Reviews

i dunno. theres just something about this movie.

yeh, in actuality, its probably dreck. its probably worthless and people probably wont remember its years and years from now when they start making out the lists of '90s movies that changed the sphere of moviemaking.

so what?

for me, this movie really does capture the feel of the mid-'90s. i was like these people once. i wore an outfit scarily like the one liv tyler sports (although without the hideous unders combo, im sure), i knew people like every one of the 'archetypes' from the movie and i really, really wanted to work in a record store. hasnt everybody? and doesnt everybody want there to be a cool record store like this in their town?

i guess for me it is a nostalgia thing, but i watched it (again) the other night with my boyfriend, and we both still laughed during the funny parts and cuddled during the sweet parts and, well, danced during the dance parts.

its just fun to look back on such a 'time-period' movie like that ... the clothes, the attitudes, the music even ... how good is it to hear the gin blossoms again, eh?

im sure many would disagree, but for someone who was right there when it was all happening, so to say, its a gentle reminder of the days before mtv committed suicide, before liv tyler started making 'real' movies, and when phrases like 'whats with Today, today?' could travel through a junior high faster than mono.

'the time machine,' 1960s style, starring rod taylor and directed by the revered (amongst cult movie fans) george pal, was and still is one of the best sci-fi action/adventure films ive ever seen.

its 2002 reincarnation starring memento's guy pearce deserves to be disowned. directed by an h.g. wells' descendant (and first-time live action director) simon wells, the filming is choppy. i have only four words for mr. wells ... tight, middle and long (shots that is.) grueling action sequences of tight shot, bad cut, tight shot, rapid-fire, one after another leave one a bit motion-sick.

guy pearce, whom i expected much better from after his performance in 'memento,' acts with as much expression as a block of wood. the morlocks, while more technologically advanced in this incarnation, have lost their sinister vibe through the wonders of cgi. the monsters, now looking something like a cross between harry potter's voldemort and the green dog-demon creatures from 'ghostbusters,' are just not menacing.

add to all that a plot twist that simply doesnt make any sense and you've got 96 minutes of painful movie viewing. im glad i went with my first instinct and rented it, but sorry i didnt follow the advice of the video store guy to leave it on the shelf. dont bother. sometimes newer (i.e. more technology) is not always better.

'Dazed and Confused' is one of those rare movies that's not 'feel-good,' but nevertheless makes you feel good. All the components (cast, setting, story, soundtrack) combine in this film to make for a unique, enjoyable, nostalgia-inducing experience, even for someone who wasn't alive in the '70s.

The characters are well-developed, mixing elements of 'good guy' and 'bad guy' in several character, with only two notable personas, Darla (Parker Posey) and O'Bannion (Ben Affleck) not leaving you wishing they were your friends.

All in all, this movie's a great way to spend a rainy afternoon, especially if you've got a couple of six-packs and a group of pals to share it with.