"Here for a good time, not a long time." - Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
"Cheers to the beers!"
PLOT - In 1980, a group of college baseball players navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood partying with different social groups in the days leading up to the first day of school.
LOWDOWN - Back in 2007, the spring before I was due to graduate high school. I was visiting a friend who's mother owned a dog groomers business, and I was waiting to go out with her and a few friends. She was finishing up a shift helping her mom out, and I was sitting in the back storage room with her boyfriend at the time who went to the same high school as us. At our high school it was tradition that the seniors always pulled off some sort of series of stupid pranks within the few weeks before graduation. Here the two of us were brainstorming what we could get away with (In the past seniors had released three chickens with signs around their necks that said 1, 2, and 4. Causing the staff to search for the non-existing number 3 all day. (Now working in the school system I can totally see why the faculty wanted to murder the seniors.) There was of course the usual stuff, stink bombs, glitter bombs, slime on the railings, water balloon fights, ect. I even heard the wood shop made a giant dick and put it in a boat in the small pond that was right next to the field house a few years before I started going. Sadly our senior class had royally messed things up a few months before during our annual senior turkey toss (basically a local radio station with have senior classes complete on who could throw a frozen turkey the furthest...I'm not joking.) Our year of course we were the winning school several years in a row. Well...the good ole' class of 2007 lost that day and a huge massive fight resulted between our class and several other schools...banning our school from the Turkey Toss for as far as I can remember...maybe forever? Any who, the principle had cracked things down and threatened the seniors if any massive pranks were done prom and graduation would be canceled = 150 teenagers just rolling their eyes and trying to figure out the very fine line on clever, memorable, and a prank that wouldn't screw us over if caught. The two of us were thinking up pranks when he laughed and said "Shame we couldn't do what the seniors pulled in the movie Dazed and Confused." I sat back raising an eyebrow asking him what that was? Here he was pretty stunned since out of our circle of friends I was known as the big movie buff. He explained the plot and instantly I knew I needed to check it out.
That following week I bought a used copy of Dazed and Confused at my local record store, and was introduced into the wonderful world of Richard Linklater.
I loved the movie so much I even ended up having a poster of it in my room that summer, and became a huge favorite of mine due to the likable characters, witty dialog, killer soundtrack (I've always loved older music), as well as the timeframe the film take place in. The fact all basically took place in one day, showing characters much like myself who were friends with everyone. It had high rewatch value, and instantly I knew I needed to look up more films by Linklater.
Oh and also as for our big senior prank...a handful of us ran down the hallways with air horns like idiots...thrilling!
So years passed and I ended up watching Boyhood in theaters after hearing the hype about filming over the course of twelve years. I ended up really liking it, and much like Dazed and Confused it was a coming of age movie that was relatable at all different ages. Yet again the writing as great, as were the characters. Around that time I began hearing that Linklater was maybe in the middle of wanting to make a sequel to Dazed and Confused set in the 1980's.
Time passed and finally its as revealed that instead of it being a true straight sequel to Dazed, it was what Richard called a "spiritual" sequel to both Dazed and Confused. (if the character of Mitch was beginning college, it would be set in 1980.) as well as Boyhood since that film ends with the character we followed throughout his life arriving at college meeting his roommate and a girl. With Everybody Wants Some!! Richard started fresh (simply because the characters in Dazed were too old) Instead of going head first having it take place in the middle of the 80's, it did it in late August of 1980's, where it still very much felt like the 70's. I feel the 1980's have been beaten to absolute death in the last ten years or so. Stranger Things, Take Me Home Tonight, Hot Tub Time Machine, Red Oaks, The Goldbergs, Halt and Catch Fire, Wet Hot American Summer, Glow, AHS 1984, etc. Trust me, I get it. Even though I was only alive during two years of that decade a lot about that time was awesome. The music, movies, Hell...even the fashion. It sparks up a certain kind of nostalgia that reminds us of a happier and simpler time where we grew up watching movies and TV shows during that time. Basically everything about the 80's was making a comeback. Even for VHS collectors like myself, modern day movies you could buy on tape from special companies, shows and films from that era were being released on blu-ray in special editions, soundtracks on colorful awesome looking vinyl, even metal bands from that time were touring. The 80's were awesome, but having everything take place in 1984 was beginning to really get kinda tired. Instead Richard Linklater decided to tell his story that reminded him of his college days as a baseball player at the beginning of the decade. When I showed this movie to my sister and her husband, my sister actually remarked that she liked the fact they were sticking closely to how discos were actually still really popular in that time. Music and fashion were just starting to change, and Linklater always hits the mark with making everything as authentic as possible. This was a guy who knows how to write realistic characters usually partying, or coming to a crossroads in life. He's able to write his movies that make you watch it and go "That reminds me of something I did in my youth." or "That guy reminds me of somebody I used to know." He did a wonderful job capturing college life of a group of guys were sure are jocks, but all range from different backgrounds. Jake (Blake Jenner) is basically the audience. It opens with him driving to his Southern Texas University after scoring. scholarship to play baseball with one of the best college teams in the country. It begins with him causing onto campus blasting The Knack's My Sharona before arriving at one of the two large off campus houses the school as provided for the baseball players to live in.
Jake is cute, all American, seems like a nice guy and quickly meets his fellow team and roommates. McReynolds (Tyler Hoechlin) the star athlete and team captain who has a awful temper when competing. Still, the scene of him hitting the baseball with an axe and cutting it perfectly in half was pretty bad ass.
My favorite character Finnegan (Glen Powell) who's the senior who has all the wisdom as a rationalist, and charms ladies claiming he has an average cock since ladies are so tired of hearing guys talk about how huge they are "I'm a grower...not a shower."
Roper (Ryan Guzman) McReynolds best friend, who's the ladies man, who claims he has the best "cheese" on campus aka nicest butt. Willoughby (Wyatt Russell, who looks SO much like his dad it's scary) as the likable stoner who has a pretty awesome way of looking at life and utters one of my favorite lines "Well fellas, here for a good time...not a long time." Fellow freshmen Plummer (Temple Baker) who's drunk basically the whole movie and provides plenty of comic relief. Him getting slammed against the wall in the punk show kills me every time. Raw Dog aka Jay Niles (Juston Street) as the intense weird pitcher who is beyond weird. His exchange on the ball field kills me "Did he just fucking throw the ball into the parking-lot?"
Dale (J. Quinton Johnson) who completely kills it during the sing along scene to The Sugarhill's Gang's Rapper's Delight. I still am trying to memorize all of those lyrics and that scene kills me. Beuter (Will Brittain) the very Southern freshmen that gains the most hillbilly sounding new name by his fellow teammates. Nesbit (Austin Amelio) as one of the fellow seniors. His exchange with McReynolds during the ping-pong scene kills me. "Actually...17-19." "THANK YOU NESBIT! Are you fucking happy?" "No...I'm scared now..."
Brumley (Tanner Kalina) the clueless freshmen who constantly gets ragged on by his new teammates "Cheers to the beers! Full throttle to the bottle!" and of course Coma (Forrest Vickery) The look on his face during the punk show nervously sipping his drink was me years ago when a friend of mine took me to my first hardcore show.
This cast of guys are all likable, even if some of them first come off as jerks. Basically in one scene the guys exchange how everything to them is a competition. From keg stands, playing basketball, baseball, bets on if Beuter's girlfriend is in his family tree, flicking each other's knuckles. playing darts, and even taking bong rips. That when you get a bunch of competitive guys all living together, the gloves come off. Still, the script keeps everything within good fun as we follow Jake as he parties with his teammates. The first night at the Sound Machine, the local disco where they get free beer, and hook up with fellow co-eds. The next night after Raw Dog gets them kicked out of the disco after a very unsuccessful evening with the ladies they hit up the local country bar, wearing cowboy hats, and dancing to cotton eyed Joe (in full Urban Cowboy vibes since yet again in 1980 that movie had been released and those bars and that fashion was huge.) To them meeting up with one of Jake's old high school teammates who is attending the same college but has now embraced the punk rock culture. Here he takes the guys to a show, where Jake even brings up to Finn how in these last few nights (the disco, country bar, and now a punk show) he's questioning his identity since they seem to just dress for whatever place they are attending to fit in. Finn breaks it down simple, they are just doing whatever they can to get laid.
Trueeeeee.
We follow the guys hold a huge blow out party at their baseball house, full of strong rum punch made by Coma, very strong brownies by Willoughby, and a mud wrestling match. We watch the guys go to the arcade, hit up local bars, have their first "unofficial" practice where they show off their skills. (Always love the exchange following Raw Dog and McReynold's fight, how Raw Dog quietly walks up to him remarking he made a good hit, and McReynolds simply nods saying "We're cool." Here we see despite the hazing, remarks, and pranks, all of them are teammates and look out for each other. Every scene is just a bunch of guys partying it up, having a good time as with each new day a title appears showing how many days or hours are left before class officially starts.
You can tell Linklater (who was a ballplayer back in school) made a movie that captures what his life was like at that time with his friends. Much like Dazed and Confused, the movie really isn't about anything in particular, just a film about youths in a certain era living life. I'm sure the movie isn't for everyone, but I really love how Linklater makes his movies about time frames. Some of his movies take place during just a few days, a day itself, even a decade. The characters seem real, and we see day to day interaction with these guys as teammates as well as friends. Dale informs the freshmen that they need to earn the teammate status because when it really comes down to it, back in high school they may have been the "best" ballplayer, but now all together they are on a whole new level.
The film also features a sweet innocent little love story between Jake and a pretty theater arts major Beverly (Zoey Deutch) who catches Jake's eye. She invites him to a theater party, where Jake brings the guys who at first feel a little out of place, but quickly starts to relax and have a good time with the pretty girls, and the strange and unusual surroundings. I love Finn's line after the guys rag on him about hitting on a theater student pretending he was into astrology. He later tells the guys who are still laughing at him that isn't it funny, when they are all playing baseball all they can talk about is pussy...but when they are around some actual interesting women all they talk about is baseball.
The movie like I said really isn't about one certain thing, but following a freshmen partying it up with his fellow teammates in the days/hours before his first official day of college starts. I can't name just one scene that's my favorite, but this movie has HIGH rewatch value, as well as being very quotable. I think the reason why I love it so much is because since this whole COVID19 thing started, my anxiety has been in overdrive (I'm sure I'm not alone) so to take my mind off things, I've been watching movies that I love and find comforting. A buddy of mine showed this movie to me just last month (I'm stunned I didn't see it sooner) and I instantly loved it just as I had with Dazed and Confused. Since then I've re-watched it countless times. This is the type of music you can just have playing in the background or to watch while falling asleep. It's light hearted, funny, and to me at least very comforting. There's a small number of movies that do that for me, and with Everybody Wants Some!! it hit all the right nails on the head. This and Summer School (1987) are my two comfort movies. I watch it, and instantly I find myself laughing and quoting it, forgetting my worries for just a little less than two hours. Certain movies just scream summer, and as we enter the scary uncertain summer of 2020, this movie has been on constant re-play for me.
Like I said, not everyone's cup of team (or should I say maybe everyone doesn't want some!!? HA!) But for me, I loved it. Much like Dazed and Confused, during it's run it didn't do well at the box office, but I have a feeling much like Dazed it's going to gain a well loved cult following. This is a great movie to watch with friends, and watch these ten or so guys steal the show. That soundtrack is amazing, and great to drive to. IN FACT. I just won a raffle this week through a friend of mine who has a poster signed by the whole cast. Since this movie has gained a place in my top ten favorites, the poster will be framed, and much loved for my collection. I hope Richard keeps cranking out for classics like this, and my only problem is since it didn't do so great at the box office, we sadly won't get a sequel. (I always felt having it take place before the seniors graduate from that year would have been awesome seeing the guys all together again.) But hey, you never know...
So in closing, Everybody Wants Some!! is a fun light hearted period piece with one of the funniest likable casts I've seen in a very long time! This will be re-watched many times during this summer for sure!!!
5 stars!
