336 Dazed and Confused

[Fletch F. Fletch]

I really enjoyed Linklater's commentary... man, is he still bitter over how Universal repeatedly fucked him over during and after filming. He returns to this often throughout the commentary. Ouch.

I also thought it was interesting the "Making Dazed" doc the friction that still seems to exist between Linklater and producer James Jacks. Jacks came off a bit of a jerk-off and something of a studio lackey but maybe I'm just reading in-between the lines on that one...

[THX1378]

Is anyone having problems finding copys? I went to Best Buy, Tower, Target, and The Wherehouse, and no one had copys. Best Buy said that their copys were on order, but would be at the store til June 20th. Tower told me that the dvd is coming out on next Tuesday, that the June 6th release date was wrong.

[Joe Buck]

Yes, my local best buy said they didn't get the shipment. Only my local FYE had it ($29.99). Worth every penny. This set is absolutely fabulous. God Bless Criterion.

[cdnchris]

Just wanted to let you know THX that you are not alone. I went everywhere looking for this and couldn't find it, YET had no problem finding A Nos Amours (even at one of the Best Buys I went to) Borders, Best Buy and everywhere else I hit said they didn't get it in and didn't know when they would. I should have pre-ordered it but the one Best Buy near me seems to get all the new releases from Criterion (except for a small few) and prices them fairly cheap, so I figured they'd HAVE to get this one in as well and I could get it on the release date. Well, apparently not.

[indiannamednobody]

Ditto. Madison WI never got any copies in.

[THX1378]

I called Boarders and they never got any copys also. They said this is the first Criterion in about a year that they haven't had on the release date. The woman said that I'm not the only one thats hunting for a copy, since about 4 or 5 people have called today asking for it telling her that no one in town seems to have it. I even called Costco and Sams Club thinking that maybe one of them would have gotten it cause sometimes they get Criterion dvds, but they didn't.
EDIT- Since this was to have been a big release for them, I wonder why it's hard finding copys. Could it be that some place still have to many copys of the "flashback edtion" of the film still in stock. I wouldn't think it would be that, but I wonder for a big release why more places don't have it.

[mogwai]

THX -

I work at Barnes & Noble here in Fresno. We have one copy left that's still available. You'll be paying full SRP, but depending on how soon you want it I suppose it's worth it.

[neuro]

For those odd types who require "artistically-ordained" name-drops in order to determine the artistic merit of a film, let me just point out that, in an attempt to encapsulate the film's intentions, Kent Jones quotes not only Proust in his essay in the disc's booklet, but Herman Melville as well. Elsewhere in the booklet, Linklater's notes on the film seem positively Bressonian (the Bresson of Notes on the Cinematographer) in their approach.

[HerrSchreck]

Did it work for you or did you think it was silly? Seriously.

[neuro]

Did it work for you or did you think it was silly? Seriously.

Pardon the ambiguous nature of my original post (just an offhand observation more than anything). To answer you seriously, I've admired the film since I first saw it as a teenager, and my appreciation has only matured in surprising new ways since then. I'm especially impressed by its subtlety; its rewards are quite delicately buried. That said, I'm not sure I would draw on those specific literary sources in an attempt to describe what it means to me (and, to answer your question once again, I do find it the teensiest bit silly). I do, however, understand where Jones is coming from, and furthermore, as a sometime amateur filmmaker (read as "frustrated ex-film major"), I also find Linklater's notes very inspiring (as I do Bresson's original model).

Unless, of course, you were merely joking and therefore not interested in my thoughts either way (in which case, disregard my honesty).

[Narshty]

For those odd types who require "artistically-ordained" name-drops in order to determine the artistic merit of a film, let me just point out that, in an attempt to encapsulate the film's intentions, Kent Jones quotes not only Proust in his essay in the disc's booklet, but Herman Melville as well. Elsewhere in the booklet, Linklater's notes on the film seem positively Bressonian (the Bresson of Notes on the Cinematographer) in their approach.

Amateurs. Jonathan Lethem managed to pack a spectacular 15 references to other artistic/cultural figures into his essay for Unfaithfully Yours.

[HerrSchreck]

"Here Kafka and Sturges have isolated the tendency of our wishes to be frustrated geometrically. And, in the same cause, exposed the tender vanities of protagonists who, despite a narcissistic solipsism, tremble on the brink of disappointment and despair.

From the above mentioned essay on UNFAITHFULLY.

And o yeah, the movie was pretty good too. Right right right, I forgot.

[Zumpano]

I think we might need to add a new category to the year-end Criterion Awards: Best Menu Soundtrack.

This menu contains one of the longest bong pulls I've ever heard. Certainly a Criterion first? Can you imagine the recording session?

[Schkura]

"Quit bogarting the chron, Mulvaney."

[thethirdman]

Hmm, haven't seen this movie so I don't know if there is a direct association or not but "Dazed and Confused" is the name of a Led Zeppelin song and that CC cover with the holes in it is straight out of the cover of Led Zeppelin III. Any thoughts? Or am I late in on all this?

Toward the end of the commentary track, Linklater says that he tried to get the rights to "Rock and Roll" for the closing credits. He describes the problems obtaining the rights. He also states that Dazed and Confused is an ok title, but it is not one of his favorite Zeppelin songs.

[justeleblanc]

He finally got the Zeppelin song for School of Rock -- just, ya know.... a reminder. And by the I meant a Zeppelin song....

[HerrSchreck]

DAZED & CONFUSED was another of Zep's famous "borrowings" of american folk & blues, often without attribution (I don't have the album on hand to check if it was originally attributed... I have the original vinyl). The song was from a dude named Jake Holmes I believe and it wasn't even an "Old Classic" like Cream using Robert Johnson, etc. I don't even think the thing was 5 yrs old at the time of zep 1.

[balzer]

The song is not credited to Jake Holmes on the record, and even though I don't know the exact quote he once said that the song was much better than he could of done. Page originally did the song with The Yardbirds under the title "I'm Confused"

[Antoine Doinel]

And Zep certainly aren't the first band or artist to borrow blatantly from folk & blues music without giving proper credit.

[ben d banana]

DAZED & CONFUSED was another of Zep's famous "borrowings" of american folk & blues, often without attribution (I don't have the album on hand to check if it was originally attributed... I have the original vinyl). The song was from a dude named Jake Holmes I believe and it wasn't even an "Old Classic" like Cream using Robert Johnson, etc. I don't even think the thing was 5 yrs old at the time of zep 1.

Thanks Methuselah.

Read about it in the sizeable Yardbirds article in issue #20 of Ugly Things.

[FilmFanSea]

They've got some real marketing geniuses over at Universal Home Video, I tell you. Really know how to treat their customers right. Case in point:

Dazed and Confused (HD-DVD Dual-format) is being released September 19th.

[justeleblanc]

Also Fear & Loathing and Traffic. But I'll keep my Criterions.

[Cinesimilitude]

I'm upgrading to hd-dvd, and fear and loathing and dazed will be the first two I purchase.

[Narshty]

Did anyone else feel physically sick reading Linklater's horribly pretentious "Notes to the Cast and Crew" in the booklet? If he ever gives up filmmaking, he's a shoo-in as a motivational speaker.

This is the first time I've realised that being a huge fan of the film is not the same thing as wanting to know everything about how they put it together. The Criterion set, as a whole, is splendid, but I've already punted my copy on Ebay and have gone back to the barebones R2. Possibly the greatest strength of the film lies in its casual effortlessness, and hearing about all the studio-imposed troubles and Linklater's efforts to make everyone strive for Artistic Greatness and Sincerity was a rather distasteful experience that rubbed some of the gleam off the film itself. Seeing the actors out of character (especially 10 years after the fact) was, to say the least, disconcerting. Two minutes in to the commentary I realised the only thing that could make me appreciate Dazed and Confused more was simply to see it again, so the Criterion is no longer on my shelf, but the effort was appreciated all the same.

[exte]

Wow... Has that ever happened with any other dvd you got? So essentially it was because he still had a lot to gripe about? Anyone else feel this way?