Slacker

( 5 )

Overview

Richard Linklater's Slacker stands as one of the landmark American independent films of the '90s. Criterion has given the film its first DVD release, and the film comes with an embarrassment of riches. The film itself is presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Three different commentary tracks are available for the film. They feature a variety of people who worked on the film both in front of and behind the camera. There are copious ...
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More About This Product

Overview

Richard Linklater's Slacker stands as one of the landmark American independent films of the '90s. Criterion has given the film its first DVD release, and the film comes with an embarrassment of riches. The film itself is presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Three different commentary tracks are available for the film. They feature a variety of people who worked on the film both in front of and behind the camera. There are copious supplemental materials packed onto this two-disc set. Linklater enthusiasts will be most pleased with the inclusion of the director's little-seen first film, It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books, with a commentary track by him. A ten-minute short made as sort of a first pass at the Slacker style, footage from an anniversary party held for the film's tenth birthday, a preview of a documentary about one of the cafes used as a location in the film, audition tapes, and an essay written by Linklater about the culture he was attempting to comment on in the movie all add depth to the viewer's understanding of the film. Still photos, home movies, trailers, deleted scenes, an early Linklater short, and the film's working script round, out this seemingly perfect DVD.
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Special Features

New high-definition digital transfer, with restored image and sound supervised by director Richard Linklater and directory of photography Lee Daniel, made from the original 16mm film element; Audio commentaries featuring Richard Linklater and members of the cast and crew; It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books (1988), Linklater's first full-length feature, with commentary by Linklater, available here for the first time on home video; Rare casting tapes featuring select "auditions" from the over 100-member cast; Deleted scenes and on-set footage; Footage from the Slacker, 10th Anniversary Reunion in Austin, Texas in 200; Original theatrical trailer; Stills gallery featuring hundreds of rare behind-the-scenes production and publicity photos, and early script versions; History of the Austin Film Society, founded by Linklater with Lee Daniel, including early flyers from screenings; Booklet featuring reviews, essays, production notes, an introduction to Plow by director Monte Hellman (Two Lane Blacktop, The Shooting), an essay by John Pierson (Spike Mike Reloaded: A Guided Tour Across a decade of American Independent Cinema) and a complete cast and crew listing; English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired.
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Dan Jardine
History may be written by the winners, but in movies like Slacker we learn that life's lovable losers often have a far more engaging story to tell. The spiritual anomie afflicting the generation of the then-29-year-old director Richard Linklater provides the backdrop for this meandering and essentially plot-less tale. These college-aged people in Austin, Texas have the freedom and resources to do just about anything, but they choose instead to do nothing. There is a morbid attractiveness to their subversiveness. In most cases, their non-participation in life is a well thought-out stance: "Withdrawing in disgust is not the same thing as apathy," as one of the slackers informs us. Like others before them (beatniks, hippies, punks), this generation of twenty-somethings need time to sort things out. The movie's titular characters represent America's subconscious; these are the midnight neuroses that we keep bottled up in our waking hours. Comparisons to such filmmakers as Luis Bunuel and Max Ophuls are apt, as Linklater's stream of consciousness direction follows a winding road that leads to no particular place at all. Ironically, this studied attempt to appear unscripted and spontaneous succeeds mainly because it is so carefully plotted. Thankfully, Linklater clearly identifies with his subjects, and celebrates their wackiness without resorting to a bitterly ironic pose that would have distanced us from the characters. The film's 97 minutes -- made for $23,000 -- provided more filmmaking bang for the buck than just about any film of the early 1990s; Slacker's no-budget breakthrough success prefigured other Sundance discoveries such as Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi (1992) and Kevin Smith's Clerks (1994).
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 9/14/2004
  • UPC: 715515015523
  • Original Release: 1991

    • Rating:

  • Source: Criterion
  • Time: 1:40:00
  • Format: DVD

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Richard Linklater Should Have Stayed at the Bus Station
Marc James Hit-and-run Son
Mark James Hit-and-run Son
Stella Weir Stephanie from Dallas
John Slate "Conspiracy A-Go-Go" Author
Louis Mackey Old Anarchist
Joseph Jones Old Man Recording Thoughts
Brecht Andersch Dostoyevsky Wannabe
Steve Anderson
Aleister Barron Peeping Kid
Rudy Basquez Taxi Driver
Albans Benchoff Coke Machine Robber
Nigel Benchoff Budding Capitalist Youth
Stewart Bennet Sitting on Ledge
Louis Black Paranoid Paper Reader
Bob Boyd Officer Bozzio
Meg Brennan Sitting at Cafe
Eric Buehlman Cafe Card Player #2
Jean Caggeine
Lori Capp Traumatized Yacht Owner
Jennifer Carroll All-Night Partier
Sean Coffey Super 8 Cameraman
Janelle Coolich
Brian Crockett Sadistic Comb Game Player
Lee Daniel GTO
Jerry Deloney Been on the Moon Since the 50's
Samuel Dietert Grocery Grabber of Death's Bounty
Daniel Dugan Comb Game Player
Ed Hall Band Playing at Club
Keith Fletcher Cafe Card Player #1
Skip Fulton Jr.
Regina Garza Smoking Writer
Charles Gunning Hitchhiker Awaiting "True Call"
Sarah Harmon Has Faith in Groups
Mark Harris T-Shirt Terrorist
Jan Hockey Jogger
Stephan Hockey Running Late
Phillip Hostak Hit Up for Cigarettes
Bruce Hughes Card Playing Waiter
Marianne Hyatt Late Night Pick-up
Robert Jacks Voice Only
Stephen Jacobson S-T-E-V-E with a Van
Terrence Kirk Officer Love
Dan Kratochvil Espresso Czar/Masonic Malcontent
Shelly Kristaponis Shoplifter
Kim Krizan Questions Happiness
Michael Laird Burglar
Gina Lalli Sidewalk Psychic
Kelly Linn Bike Rider with Nice Shoes
Eric Lord Doorman at Club
D. Angus MacDonald Video Playing Store Security
Nick Maffei
R. Malice Scooby Doo Philosopher
Scott Marcus Ultimate Loser
Ron Marks Bush Basher
Kathy McCarty Anarchist's Daughter
Keith McCormack Street Musician
D. Montgomery
Abra Moore Has Change
Nolan Morrison To Be Buried By History
Charlotte Norris Convertible Driver
Frank Orrall Happy-Go-Lucky Guy
Tom Pallotta Looking for Missing Friend
Debbie Pastor Wants to Leave Country
Robert Pierson Based on Authoritative Sources
Gary Price Watching Early Morning TV
Mark Quirk Papa Smurf
Rachel Reinhardt
Scott Rhodes
Tamsy Ringler Video Interviewer
Sharon Roos Devoted Follower
Kyle Rosenblad Going to Catch a Show
Luke Savisky Video Cameraman
Jennifer Schaudies Walking to Coffee Shop
Lucinda Scott Dairy Queen Photographer
Susannah Simone Working on Same Painting
Kendal Smith Post-Modern Paul Revere
Annick Souhami Has Conquered Fear of Rejection
John Spath Co-op Guy
Kalman Spellitich
Maris Strautmanis Giant Cappuccino
Don Stroud Recluse in Bathrobe
Patrice Sullivan Day Tripper
Teresa Taylor Papsmear Pusher
Kevin Thompson
Scott Van Horn
Gus Vayas Cranky Cook
Mimi Vitetta Teacup Sculpter
Clark Lee Walker Cadillac Crook
Wammo Anti-Artist
Greg Ward Tosses Camera Off Cliff
Heather West
Kevin Whitley Jilted Boyfriend
Greg Wilson Anti-Traveller
Technical Credits
Richard Linklater Director, Producer, Screenwriter
Lee Daniel Cinematographer
Debbie Pastor Art Director
Deborah Pastor Production Designer
Scott Rhodes Editor
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Scene Index

Side #1 -- Disc One
1. Should Have Stayed at the Bus Station [4:40]
2. Looks Like Some Guy Ran Over His Mom [6:49]
3. The Obsessiveness, the Utterly Passive [1:55]
4. There's Not That Many Perverts Around [5:19]
5. You Boys Done Male Bonding Yet? [2:36]
6. Sometimes He Has Good Dreams [2:37]
7. You Could Say They Put Me There [1:41]
8. Closer to the Rock God Herself Than Just a Poster [3:53]
9. Terrorism Is the Surgical Strike Capability of the Oppressed [1:19]
10. The Next Person Who Passes Us Will Be Dead Within a Fortnight [2:15]
11. You Should Never Traumatize a Woman With Sexual Intercourse [2:16]
12. It's Like Premeditated Fun [2:10]
13. A Series Originating and Repeated to Infinity [3:47]
14. Bits and Pieces From Your Authoritative Sources [2:59]
15. Profiles in Cowardice or Conspiracy A-Go-Go [3:58]
16. It's Practically a Big Block Now [3:48]
17. Dance on His Grave [2:10]
18. Every Single Commodity You Produce Is a Piece of Your Own Death [2:14]
19. She Was in My Ethics Class [2:01]
20. There Was Such a Thing as Belief Put Into Action in Those Days [6:57]
21. This Dormant Potential [5:36]
22. A Total Recalibration of My Mind [3:10]
23. They Don't Want Some Smurf Leaving the Hive Colony [2:40]
24. We're Always Trying to Enslave Ourselves [2:54]
25. Want to Make Somebody's Life Hell? [4:48]
26. Let's Put Squeaky Fromme on the One-Dollar Bill [3:09]
27. I'm an Anti-Artist [2:34]
28. Late Night Pickup [1:39]
29. This Instinct for Life Somehow Asserts Itself [1:05]
30. A Free Weapons Giveaway Program [1:09]
31. Die Grasskop Polka [2:39]
32. Strangers Die Everyday [3:04]
1. My Own Backyard [4:40]
2. Kitchen-Sink Movie [6:49]
3. Captain Quackenbush's [1:55]
4. Unaccredited Information [5:19]
5. Active Nonparticipant [2:36]
6. Jack Meredith [2:37]
7. Anti-Acting School [1:41]
8. Will Madonna Be Around? [3:53]
9. Bummer, Negative, Loser Types [1:19]
10. Always Take the Freebie [2:15]
11. "Is Everyone in Austin Crazy?" [2:16]
12. Anti-Chamber of Commerce Piece [2:10]
13. Casting From Everywhere [3:47]
14. Secondary Sources [2:59]
15. Favorite Scene [3:58]
16. Eight Months [3:48]
17. Charles Gunning [2:10]
18. Seattle Film Festival [2:14]
19. Mackey and McCarty [2:01]
20. Loving the Mayhem [6:57]
21. Scary White Guy Who Snaps [5:36]
22. Crew in the Scene [3:10]
23. Drunk Actors [2:40]
24. Parallel Films [2:54]
25. About Structure [4:48]
26. Setting the Tone [3:09]
27. Ed Hall and Wammo [2:34]
28. Generation X [1:39]
29. Experimental Movie [1:05]
30. Commodity [1:09]
31. Psychic Minefield [2:39]
32. Music of My People [3:04]
1. "Hey You, Slacker!" [4:40]
2. Having His Life [6:49]
3. Baton Pass [1:55]
4. Magic Carpet Ride [5:19]
5. Those Shorts [2:36]
6. Intense Interior Life [2:37]
7. Small Legends [1:41]
8. Big Yuppie Fuck [3:53]
9. Mark Mouth [1:19]
10. From My Life [2:15]
11. Happy Hawaiian Way [2:16]
12. Austin Film Society [2:10]
13. Editing Joyce [3:47]
14. Cher? [2:59]
15. Personal Best [3:58]
16. Gen X Mentality [3:48]
17. Doug the Slug [2:10]
18. College Town [2:14]
19. Film Scene [2:01]
20. Prim Enough? [6:57]
21. Techie Shit [5:36]
22. Denise [3:10]
23. "Oi as Fuck" [2:40]
24. Spirit of Austin [2:54]
25. Free in California [4:48]
26. Not About Slackers [3:09]
27. "Hey You, Passed Out!" [2:34]
28. The Gorgon [1:39]
29. Stolen Beer [1:05]
30. Celebration of the Underground [1:09]
31. How to Connect? [2:39]
32. A Scrapbook [3:04]
1. The Slacker Seven [4:40]
2. Pico de Gallo [6:49]
3. Self-Imposed Limitations [1:55]
4. So Professional [5:19]
5. The Co-Op Scene [2:36]
6. Visual Rules [2:37]
7. Last-Minute Locations [1:41]
8. Fuck Art, Let's Dance! [3:53]
9. Out-of-Date Images [1:19]
10. 120-Degree Day [2:15]
11. Clicking on All Cylinders [2:16]
12. Night-for-Day [2:10]
13. Ruins of a Police Station [3:47]
14. The "Relationship" Scene [2:59]
15. Giving Away Secrets [3:58]
16. Car Talk [3:48]
17. Operating While Driving [2:10]
18. Café Scenes Cut [2:14]
19. Connecting Scenes [2:01]
20. Disaster Articles Collage [6:57]
21. Clark's Big Scene [5:36]
22. Jinxed Scene [3:10]
23. Editing for Pacing [2:40]
24. Drunk Actors [2:54]
25. Fast Film Stocks [4:48]
26. Dollying Down Guadalupe [3:09]
27. Skaters and Musicians [2:34]
28. Wedges in the Shot [1:39]
29. The Walkman Pro [1:05]
30. Citation for Campaigning [1:09]
31. Running With Cameras [2:39]
32. Leave Only Footprints [3:04]
Side #2 -- Disc Two
1. Letter Tape #1 [4:01]
2. Groceries, Laundry, ATM [2:12]
3. At Home [3:01]
4. Heading North [4:15]
5. First Stop [4:13]
6. Missoula, Montana [4:09]
7. Hiking [3:57]
8. Hanging Out [9:03]
9. Westward [6:12]
10. San Francisco [5:19]
11. Airport [2:33]
12. Homeward [5:52]
13. Austin [4:06]
14. Letter Tape #2 [1:19]
15. Road Trip [4:13]
16. Family Thing [3:10]
17. Downtown [2:40]
18. Mom's House [4:38]
19. Afternoon [7:40]
20. Another Day [3:08]
1. Starting Out [4:01]
2. Looking Back at the Film [2:12]
3. Stanley Kubrick Film School [3:01]
4. Obsessed With Banality [4:15]
5. Confidence Along the Way [4:13]
6. Anti-MTV Film [4:09]
7. The Viewer's Experience [3:57]
8. Composition [9:03]
9. A Writer First [6:12]
10. This Was My Thesis [5:19]
11. Documentary Style [2:33]
12. Crew of Kids [5:52]
13. Editing in My Head [4:06]
14. Acting in Your Own Movies [1:19]
15. Tapes and Tickets [4:13]
16. Tolerant Family [3:10]
17. You Are the D.J. [2:40]
18. Getting the Most for the Least [4:38]
19. Dream Life [7:40]
20. Ending a Film [3:08]
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Menu

Side #1 -- Disc One
   Play Movie
   Chapters
   Color Bars
   Commentaries
      Director Commentary
         Director Commentary: Off
         Director Commentary: On
         Index
      Cast Commentary
         Cast Commentary: Off
         Cast Commentary: On
         Index
      Crew Commentary
         Crew Commentary: Off
         Crew Commentary: On
         Index
   Supplements-a-Go-Go
      No Longer Not Yet
      Showing Life
         Intro by Casting Director Anne Walker-McBay
         Cast Interviews
      Taco-and-a-Half After 10
      Les Amis
         Play Trailer
      Shooting From the Hip
Side #2 -- Disc Two
   It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books
      Play
      Chapters
      Commentary
         Commentary: On
         Commentary: Off
         Index
   Woodshock
      Play
   Austin Film Society
      The Austin Media Arts by Denise Montgomery
      Where the Magic Takes Place by Lee Daniel
      AFS History in Flyers
   Ain't No Film in That Shit
      Play All
      The Roadmap
      Index of Scenes
         1-5
         6-10
         11-15
         16-20
         21-25
         26-30
         31-35
         36-40
         41-45
         46-50
         51-55
   Original Theatrical Trailer
   Slacker\'sla-ker\
   "End of Interview!"
      Play
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 5 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(4)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

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Sort by: Showing all of 5 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A truely unique and wonderful film

    What a treat it was when I first stumbled onto this film. This is my generation and my college days. One of the things I like about the film is its insightfulness into the working of day to day conversations. The nodding heads of listeners who are oblivious to what you are saying. And maybe they should be oblivious. The ending trails off into apparent nothingness and maybe it should. It was the only part I didn't care for. This is not a movie for dull people. It possesses a strong similarity to 'Waking Life'.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 27, 2000

    Slacker is to the Ramen-noodle generation what 'Easy Rider' was to the last.

    I swear ... at one time or another during the early 90's I was each and every character in this movie or maybe I just knew them... this movie is like an acurate slice of time... some of the best.. most interesting characters ever put on film.... I give it five ramen-noodles and two thumbs up!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 30, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 29, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 29, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 5 Customer Reviews