Dazed and Confused (1993)

Dazed and Confused is awesome.
just awesome.



The best teenage movie I've seen, and the best teenage movie anyone I've ever met has ever seen.

It is the tale of what happens to a group of teenagers after their last day of school.
Half of them are seniors, the other half not.

I have seen my share of teen movies.
probably because I refuse to grow up.
probably because they tend to be the movies that allow me to simply relax, watch and giggle.
In particular, If you've watched Jacob's ladder the day before.

But this movie has a special feel about it.

First of all, it is like the mega casting of hell.
There are so many stars in secondary roles in this movie, it just doesn't make sense.

Second of all, the MPAA has rated it R for pervasive, continuous teen drug and alcohol use and very strong language.

Third of all, the Directing and the photography are OUTSTANDING.
you really get that 70's, careless feel.
why? because of the overall thing.
everything is smooth, calm, you're on a train ride with everyone, going from one character to the other, from one scene to the next.
every transition is flawless. So you barely even notice that so many things are happening.
The movie is very dialog-based, which I appreciate

You follow so many characters, all of them being very interesting, that you don't have time to get bored by any.
At the end however, you regret not having seen a little more from this one, or that one...

the characters are also an almost honest representation of teens.
Following a decade (the 80's) of teen movies played either by 30 year old actors, either being movies that made little sense.
with the exceptions of the movies Directed and/or Produced by John Huges (The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferry's Buellers Day Off, Career Opportunities...), The Goonies, and the movies with the Two Coreys
Ok, so maybe the 80's was the best decade for teen movies.
One day I will try to make some consistent review of this.

AAAAnyhow, Dazed and Confused paved the way for a lot of people who went on to make decent careers further on (i.e. Ben Affleck, Matthew Mc Conaughey, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams or Jason London - although none of them, except Jason London had a lead character in this movie)

The soundtrack is also quite great, and contributes in great effect to the success of this movie.
Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Sabbath, Kiss and others are in there, played in the background as if not only a soundtrack of the movie but as the soundtrack of these youngsters lives.