Dazed and Confused

Below you will find written and video materials to supplement your experience with this film. Be aware that some essays and video essays may contain spoilers.

Critical Essays

Not So Long Ago, But Very Far Away (Criterion)

Dazed and Confused Movie Review (1993) (Roger Ebert)

Dazed and Confused is Perfectly Sincere (Pop Matters)

How Richard Linklater Created a Classic with Dazed and Confused (Rolling Stone)

Keynote: The teenage utopia of Dazed and Confused, in 10 screenshots (The Dissolve)

Six Scenes We Love from Dazed and Confused (Film School Rejects)

Contextual Reading

Realism on the Reel: The Cinematic Vision of Richard Linklater

“Dazed By Days” By Richard Linklater • Cinephilia & Beyond

Richard Linklater got “screwed,” alleges he was never paid for Dazed and Confused

How Did Indie Films Rule the 90s?

From ‘The 400 Blows’ to ‘Lady Bird’: 9 Essential Coming-of-Age Films

Videos

Dazed and Confused – Twitter Watch Party!

Our next film is Dazed and Confused (1993), directed by Richard Linklater.

It’s the end of the semester, a time of recognition and reflection especially for those who are graduating. To honor all the hard work of students (and faculty!) during these tumultuous times, we thought it would be nice to kick back with this fun coming-of-age 90s classic from Richard Linklater.

Dazed and Confused is about the disparate misadventures of several young adults as they graduate high school and middle school and transition into (or resist) the next phase of their lives. It features an ensemble cast and launched the careers of such household names as Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, and Parker Posey.

The film was Linklater’s second feature and has come to be seen as the founding text of his style. Set in 1976, it strikes a unique tone of comedic yet grounded nostalgia. The film bombed at the box office but has since achieved cult status over the years, regularly topping critical best-of lists.

We will watch Dazed and Confused as a group on May 19th at 7:00pm EDT and chat on Twitter during the viewing. So how does this work exactly? At 7:00 everyone hits play on the movie and Tweets along using hashtag #SPSWatchParty. Dazed and Confused is available for streaming on Amazon Prime or it can be rented on Apple TV and Google Play. As always, don’t forget to check out the resources page for extra essays and videos!