Alex Winter
Alex Winter on His New Frank Zappa Doc, Why He Still Hasn’t ‘Cracked’ the Composer
In 2016, Alex Winter launched the grueling quest of his latest documentary with one clear question: “Who the fuck is Frank Zappa?” After four years, a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, numerous interviews and a mind-boggling “deep dive” into the late musician’s archives, he’s still no closer to an answer. And he’s satisfied with that result. “I’m gratified that I’ve gone through this insane [endeavor] but feel like I haven’t cracked Zappa,” he tells SPIN. “Because he elicits such a strong reaction from fans and detractors, I’ve met so many people who feel like they’ve got his number. I don’t have judgment against them — I just don’t feel like I’m one of those people.” If an...
Zappa Trailer Previews Eclectic Musician’s Upcoming Documentary
ZAPPA, the forthcoming documentary about eclectic musical legend Frank Zappa, released its first trailer today (Oct. 28), ahead of the film’s video-on-demand release date of Nov. 27. Directed by actor/filmmaker Alex Winter (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, The Lost Boys) the doc offers “unfettered access to the Zappa family trust and all archival footage,” according to a statement from Magnolia Pictures, which is releasing the film. “ZAPPA explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away from the political turbulence of its time.” Zappa family members Ahmet Zappa is a producer, and footage includes Frank’s widow Gail Zappa and several of Frank’s musical collaborators including Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barr...
10 Bill & Ted Quotes You Probably Say All the Time
As Bill S. Preston Esq. and Ted Theodore Logan get ready to face the music in their long-awaited third and final adventure — um, Bill & Ted: Face the Music — it’s worth taking a minute to reflect upon just how much this unlikely duo have rocked their way into our pop-culture lexicon. When writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon first stumbled upon the idea of combining the time-traveling fun of Back to the Future with, let’s say, the party-time excellence of “Wayne’s World” and the surfer slang of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (anachronisms be damned!), little could they know that their good-natured, bumbling teens and their fledgling band, Wyld Stallyns, would, as they do in the franchise, go on to change the world forever. Editors’ Picks Whether you’re air guitaring in most-triump...
10 Years and 10 Questions with William Sadler: On Bill and Ted, Tales from the Crypt, and Never Fearing the Reaper
William Sadler is a man of many faces. He’s played good guys. He’s played bad guys. He’s been the President of the United States. He’s played an illiterate convict with a heart caked in soot. There’s just no limit to what he can and cannot do. This weekend, he returns to the underworld in the highly anticipated sequel Bill and Ted: Face the Music. As the board game-failing, bass-jamming Reaper, Sadler brings some much-needed humility to Hades. Once again, he steals every scene. In anticipation, we connected with the veteran actor to revisit those faces across 10 Years and 10 Questions. Given his eclectic and exhaustive resume, it was next to impossible to squeeze everything in within the allotted 20 minutes, but we tried our damndest. So, enjoy the stories we did get below. 1989 <img ar...
Bill and Ted: Face the Music Brings an Excellent Reunion But a Bogus Story: Review
The Pitch: It’s been decades since William “Bill” S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Theodore “Ted” Logan (Keanu Reeves) triumphed over Hell and defeated gym-teacher-turned-terrorist Chuck De Nomolos. Sadly, the Wyld Stallyns have seen better days, and the two world renown rockers have been reduced to garage band has-beens. With their rock and roll destiny in turmoil, the entire universe begins to crumble, leaving Bill and Ted exactly 78 minutes to face the music and save the world once again. Strange Things are Afoot: The beauty of the Bill and Ted franchise has always been its brazen imagination. It’s an ’80s slacker daydream fueled by the very slushees and sugary snacks our two heroes grab at the Circle K. Creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon have long been self-aware of that fact...
Bill and Ted Meet Rufus’ Daughter in First Face the Music Clip: Watch
We’re under two weeks away from the much anticipated release of Bill & Ted Face the Music, which means it’s time for a most excellent promotional push from Orion Pictures. After moving up the VOD release date to August 28th and sharing a casting featurette, the studio has now delivered the very first clip from the threequel. Entitled simple “The Future,” the brief scene finds William “Bill” S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Theodore “Ted” Logan (Keanu Reeves) meeting a new face from, well, the future. Kristen Schaal steps out of the egg-shaped time machine to introduce herself as Kelly, the daughter of Bill and Ted’s old friend Rufus. The character’s name is a most triumphant nod to the late, great Rufus actor George Carlin, whose actual daughter is also named Kelly. But the clip...
Bill & Ted: Face the Music Secures VOD Release Date, Drops New Trailer: Watch
The Wyld Stallyns are riding into your living room: Bill & Ted 3: Face the Music will now arrive on VOD and in select theaters on September 1st. To celebrate, Orion Pictures has dropped a totally awesome new trailer. As you’ll see below, William “Bill” S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Theodore “Ted” Logan (Keanu Reeves) are no longer the teen slackers outside the Circle K. They’re grown-ass adult slackers outside the Circle K. Tasked to write and complete a world-saving tune, the two heroes set out on another time-traveling adventure, this time involving their daughters: Samara Weaving as Thea Preston and Brigette Lundy-Paine as Billie Logan. It’s pretty far out. Editors’ Picks Grab a slushee and watch below. In addition to the aforementioned, the Steven Soderbergh-pr...
Bill and Ted 3 Release Date Delayed Two Weeks
It’s been almost thirty years, but the third installment of the Bill and Ted franchise will have to wait a little longer. Bill & Ted Face the Music has been pushed back two weeks to avoid sharing the calendar with Tenet. Both movies have been shuffling around release dates. Most recently, Tenet was scheduled for July 31st, but it was delayed yet again amidst a surge of COVID-19 cases. Now Christopher Nolan’s latest mindbender is hoping to land sometime between August 12th and 14th. Bill and Ted had planned to Face the Music on the 14th, but rather than compete with a sci-fi blockbuster juggernaut, Bill & Ted’s producers are content to catch the next dance on August 28th. As a sequel to 1989’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and 1991’s Bill & T...
Steven Soderbergh on Bill & Ted Face the Music: “I’ve Seen It, It’s Really Good”
Bill & Ted Face the Music won’t hit theaters until August 21st (more on that in a second), but already it’s received high marks. In fact, the highly anticipated sequel has won over filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, who has had quite a hand in making the film a reality. “I’ve seen it, it’s really good, and we’re almost done,” Soderbegh told Flaviar’s NightCap Live (via Collider) while promoting his brandy, “and I feel like it’s the perfect movie for people who want to feel better about what’s happening right now.” So, what the hell does Soderbergh have to do with this? Well, quite a lot. As he told the show, Soderbergh has been a “cheerleader” of sorts, having worked with original screenwriter Ed Solomon on HBO’s Mosaic. Eh, we’ll let him explain: “When Ed and I started working on Mosaic, I ...
