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Stars:
Jason London, Rory Cochran, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Sasha Jenson, Milla
Jovovich, Michael Burk, Ben Affleck, and Matthew McConaughey/Sean Penn, Jennifer
Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Brian Backer, Phoebe Cates, Ray Walston, Forest
Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, Nicolas Cage, and Anthony Edwards
Writer:
Richard Linklater /Cameron Crowe
Directors:
Richard Linklater/Amy Heckerling
Feature
length: 102 minutes/90 minutes
Extras:
Deleted Scenes, 70s PSAs, Production Notes and Bios/Audio Commentary With Writer
Cameron Crowe and Director Amy Heckerling, Documentary, Video Map, Music Cues,
Trailer
Languages:
English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Sound and French and Spanish Language Dolby Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and French and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Two Keep Cases Within A Cardboard Slipcase
Chapter
Stops: 16/18
Sound:
DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and
Dolby Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Releases: 1993/1982/DVD Release: 2004
Theatrical
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Universal Studios Home Video
MPAA
Rating: R/R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Available
separately or within the Ultimate Party Collection, “Dazed And Confused:
Flashback Edition” and “Fast Times At Ridgemont High: Special Edition” may
seem like an unlikely double feature, but both offer a humorous look back at
ages long past and both feature films that had actors that would go on to have
varied careers. Among the then unknown cast members in “Dazed And Confused”
are Jason London, Adam Goldberg, Ben Affleck, and Matthew McConaughey. For me
the lovely Milla Jovovich was the only face I recognized on the box cover and
that is because of her career as a model. “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”
sports an even more impressive cast of then relatively unknown actors that
include Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Forest
Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, Nicolas Cage, and Anthony Edwards. Perhaps the most
recognizable face in the film to me when I first saw it was the late Ray Walston,
who made a career out of appearing in genre television shows like “My Favorite
Martian” and had a recurring character role on both “Star Trek: The Next
Generation” and “Star Trek: Voyager.” The career of Sean Penn has taken
such a radical turn since he appeared in “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” that
it is almost impossible to believe he is the same actor who has appeared in
films like “U Turn,”
“The Thin Red Line,” or “Mystic River.”
I
am not a big fan of “Dazed And Confused” because I’m not all that crazy
about the 1970s. I’ve seen better films with more heart and more humor that
were set in the 1970s, but actually had more of a story to it. “Dazed And
Confused: Flashback Edition” is a rather disappointing DVD as well. While it
does sport a clear English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical Surround Soundtrack as
well as Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and even a clear anamorphic widescreen
(1.85:1) aspect ratio presentation, the DVD offers little in the area of special
features. Besides a reel of nine deleted scenes (14:29) and some 1970s PSAs like
“The Blunt Truth” (4:23), “VD is For Everyone” (1:02) and “Crying
Indian” (2:04) there really is not much there aside from some onscreen
production notes and cast bios. A French Dolby Surround Soundtrack and English
Captions for the hearing impaired as well as French and Spanish Language
Subtitles are encoded as options too.
“Fast
Times At Ridgemont High” is more of a time capsule because it was actually
produced in the early 1980s, which still had remnants of the 1970s fading away
as new music bands replaced old ones and video games moved in where pinball
machines were once popular. However with over twenty years having past, “Fast
Times At Ridgemont High” is not nearly as endearing as the John Hughes teenage
comedy dramas that would dominate the mid 1980s. The picture quality is better
than average, but not quite impressive with an anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1)
presentation and the choice of either English DTS Digital 5.1 Theatrical
Surround Sound or Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. A Spanish Language Dolby
Surround Soundtrack and English Captions for the hearing impaired as well as
French and Spanish Language Subtitles are also encoded as options.
The
best extra feature is the audio commentary with Director Amy Heckerling and
Writer Cameron Crowe. They go into depth about the various scene changes,
casting, and even what the MPAA would not allow to be shown on screen at all.
Other extra features include a retrospective documentary (39:15), an interactive
map of the hangouts seen in the film as well as a list of featured song cues and
the theatrical trailer (1:43). The DVD menus feature animated scene transitions
to standard interactive still frames and all are easy to navigate.
Both
films are also available in full screen versions too, but the sets are sold
separately. “Dazed And Confused & Fast Times At Ridgemont High: Ultimate
Party Collection” is available at retailers on and offline now courtesy of
Universal Studios Home Video.
©
Copyright 2004 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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