I will be the first to admit that I didn't agree with all the accolades that Dazed and Confused got when it first came out. I thought it was a good, fun little movie. But it wasn't even close to being 'great' that a lot and I mean a loooooot of people were saying it was. I had seen the movie a couple of times prior to it getting released on Criterion Collection and ever since I bought it on release day, this movie just keeps getting better and better for me. It's now the great film everyone said it was. But I think it's 'great' for me for completely different reasons though.

First and foremost, I think the reason why this plays so much better now than it did when it first came out in the theater is that it taps into that nostalgic side of me. The further away I get from the 70's, the more I miss it. Even though this is about the last day of High School (I was still in elementary school the year this takes place) I can still relate to what it felt like when it comes to the era, first kiss, music, all of it. This is a very relatable movie that any generation will get. You don't have to be from the 70's to enjoy it, just like you don't have to be from the 60's to enjoy American Graffiti.

I do hear some criticisms about Dazed and Confused and namely their complaint is "nothing happens in the movie". That was what my reaction the first time I saw the movie. But as I got older I realize the movie isn't suppose to be about anything other than a bunch of kids enjoying that new found freedom on the first day of summer while they contemplate what their future holds for them. If there is one "plot point" in the movie, it's whether of not 'Pink" (Jason London) will sign the Coach's pledge to stay out of trouble during the summer. That's it. The rest is a series of misadventures of staying out all night, getting your first beer, meeting random people and getting that first kiss, which is something everyone on the planet as experienced growing up.

With a All-Star cast (Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Cole Hauser, Parker Posey, Adam Goldberg, Joey Lauren Adams, Nicky Katt, Rory Cochrane, Jason London , Marissa Ribisi and Anthony Rapp)  of unknown actors (at the time) that moved on to bigger and better things, I highly recommend this as a Buy.

I forgot to mention, this movie has one of the coolest, retro soundtracks evah!