Movida del 76

Dazed and Confused takes its viewers on a nostalgic trip back to the 1970s, delivering an experience that's as groovy as it is hilarious. From start to finish, this film had me grinning ear to ear, yearning to step into the bell-bottomed jeans of its characters and experience the era firsthand. This coming-of-age comedy captures the essence of teenage rebellion and camaraderie with effortless charm.

As a newcomer to the film, I found myself thoroughly enchanted by its whimsical portrayal of high school life in the '70s. The impeccable soundtrack, featuring iconic hits from the era, sets the perfect backdrop for the shenanigans of our teenage protagonists. Whether it's cruising around in vintage cars or engaging in mischievous antics, every scene is infused with a sense of carefree abandon that's simply infectious.

I couldn't help but give Dazed and Confused a solid 8 out of 10. It ticked off all the boxes for what I look for in a comedy, delivering countless laughs. However, while the ensemble cast is undeniably charismatic, I couldn't shake the feeling that the film could have delved deeper into the stories of its main characters. While we get glimpses into their lives, I found myself yearning for a bit more depth and development.

Nevertheless, this minor quibble hardly detracts from the overall enjoyment of the film. Dazed and Confused remains a timeless classic that celebrates the spirit of youth and rebellion. Whether you're a child of the '70s or simply a fan of feel-good comedies, this film is sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a newfound appreciation for the grooviest decade of them all.

When I entered grade 9, I never really got an initiation. Sure the older kids asked me if I was a minor niner, but I said I was in grade 10. They never paddled my ass, drew a penis on my face or made me push a penny on the bus floor with my nose. I got through grade 9 with ease. I also never grew up in the 70's so I thought I might miss the whole generation thing with Dazed and Confused. Even though it was made in the 90's.

Who would think that a film about high school kids beating up younger ones, getting drunk and high and partying all night would make a good film? Well, I did for one.

Dazed and Confused is not the first teen party film I've seen, but it is one of the best, so good that it transcends that genre. Can't Hardly Wait is suppose to be my generation party film, I think, but I feel more connected to Dazed and Confused then any other. Probably because Linklater is dedicated to his craft and isn't looking to cash in on a certain craze. I can honestly say this is his best film.

It boasts an young cast of early talent, like Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Goldberg, Rory Cochrane, Milla Jovovich, and so on. I think it's great to see all of today's actors in a film like this, just having a good time.

The film has a great soundtrack that embodies that time era, as it should. Dazed and Confused is a film that I can enjoy no matter what mood I'm in. So many teen high school films these days are moronic and try way too hard to be funny to immature kids. This is a true high school film that has heart and doesn't need to stoop to that low level, even with it's content being so childish.

Sit back, relax and enjoy Dazed and Confused.

"Dazed and Confused", which takes place during the 70s, was one of the best movies of the 90s. It really is phenomenal how much talent was in this ensemble; if you want to see Adam Goldberg, Matthew Mcconaughey, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Parker Posey, or an almost completely unrecognizable Ben Affleck (playing the sort of role he would almost never play again, an a**hole) before they were stars, look no further. And of course this was an early movie for director Richard Linklater, who had made the relatively unknown "Slackers" previously and who would go on to make "School of Rock", which was almost as good as "Dazed and Confused".

Taking place on the last day of school in a small suburban town, "Dazed and Confused" is a brilliant ensemble piece rivaling anything done by Robert Altman that covers the broadest spectrum of teenagers imaginable. We see the nerds, the potheads, the jocks, and the cheerleaders, as well as the incoming freshmen, as they celebrate the beginning of summer. Some celebrate less than others, of course; freshman hazing is a big part of the movie, both male and female. The dialogue is fresh and unexpected; lines about George Washington's proclivity for marijuana, why you just gotta love high school girls ("I get older, they stay the same age", as McConaughey's character says), and the herd mentality when a fight breaks out demonstrate how all-over-the-map the dialogue can be, and it's always affecting and usually quite funny.

Of course, it's the acting and the characters that really steal the movie, and it really is amazing how many people in this movie went on to bigger things. As I said before, Affleck was the most surprising, but Mcconaughey had the most memorable role as an older dude who can't seem to let go of his youth, a slick slimeball who chases after under-age jail bait. And he has never been funnier or better than he was in this. Eventually, his character will wake up and the kids aren't going to want to hang out with him and the girls aren't going to want to sleep with him anymore, and he's going to have a rude awakening. But for the time being, he's all macho cool swagger, and Mcconaughey pulled off the part perfectly. Parker Posey is also excellent, playing a senior bitch (but only because she's "supposed" to be) unleashing a humiliating hazing on the incoming freshman girls.

You have to give props to the writing. It's not a long movie, but it covers so much ground that it feels big. At one point, a character says that the 70s obviously suck. That may have been, but it's never looked cooler than it did in "Dazed and Confused". And the soundtrack must be mentioned too. The 70s was a decade full of musical highs and lows, and thankfully the soundtrack highlights the highs while ignoring the lows, and we have songs by Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Dr. John, War, and other seminal 70s rock figures (curiously missing: "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin, but that's forgivable). Brilliant; there's not a single clunker, and it adds to the free, easygoing atmosphere of the movie. "Dazed and Confused" is quite possibly the best "teen movie" ever made, and, from the point of view of someone who grew up in the 80s anyway, the best movie about the 70s ever made.

Dazed and Confused has a lot in common with Fast Times at Ridgemont High; both movies contain a lot of future stars playing teenagers, both have lots of terrific Rock tunes on the soundtrack, and both derive laughs from their characters and situations and not through jokes, pratfalls and other typical Hollywood clichés. One difference between the two films is that Dazed and Confused is a period-piece, filmed in 1993 it takes place in 1976, and directer Richard Linklater does a marvelous job capturing the habits, the styles and the attitudes of the era. In that regard maybe this movie is more inspired by "American Graffiti" than Fast Times at Ridgemont. But it doesn't matter because to me D&C is the best of them all.

This movie seems to be as personal to Linklater as it is to me, and its not so much about plot or big scenes as it is about realism and the overall flow...and it flows beautifully. The movie follows a group of high school juniors and another group of 8th graders (next years seniors and freshmen)through the events surrounding the last day of school in Austin, Texas in 1976 (the whole film takes place in approximately 24 hours). We observe the hazing, the partying, some introspective banter and many familiar rituals as the characters prepare not just for the summer, but for the next school year and beyond. This was the same general time period I was in high school, so this movie had a special impact on me.

At this point I need to mention Wooderson (McConaughey,in his film debut), a key character, he's that 20-something dude that still hangs with the high school crowd. Did every town in America have a guy like this or what? Wood, Dawson, Slater, Pickford; these guys all remind me of guys I grew up with in my hometown.

The greatness of this film is that it rings so true...the way the "jocks" party with the "freaks" (or "grits' as they were also called where I grew up), the way they just aimlessly cruise around in muscle cars until they find out where the party's at, or the mailbox bashing (here it was beer bottles thrown at signs), or even the bottle cap flipping...we did that all the time! The only thing i didn't see was a bong. (besides the one Slater was making in shop class..HEY, we did that too!) Yeah thats right -joints are better for cruising anyway.

This is the kind of movie to rent on one of those Friday nights where you have to work early the next day. I first rented this movie on one of those very nights. Its a great Friday night movie and why not? No heavy handed plot, lots of partying and good music, and it makes you feel good. Speaking of the soundtrack...Linklater makes great use of period music; We get the gamut of 70s pop/rock including Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, ZZ Top, War, Dylan and even Black oak Arkansas (remember them?)....Jim dandy to the rescue! This movie really took me back.

Dazed and Confused is also a bit of a curio because of all the young actors (who were all unknown at the time) who went on to star in other movies. You will see Matthew McConaughey (his best performance ever), Ben Affleck, Parker Posey (she's a riot), Adam Goldberg, Joey Lauren Adams and Milla Jovavich (ok,i'm reaching now), among others. My only complaint involving the cast is that Wiley Wiggins' (as Mitch Kramer) mannerisms are a bit irritating, but other than that everyone does a tremendous job.

This movie has become like a fascinating time capsule about that post-revolutionary decade of the 70s, a decade filled with great music, movies and television (seriously, what the heck has happened to entertainment in this country?)... so its worth viewing for historical and social aspects as well as its entertainment value.

But anyway, I hope you enjoy one of my personal favorites...a really cool, funny and realistic look at what teenage life was like in so many towns in America in the mid-70s.

It may be set in Texas, but it could just as easily be Ohio.

Not what you might expect from a movie like this, but Dazed and Confused does deliver on many levels. Taking the setup from the classic American Graffiti and switching the setting to post-Vietnam in 1976, this is a coming-of-age story about a group of teenagers that for the most part represents what the entire young generation of that time was feeling and going through. The film covers one last day of school filled with many happenings including, hazing freshmen, playing mailbox baseball and getting shot at, as well as drinking lots of beer and smoking lots of marijuana. Writer and director Richard Linklater seems to have a good grip on the material and handles it with real sincerity and even sympathy towards some of the characters. The ensemble cast is well-cast and deliver the good dialog with a great sense of realism. Headlining it are a young Ben Affleck as a crazed senior determined to make the freshmen's summer miserable, Milla Jovovich who I don't think utters more than five lines in the whole movie, and Matthew McConaughey as an older guy who still hangs out with the high schoolers but is so cool and organizes the get-togethers.

This movie is very funny in some parts, but it is also very deep. It doesn't achieve classical status like American Graffiti or The Breakfast Club, but it is a strong and realistic portrayal that speaks to all people at that age where life is either far ahead or right around the corner. Indeed, there are many scenes with some "brainiacs" talking about President Ford and his political beliefs, then switching to deciding whether or not to go to a party. Also, I credit Linklater for not pulling an American Pie and becoming exceptionally crude and vulgar with this material. Yes, many teens do talk like this but not all teens rip off their clothes and have wild sex with each other.

All in all, a very good movie that gives a real sense of what it was like to live in the 1970s, and what it's like to be young in this country.