Dazed and Confused

Rating:
Summary: "The 70's...oh my god, they obviously suck!"
Review: That is one of many classic lines from this movie that makes it a classic. However, this movie could have been set in the 70's, 80's, 90's or 2003 and people would have seen themselves or their friends in this outstanding cast of characters. We all lived through high school, and we can all identify with the characters depicted in Dazed and Confused.

For example, there's the kid who's 27 and still hanging out with all the high schoolers, still trying to date high school freshmen 13 years his junior (Matthew McConaghey). For some kids, you can tell that high school will be the pinnacle of their sad, pathetic lives, and Ben Affleck plays this character to a tee. There are also the ludicrously bitchy and snobby girls (Parker Posey), the perpetually nice and perky girls (Michelle Burke), and the kid who comes to parties "to drink some beer and kick some ass." (Nicky Katt)

This movie is funny because it is so true. High school is pretty much the same regardless of decade or location. You have your jocks and your intellectuals, your snobs and the kids who are nice to everybody. In that way it's like real life, but in real life you're not bound together with 800 other kids you grew up with and who know your entire embarassing life story.

This movie depicting only one day in the life of a high school student is hilarious and touching. Though it will make you laugh out loud, it will also bring back memories of feeling inadequate or ugly that were magnified by the clausterphobic setting of high school. This movie features some stellar performances by actors who went on to become very famous. Though the characters in this movie could have gone to school at any time period in the 20th century, the 70's setting adds to the hilarity. Dive into this world of bell bottoms, bongs and Black Sabbath and try not to cringe when you recognize yourself or your friends in the wonderful cast of characters.

Rating:
Summary: HEY,MAN AREN'T YOU A LITTLE BIT EARLY?
Review: DAZED AND CONFUSED is really funny and really enjoyable. It isn't laugh-out-loud funny, but you'll enjoy the humor that isn't as obvious of that of a Farrelly Brothers Movie. Richard Linklater did a great job, writing and directing a movie that will deeply affect every generation, with it's unforgettable moments. It is a movie that will bring back old memories...inspire new memories...and has become a memory in its own right. It has characters that everyone can relate to. It has Jason London as the honest guy that everyone would love to hang out with, because he fit in with everyone, and would look out for his friends. There is Ben Affleck as the all-too-into it a**hole that got on everyone's nerves, but was useful to have on your side. There is Rory Cochrane in his most memorable role as the optimistic, always friendly pothead who got along with almost everyone. There is Michelle Burke as the extremely hot, but extremely friendly Jodi Kramer, looking out for her innocent little bro. with an attitude, Mitch, played by Wiley Wiggins. There is Parker Posey as the arrogant b**tch, and there's also Joey Lauren Adams as the partly vengeful, and traditional, but equally sympathetic senior who took no crap. Who could forget Matthew McConaughey as the technical adult who always stayed by the high school envirenmont as a safety, because of his fear of growing up. These people along with, pretty much, millions of other characters, along with the coming-of-age story that energetically dirves and serves to carry along the film that gives you the ability to watch this movie over and over again. But when you feel that way about any film, you should remember not to abuse anything. You wouldn't want to grow bored of the movie. You know what they say : "Too much of a good thing is a bad thing," This of course, can exclude Mr John Stamos, who spoke otherwise in the 10-10-987 add. Of course, it's possible that he's right. I haven't grown bored of this movie yet. Is it possible that I never will. Maybe. Maybe not. Anyways, check out the movie. You'll love it... or hate it. Whatever I don't really care. This movie rocks no matter what.

Rating:
Summary: Shotgun...
Review: Hello! what a great movie, a real cult classic for the slacker generation. 1976 marked the 200th year since the American declaration of independence and in 1993 this retrospective marked the progress that American society had made over the intervening period. Hmmm. That can't be right, this is a movie about stoners, stoners who hate school and like beer and pool-halls and some sadistic ritual involving sticks and young boys (still not sure what that is all about). Make up your own minds.

O Jason London (Mallrats, Party of Five) where art thou? London's understated charisma and cross-allegiance between the jocks and the stoners is the centre piece of this movie as it whirls about the end of school, a busted house-party, a beer-bust by the moontower, riding around in cars smashing post-boxes and talking about Martha Washington's hobby of growing marijuana..?? Who cares what the plot is, just enjoy the ride and the soundtrack and wish you were there. While you're doing it watch out for appearances from Parker Posey, Milla Jovovich, Ben Affleck (great hairdo) and Matthew Mconnaughey.

Oh, and next time you go to get in the car and someone else is driving, don't forget to call shotgun....

Rating:
Summary: I laughed so hard smoke blew out my mouth
Review: I love good low brow comedies, but sadly I had missed out on Dazed and Confused until recently. Even though it mostly features a bunch of kids getting drunk and stoned (and having fun doing it), there is more to the film than that. As the Amazon review states that the movie asks the question of "What happens next?", and we see the kids wonder about they're uncertain futures, and have a fun time doing it. It's stoner comedy at it's best, one scene in particular is when Slater (Rory Cochrane) is discussing how cool of a lady Martha Washington was and how she took care of George, is laugh out loud hilarious. The rest of the then young cast includes Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, Milla Jovovich, Cole Hauser, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Adam Goldberg, and a then unknown Matthew McConaughey as an older stoner who still loves to party. Do yourself a favor, if you've never seen Dazed and Confused but you love movies like Half Baked, The Stoned Age, or any Kevin Smith film, than you'll love this.

Rating:
Summary: PERFECT
Review: A perfect time capsule of high school in 1976. This movie has it all: Rock music; Muscle cars; Drugs. The opening scene with Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion playing while an orange GTO cruises through the high-school parking lot can't be beat.

Furthermore, there's a gold mine of talent here. It's a real stoner comedy, as opposed to that politically correct piece of trash Dude Where's My Car.

Rating:
Summary: Dazed and Confused...A Coherent Film!!!
Review: One of the definitive movies depicting the 70's teen culture, DAZED AND CONFUSED works on all levels from the characters, the dress, the hair, the pot smooking, beer drinking, and of course the soundtrack. School has ended, summer vacation is started and all the stoners, geeks, jocks, muscle car racers, and all the other clicks are going to celebrate one way or another. There's the hazing of the future freshman (guys get wacked by paddles, girls go through car washes), the jocks are going to do their best to stay away from booze, pot, and women for the coaches (yeah..right!!), a party at a house is derailed by the parents courtesy of an unsuspecting delivery man, and a future freshman is going to have his first taste of partying with the big boys, staying out all night, and getting the girl of his dreams etc...Look for for future stars Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, and Milla Jovovich in minor roles. Outstanding performances by Jason London as "Pink" and Wiley Wiggins as Mitch. Overall, a film (if you were a teen or young adult in this era) that brings back fond memories and that it wasn't all that bad...and the music is terrific.

Rating:
Summary: See it with a bud....
Review: This truly is an excellent movie, as well as an accurate description of a teenagers life. It's a hilarious movie, and one I can (and do) watch again and again. It's a great 'bonding' experience for parent to watch with their teens. They will really realize how teen life is.

Rating:
Summary: Still relevant today
Review: The first time I heard of this movie was in Sept. '93. I was a junior in high school. One night I was up doing homework & I happen to hear KISS' "Rock & Roll All Nite" on the tv. It was the trailer for the movie. I didn't go see it until it hit the "bargain" theaters in Feb. '94. Needless to say, I was mad that I waited too long to see it. Before I saw it, I "got right". Although it's a cliche, you could spot your fellow high-schoolers in this film. High-school will never change:parties,fights,and getting laid. Most movie soundtracks blow,but the first volume, kicks MAJOR ass!!! Definteley captured the era. After I saw the movie, I went out & bought the soundtrack,then bought Vol. II ("Even More Dazed & Confused,They Found Your Stash Again!). The second volume isn't as good as the first,but still has moments. My friends & I jammed on them while "getting right". I HIGHLY recommend this DVD/VHS. If the DVD had any extras,I'd buy it,but I'm still enjoying the film on VHS.

Rating:
Summary: It WILL hit close to home
Review: "Dazed and Confused" represents one of the better entries in the film genre fans affectionately refer to as the stoner picture. After viewing this movie, I started thinking about this much maligned cinematic rubric. How many films, I wondered, fall within this category? Well, there are the Cheech and Chong movies that emerged in the 1970s, a series of films that really deserve their own special niche. What else? "The Stoned Age" came out one year after "Dazed and Confused" arrived on the scene. There are probably many more that I could not recall, but the mother of all stoner films has to be the amazing "Over the Edge," a movie notable for showcasing Matt Dillon in his first film roll, but also because of its gritty '70s feel and its wonderful fusion of youthful alienation with suburban sprawl. "Over the Edge," sadly unavailable on DVD as of this date, should serve as the standard by which viewers should measure all other stoner films. In that respect, "Dazed and Confused," while suffering a few problems, does a nice job of keeping the tradition alive.

Set in a small Texas town in the 1970s, "Dazed and Confused" follows the various misadventures of a group of high school students on the last day of school, covering a period of mere hours from the end of the school day to the obligatory beer bash held that evening. The cast of characters here is huge, ranging from a small band of junior high students about to become freshman to high school juniors about to become seniors. There's Randall "Pink" Floyd (Jason London), the high school football star who is having some doubts about signing a team pledge to refrain from drugs and alcohol during his senior year. Several of his buddies, including Fred O'Bannion (Ben Affleck) and the team coach, give him grief about his hesitancy to give in to this blatant attempt at control. In the meantime, the gang of jocks and their female counterparts take great joy in engaging in the time-honored ritual of hazing the incoming freshman class. This activity involves chasing the hapless kiddies around town in automobiles in order to administer a rather vicious beating with a stout wooden paddle. One of these new freshmen, Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins) attempts to avoid the inevitable until some seniors catch him after one of his baseball games. Floating on the periphery of these scenes is a trio of eggheads (played by Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, and Marissa Ribisi) and an aging stoner, David Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey), who cannot let go of his high school years.

The scenes in "Dazed and Confused" unfold in a chaotic manner, perhaps in an effort to mirror the randomness of American youth during the 1970s. A planned party at the house of a kid whose parents are going on vacation comes to naught when a delivery truck attempts to deliver a keg as the shocked adults look on. With this party effectively put on ice, the search is on for a new place to toss back a few cold ones. Most of the kids spend a lot of time driving around town, always on the lookout for some action. After receiving his beating, Mitch Kramer discovers a newfound friendship with Randall Floyd, who invites the diminutive frosh to accompany him on an excursion to the local hangout. Meanwhile, the three brainiacs cruise around town throwing out the most hilarious observations about their future and the state of the country (my favorite line equates Gerald Ford's football injuries with the state of the economy). The kegger contains the things those who went to these atrocities in high school would expect: someone gets in a fight, new relationships form and dissolve, and the stoner archetype goes off on a rant about drugs. The movie ends with no concrete answers about where these kids will go or what the future holds for them.

The movie is notable not for its party hard theme, although that certainly plays a big role here, but for its introspective mood. Director Richard Linklater punches up the film with plenty of humor, such as Affleck's over the top role as the school jerk, but he also shows many of these characters worrying and wondering about the future and what it holds for them. Some of these scenes will break your heart. For example, David Wooderson tells his high school buddies about how the real world is a drag because of its rules and how he just does what he wants no matter what the cost. Everyone knew this guy, and also saw him fail in life. Randall Floyd muses about his high school career, stating that "if these are the best years of my life, remind me to kill myself." The last scene of the film, with that open road stretching into the distance--and into the uncertain future, for that matter--really sums up the what this movie is about.

I think the viewer who will understand this movie the best will be the person who went to high school and has been out of that place for a period of years. That way you can appreciate the humorousness of the various characters while understanding the implications of their actions. The people who were not caught up in high school because they understood that four years is only a small part of the grand sweep of life were the ones who generally succeeded after leaving the hallowed halls. "Dazed and Confused" makes you realize this fact. Although the film is a little too fractured, resulting in several undeveloped characters, it really is an honest look at a painful time in our lives. I highly recommend it, but prepare yourself for nostalgia pangs and a heavy dose of even more painful '70's atmosphere along the way.

Rating:
Summary: You cool, man!
Review: Such a funny movie. I have seen it so many times and it still gets funnier. Not to mention the awesome songs on the movie.