Review of Dazed and Confused (1993) by William T — 24 May 2013

That's the thing about movies, man, no matter how many times I watch them they stay the exact same. Alright, alright, alright, it's the beginning of summer for me so that can only mean one thing. I watched Dazed and Confused. The year is 1976 and it is the first day of summer. Seniors abuse freshman and then go party. This is the story of one wild and crazy night from many different perspectives. This was a classic and it is timeless. There is everything in this movie from stoners to nerds to jocks to normal people. You get a sense of what high school was like back in the day.

The main characters are Pink, the senior quarterback, and Mitch the upcoming freshman. There a lot of other lovable characters like the creepy Matthew McConaughey , the big bully Ben Affleck, and everything in-between. Pink is pressured from coaches to sign a waiver for next year's season and he doesn't know what he wants to do. This is a subtle problem that carries throughout the entire movie, which adds a spice to the movie. Mitch struggles with the annual beating from the seniors but soon comes to his own and finds out what high school is all about.

The high school atmosphere in the 70s was incredible, I almost wish I was 18 back then. The stuff these kids got away with. The way they acted in school on the last day with the smoking weed outside and throwing papers everywhere. The group of guys is driving and take trash barrels and destroy mail boxes. Something like that would never happen today. The most disturbing scene was the hazing of the freshman girls. They poured ketchup and mustard on them and made them all gross. Hazing is a terrible thing but at least the movie made it funny. It is weird how they can abuse them one second and then a few hours later they are parrying with the girls they abused. The 70s was a weird decade.

The 70s was a messed up decade but it did have killer music. Every scene had a perfect editing of music. Everything from Zeppelin to Ozzy to Kansas. The school bell rings and Alice Cooper's Schools Out blares and it was picture perfect. Music makes a movie, I say it all the time, music makes the movie, and the music made this movie. There was no original score, which is a little strange, but I knew every song they played and I love that kind of music so it made me very happy.

My favorite character was the biggest stoner I have ever seen on the big screen. I forget his name but he has the long hair and the backwards cap and he is high in very scene. He speaks complete nonsense about the founding fathers and the cosmos and it is hilarious. It is between him and the Jewish guy from Saving Private Ryan. He plays a nerd who rambles on and on. Sometimes he makes sense and sometimes you just want him to shut up. His character has a lot of development and his group of friends is entertaining.

So let's break this movie down. The plot is fantastic, the scenes themselves are well put together and there is really no boring part. There are a lot of characters so it can be a little difficult to follow but all are unique and mesh together perfectly. The acting wasn't remarkable but for the purpose of the movie it worked. The movie isn't really about the story or the deep emotions of the characters. It is strictly about the crazy antics of high school seniors. It is a night we all wish we could have. There are a few reality checks and unbelievable moments but overall a lot of fun. There isn't really much more that can be said about this movie other than it is a movie you need to see if you haven't.

Overall, Dazed and Confused is timeless fun that can be enjoyed by anyone. It shows the ease of summer and in a way defined a decade. The music was great, the story was good enough, the acting was fine, it was funny, touching, and a lot of fun. I love this movie and I can see it anywhere, anytime. This is a great movie to see with friends, it is probably better with friends and is also a good background movie at party of something. I suggest you don't look into this movie too much but rather enjoy it for what it is, mindless fun. Dazed and Confused gets the WillyT Honorable Mention., so go watch it and enjoy and remember the days of drinking as a kid.