Alright, alright, alright. Grab a brew or some grass, a few of your best buds, and pile into the Trans-Am for a revisit of one of the greatest hangout films ever. In honor of the film‘s 30th anniversary, Richard Linklater‘s ode to growing up in ’70s Texas, “Dazed and Confused,” will be re-released for a limited theatrical engagement on Sunday, September 29. For the first time, a brand-new 4K restoration released earlier this year through The Criterion Collection will find its way into select theaters throughout North America on what is being called “Dazed Day.”
Preceding “Dazed Day,” the Austin Film Society, which its artistic director Linklater co-founded in 1985, will host a special screening of the 4K restoration at the historic Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on Saturday, September 28. In addition to the screening, this event will also feature a red carpet and a Q&A with Linklater and many of the film’s original cast.
With early performances from Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Jason London, Parker Posey, Cole Hauser, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, and many others, “Dazed and Confused” served as a launching pad for a huge array of young talent, including Linklater himself. The film follows various teenage cliques as they experience the first day and night of summer in 1976 Austin, Texas and face the complexities of their unknown future. “Dazed and Confused” is also recognized for its fantastic soundtrack, which features music of the time from Alice Cooper and ZZ Top to The Runaways, Kiss, and plenty more.
For the 20th anniversary of the film, “Dazed and Confused” received a Star of Texas award from the Texas Hall of Fame. Quentin Tarantino was on hand to present the award to Linklater, who said of his classic’s simplicity, “The drama is so low-key in [‘Dazed & Confused’]. I don’t remember teenagers being that dramatic. I remember just trying to go with the flow, socialize, fit in, and be cool. The stakes were really low. To get Aerosmith tickets or not? That’s a big thing. It was really rare when the star-crossed lovers from the opposite side of the tracks and the girl gets pregnant, and there’s a car crash, and somebody dies. That didn’t really happen much. But riding around and trying to look for something to do with the music cranked up, now that happened a lot!”
Click here to find participating theaters for “Dazed Day.”
