DAZED AND CONFUSED: Excitement in Mundanity

A short video essay by Chris Ashton on how Richard Linklater draws excitement from everyday life in his film 'Dazed and Confused' (1993).
Disclaimer: the material presented in this video is property of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
"RetroFuture Clean" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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"ZigZag" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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"Deliberate Thought" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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[@simonArmenia1]

Daze and C is that rare kind of movie that almost get better with each view.

[@hammurds]

Simon Simomac it doesn’t almost, it does

[@doriancrosby6850]

I know it is kinda randomly asking but does anybody know a good place to stream newly released tv shows online?

[@robertwhough]

Great analysis of a great film. What viewers don't realize is that Linklater is walking a tightrope in Dazed and Confused: it is very difficult to grip an audience's attention without providing obvious narrative arcs. He manages this by relying on compelling characters, observational wit and those continual moments of truth talked about in this video. Point being: the first time I saw Dazed I thought it was a delightful, atavistic romp. But on repeated viewings, I've come to view it as something extremely complex and accomplished, a sort of art house masterpiece. Anyone agree?

[@michaelbroyles2601]

I agree!

[@NameInsertedHere]

I agree too man. I love all Richard Linklater films and he does it all so masterfully in each one man.

[@dawngw26]

yeah, every time I watch it, I catch some new nuance that I never did before. It's very rich in information, while keeping you entertained. It's become one of my favorite movies!

[@Diachron]

Agreed. The movie is unexpectedly dense and subtle.

[@dakotasymington8353]

I like calling it a “Hangout Movie” it’s something you can put on in the background and not miss anything cause there’s no real plot. The soundtrack is incredible and it makes a great movie to smoke or drink with. It feels like the characters are your friends and you hanging out with them for a day. One of my all-time favorites

[@MikeGubisch]

yes it’s an experience, i’m so sad i wasn’t born in the 70s truly a missed opportunity

[@victoriahilton62]

This is my favourite movie ever because the soundtrack is the absolute best!Every song match every single moments so well you can almost feel like you are there with them enjoying every minute of it!

[@danielnotdamast816]

The great soundtrack gets overshadowed by everything else I feel like

[@betterjackson]

this is my comfort movie

[@ShredHouseGaming]

“For every suicide squad there is a guardians of the galaxy” is probably the best analogy that modern Hollywood needs to think about. Watch both, you see the difference My favorite movie and I just found this, great job dude

[@MikeGubisch]

just watched for the second time last night and it blew me away how better i enjoyed it

[@jamesstaggs4160]

Was in highschool when this came out and it nearly perfectly mirrors what it was like. It's almost uncanny. Of course it gets the various groups in most schools right, but just like in the movie my football coach made us sign a pledge that was almost a carbon copy and I'm pretty sure he never knew this movie even existed. There's no main character really but Pink is close enough to one and his character may as well be based on me, except I was a halfback and not a quarterback. I hung out with every single group at my school and I wasn't ever mean to any freshmen, or much of anyone. My coach was on me from the second he knew me and gave me a hard time. Our team didn't really get any time off. Three weeks in summer and one week around Christmas. That's it. Rest of the time, even during the summer, was practice and weightlifting. My coach knew that I hung out with the "undesirables" sometime and gave me shit for it. I've attended more than a few field parties and that's exactly what they were like. All in all it was a pretty great time. Certainly not the best years of my life but they're up there. Also movies didn't really use pop/rock songs as their score back then. The song choices were pretty great too, even if I wished he'd picked a little more "deep cut" type music. The choice of "Tuesday's Gone" by Lynerd Skynerd for the end of the party scene was fantastic. Every time I watch the movie as soon as it kicks in I actually get a little sad.

[@oskar_oskarewicz]

Cool essay man, thanks. I've just seen the movie for the third time and I am still very impressed with it. Linklater is a very talented dude. Now I need to rewacth Everybody Wants Some!. Also I need to rewatch American Graffiti, I remeber it had a similar vibe to it. If you havnet seen it I would recommend you The Myth of American Sleepover by David Robert Mitchel (dude behind a moder teen horror masterpiece It Follows). Movie is a tribute to flicks like Dazed and Confused, it is very good.

[@craigistired]

favorite movie ever

[@oasis6342]

Greatest movie ever dazed and confused

[@c.deville1536]

Yo this video is very well done!

[@abhishektd7068]

I'd always thought about how Linklater did that

[@colinftp3288]

Nice

[@Bud88883]

By the sound of your accent you probably never went to high school in America. I was a senior in 1976. In America!

[@CRASS2047]

The stoned age wasn’t as good, but was definitely good

[@tomloft2000]

80s were anything but radical.

[@bigtechisbigbrother8690]

The 80's were awesome compared to the sick dystopia of today, where people don't know whether to use the male or female bathroom and men are allowed to compete in women's sports. Totally insane.

[@whyismylifeweird4251]

Ronald Reagan

[@107newt5]

@@bigtechisbigbrother8690🤨and how is that worse than tony’s or wooderson’s predation on younger girls

[@bigtechisbigbrother8690]

@@107newt5 How is merely trying to pick up girls "predation?" It's just normal interaction between males and females. You sound like a socially and sexually maladjusted SJW weirdo.

[@107newt5]

@@bigtechisbigbrother8690 tony is going into his senior year and someone 4 years younger than him out, wooderson is far out of high school and is still going for high school chicks, i worry for your female relatives if you think “i get older and they stay the same age” is a comment someone who treats women well makes

[@Zentagon]

Pretty decent video sir!

[@ethanross4308]

That comment is MUNDANE.