Everybody Wants Some !!

[jenkins]

trailers spoil moments, the trailer is around, i think this is okay to spoil, it's not a favorite scene of mine, it doesn't affect surprises from the movie's narrative, and it's still pretty rock solid:

Writer/Director: Richard Linklater
Other crew: this is his team

about the movie:

everybody's being so human around each other, and that's tricky, which they talk about, express, hovering the core of people around people.

when the Detroit guy slaps the heavy-hitter's ass. that means something to me. i'm searching for the weirdest fuckers being appreciated, and there are plenty around. Linklater is talented at spotting distinguishing characteristics, these traits not always being complimentary, this is all tucked inside a narrative that's mostly atmosphere.

but the central coming of age unit, the aspiring pro-tag-an-ass, whose story this is, he isn't weird at all. this is a point in his life when things are clicking together for him. i almost think Linklater fundamentally turns against the weird.

except, when i think of the lead within the life context offered, he's on his way to becoming a senior boasting upon his minor life victories which seem destined for nothing. except he's not that, he's who he is and who he's becoming.

spoiler-- on the river, with the theatre girl, he compares himself to Sisyphus as context. so he seals himself within his worst still offering personal satisfaction. which to me sounds like he gloats, but also i'm not the type of person to ask another person to spot his sorrows.

so i've overall built myself into liking and appreciating the total context of this movie.

which movie i want to be famous, since it has a killer, memorable ping-pong table scene. this scene is spoiled in a trailer. this scene, upon me not expecting it, caused me to erupt into laughter. slap my knee. Linklater absolutely took a ping-pong table scene to its utmost limit, which i find incredible. the specific talent i think this takes, outside of cinematic lightness, is an appreciation for human forms within minute circumstances.

this is in fact a defining characteristic of the movie, and the ping-pong table scene is but a glorious representation. i haven't even mentioned the knuckle-flicking game! that's outrageousness seen from a pure perspective. that's impressive.

all the small parts are my favorite because of course they are. and they may not mean the most in terms of story structure, in terms of it being great to be this adult who's lined up for feeling great and being good, but the little moments mean what they mean and Linklater likes this, I like this. it's explained how to best play a certain videogame. i want to hear again the well-spoken guy explain the hazards of a fetish. does he even say fetish? the Californian, whose character has subtext, he quotes Carl Sagan while the room gets high. the punk scene... portraying wrecked lives wrecking themselves further, that's a toughness that exists and i like to see it on screen. the disco club to the country bar. riding the bull. hell yeah.

i have a choice-supportive, selective and information bias for this movie. it's a keeper. i believe this movie exhibits traits through form and function which, in the land of people, is horseshit though, because this life is about being the person you are. so i'm always glad Linklater is around.

[samsong]

is this the most poorly marketed film of all time?  linklater's my dude and even i didn't want to see it. 

LOVED this fucking movie.  everyone needs to see it. 

[JG]

i love it too! prob one of my favorites from him. liked this article about the cast of the movie.. of course my favorite was my doppelganger temple baker.

favorite scene spoilers

favorite scene is when temple baker's character excitedly tells the team about the pitcher who's secretly 30. he's, like, jumping up and down, he can barely contain himself. i've told stories in that style and manner myself before, and i have friends who have too.

[Tictacbk]

I agree with the above statements. This movie is about 1000x better than it's trailer.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Slate's Culture Gabfest had a great conversation about the movie. They all seemed to like it in spite of themselves.

Starts at 2:46. Then actually starts at 4:48.

LISTEN HERE

[samsong]

it plays like animal house directed by eric rohmer and a baseball movie from howard hawks, accented with dance-centric set pieces that are downright cosmic.  has the greatest soundtrack of all time.  it's so so so fucking funny and gorgeously languid and poignant and so disarmingly charming.  if it wasn't the last show of the night i would've watched it again right after.  floated out of the theater like i did when i saw before sunset in theaters for the first time.  this makes top 3 linklater films for me, maybe even the top.  totally in love with this movie.

also this guy



is the fucking kid in road to perdition.