As the biggest Linklater fan, I decided to pick up "Slacker". I love "Waking Life" and heard that "Slacker" was similairly existential with little to no action. This was cool with me. From what I picked up from external reviews, this film defined a generation. After watching the flick, Im not quite sure what generation its defining. This was forty or so different people walking around a city talking about theories that they have. Who does this??? Which generation walks around and talks about....theories??? I suppose it's the Slacker generation---but, honestly I think its the generation that Linklater created for the film. Yeah, this review is rather harsh. But, I suppose I just didnt "get" this movie.
I belive the generation was supposed to be "Generation X" probably and it was supposed to be about my generation certainly, and I didn't get the movie either, so don't worry.
Of course, Linklater is very hit and miss with me. I think Dazed and Confused and School of Rock are the only movies of his I like (and I like those a lot). The other movies I have seen of his (Slacker, Tape, Waking Life, what little I could tolerate of Before Sunrise) have been unbearably pretentious and boring to me.
The guy is over 40 now and his writing feels to me like college writing. Enough of the endless conversations about pseudo-philosophical things! Yech!
The reason I love "Waking Life" is because some of those conversations are extremely interesting (to me).And when they charter into the land of the uber-pretentious I let the brilliant animation wash over me. The visuals with the "way beyond me" oral stuff sort of blends together and the effect, to me, is some kind of wonderful.
I absolutely love it. I think it has every element that a "first real film" should have, and those are spontenaity and room to breath. So many folks tried to make perfect first films they wore themselves down.
Posts: 12 | Location: somewhere | Registered: 14 May 2005
If you've dealt with "the scene" in any hip place then this film would really draw you in.
This movie took place in Austin, TX so I watched it before my move; I got to Denton (a less-commercial result of Austin) and the Scene is pretty damn similar even over 10 yrs later.
