Rating: 
Summary: Days of confusion
Review: Instead of reading it as a loving elegy to the bygone days of the mid-1970s, like I think most people do, I read Richard Linklater's "Dazed and Confused" as a condemnation, not of the era per se, but of the generation that survived it. And by extension, every generation's high schoolers. Let me explain.Linklater is making fun of his characters. Of this I have no doubt. Witness how everyone speaks in stilted, unfinished sentences. This is a function of either their excessive pot smoking ("Dazed") or their inherent ignorance ("Confused"). Either way, it doesn't look good. I mean, can you imagine more purposefully disjointed and jumbled opening lines to a movie than the following?: SIMONE: I'm heading this way.
PINK: Oh. Later.
SIMONE: So what have we decided?
PINK: About what?
SIMONE: About tonight.
PINK: Oh, er. Look, I'll probably get, you know, hung up with the guys, maybe, you know, later. Why don't we just you know, meet at the party? SIMONE: Okay They're hardly "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" or "Call me Ishmael". But, they do set the stage for the aimlessness to follow. Perfectly. Couple this intentional idiocy with a preoccupation with the acquisition of beer and pot and a place to consume said beer and pot, and the most intense yet apathetic hazing rituals ever put on film, and you've got high school nihilism drawn out in all its colours (those colours being nothing more than black and white). But my best argument for this point is the soundtrack. Supposedly compiled as a loving tribute to seventies music, it comes across more as a criticism of the milquetoast tastes of those in control of the stereo. Every song is bigger and dumber than the last, beginning with Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion", traipsing through Peter Frampton's "Do You Feel Like We Do", wallowing in the muck of a couple of Alice Cooper numbers, before landing squarely on the Edgar Winter Group's "Free Ride". These are all fun tunes (I admit to a certain soft spot in my heart for the beautiful guitar work in Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone"). But these are high school kids listening to them, not their twenty-years-down-the-road-nostalgic-baby-boomer counterparts. Shouldn't their music be more dangerous and defiant? If the soundtrack to the revolution contains Kiss' "Rock and Roll All Nite", then we're all doomed. The biggest offense is in the way the kids use Bob Dylan's "Hurricane". A song about one man's struggle to free himself from jail -- incarcerated almost two decades for a crime he didn't commit -- scores a scene at an arcade hangout, where the goals are to drink a lot of beer, and kick butt at the foosball and pool tables. Linklater is laughing at the obliviousness, the ridiculousness, of these people. To further this notion, Linklater has cast atypically wooden actors. In an average movie of this kind (enormous ensemble cast of teenage and twentysomething actors), you'd expect many breakout stars, and many careers to be made. Unfortunately this hasn't happened. Sure, Matthew McConaughey is now a household name, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger star than Ben Affleck, but the rest of the cast has disappeared mostly without a trace. Jason London, who does a passable job as star quarterback and all around good guy Randall "Pink" Floyd (even his name is obvious!), followed up "Dazed and Confused" with a series of small roles in movies no one saw. Wiley Wiggins, as an incoming freshman taken under the wing of the seniors, is very good at showing the awkwardness and potential of his character. A scene where he buys beer, mimicking the drunken mumblings he'd heard not moments before, is played straight but manages to be very funny. But until his starring role in Linklater's "Waking Life", where had this boy gone? Rory Cochrane, who plays a stoner named Slater, carries a lot of comic weight and is the most often quoted character in the cast. He pulls off both aspects. But does Slater make a deeper impression than, say Sean Penn's Jeff Spicoli or Bill & Ted? Not really. Slater's supposedly wise spaced-out ramblings are specious at best. Parker Posey, as a queen-bitch, and Adam Goldberg and Anthony Rapp, as the film's Greek Chorus, are all fine, if underwhelming. The rest of the cast is uniformly awful. Affleck, as a bullying buffoon, Shawn Andrews, Milla Jovovich, Sasha Jensen, Jason O. Smith, Cole Hauser... I could go on. They're all pretty bad. Unbelievable and boring. If anything, "Dazed and Confused" is an opportunity to laugh at the people on screen, and in turn at yourself. We were all once this young and dumb and aimless, weren't we? So laugh at the stupid hair, the ridiculous clothes (I love the way Linklater dresses up his football coaches in skin tight shirts, Daisy Duke-like shorts, and knee-high tube socks), the faux-philosophy, the nihilism, the crudity, and the buffoonery. Linklater doesn't want you to look back nostalgically on these days. As he has Pink say near the end, "If I ever start referring to these as the best years of my life, remind me to kill myself."
Rating: 
Summary: It was to mellow
Review: This movie was just too mellow and way to slow and worst of all Dazed and Confused was missing the most important thing a good story plot. The film just centers around a bunch of annoying teenagers in Austin Texas in 1976 partying and getting high and a couple of wierd guys trying to hit freshman in the behind with wooden padles. Then some freshman kid with really greasy hair goes to his first beer drinking party and then just everyone else acting cool and mellow and just too chilled you do not get the exciting plot it just never gets there. The clothes and cars were cool they had that stuff down but the story stunk.
Rating: 
Summary: DAZED AND CONFUSED
Review: This movie is my all time favorite! I can not even recall how many times I have watched it during high school. My friends and I would go over to my house after school plop in front of the tv crack open a beer and watch the movie relating with it as much as possible. I love all the different groups that are present in the movie. I think in all high schools these groups are represented. At least in my high school we had the stoners, the jocks, the geeks, and the "in crowd". The soundtrack is killer also featuring artists such as Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Deep Purple, and Nazareth. For me this movie really had a deep meaning of what I remember in high school now that I am out. I feel like Matthew Mcconaughey's character, David Wooderson, being the senior that graduated and does not want to leave his memories behind.
Rating:
Summary: ANd Its GREEn toO
Review: this movie is spectacular, i just love it. i don't think anyone could make it any better. everything is perfect. i can't give away any of the scenes, cuz you'd miss out. i think you know what you must do.
Rating:
Summary: BONZO'S ONE HOUR DRUM SOLO!
Review: This is the coolest flick i have ever seen.Great music,cool characters and cool cars.Pink rules.Slater reminds me of some dude i knew in high school.When this flick came out i began my senior year.I never get tired of this flick.You don't have to be from the rockin' 70's to dig this awesome flick.Don't rent it,bye it.It would be cool if you did!
Rating:
Summary: awesome movie
Review: it's one of my few favorite movies to get blazed out of my mind and watch. one of my favorite lines: "you got a joint, man?" "no, not on me, man." "well, it would be a lot cooler if you did." (matthew mcconaghey talking to freshman)
Rating: 
Summary: High School, the cold hard truth.
Review: I am a 21 year old female and the first time I watched Dazed and Confused I was 17yrs. old. When I first viewed it, I thought it was the greatest movie. It should me how cool high school could really be. The fun, the parties and the friends. When I watch it now it makes me want to go back to High School and not have a care in the world. To be able to do what I want do whenever I want to. This movie gives me a chance to free myself and return to the immaturity of my high school years. It's a great movie for when you just want to remember the good ol' days.
Rating:
Summary: ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT
Review: One striking feature of this movie was the fact that music played such a huge part in capturing the mood of the times. Almost like Scorsese's "Mean Streets". Also, did anyone really notice either Matthew McConaughey or Ben Affleck under those mullets? Me neither. Despite the humor in this movie, there is a lot of pain here too (all the hazing, paddling, Newhouse's fight). That's what gives the movie a more lasting feel. But overall, it captures the mood of being young and carefree perfectly.
Rating:
Summary: Forget "That 70's Show", it doesn't stand up to this film.
Review: This is one of those movies that don't really have a plot or a goal (such as our teen-age lives in the 70's). It's just about 10 or so little semi-stories involving about 24 different actors and actresses. All these characters share a common goal: "What do you want to do?" Nobody seems to think they're going anywhere, so just getting together with their fellow classmates after the last day of school for a beer bash at someone's house is very likely the only thing that matters right now. Everyone sort of questions their existence, they think their life is a bore. We may have thought this then, but we sure do miss those empty, easy-going days now.
Many agree that this is just another "American Graffiti" but set in 1976, which is the year I was a high school freshman. I guess the movie "American Pie" is for today's high school teen. Thank God, "Dazed and Confused" is not nearly as tasteless.
"Dazed and Confused" came out about 1993. What makes this film work so well is that the 24 main characters are all unknown actors (at the time). Just like "American Graffiti", many nobody's became big stars afterwards. In 1993, we really didn't know Matthew McConnahey, Ben Affleck, and maybe about 3 others who have gone on to do other movies. The other stars in this film will always be remembered only as the teen they portrayed in this film...which makes this film, all the more, precious and a gem to get lost in. However, I know this film has to have a cult following. Wouldn't it be great if it were possible to get these 24 actors and actresses together again for a sequel?
This movie touches on the many nuances of personalities that I'm sure everyone knew somebody "just like somebody here". But, there is one really "dumb" line used in this film. It still irks me when I hear Mike (Adam Goldberg) say "I wanna dance!" It's really out of text when he describes how he doesn't like his decision for wanting to "Help needy people" after college. But, other cliches' are priceless. I love McConnahey's approach when he says "All right! All Right! All Riiight! I've adopted it myself. Oh, and that classic line "Are you cool, Man?"
This is truly a fun party movie to have on with friends over (you know, the 30+ crowd). Linklater really captured the essence of the moment. And, like I said at the beginning. Forget "That 70's Show" which is for today's teens to think that's how it was. That show is pretty deceiving. Trust Me.
That show is just as weak as "Friends". At least "Seinfeld" admitted it's intentions were pointless. But the modern-day era worked for "Seinfeld" and its specific empty humor.
Sorry I think I kind of drifted. Anyway. "Dazed and Confused" captures mid seventies culture, cliches' nuances, and teenage confusion that we all shared together. Rent it first, either you'll relate to it whole-heartedly, or it just wasn't your era at all. This film might just serve to please a small specific age group, just like "American Graffiti", and "The Big Chill". Either you were there, or you weren't. We understand.
Rating:
Summary: Going On A Free Ride!!!
Review: "Dazed and Confused" is one of my all time favorite movies. Being a film buff, most people would probably guess my choice would be "The Godfather" or "Citizen Kane". Nope!The top spot of cinema ectasy goes to Richard Linklater's simple homage to teenagers on the first night of summer vacation. Yes, episodicaly following the social rites of different cliques of teenagers, during a 24 hour period had already been done in George Lucas's classic film, "American Graffiti". Richard Linklater more then matches Lucas with probably one of the best films ever made about being a teenager during that nostalgic age that we called the 70's.Linklater's script gives us a realistic, yet very funny portrait of a night in the life of these kids. Also,like Lucas's classic, "Dazed & Confused" features a shining young ensemble of actors at the begining of their careers including Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Joey Laurence Adams and Adam Goldberg.The film also features a killer soundtract of '70s rock and pop tunes that feature such favorites as Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Peter Frampton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foghat, Deep Purple etc. For a great nostalgic '70s trip, I highly recomend this movie!
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