Dazed and Confused, – you can see clearly, now…
Thanks to Matt buying hundreds of dollars worth of office supplies through the TooAbsent-Amazon store, I just received the Criterion Collection Dazed and Confused. Yes, it is worth it.
In the first five minutes of unwrapping the movie I learned:
Much of the flack that Universal was giving Linklater during the filming and post had to do with… wait for it… the LACK of nudity. Right, cuz how else could it be a teen movie? It either has to be raunchy (Porky’s) or situated in an unreal bubble (Ferris Bueller), or, finally, in our “Non-fat Pork-rinds” (All and Everything) culture: Both (American Pie).
Another point the studio bitched about was the soundtrack. This is like the yearly myopia that people spewed about the iPod (who’ll want THAT!?). The studio wanted contemporary bands (I can’t think of a Blink-182 for 1993. I was, and still am listening to bands that broke up in the 70s) to cover the songs. At this, Linklater threatened to spill blodd (his own) on their doorstep.
Last interesting facts: “Hurricane” by Dylan cost $80,000. “Sweet Emotion” cost $23,000. Ridiculous.
………….
There are not so many deleted scenes that I expected. But there are enough to make a complete plot to the movie.
A statement like that implies that I found the movie plotless since I watched it in awe at Pinckney Street in 1993. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reason I have all of Linklater’s movies is precisely because they remind me that “Plot” (big P) is not the same thing as Story (as in Robert McKee). In terms of this movie, I understand why Linklater was upset at the released cut of the movie. but I can also argue that the deleted scenes do not ADD to THAT movie, because even cutting a lot from his film doesn’t mar what you (ar me, at least) like about his story.
Here’s what I mean… here are a few things I now understand about the PLOT that were missing from the STORY when it was shown in theatres:
The Kiss Statues: In the Emporium, Pickford brings everyone outside to see two statues painted like members of KISS standing in the back of someone’s El Camino. Maybe I’m slow (probably) or I just can’t take my eyes off of Peter Criss make-up, but I never noticed that the statues are not statues OF members of KISS. In the deleted scenes, we see Don and Pickford stealing two bronze statues — 2 of the 3 “Drum and Fife” Bicentennial Group, — from the local library. It is those that are painted like Kiss. I just never noticed the circa 1776 snare drum!
And the, even more surprisingly – At the end of the movie, when the police catch people smoking up on the football field (the “joint subcommittee meeting on the 50-yard line”), they then question the kids about what they are doing with the statues. Though not in the deleted scenes, I would guess that the statues are actually what catch the eyes of the cops, and that is how they find the kids on the field.
This means (AMAZINGLY), that the theft of the statues is (WAS) actually a plot point. It is (was) one of the few pointers along the movie’s narrative. As is usual for Linklater, all the other (the hunting of freshmen, even the fight at the beer bash) points fall away in the service of a beautiful moment, an intriguing discussion.
….
Sphere: Related Content
