The Film
Richard Linklater sure remembers his youth a lot better than I do. The guy perfectly depicted the last day of school for the class of ‘76 in Dazed and Confused. He spent 12 years capturing key moments of childhood and adolescence for Boyhood. And now he's flashed back to that first time you were out on your own (and the 80s) with Everybody Wants Some!!
Linklater's latest ode to youth is somewhat of a sequel to his 1993 cult classic. However, instead of picking up with that cast (most of which went on to have impressive Hollywood careers), he starts in with a crop of fresh faces and a new story.
The setting is August 1980. College starts in three days, which should give freshman/baseball pitcher Jake (Blake Jenner) plenty of time to bond with his new teammates. That lineup includes Roper (Ryan Guzman), McReynolds (Tyler Hoechlin, who sports the perfect 80s moustache), Finnegan (Glen Powell, who sounds like the distant cousin of Matthew McConaughey's Wooderson), and Willoughby (Wyatt Russell, who is the perfect mesh of his famous parents, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell). The group spends most of their time drinking, driving around looking for women, getting women, smoking pot, and partying it up. That's pretty much it. And that's great, but it's hard to fill 117 minutes with that, unless you're at the actual party. Maybe that's why Linklater added Beverly (Zoey Deutch), an artsy love interest for Jake.
Sadly, that love story is sort of a blip here. I think it deserved a little more of this film's lengthy screen time. Heck, we don't even see any actual baseball until 75 minutes in. However, Everybody Wants Some!! is more about the experience. There are lots of people to meet, a little bit of hazing to witness, and plenty of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (as well as some country and punk, too). There's no doubt that Linklater sure knows how to throw a party, even if he overstays his welcome just a little bit.
Want some more? Check out Matthew Passantino's theatrical review of Everybody Wants Some!!
The Picture
Everybody Wants Some!! definitely has a very 80s (and very low budget) feel, but this 1.85:1 image never looks dated -- at least, not in a bad way. Colors convey the time period perfectly and there's a decent amount of detail here, from the creases on the cassette case and the roof of Jake's car down to the brick wall outside of the Sound Machine and all of the awesome facial hair. Black levels are impressive as well, especially during those night shots and club scenes. It's not even close to demo material, but this image certainly adds to the overall experience.
The Sound
Richard Linklater knows how to rock a soundtrack. This DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix includes The Knack, Sugarhill Gang, Cheap Trick, The S.O.S. Band, Parliament, Van Halen (of course!), and many more bands from the time period. And it rocks them all. The music is probably the most memorable part of this track, since much of the film focuses on the dialogue. That's always clear, but there's also plenty of party and club atmospehere to keep the surrounds active throughout the film.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
Dazed and Confused delivered the end of an era, but Everybody Wants Some!! sort of ends just when things are getting good. That's fine though, because the movie is enjoyable enough and does depict the time period perfectly. It probably won't make it to cult status, but it's still worth a peek for a hearty dose of nostalgia and a fun AV presentation.
Product Details
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