To me, this movie is perfection.

So much average

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Texas, 1976. It is the last day of school and the High School seniors are out to haze the incoming freshmen. Superb, nostalgic, fun drama, written and directed by Richard Linklater. Captures the spirit of high school - the discoveries, the music, the parties, growing up and just having fun. It also captures the transition between being a high school student and being an adult, and all the uncertainties, new responsibilities and wonder that involves.Linklater's finely-tuned-yet-loose-feeling plot and cool dialogue are aided and abetted by a fantastic soundtrack. Linklater chose the time setting for his movie well - I can't imagine a better time to be alive, music-wise, than the mid-70s, especially if you're a teenager.Good performances by a cast that was, at the time, made up almost entirely of young unknowns. Linklater clearly could spot new, undervalued talent as many of them went on to have successful Hollywood careers: Jason London (his 3rd movie), Milla Jovovich (5th), Ben Affleck (5th), Matthew McConaughey (1st), Renee Zellweger (1st), Joey Lauren Adams (2nd), Adam Goldberg (3rd) and Parker Posey (3rd). The only movie I can think of with a bigger all-star (in retrospect) cast is Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders.

Ordering at the Speak Box, in a muscle car. Yes? No?Figure likely, being that Ben Affleck is in the film and the producers/director were taking anybody into the film, as they picked up Mathew McConoughy the night before first shoot.

A story of the battle between authority and youth in the 80s, this movie has a sound track as bombastic as its story line. While Linklater creates an exciting world filled with the problems of high school and middle school students, the film lacks meaning with muddled conflicts and low stakes from beginning to end. Worth a watch just to feel the accurate representation of the party life in the 80s, if that is what you are seeking. The characters are well-developed and likable, although I felt sorry for the lives they led, being given little in the ways of a life worth living. The acting becomes hard to believe at points, and with the exception of Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey, much was left to be desired from the cast. This can be a common problem when working with such a young cast, but the issue remains.

Following his debut with independent teen movie Slacker, the second film from director Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise, School of Rock, Boyhood) was another teen movie, I was especially attracted to watch when I read more about the cast. Basically it is May 28th 1976 in a small town in the suburbs of Austin, Texas, the last day of the academic year at Lee High School, many of the kids are skipping classes, smoking weed and ready to celebrate the summer vacation, with a big keg party at Kevin Pickford's house. The Seniors are excited to chase the newbie Freshmans for hazing and no-nonsense spankings, while the girls face verbal abuse and humiliation. There is no plot as such, it is mainly a series of conversations while characters walk and drive to the party, and of course when they are there the many groups of greasers, nerds, stoners and athletes indulge in boozing and drugs to their heart's content, but they do change perspectives through their actions. Starring Jason London as Randall "Pink" Floyd, Rory Cochrane as Slater, Waking Life's Wiley Wiggins as Mitch Kramer, Sasha Jenson as Don Dawson, Michelle Burke as Jodi Kramer, Shawn Andrews as Pickford, Road Trip's Anthony Rapp as Tony Olson, Christin Hinojosa as Sabrina Davis, Big Daddy's Joey Lauren Adams as Simone Kerr, Marissa Ribisi (Giovanni's twin sister) as Cynthia Dunn, Cole Hauser as Benny and Nicky Katt as Clint, and featuring up-and-coming young talents Adam Goldberg as Mike Newhouse, Milla Jovovich as Michelle Burroughs, Matthew McConaughey as David Wooderson, Ben Affleck as Fred O'Bannion and Parker Posey as Darla Marks, and look out for Renée Zellweger as the Girl in blue pickup truck. Seeing the young big-name actors is the highlight of the film, it has a pseudo-documentary style, and it has similarities to Fast Times at Ridgemont High and American Graffiti, it is not like American Pie, full of sex, crudeness and over-the-top jokes, it is a simple but effective look at the interactions, attraction and distractions by teenagers killing time, with a terrific soundtrack, including songs by Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Bob Dylan, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Kiss, a most watchable comedy drama. Good!