Alright, Alright, Alright

September 15, 2020
A charming oral history of everyone's favorite stoner film. When 23-year-old Matthew McConaughey uttered the three words of the title, which weren't in Richard Linklater's shooting script, set decorator Deb Pastor knew that history was being made. "The minute he said that 'alright, alright, alright' thing," she recalls for interviewer and archfan Maerz, "I just went, 'Oh my god, for the rest of time, people are going to be saying everything this motherfucker says.' " As it turns out, McConaughey was an accidental addition of sorts, and his role expanded both when Linklater realized how good he was and when Linklater fired a couple of actors from the production, expanding the role of Wooderson. Joey Lauren Adams recalls of the director, "Rick always treated you in a nonsexual way, and for all of us women who had been treated in sexual ways for so long, to have a man who's not like that? It's weird." Linklater's film, like his debut, Slacker, tanked when it appeared in 1993, but it rode the first wave of commercial DVDs and is now a staple on cable TV. It also caused controversy during and after production: As the interviews make clear, some of the cast were resentful that Linklater didn't use them in later films and were bitter that their careers didn't advance further with the film. Meanwhile, three of Linklater's high school classmates on whom film roles were modeled sued years after the fact, looking for a piece of the action. Some of Maerz's interview subjects are regretful of behavior that was appropriate to high school but not to professional life, which just shows how far they sank into their roles. Says Linklater, who enshrined his high school years in the cult hit, "Note to actors: Get along with people you're in an ensemble with. Especially with the director. Don't forget who edits and controls all this, you know?" Essential for fans of the film but also for anyone with ambitions to work in film on either side of the camera.

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September 28, 2020
In this exhaustively researched debut, Vulture founding editor Maerz weaves an intricate oral history of Richard Linklater’s 1993 cult classic film Dazed and Confused. Based on more than a hundred interviews with Linklater, the film’s cast, studio executives, and others, Maerz digs into Linklater’s childhood; the success of his previous film, Slackers; and production details, including the casting of then-unknowns Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey. Open hedonism and drama among the young cast (“behind the scenes, these kids were unleashed”) made for a rowdy on-set experience, and Linklater was later hit with class-action lawsuits by real-life characters Bobby Wooderson, Rick Floyd, and Andy Slater, who felt they were misrepresented in the movie. Maerz insists that it is “nearly impossible” not to identify with the film’s characters or situations, but also scrutinizes the reasons behind the film’s glaring lack of diversity (“Texas was still pretty segregated, even in the ’70s”) and shines a spotlight on behind-the-scenes misogyny (“There’s a demeaning of women that goes on that’s just normal”). Maerz’s debut is—much like Linklater’s film—inconclusive, but it’s one any cinephile would be happy to check out.

Starred review from October 1, 2020
While Richard Linklater's homage to his hometown and growing up in the 70s wasn't originally meant to be a stoner film, or a nostalgic look at high school, or even very funny, Dazed and Confused became all of the above for many of its fans. These perceptions were partially due to Universal's marketing of a movie they didn't really know what to do with, but also because of the atmosphere Linklater fostered on the Austin, Texas, set, encouraging his young actors to inhabit their characters, bond, and improvise profusely. All of it made for a fun, hormone-fueled filming experience; as shared here, many of the actors never experienced anything like it again, especially the creative freedom. It also makes for fun reading, enhanced by veteran entertainment journalist Maerz's expert chapter introductions and many, well-organized conversations with everyone from Linklater to the stars to the film crew. But Alright, Alright, Alright is also an interesting peek into the many relationships that must be navigated in the making of a film, and a surprising foray into the nature of memory and nostalgia. A must for fans of the movie and readers interested in the moviemaking experience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

October 1, 2020

Former Rolling Stone and Spin editor Maerz crafts an oral history of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused (1993). Readers learn how, between the late 1980s and early 1990s, a slew of independent films flooded the marketplace, telling authentic stories that transcended the glossy, big-budget Hollywood movies typical of the era. The surprise critical and commercial success of 1990's Slacker gave writer director Linklater an opportunity to make a personal film of teenage angst set in 1970s Austin. Shot on a relatively modest budget of $25 million and featuring an unknown cast of young actors, Dazed and Confused was another hit and, ultimately, a cult classic. Through interviews with Linklater and the cast (including Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey) and crew, Maerz delivers an at times humorous chronicle of how a small film became a touchstone of 1990s cinema, with introspective analysis of directing techniques, casting, and performance. While readers may become overwhelmed by the different perspectives, the author maintains a sense of cohesion among different insights, resulting in a well-rounded account. VERDICT Linklater devotees, those who love Dazed and Confused, and anyone interested in 1990s indie film will appreciate Maerz's detailed tribute.--Leah Huey, Dekalb P.L., IL

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