a cliff, then take over their lives, including ruining their relationships with the princesses.

The real Bill and Ted find themselves facing Death (William Sadler), the Grim Reaper, who challenges them to a game for their souls. They realize they have no chance of defeating him, and instead give Death a "melvin" and flee. Bill and Ted try to find someone who can help them in their ethereal state, first by possessing Ted's father, Captain Logan (Hal Landon Jr.). He says, "I totally possessed my Dad!" He possesses another police officer, and then tries to call out at a séance held by Ted's stepmother Missy (Amy Stock-Poynton). However, at the séance, they are mistaken for evil spirits and cast down into Hell. The two are sentenced by Satan (Frank Welker) and forced to live their own personal versions of Hell. The two realize their only means of escape is to play the Reaper in a game for their souls.

The Reaper brings them out of Hell, and lets them decide which game to play. The pair select several games, including Battleship, Clue, electric football, and Twister, each time winning and requiring the Reaper to insist on a rematch. Eventually the Reaper acquiesces and lets the pair command him. Bill and Ted realize that the only way to face their robotic counterparts and get to the Battle of the Bands is to find the smartest being alive to build them a more powerful set of robots. The Reaper takes them to Heaven and introduces him to Station (Frank Welker), an alien that is able to split itself into two smaller versions of itself. The group returns to present-day Earth, and gather the necessary parts for Station at the local hardware store. As they race to the Battle of the Bands, Station completes powerful robotic versions of Bill and Ted. Station's robots are able to defeat De Nomolos' clones before Wyld Stallyns are due to take the stage. De Nomolos arrives from the future in the time machine, intent on defeating the band himself over a worldwide television broadcast, but Bill and Ted are able to get the upper hand with their friends' help. Rufus, who was able to return to the future and then travel to the present, helps to secure De Nomolos while encouraging Bill and Ted to get on stage and play.

As Bill and Ted reunite with their fiancées and prepare to play, they realize that their musical skills still are lacking, and the four of them disappear briefly in the time machine, reappearing moments later but aged several months. During this time, they have not only learned how to skillfully play their instruments but both couples have married and have offspring. Wyld Stallyns, joined by both the Reaper and Station, play their world-changing music to a global television audience thanks to De Nomolos' interference. During the end credits, fictional newspaper and magazine articles describe the worldwide impact of the Stallyns' music towards the utopian future.