Alright, Alright, Alright
The Oral History of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused
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Alright, Alright, Alright
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Narrated by:
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Brittany Pressley
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George Newbern
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By:
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Melissa Maerz
About this listen
The definitive oral history of the cult classic Dazed and Confused, featuring behind-the-scenes stories from the cast, crew, and Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater.
The production includes an exclusive conversation between Melissa Maerz and Richard Linklater at the end of the audiobook.
Dazed and Confused not only heralded the arrival of filmmaker Richard Linklater, it introduced a cast of unknowns who would become the next generation of movie stars. Embraced as a cultural touchstone, the 1993 film would also make Matthew McConaughey’s famous phrase - alright, alright, alright - ubiquitous. But it started with a simple idea: Linklater thought people might like to watch a movie about high school kids just hanging out and listening to music on the last day of school in 1976.
To some, that might not even sound like a movie. But to a few studio executives, it sounded enough like the next American Graffiti to justify the risk. Dazed and Confused underperformed at the box office and seemed destined to disappear. Then something weird happened: Linklater turned out to be right.
This wasn’t the kind of movie everybody liked, but it was the kind of movie certain people loved, with an intensity that felt personal. No matter what their high school experience was like, they thought Dazed and Confused was about them. Alright, Alright, Alright is the story of how this iconic film came together and why it worked. Combining behind-the-scenes photos and insights from nearly the entire cast, including Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and many others, and with full access to Linklater’s Dazed archives, it offers an inside look at how a budding filmmaker and a cast of newcomers made a period piece that would feel timeless for decades to come.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2020 Melissa Maerz (P)2020 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about Alright, Alright, Alright
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mr. J. Filsell
- 02-02-21
You’d be a whole lot cooler if you did.....
Growing up as a teenager this was one of the go to films for me and my friends....and if you love the movie then you’ll love all the stories and anecdotes from behind the scenes.
It’s a nice easy listen that reflects on a small independent film that went on to become a cult classic and make the 70’s cool again.
A fun, relaxing and enjoyable listen....
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christopher Whalen
- 26-06-24
The story of one of my favourite films
I love this film (“Dazed and Confused”) and I really enjoyed this book. It made me want to rewatch the film (I just bought the DVD from eBay). My big brother, Gregory, introduced me to this film in the mid-90s. It’s right in my wheelhouse as a coming-of-age film. It has that timeless quality: the film is set on the last day of high school in 1976 and goes all through the night to the next morning.
Anyway, enough about the film. Why did I like the book? I haven’t read many oral histories before. It’s kind of like reading the trivia section from IMDb in a really drawn-out and detailed way. It’s a really interesting insight into the early career of Richard Linklater: his years in Austin, Texas, where he lived off his savings, paying cheap rent, watching movies every day, not really having to work. That led to “Slacker”; “Dazed and Confused” was his second major film, funded by Universal.
Most of the cast of the movie seemed to have a great time: partying, staying up all night, smoking weed, drinking, sleeping around. Linklater, on the other hand, had to fight really hard against the Hollywood machine to make the film he wanted to make. His memories of making the film are more painful.
His filmmaking style seems to be really laid back: he is definitely in control, but he lets his actors express themselves, write scenes, improvise; and sometimes he goes with it.
I hadn’t realized that the film was the start of some pretty major acting careers for Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Milla Jovovich, Renée Zellweger, and others.
It’s nostalgic for me to revisit this beloved film. I really wish Gregory was still around so that I could talk to him about it. He introduced us to so much culture like this when I was growing up.
The audiobook narration by Brittany Pressley is pretty good: clear and easy to follow. It includes some contributions by George Newbern, who I think reads some of the male voices. There’s also an interview between the author, Melissa Maerz, and Richard Linklater at the end. It makes sense to read this as an audiobook, but I did find it hard to keep track of who everyone is. This would be easier in a book, where you could stop to check the cast list. The audiobook has a PDF, but I didn’t read this until after I’d finished it. It doesn’t really matter though: it evoked a mood, a good time, and I learned a lot about one of my favourite films and made me want to rewatch it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kirwan Lyster
- 03-11-23
Makes a rewatch urgent
This is a fantastic and thorough look back at the making of a film I love, with almost all of the actors and key creatives clearly having provided a lot of time to interviews and recollection.
I can't wait to watch Dazed and Confused again.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Steve Dempster
- 03-04-24
One of my all time favourite movies…
I’m currently listening to the audiobook about the making of one of my all time favourite movies, Dazed and Confused. It’s absolutely fantastic & I’m learning loads about what went on behind the scenes.
😋
I just wish that they had been able to get the cast to record their own memories…
It would be a lot cooler if they did.
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