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by Blender Dumbass

Aka: J.Y. Amihud. A Jewish by blood, multifaceted artist with experience in film-making, visual effects, programming, game development, music and more. A philosopher at heart. An activist for freedom and privacy. Anti-Paternalist. A user of Libre Software. Speaking at least 3 human languages. The writer and director of the 2023 film "Moria's Race" and the lead developer of it's game sequel "Dani's Race".

You will probably laugh at me right now, but so far I've seen 1973 George Lucas film American Graffiti just twice. First time I stopped at about 25 minute mark, not getting the hype around the movie. This time I decided to get through to the end, no matter what it takes. And believe me, if you are not laughing at me right now, you don't understand. This is fucked up! Holy fucking shit!!! I see it now!!! I see it!

Yet I still get why the executives and money people back in the 70s thought that this movie will fail. They thought it was the worst film ever made and they had a good point. When I saw it for the first time I pretty much agreed with them. And I had to force myself through the opening of this film this time around too. But when you get to the end, it's not just a good movie, it is a great piece of cinema. I won't go into spoilers ( or will try not to at the very least ), but you know to laugh at a naive motherfucker, if the naive motherfucker only saw the first half of the film.

Let me say that. I cried on about half point. And I was shocked out of my senses by the time the credits were rolling. That is how smart this movie is. It lowers your guard in the beginning. It makes you think you are watching a montage of funny moments that happen to stupid teenagers. And you are, technically. And that is not an interesting thing to watch. Until you get invested. Until you start seeing them as characters. Characters that you like. Then characters that you love. And then the ending, motherfucker!!! THE ENDING!!! OMFG!!!

Fuck cinema history. Fuck Lucas and fuck Francis Ford Coppola ( the guy who helped Lucas make this film ). Fuck Harrison Ford and fuck Ron Howard. Fuck Richard Dreyfuss. It's not about film history. It's not about early roles of somebody who will become very good later. It's not about Star Wars fandom. This movie is trying to do something very fucking important. It is trying to make adults take their kids seriously.

The ending hammers it home, but even before that ending, the structure of the film is such that makes this point very fucking clear. Take the John Miller ( Paul LeMat ) and Carol ( Mackenzie Phillips ) love story. It starts as a joke. A weird kind of joke. And it has some creepy moments to it. But in the end of the day ( or the night ) John learns to really fucking respect that girl. He starts to really like her. Not in a sexual creepy way. But in a real way. Like real people. This is some strong shit! This is the film-makers begging you to start respecting children, the same way John starts respecting Carol.

The whole plot is about a bunch of 17 year olds messing around all night. Yes they are stupid naive motherfuckers in the beginning of the night. But by the end, we spent so much time with them that we see them and understand them. And they are not stupid naive motherfuckers anymore. And when this realization slowly creeps on you, Lucas bashes you in the head with the final thing to hammer home the point with such a blow it is hard to explain. Oh my fucking god!

The directing in this film is strange. It feels like Lucas doesn't have the movie under his total control. There are continuity issues and sometimes those issues make the movie very hard to follow. But the vibes are solid through and through. I don't have internet right now to check, but it seems like the film had no money. And there is a lot of car shenanigans in this film. So corners had to be cut. Therefor the film feels a little rough around the edges. Maybe this is what threw me off the first time. I was focusing too much on the technical aspects of the film and not the emotional ones.

I think now that I have seen it all and experienced the shock at the end of it. And now that I do take the characters in the film seriously. I might actually enjoy it better on the next viewing. This was really fucking good. Are you still laughing at me?

Happy Hacking!!!

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