The Forty Acres and Austin, which are rich in movie legends and history, continue to be creative hotspots that promote cinematic greatness. The Daily Texan picked six classic movies that every Longhorn should see, showcasing Austin’s distinctive culture, alumni filmmakers, and the college experience.
Proof of Death
Death Proof, a 2007 slasher directed by Quentin Tarantino, serves as the ideal Austin time capsule. The movie follows a violent stuntman and features well-known Austin establishments including the Texas Chili Parlor and Guero’s Taco Bar. Death Proof is equal parts dry dialogue, gripping vehicle chases, and a great music, all of which were influenced by low-budget action movies from the 1970s. In addition to being a fun, action-packed movie, Death Proof offers Longhorns who are new to Austin an opportunity to learn about the history of their new city.
Slacker
Slacker is the quintessential UT movie, with numerous sequences shot on The Drag. The film, which was written and directed by Richard Linklater, a Texas filmmaker and the creator of the Austin Film Society, centers on a group of lazy people as they go about their daily lives in Austin. Longhorns watchers can recognize the strange characters they encounter as well as the locations the group travels while exploring the city. One figure declares, “This town has always had its share of crazies,” against the backdrop of the UT Tower. There is no other place I would want to call home. Linklater captures the essence of Austin and its people in Slacker.
Dazed and Perplexed
Dazed and Confused, which stars Matthew McConaughey, a Longhorn alumni, follows a group of high school students as they greet the incoming freshman and head away for the summer. One of the most famous scenes from the film, which was shot in Austin and is set in the 1970s, features Top Notch, a burger restaurant on Burnet Road in North Austin. This coming-of-age movie, which blends romance, comedy, and drama, is just another regular high school movie about friendships, parties, and bullying. Themes like growing older as perceived by the seniors and the resilience of the tormented freshmen are highlighted in Dazed and Confused.
Office Space
Office Space, which was filmed in and around Austin, captures the oddities and difficulties of corporate life by fusing scathing humor with incisive social critique. In the film, a disgruntled worker at a software business chooses to quit caring about his work and begin skipping shifts. The film is a must-watch for Longhorns on the brink of the professional world since it takes a satirical look at finding drive and meaning in the career and has countless phrases that may be quoted.
Rocket Bottle
Wes Anderson, a UT alumnus, made his feature film debut with Bottle Rocket, a unique, unusual crime comedy that showcased his dry humor, appreciation of quirky characters, and developing visual style. The film, which was shot all around Texas, combines humor with themes of love and loyalty as it follows a dysfunctional group of friends as they organize a heist. Bottle Rocket is more than simply a cult favorite; it serves as a reminder of the drive and inventiveness that UT fosters and gives Longhorns an insight into Anderson’s early creative career.
