Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Side by Side: DAZED AND CONFUSED vs. EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!


Welcome to another installment of SIDE BY SIDE, where we dissect the differences and similarities between two films, be it a remake/reboot with its original, a sequel with its original, or two similar movies. This week we will be comparing Richard Linklater's classic DAZED AND CONFUSED, with his quasi-follow up, EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!  Enjoy!

I’ve been quite open with my distaste for Dazed And Confused despite being a fan of Richard Linklater. Nothing in his repertoire even comes close to the legacy of School of Rock and his latest film Boyhood as far I’m concerned. I should have not liked either of these movies. I mean Everybody Wants Some!! is set in 1980s Texas, which is cause for some concern. It’s about a whole bunch of baseball bros, none of them really being that attractive, each one (almost) having the archetypes of the kind of people I personally wouldn’t care for in real life. Great soundtrack, sure, but I was concerned if would I even care. It looked like the same buy the book “whoa, man” thing Linklater likes to do… and yet somehow the thing charmed me over.

Everybody Wants Some!! is definitely less cynical than it’s unofficial predecessor. Where that felt like stepping into the cold, gross high school party in the middle of nowhere you probably wouldn’t have fun at, since everyone who’s genuinely cool didn’t end up going and all the other losers turned up already having pre-drinks before they got there, without having the bud or booze at your side to power you through. They even mention in the movie “Obviously, the 70s sucks”, and for what many call their "favourite hang out movie", surprisingly you don’t want to hang out there very long. Let's also consider that the runtime was about an hour and forty minutes.

In Everybody Wants Some!!, Linklater does a complete day and night reversal. At around the same runtime he ditches the jungle of high school life for it's college equivalent, which is very casual, very libido driven, hazed yet spiritually open, with an inviting quality about it all. Fights play like scuffles you'd joke to your friends about reminiscing. The personalities approachable, tolerable, and at least mostly grown up, with no immature angst to be found whatsoever. The movie is like McConaughey’s Wooderson, spread across nearly everyone, just without the suggestive pedophilia and more geared towards his fun chill out and "keep on livin'" side. Does that sound fun? It does to me.

Linklater has always been great with naturality. His dialogue simple, but offers a sense of replete. His direction bright and positive, in the vein of School Of Rock. Getting the best out of his actors and keeping a lovely pace. It particularly slows down in a rather dull baseball practice sequence, and the repetitiveness of "oh, we're going out to score ass again?!" with a personal favourite character of mine Beverley (Zoey Deutch), who embodies the theatre side of college I quite like to see brought to screen, who sadly didn't get a real presence until the around the third act. Wasted opportunity, but still great with what she had. I do however recognise these were the exceptions to the proverbial rule.

It works well enough as a Linklater comedic hang out movie. The drama isn't serious, and that works to its benefit. Is it throw away? No. I wouldn't say so. I can't say either film reflects my culture, as you may know myself being an Australian millennial. Everybody Wants Some!! is very American self and culture loving. Showing when the American Wet Dream prospered with a sly half smile, mutually strong libidos and a bottle of Bud Light, which I'm sure plays well to domestic nostagics, and may or not have international appeal depending on who you ask. It's simple, it's bright, it's relaxed and passive (maybe a little bit too much), and for the most part, it's fun.

Everybody wants some fun, and so should you!

Bailey's Scores:

Dazed And Confused: 5/10

Everybody Wants Some: 7/10


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