Slacker (1980) (Blu-ray) (UK Import)

Slacker, directed by Richard Linklater, presents a day in the life of a loose-knit Austin, Texas, subculture populated by eccentric and overeducated young people. Shooting on 16 mm for a mere $23, 000, writer-producer-director Linklater and his crew of friends threw out any idea of a traditional plot, choosing instead to create a tapestry of over a hundred characters, each as compelling as the last. Slacker is a prescient look at an emerging generation of aggressive nonparticipants, and one of the key films of the American independent film movement of the 1990s.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

Restored high-definition digital film transfer, supervised by director Richard Linklater and director of photography Lee Daniel, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master audio soundtrack
Three audio commentaries, featuring Linklater and members of the cast and crew
It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books (1988), Linklater’s first feature, with commentary by the director
Woodshock (1985), a 16 mm short by Linklater and Daniel Casting tapes featuring select “auditions”
Footage from the Slacker tenth-anniversary reunion
Early film treatment
Home movies
Ten-minute trailer for a 2005 documentary about the landmark Austin café Les Amis
Deleted scenes and alternate takes
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: a booklet featuring essays by author and filmmaker John Pierson and Sony Pictures Classics copresident Michael Barker; reviews by critics Ron Rosenbaum and Chris Walters; production notes by Linklater; and an introduction to It’s Impossible to Plow by Reading Books by director Monte Hellman