Movies I Should Review Soon

High school movies, for the most part, never convey the feeling of what high school is really like. They tend to present an exaggerated view of what teenagers might wish it was like: a constant explosion of high-spirited activity, with big plotlines that are neatly resolved before graduation and clearly defined groups that all the characters fit unquestioningly in to. But as many of the damn things as I've watched (it's like they churn these things out like candy bars), I'd never seen a movie that captured what it was like for me to go to high school- the aimless freedom, the formless melancoly, the fun of just hanging out with your friends without necessarily doing anything- until I saw Dazed and Confused. Similar to American Graffiti in its recreation of the teen culture of a bygone era (yet different in that it refusues to see this era through the rose-colored lens of nostalgia), and similar to Fast Times at Ridgemont High in its frank depiction of this culture's actions and perceptions (yet different in that it places no more moral significance on these actions than the characters do themselves) Dazed and Confused is a guided tour through one day in the life of a group of teenagers living in a small town in Texas circa 1976- that day being the last day of school, and the first night of summer. The film opens with next year's seniors preparing for the traditional hazing of next year's freshmen- a series of humiliating and degrading rites of passage for the girls, a swift, painful paddling for the boys. After we see the carnage play out and the sun go down, the teens start crusing the town's main drag, searching vainly for something to do after the pplans for a big party at a senior's house fall apart due to parental intervention. Finally, the film culminates with a new party forming at the rural "moon tower", one that doesn't break up until near dawn. Looking solely at its plot (or lack thereof), you may think that there's not much to this film; but the ultimate driving force behind the movie is the characters, not the plot, and one of Dazed and Confused's greatest strengths is the diverse and energetic ensemble cast composed entirely of unknowns, many of whom would go on to great success later in their acting careers. (more to come)