Dazed and Confused

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Everybody Wants Some!!

by MCDaveApril 7, 2016

Richard Linklater is a bit of a chameleon director. His filmography boasts an assortment of movies which, on the surface, appear to have no link whatsoever. Yet, when you dig deeper into the content of films such as Boyhood, Dazed and Confused and the Before Sunrise trilogy, they all share a common theme of self discovery. And the same can be said for Linklater’s latest comedic endeavor, Everybody Wants Some!!.

Set throughout a Texas college in 1980, the film follows a new class of freshman baseball recruits who arrive to campus and meet their rowdy elder teammates a few days before classes begin. Pitching prospect, Jake (Blake Jenner), and his meat-head catcher, Plummer (Temple Baker), blindly follow the wisdom of their upperclassman teammate, Finn (Glen Powell), as they come face to face with newfound freedoms and adult responsibilities.

One of Richard Linklater’s finest qualities as a filmmaker is his ability to capture moments. Much liked his influential cult classic, Dazed and Confused, this 80s centric comedy beautifully ushers its characters from uninhibited youthful independence to the early seeds of adulthood. Everybody Wants Some!! succeeds on the shoulders of subtly insightful scenes that are peppered with outrageous laughs and tender moments. Lead actor, Blake Jenner, delivers an endearing role that in no way steals the show. Instead, Linklater relies on a spanning cast of animated characters that each contribute key elements to the greater good. Supporting stars Temple Baker, who shines in a debut performance, and Glen Powell each handle their prominent roles with natural ease. An exceptional cast, solid soundtrack and energetic pace help make Everybody Wants Some!! a memorable experience.

While Richard Linklater’s newest entry will understandably be compared against his beloved title, Dazed and Confused, it’s important to recognize that Everybody Wants Some!! is mildly derivative of the previous work. 22 Jump Street‘s Wyatt Russell serves as a stand-in of sorts for Matthew McConaughey’s classic Wooderson character. The similarities extend far beyond their physical resemblances, mainly Willoughby’s prophetic preaching to ignore society’s rules and to embrace your inner goofball. In addition to the comparable aspects of Linklater’s two films, Everybody Wants Some!! suffers from an aimless story. It’s a bit of a catch 22, but the director’s passion for capturing key moments, in lieu of telling a cohesive story, ultimately weakens the film from a larger scope.

Despite the film’s shortcomings, its appealing vibe and infectious energy are enough to sway the audience. I’m not envisioning a generational classic, but Everybody Wants Some!! is an affable winner in its own right. Considering it’s only April, Linklater’s latest is one of the better options worth enjoying early in 2016.

GRADE: 3.5/5

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Guilty Pleasures: The Stoned Age

by SaintmortSeptember 17, 2012

Okay, I gotta start off by saying The Stoned Age is a pretty terrible movie. It really is quite terrible. I mean there’s literally one quote on the DVD cover and it’s from Kim Williamson of Venice Magazine (that popular rag) and it says “Better than Dazed and Confused’. It’s a straight up lie. This movie is not better than Dazed and Confused nor is it better than most films of it’s kind. So why am I even defending this film that I admit is pretty terrible? Because I love the shit out of this movie.

I have no clue how to explain the movies on Guilty Pleasures sometimes. There are plenty that people will say aren’t real guilty pleasures and others that people will say are so awful that they defy defendability. I suppose what really links all of them together is the fact that they are movies found in my DVD collection that make people question my tastes. How can a guy with pretentious shit like Slacker or film school favorites like 12 Angry Men also own The Stoned Age? I am of course the only person in the world who’s DVD collection when alphabetized leaves Casablanca sitting directly after Carnosaur 3: Primal Species.

598771_10102956115213304_1437347124_n — This is an actual photo of half of Saint Mort’s DVD collection. Ladies, He’s Single!

What is it about me that makes me love such low grade shit as The Stoned Age with the same enthusiasm that I love It Happened One Night? I wish I could have an answer for you, but I just love the movie. Maybe it’s the Classic rock in me or maybe I’m just a fan of any teen comedy regardless how shitty it may be. I honestly have no answer.

The Stoned Age is sort of an unknown film in many respects. Most people I’ve met have never heard of it and the ones who have seem to hate it (except you James I know you’re reading this… I’ll get to you in a second). The reasons I think people hate and love it are for the exact same reason, it’s a cheesy low budget rip off of dozens of films you have seen before.

I first heard of the movie on my friend James’ (see I told you) old website moshpitwookie.com. As far as I know the site no longer exists and if it does it’s definitely not James’ site any long. MoshPitWookie was a place for heavy metal concert reviews, editorials and forums where about 5 people had discussions. One day James was doing a full week of teasing his upcoming article “The Greatest American Graffiti Rip-Off” in the end the article ended up being this. James tried to argue that since Dazed and Confused is the greatest American Graffiti Rip-Off and this is the greatest Dazed and Confused rip off than vicariously it must be the greatest American Graffiti rip-off. It’s flawed logic for sure (for starters there has to be a better Dazed and Confused rip-off than this).

However it does share an undisputed influence from both films. When two stoners (Joe and Hubbs) find out about a sexy “chick” considered a sure thing who looks like the girl from the Virgin Killers album (one of the most perverted jokes ever put on film)* they decide it’s time to get laid. The arrive at the house where she (Lanie)’s staying and they go on an adventure throughout the night in a quest to woe her. Hubbs calls dips on her and pushes Joe off on her less attractive (but far less shallow) friend Jill.

Joe begins to fall for Jill when the two have to hang out while Hubbs has sex with Lanie. As a birthday gift Hubbs arranges for Lanie to also give Joe a blowjob. When Joe reluctantly goes upstairs he finds Lanie fast asleep, he returns downstairs to find Jill and Hubbs making out.

Joe leaves the party disheartened but Jill gives him her name and location so he can find her again one day. The two friends fight outside and then make up quickly as Joe finally gets to have a say on issues like what song they listen to in the car.

hqdefault — Clifton Collins Jr in one of his first movie roles

This hyper low-budget movie didn’t really kick start anyone’s acting or writing careers. The only actor’s you might know are Clifton Collins Jr (who’s mostly an ‘oh that guy’ actor and Jake Busey in a small appearance. While the writer/director’s only other film was the box-office flop The Jerky Boys (co-writer Rich Wilkes however went on to write both xXx movies). This movie did help jump the careers of producers David Heyman (the Harry Potter series) and Neal H Moritz (producer of multiple hit comedies and horror films).

One of the things I appreciated about this particular film is that Jill is one of the few genuine females in this genre. She’s not a complete slut, dumb blonde or even a secretly hot average girl. She’s homely and remains homely but she’s good natured and strong willed. Her relationship with the equally average Joe (ha, Average Joe… I wonder if that’s intentional) feels like a natural progression and you want to see them succeed. Also Renee Griffin is properly hot as Lanie and you get to see her naked so that’s good too. Actually you know what? Kim Williamson is right about one thing; The Stoned Age has more tits than Dazed and Confused… so in that field maybe it IS superior.

* – There’s a good chance many people don’t completely understand this particular joke. In 1976 German Metal band Scorpions (you know rock you like a hurricane) released an album called Virgin Killer. The record created a HUGE controversy at the time for having a nude photograph of a prepubescent 10 year old girl (her genitalia being censored by a ‘cracked glass’ effect. The controversy lead to the album cover being changed quite quickly with the original cover being a rare collector’s item. This was not the last controversy for the band when it came to album covers… seriously, Germans are crazy (EDITOR’S NOTE: Writer Matt Kelly’s opinion of German People does not reflect the opinions of Geekscape.net)

The Best Onscreen High School Parties

by MCDaveMarch 7, 2012

With the recent release of the most outrageous High School party movie ever made, Project X, I decided to pay homage to some of its predecessors. I decided to tally the top 5 onscreen High School parties of all-time. While compiling my list I took into account the amount of screen time attributed to the parties and how significant they were to the film’s central purpose. Therefore, some epic party scenes didn’t make the cut. My apologies to avid fans of my honorable mention list which includes Risky Business, Never Back Down, and Not Another Teen Movie. And the top 5 are …

#5 Superbad: Whether you lost it during the scene where McLovin’s cop friends unknowingly cockblock him or the instance where Evan’s blowjob offer turns into a puke parade, 2007’s Superbad has it all. Coupling unforgettable characters with a rowdy good time, there’s no question that Superbad‘s party scene is a memorable one.

#4 Weird Science: In the 1985 classic Weird Science, Gary and Wyatt are best friends who attempt to create the perfect virtual woman. However, their wildest dreams become a reality when they actual create a real life hottie that they name Lisa. Lisa’s sexiness is far surpassed by her various superhuman abilities. The boys use Lisa and her powers as a way to throw a huge party, but things go mightily wrong when Lisa conjures up some mutant bikers to stir some controversy. With Weird Science, director John Hughes creates yet another legendary party scene.

Even the rock band Kiss loves a party in the woods

#3 Dazed and Confused: Now is the perfect time to remind everyone that this list isn’t about which movies are better, it’s about the party scenes. With the 1993 coming of age classic Dazed and Confused, a mishap with the keg delivery forces a bunch of High School students to relocate their party to the woods. With notable scenes galore, both comical and dramatic, Dazed and Confused reminds us how awesome it can be to party it up in nature.

#2 American Pie: Desperate to get laid on prom night, 1999’s American Pie is the quintessential High School comedy. And when that faithful night arrives, the after party is filled with monumental laugh out loud scenes. Perhaps none of the post-prom storylines are as hilarious as Finch’s quest to take down Stifler’s mom. Kudos to you Mr Finch for giving teenage boys across the world a reason to believe.

It's always important to limber up before physical activities

#1 Can’t Hardly Wait: Having almost the entire film centered around one big epic party, 1998’s Can’t Hardly Wait tops the list. Offering more than just one of the greatest in-movie soundtracks of all time, Can’t Hardly Wait delivers an unforgettable look at a collection of High School Seniors in search of grandeur on graduation day. With characters like the goggle-wearing Kenny who debates “double bagging it” and the nerd turned big shot for an evening William, what’s not to love? Can’t Hardly Wait is the party we all wished we were at, and don’t try to deny it!

Note: MCDave also spends his down time critiquing films at Movie Reviews By Dave