In the words of Matthew McConaughey, "alright, alright, alright." Alamo Drafthouse is set to host a Dazed and Confused reunion as a part of its "Support Local Cinemas" event.
The reunion will take place via Zoom and Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, and director Richard Linklater will be in attendance to discuss the making of the film in an effort to get moviegoers to return to theaters. The chat will be pre-recorded and hosted by Jack Black and will aptly premiere during the week of 4/20. Perfect marketing date for an event tied to this film if you ask me. The reunion will be available for free to cinemas around the world. Richard Linklater had this to say about the event:
"As founder and artistic director of the Austin Film Society, I know firsthand that community cinemas like ours are vital cultural spaces. It’s important for everyone to do their part to ensure that theaters can make it to the other side of this pandemic. We can’t come together as a community unless we have places to gather where we can share experiences, and cinemas are at the heart of that."
Despite being a commercial disappointment at the box office, Dazed and Confused was well received by critics at the time of its release in 1993 and has gone on to generate a huge cult following. The film follows different groups of Texas teenagers during the last day of school in 1976. The movie was McConaughey’s first prominent role, playing the aging lothario David Wooderson. Posey, who was on the cusp of becoming an indie darling, portrayed the queen bee of the senior class, Darla Marks. As for director Richard Linklater, the film solidified him as a filmmaking force on the rise and he would go on to direct the critically acclaimed Before trilogy and Boyhood, which went on to earn several Academy Award nominations.
Alamo Drafthouse’s “Support Local Cinemas” launched earlier this month with The Lord of The Rings cast reunion, which is reuniting 11 cast members with host Stephen Colbert. Fans can submit a question to the Dazed and Confused panel using the hashtag #Dazed on Twitter. Alamo Drafthouse has built a solid reputation of being a movie house for movie fans and this latest effort only supports that narrative. Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse founder, and executive chairman, had this to say about the event:
"We’ve found the movies that resonate the most during COVID are warm, nostalgic, feel-good titles that we refer to as ‘eminently re-watchable. Perhaps the king of our rewatchable cult favorite movies is Richard Linklater’s ‘Dazed and Confused,’ and I’m delighted that Richard, Matthew, Parker and Jack are giving us their time for this event."
Screenings of Dazed and Confused will continue through the end of May in cinemas worldwide and tickets are on sale for screenings at Alamo Drafthouse locations at drafthouse.com/Dazed.