Campus Comedy Classics includes:
American Pie (Special Edition) (R-rated version),
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Special Edition), and
Animal House (Special Edition).
1 Fast Times always a good time
A deep, thoughtful movie this isn't. A fun, lighthearted romp it most definately is. There are some deep issues touched on in Fast Times at Ridgemont High but they aren't really explored, as they should not have been.
The point of this movie was not to make you think or wonder. The point was to have a good time and poke a little fun at the notoriously difficult high school years.
My all time favorite scene, just because it is so sweet, is when Brad is waiting to pick up Stacy after her abortion. It is such a sweet scene it always makes me choke up a little bit. Okay, I admit it, I am a bit of a sap.
This movie is absolutely worth buying, you can watch it again and again, if for nothing else, getting to see all those 80's clothes and wonder "what were we thinking!"
2 "You, my friend, are a wussy."
"Part wimp, part pussy."
After watching this movie, I have a huge beef with this film, and their marketing department. Why was Sean Penn placed on the cover and emphasized and not Jennifer Jason Leigh? Who was the main character of the film? Jennifer Jason Leigh. Who was the story based around? Jennifer Jason Leigh. Who was built up, had conflict, was torn down, and then had resolve? Jennifer Jason Leigh. Sean Penn provided comic relief only and was in less then twenty minutes of total film.
"Wait a minute, there is no birthday party for me here."
You have to love the clothing and style from the 80's that were in this movie. A prime example of this is the keyboard scarf. How about the checkerboard print shoes? Those were classy, I wonder if Penn still has those?!?! There is also the sex wax T-shirt Penn is wearing when they go on their "field trip," nice.
"First he's gonna sh_t, then he's gonna kill us."
Amy Heckerling (Clueless, Loser, Look Who's Talking, Look Who's Talking Too, Johnny Dangerously, and National Lampoon's European Vacation) directs Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Other then her poor choice of movie covers, she did a fabulous job. I loved the relationship she emphasized between Jennifer Jason Leigh and her brother, played by Judge Reinhold. The sub story of Judge Reinhold and his jobs was also well done.
"Dad says your gonna be late, butt hole."
Overall, I feel this was a very good movie. The story will never be dated, just the clothes style, speech, types of clicks, and what is considered cool and what isn't. Nevertheless, the movie can always teach a lesson, and is better then the cover of the movie would lead you to believe. From the cover it looks like Bill and Ted's excellent adventure, but the movie is far deeper then that.
"At Ridgemont? We can't even get cable here."
Grade: B+
3 "hey bud! what's your problem?"
this is such a good movie, you won't want to miss it. it's a hilarious movie, and you should see it.
4 Another FT ripoff - still no no missing scenes restored!
I can't believe the director of this movie keeps standing for the out and out censorship of this! It's (at least) the third release of it on DVD, and this latest (Nov. 2004) try is still a dud. Sure it cleaned up the flatter-sounding audio of 2.0, but if you don't have an expensive 5.1 sytem, who cares?
But the big problem remains the scenes which they only include in the cable TV versions of this, but keep cutting from the DVD. Why? One of the missing scenes is a very cool safe sex/birth control scene in the mall, for instance. Fast Times sticks out as one of the very rare films that this odd censorship has been performed on. In fact, out of thousands of releases since DVDs started in 1995, this is almost the only one this has happened to. So again we can only ask why? WHY?
5 special edition my butt
Let me start off by saying that Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a good and pretty much realistic movie about high school life even if it is a bit outdated and summed up in 90 minutes (hence the name "fast times"). Just incase some of you don't know, Network Television has included additional scenes over the years when airing this movie. Now one would think since the previous collector's edition release didn't include the restored footage that this new special edition release would. But no, not only is the restored footage still missing, the special edition version has the exact same features as the previous collector's edition with no additional extras to speak of. I would only recommend the DVD just for viewing the good features that are on it but if you want to see the full version of the movie than wait until it airs on network TV. Since the film industry likes to milk money from their customers, I wouldn't be surprised if yet another addtition of Fast Times comes out with all of the restored footage included.
6 Don't let the 5.1 audio fool you.
I was excited when I read that this movie was being re-released with 5.1 audio because the original mono version just didn't cut it.
Basically what you're getting here is a center dialog channel and a left/right music channel in the front. The rear channels are practically non-existent, except for a few sound effects like distant dogs, etc. And the music is often too loud for the dialog channel.
However, it is nice to hear these songs in stereo.
Also in comparison with the original release is the menus and extras. Almost identical with both versions of this DVD. I hoped with the new release (as I had with the original release a few years ago) that some deleted scenes and the scenes that appear in the TV version of the film would show up as extras. But again they were left out.
Summary: If you already own this movie in the mono form, you might want to keep it. The upgrade isn't very substantial. Wait for the Super Deluxe Party Edition, or whatever they're going to call the re-re-re-reissue of the movie. Maybe it will truly be worth the upgrade.
7 Finally, 5.1 audio
We all know the movie is a comedy classic with more stars(before they were stars) than any movie of it's kind.
Why a "New Special Edition"? Because finally it's been remastered in a 5.1 audio mix.
The downside in the past has always been, the sound.
On every previous DVD or even VHS release the soundtrack was in a dull flat sounding Mono. Which if you have a home theatre kinda takes away from the whole thing.
But now in all it's glory, we can enjoy this classic with great audio.
Pheobe Cates taking off her top to The Cars "Moving in Stereo" in 5.1 ? I've died and gone to heaven.
8 awesome
this movie is a 10! but does anybody know what "no shirt, no shoes, no dice" means???? it baffles me
9 Where are the deleted scenes?
I first saw this movie when I was in 9th grade. I loved it. Over the past 21 years I have watched it many times. I practically have it memorized. It is a true classic. When they released this version I thought for sure they would have the deleted scenes that were only shown on the cable tv version. I was very upset. I have only seen the deleted scenes one time. I wanted to see them again. Why even release this movie again without the deleted scenes? I don't understand. Sure there is some different commentary. But, the movie is the exact same as before. Releasing it again the way they did this time is just a waste of time.
Chad Smalley
10 Sporadically Funny, but not the end-all be-all
Fast Times at Ridgemont High, although sporadically funny and well-acted, never really goes anywhere and leaves its characters undeveloped.
I laughed in this movie quite frequently. Never were they big laughs, but there were certain situations and lines that were quite funny. However, the audience never gets a feel for any of the chracters, because they're not really characters at all, just steretypes. There's the token black guy, there's the nerd, the virginal-but-curious girl, the stoner dude, the sexually-knowledgeable girl who mentors the virginal girl, the sexually-knowledgeable guy who mentors the nerd, etc. Although the acting was solid, especially Sean Penn as the stoner surfer dude (especially funny in the wake of his solemn performances in Mystic River and 21 Grams) and Jennifer Jason Leigh, it's hard to identify with these people. In addition, the movie feels very rushed; we've barely been introduced to the characters and they're graduating, and never really attempts at a plot, instead showing how several characters experience a year of high school. 5.5/10
11 Why was this released?
First off, I love this movie. It's one of my favorite movies of all time and I thought the first dvd release was excellent. This dvd has the same exact special features as that one. So why do we need this "special edition"? So that Universal studios can make more money because they believe that no one will buy it unless it's a new release. To me there is no point in doing a re-release if nothing but the sound changes from the previous edition.
12 This dvd version will be better!
It looks like the biggest difference between this new dvd and the previous one is the audio. This one will have 5.1 sound while the older one just had 2.0 sound. It also looks like there might be a few more extras. So it will be worth getting again just for the sound alone.
13 Spiccoli makes this movie worthwhile!
Awesome! Totally awesome! A lot of laughs with a little drama, but that makes the movie. It is a movie about friendship and crushes, love and hate. Sean Penn makes the movie playing a stoned surfer named Jeff Spiccoli. Filled with fast food, fast girls, fast cars, fast laughs, it is Fast Times at Ridgemont High!
14 STILL GREAT 22 YEARS LATER....
I can still remember the first time I saw "Fast Times". It was back in 1983 and this was one of the first tapes I rented when we finally got a VCR. This is a great film because it not only captures a period in time correctly, but it is also right on the money in regards to many of the things that take place in high school. The one thing that really stands out is the way director Amy Heckerling has created a place which it would seem is only inhabited by kids. The only adults in the film who are given any amount of screen time are the teachers. Make sure to watch the film with commentary by Amy Heckerling and Cameron Crowe, that alone is worth the price of this DVD.
15 Is there a different version?????
Ok every one loves Sean Penn as the stoner surfer who constantly annoys professor Hand. If I had a professor like that I would try to have a pizza delivered in class!!! What I don't get is I saw this movie on TBS a couple of years ago and there were scenes on that showing that were not on the DVD. What gives?!? I am wondering if I should buy the new special edition of the movie or if it will be the same version I have just with extras. Overall I would recomend this movie because it is a true riot!!! You have to love the scene where Phoebe Cates comes out of the pool....topless. If you want to relive your high school experience with a little more "Mary Jane" this is the movie to watch.
16 The Times, They Are A-Changing
Things have changed a lot since 1982, that is if the movie "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" is any indication of what the times were back then. Man, it seems as though things have calmed down a bit.
I guess things weren't really like that though. I mean, come on. Losing virginity at 13? It happens, rarely, and people usually aren't proud of it. Oh, and since this was made in 1982, there were still some leftover '70's fashions as well as the emerging '80's fashions. Scary. So, on to the film. I must say, this was a very funny movie. There wasn't too much of a plot, basically, the stories of about seven people at Ridgemont High School were followed over the course of a school year. There's Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), who takes the throne from "The Perfect Score"'s Roy as my favorite stoner (sorry, I saw this movie last night and the Perfect Score the night before). He's hilarious! He even ordered a pizza to be delivered to him in history class! Classic. Anyway, there are the Hamilton siblings, Stacy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Brad (Judge Reinhold), Stacy's friend Linda (the beautiful Phoebe Cates), and Mike Damone (Robert Romanus) and his pal Mark "Rat" Ratner (Brian Backer). The group's exploits and misadventures are great to watch, yet looking back from 2004, seem a tad bizzare.
I must say, I did find the use of the word "time" in the title a tad ironic because it seemed as if the writers didn't understand the concept of time. Straight time anyway. The kids' ages seemed to suddenly change. I mean, at the beginning, Stacy was said to be 15, but I think she graduated at the end. I don't know, maybe I'm just confused.
This is a movie that withstands the tests of time fairly well. I saw it for the first time in 2004, 22 years after it was made, and it was still pretty hilarious. Check this out if you like teenage stoner movies.
Oh, and the look on Phoebe Cate's face when she walks in on the Brad Hamilton character is hilarious!!
17 Early 80's Classic
Fast times at Ridgemont High is a one of those beloved 80's comedies that just about everyone can enjoy. Though the movie is geared more towards an older teen to mid 20s crowd, people older should be able to get a kick out of this movie and relive their youth. What I like about the movie is that even some of the heavy issues do not seem to drag the movie into a drama too much. Basically there are a bunch of small stories about some high school kids that are all tied together to give you a look at the life of kids this age.
This movie is definitely rated R, so it might not be the best to watch this with parents/children. Other than that, it is like watching a time capsule that is sure to produce a lot of laughs and a pretty good time.
18 The background of Fast Times...
The film itself is a classic, from the soundtrack (which features recently broken-up members of The Eagles), Stevie Nicks, and Jackson Browne. Cameron Crowe wrote the true story of teenagers in late 70s San Diego (Clairemont High) from his own perspective, originally written for Rolling Stone magazine. Because he looked so young at the time, he was able to go to school and fit in. Even though Crowe changed the city to the LA area (the movie also takes place in LA), the Clairemont High schoolers were upset with a lot of it. "Rat" is now the writer of some of the "Dummies" books.
The film itself is an essential 80s comedy classic, a lot of subjects bold at the time, a lot of new talent to move on to bigger paychecks (Forest Whittaker, Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage).
Cameron Crowe should make a film about the story behind making "Fast Times" as a sequel to "Almost Famous".
I think it would be great if Crowe and Heckerling did a commentary with the original cast members as well as the Clairemont High students to give added perspective on the fact and fiction of it all. I think people would want to know if these people really existed, and what happened to them.
19 movie
This movie has no real point to it. But its fun watching different teens in the same school and follow their lives as they try to be as cool as they can be. I wish Sean Penn got more scenes because he made this movie a definate classic.
20 Greatest teen comedy ever made
OK, "greatest teen comedy ever made" really isn't setting the bar all that high, but this really is a wonderful film. I almost docked it a star for being at least partially responsible for a lot of copycat garbage that followed, but that would be punishing it unfairly. It deserved the tons of money it made.
Many of the other reviews on this site have rehashed the plot(s) and the fact that it introduced an amazing array of acting talent to the world. What I think is most impressive however, is the honesty and poignancy this film delivers while being hysterically funny. The relationship between Brad and his sister is incredibly touching. The characters are real, three-dimensional people (yes even Spicoli; I knew someone almost exactly like him in school and I'll bet you did too). It is beautifully written, directed, and acted. It is also one of the most quote-worthy films this side of Tarantino ("All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine").
On a final note, I disagree with the Amazon reviewer's assessment that Cameron Crowe is an overrated director. "Say Anything" is probably the best teen movie made since this one, and "Almost Famous" is a stone cold masterpiece, IMHO.
21 Before they were famous
Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinholdt, PHoebe Cates, Forest Whitacker, even Nicolas Cage play in this movie before they were famous. Sean Penn is the funniest because he plays a stoner 'dude', the guy I would want to kick in high school for being really stupid.
The movie is not really funny, and not really good. Fun seeing all those famous people, but it's also stupid.
22 BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEEN MOVIE EVER !!!!
IN MY OPINION THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE GREATEST HIGH SCHOOL/ TEEN MOVIE EVER MADE (TIED WITH 'LAST AMERICAN VIRIGIN'). I BEEN READING SOME OF THE REVIEWS AND I SEE SOME SAYING THAT THIS MOVIE IS TOO HYPED UP OR NOT AS GOOD, ETC.....BUT THOSE REVIEWERS WERE PROBABLY BORN AFTER 1980. YOU DEFINATELY HAD TO HAVE GROWN UP DURING THOSE TIMES TO UNDERSTAND IT OR TO RELATE TO IT. TO ADD TO THIS, PHOEBE CATES IS NATURAL BEAUTY ! NOT LIKE MOST OF THESE GIRLS TODAY WITH THEIR FAKE EVERYTHING ! ;)
23 Fast Times at Ridgemont High
This movie is about a bunch of kids trying to fit in and be accepted and of course there interests in the opposite sex. It's a good movie to see Jennifer Jason Leigh (nude) and Phoebe Cates (topless). If you're a Phoebe Cates fan then you should also get a copy of Paradise where she has many nude scenes including total front nudity.
24 Great 80's movie! But was this DVD made politically correct?
I have always LOVED this movie.Bought it right away when it came out on dvd.But was very disapointed with the final product.
Too many scenes were left out. One in particular is the one where Stacy(Jennifer Jason Leigh) gets the abortion,why skip over that. During that time that was a ballsy thing to put in a movie!
Hopefully this SE Fast Times will be much better!
25 Okay for its time, but not that Good!
I just saw this movie for the first time straight through and really wasn't that impressed. It does capture the 80's spirit and High School life during this decade as expected. The movie really needed more Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli! He was very funny and believable as a stoner and managed to hold my interest in his brief appearances. Phoebe Cates is very cute, but her topless scene is a tad bit overhyped through the years because it lasts a total of 10 seconds tops. This is a definite fun rental, but I wouldn't add this one to my 200+ Dvd Collection.
26 The best 80's movie ever
What a great movie! There are so many scenes burned into my brain, and I'm not just talking about those amazing four or five seconds when Phoebe Cates comes out of the pool.
Today's kids won't have a clue what's going on when the pop quiz gets handed out and everybody sniffs the paper. MMmmm... ditto paper......
I've heard that the Mark Ratner character was based on the guy that later went on to write Windows For Dummies. I hope that's true; it would be nice for the nerds to come out on top in the end!
If you're over 30 and you haven't seen this movie, go buy it right now. You'll be happy you did.
27 A pleasure on so many levels
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High" Is a strong contender for the best teen movie from the eighties.
The case for the movie is easy to make: It is written by Cameron Crowe, who wrote Jerry Maguire, Say Anything, and Almost Famous. It is beautifully filmed and directed. (Director is Amy Heckerling, who apart from being awefully cute has made such wonderful movies as Clueless.) It is funny and real. And it has a magnificent cast of young actors who where unknowns then.
The surfer/stoner is famously played by Sean Penn in one of his first roles, and he is awesome. Jennifer Jason Leigh is perfect as the young innocent fifteen-year-old. (Amazingly she was about 20 when she played it, but you'd never know it.)
And Phoebe Cates... As Amy Heckerling says in a featurette: The boys just loves Phoebe... the rental cassettes always track a lot around the place where she takes off her top, they've been freeze-framed so much..." Which is as good a reason as any to get the DVD version, they slow-mo and freeze-frame a lot better... But seriously, Phoebe is a wonderful actress who has been woefully underused by Hollywood. And she is also just stunningly cute to boot. Even if this film had nothing else going for it, get it for her. (She is also excellent in the later film Princess Caraboo, and she is buck nude in the light "Paradise", which I hope they will put on DVD soon.)
Eolake
28 Awesome, Toatally Awesome!
This movie is so AWESOME,you will laugh so hard,buy it and cherish it forever dudes
29 Penn Always Brilliant
The Academy finally awarded Sean Penn for his incredible acting skills, in Mystic River... and to make up for overlooking his performance in Fast Times. The best part of this DVD is commentary on how Penn stayed in character throughout the process. Penn insisted others call him "Spicoli", and even put "Jeff Spicoli" on his answering machine. The director *never* saw "Sean Penn," only Spicoli. Intense and oddly brilliant, Spicoli became *the* icon of the guys in my high school. (How many times did you talk about ordering a pizza in class?). Almost every line Spicoli said, and many reaction lines, became catchphrases. (And unlike movies today, I'll bet no one on Fast Times *tried* for catchphrases). The soundtrack is awesome too, especially Oingo Boingo, the Go-Go's, and the Cars. (Fast Times has turned "Moving in Stereo" into a national Pavlovian bell, getting everyone in earshot salivating). Overall... the movie isn't as exciting on DVD as it was while buzzing at the midnight movies. Still, when sober the story holds up well, and the acting may be the best of that generation. The only early 80's movie in a class with Fast Times is Valley Girl... (and those guys are f%#@s!) Aloha!
30 Totally robbed.
The Academy lost all relevance when they failed to give Robert Romanus 'Best Actor' for his role as Damone.
31 Funny, and oh how I miss the 80's.
Fast Times At Ridgemont High came out 2 years before I was born, but I have seen some parts of it, but I didnt get to see the full version of the film until a couple of months ago. Looking back at how guys used to talk about Debra Harring and girls dressing like Pat Benatar, and still this film has captured the 80's in a timeless film.
The plot is pretty thin, but what makes this movie a classic because of Sean Penn's character Jeff Spoili, and the classic scene where Judge Reinhard is pleasing himself and thinking about Phobe Cates, and where she busts in and catchs him pleasing himself, and the classic line: "Doesnt anyone f*cking knock anymore?" Also Mr. Hand telling asking his students: "Are all of you on dope?" FTARMH is timeless, and not only do the characters interesting, they represent where kids then (and now) talk about sex, drugs, and more sex. Even after all these years, this movie still stands the test of time like some other 80's films. Funny, and timeless.
32 Were you a teenager in 1982?
I had only seen bits and pieces of FTARH over the years. Now that I am a DVD regular watcher, I have decided to try and locate some of these older films and watched them in entirety. Particularly since DVD allows for a clearer picture and most times widescreen format (what better way to watch it).
I was a teenager in 1982 so it's always nice to see a film capture that era. This movies does that, and features a soundtrack from that time. Overall, a nice snapshot.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed FTARH even if the DVD apparently does not include all scenes. As I said earlier, I had only seen bits and pieces of the movie over the years and hardly remembered them, so any missing scenes would not have made much difference to my viewing of the DVD.
Sean Penn is excellent as the stoned surfie dude. Phoebe Cates performance is also highly notable and she too has some hilarious moments. Jennifer Jason Leigh also delivers a great performance. As many are aware, FTARH launched many careers and contains a huge list of actors who went on to become big stars today. These include: Nicholas Cage (although only minor role for Nicholas), Anthony Edwards, and to a much lesser extent Eric Stolz.
Teenagers in 1982 will love this movie. It definitely reminded me of situations that happened at High School.
DVD Review: While you get the film in widescreen, the transfer is less than satisfying. I realise the film is over 20 years old, but Universal have not spent any time restoring the picture. It's almost blurry in parts. I'd have to rate this DVD as one of the worst transfers I've seen (please note I am basing my review on the Australian DVD transfer). The American DVD may have a better transfer.
Features wise, the DVD is above average. Universal deserves praise in this regard. Just a huge pity they decided not to include any of the well known deleted scenes that MANY Amazon reviewers have mentioned. I assume this is because the DVD was only intended to feature the theatrical version.
FTARH is a film worth seeing, regardless of the version you see.
33 I DON'T KNOW
Those words have been emblazened into our minds the day Mr. Hand quoted Jeff Spicoli on his blackboard. And to answer his question, "Yes! We're all on dope!"
I graduated in 1989 and feel fortunate to live in a time when girls dressing like Pat Benatar was cool. Heck I still listen to her. This movie is timeless, although the prices of abortions have gone up.
This is perhaps the greatest movie of all time for one very important aspect. Nicolas Cage is in this film and does not speak one single word. Brilliant!
Jeff Spicoli was the ideal high school student. Although we grew up on the west coast of Florida where there is no surf to speak of, we were all stoner beach bums. We wore Vans checkerboard shoes, hated wearing our shirts, and gave the teacher a hard time (when we bothered to show up at all!)
For 80's high school life, this film was dead on.
34 THESE WERE THE DAYS, WHATEVER HAPPENED !
When you watch this movie, you see how much fun life for a teen used to be. No bling bling, no wanksters, no drive by's, no gang bangers, no shootings, etc. Just straight up fun, the way a young persons life should be. Phoebe Cates is the bomb, and for the past 20 something years, I have never seen a celebrity even come close to being as beautiful as she is.
35 The BEST comedy ever made
If you have not seen this movie, do not rent it, buy it immediately! I feel old writing this but they simply do not make movies like this anymore. I consider myself fortunate to have grown up in the early to mid 80's. It seems like almost every comedy made back then had not only excellent writing but also an incredible soundtrack.
Spicoli is the most quintessential "stoner" of all time. "Hey dude, where'd you get this coat?" and "all those dudes are f**s!" are just a few of the hilarious one liners through the entire film.
BUY THIS NOW and then buy BACHELOR PARTY and let the hilarity begin!
36 They Got It Right!
As a member of the class of 1982, I have to say that they got this one dead on. The best part is that now that my kids are in high school, it works for them too. Kids and high school don't change much, just the clothes and the music. Great movie to watch with your teenagers.
Come to think of it, now that '80s music is back in style, maybe the music doesn't change after all!
37 Spoilli is the MAN!
Oh this is a classic (right next to Caddyshack) and this movie is just outright good, and funny. What made me love this movie was Spoilli, Sean Penn did a GREAT job with this role, and the famous scene with Phobe Cates and Judge Reinhard, oh another classic. I mean what man (or woman) wanted to be in Judge Reinhards shoes in that scene, I used to go to sleep dreaming that she did that to me, but then I wake up and discover my mess.
The thing about this DVD that killed me was that there were NO DELETED SCENES, come on? Anyway, beside the deleted scene, and the bloopers, it is funny, and definitely worth watching with old high school friends, or a good time with some faternity brothers. This movie still stands the test of time.
38 Classic 80's high school comedy still has my toes tapping
One of the alltime high school comedy classics harks back to 1982, based on a book written by Cameron Crowe, who disguised himself as a high schooler to get the characters and stories for said book. Amy Heckerling's movie version of the guys, gals, their shenanigans, and trials and tribulations of the students at Ridgemont High makes this a snapshot of 80's pop culture, full of memorable characters.
If I could do it over again, I'd probably hang out with the crowd of Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), the blonde, long-haired surfer dude with David Lee Roth attitude who some say was "stoned since the third grade." That's accurate enough, as he and his buds vacate the orange VW van, a puff of smoke emerges from within, just like in Scooby Doo. His calling Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), the overstrict, overdisciplinary, Steve McGarrett (Hawaii Five-Oh) imitating history professor, a profanity is a classic, as is the pizza-in-the-class scene. For Spicoli, surfing's not a sport. It's a way of looking at the waves and saying, "Hey bud, let's party!"
If not, maybe with Mike Damone (Robert Romanus), ace ticket scalper and the king of cool in the school, the cooler guy who takes in the nerd as his friend. I could've used someone like him in high school. According to him, "the attitude dictates that you don't care if [a girl] comes, stays, l-ys, or prays, whatever happens, your toes are still tapping, and when that happens, you have the attitude." He is confidence man and propper-up of the shorter and shier Mark "the Rat" Ratner (Brian Backer), who gets his five point plan for free.
But also among most important characters is that of sweet and innocent-looking blonde Stacey Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and her sultry brunette friend Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates), who are the female versions of the Ratner/Damone relationship, unexperienced vs. experienced. The lesson with the carrot is one example, as is Stacey's nighttime jaunt with a 26-year old stereo salesman, her first experience so to say. But there's a wowser of a fantasy scene involving Linda emerging from the swimming pool, a misty spray behind her, disrobing herself for Brad (Judge Reinhold), Stacey's brother. And guess what Brad's doing in the bathroom? Stacey does grow up through her trials more grown up and aware, and for the better.
The hierarchy of fast food joints detailed in Crowe's book isn't touched on, but it's clear that All American Burger is at the top, and when Brad loses his job to an obnoxious customer, his social standing falls as a result.
There's so much memorable dialogue here. When Spicoli and his surfer buds take their shirts off at the All American Burger, Brad points at the sign, "No shirt, no shoes, no dice", then saying, "Learn it, know it, live it." And science teacher Mr. Vargas' (Vince Schiavelli) first words to his class is great: "I'm a little slow today. I just switched to Sanka, so have a heart."
And the hallmarks of 80's youth is evident: the three Pat Benatar lookalikes, the Pacman videogames at Ridgemont Mall, music by the Go-Go's, and the main theme song that comes through, Jackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby." Only an 80's dude could come up with this interpretation of why the Americans declared independence: "Jefferson said, 'we left this England place because it was so bogus so if we don't get some cool rules ourselves pronto, we'll be bogus too, yeah?" Yeah, Spicoli, spot on, and this is coming from a history major.
This is an early role for Nicholas Cage, billed as Nicholas Coppola (Brad's friend) and Eric Stoltz (Spicoli's surfer bud)
It's been a while since I've seen this, and in reference to Damone, my toes are still tapping after two decades, dude!
39 Very Creative
I watched this movie at least three times and still cant get over the acting, script, music, and scenery. I could almost picture myself sitting next to Stacy and her friends. My favorite scene was when a customer at All American Burgers wanted his money back.
The only drawback was the plot. I thought the plot could have been less heavy on sex and more heavy on high school culture.
40 Spicoli man
Sean Penn is the standout in this classic involving teens and their troubles and fanstasys. Ray Walston is great as the teacher who babbles on to Penn about life. great cast include, Judge Reinhold, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nicolas Cage(Nicolas Coppola), Forest Whitaker, Phoebe Cates, Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz and other great people. favorite scene is when Penn orders a pizza to the classroom and dont forget that famous scene with Phoebe Cates and the red bikini
41 Still Missing Some Great Things
The movie is a classic and you should get it anyway, I just wish they would of added some extra scenes. I'm just confused because there really are 3 versions of this film, the vhs, the dvd and the edited for tv version. I've noticed that they've changed the music around from the vhs to the dvd as well, other than that it's a great movie and a great buy
42 3.7 out of 5
Along with films like RAGING BULL, HIGHLANDER, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and SCARFACE, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH ranks among the most important cult-hit films of the 80's. Sporting an awesome soundtrack and featuring gnarly performances by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Penn, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Robert Romanus and Ray Walston, the film tells the tale of a group of high schoolers and their time in and out of school as they enjoy sex, rock n' roll, malls, and just being plain stupid. A long time before her hit CLUELESS, Amy Heckerling directs the film with a sense of humorous reality; Cameron Crowe's script mixes rollicking laughs with true-life drama - Crowe actually went undercover as a high school student to get the information for the book on which the film is based. The cast all gives great performance (many in their debut roles), but, of course, Sean Penn as super-wasted Spicoli is the greatest. He brings such hilarious comedy to the film, that he singlehandedly rules every image of the movie...without even being in them. Who would've though high school could be so much fun?
43 Where's the deleted Scenes???
Personally I have this DVD. My parents had me watch it one day and I enjoyed watching it so much that I had to go out and buy it. However, comparing this with the version that was released in the 80s and the version I usually see on TV...it lacks some much needed (and yet, hilarious) deleted scenes....To be honest, I think Universal should really try harder to release a DVD with these scenes restored into the film. Also, would it hurt to at least give us 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround? I also know that Universal has a habit of cutting scenes out of other VHS and DVD releases of films such as Weird Science. If anyone agrees that there Universal should put these scenes restored in their DVDs and VHS tapes, please contact them ASAP.
44 DVD is missing Scenes?????
I was very disappointed to find out that the DVD is missing several scenes that were included on the TV versions (seen on TNT and TBS for examples).
1. Exenteded Scene in the burger joint where Spicolli disucess with his friends finnally meeting Mick Jagger , "This PICK...".
2. Alternate scene in the mens room where Spicolli discusses doing too many drugs and how it will effect him.
3. Extended Dialogue between Stacey and Ratner on the field trip.
4. Extended love scene between Stacey and Dimone, full Nudity.
Why leave these scenes out. The movie seems incomplete? THis is a classic, but the dvd should contain all scenes. Seems like the producers of this DVD, didnt want to spend extra money and redit this film. Lazy.
45 Best high school movie...
Most movies concerning high school life are not nearly as endearing as the movie that perfected the genre: Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Unlike so many teen comedies, "Fast Times..." is character-driven as opposed to most, which emphasize grotesque jokes about the anatomy (not to say that this movie doesn't have it, but the movie's story is not as utterly dependent on them as other movies are).
The jokes throughout the movies will have you rolling in your seat and will have you quoting the lines for years to come. In addition, this is virtually the only teen movie to show some of the consequenses (both physical and emotional) of various behaviors which the teen characters engage in.
It is a great testament to the writing of Cameron Crowe and the directing of Amy Heckerling that a movie with such dated clothes and music is still funny and the characters are still as endearing today as they were in the 80's.
46 The movie is a hoot, the disc has a lot to offer.
A lot has been said about the film- it's often funny and has some memorable lines. About the disc- the video is great, clean and anamorphic. The audio is a bit disappointing, but as the film was recorded in mono that's what you've got to work with. Dubbing in new versions of the songs would be distracting and probably expensive (licensing).... The commentary is a hoot. Heckerling and Crowe both praise and diss the cast (Heckerling says Jennifer Jason Leigh was "happy as a clam to to take her clothes off.") They both worship Sean Penn. Heckerling often sounds amazed that the movie even got made and is quite self-effacing.
47 Best of the 80's movies.
Even though this movie is still very fresh and great today, there is no doubt that this is an 80's movie. That being said, this movie is still in the top 5 greatest movies of all-time. The character of Spicoli is my cinematic idol. We both want the same thing. "All I need are some tasty waves, cool buzz, and I'm fine." Aside from Spicoli being the greatest ever, the other characters are great too. Especially Judge Reinhold's character Brad Hamilton. Plus, my favorite actress ever is in this film, Amanda Wyss. This is just an all-around stellar movie.
48 Love the movie, audio track is lacking
My 3 star rating is stricly for the DVD as a whole. 5 stars for the movie, 1 star for the audio track.
This is one of my all time favorite movies. With a better audio track, this would be a 5 star movie for me, BUT 3 stars is all I can give this DVD given a mono audio track.
If you're a fan of the movie, you need this in your collection. Pretty sad state of affairs when a movie this good, with a soundtrack this good, is released in mono.
49 This is the 1980's!!!
As someone who graduated from high school in 1984 I can relate to every character in this movie! A superb cast of upcoming actors portrays the trials and tribulations for those of us who grew up between the baby boomers and the Gen-X crowd. Beutiful girls, cool guys, great music...this is the 80's! The soundtrack is also worth purchasing.
50 "Fast Times" Is Awesome..............Totally Awesome
Fast Times At Ridgemont High is an awesome......totally awesome movie! Everything is great! I just watched it and I feel like watching it again. Everything from Sean Penn and his pizza delivery, or Phoebe Cates coming out of the pool, to Judge Reinhold in the bathroom. Everything in this movie is cool. This is one of those movies that you get your friends together and watch. My favorite characters have to be Mike, Rat, and, of course, Sean Penn as the stoned surfer, Jeff Spicoli. Sean Penn had the best lines for this entire movie. I also liked Brad Hamilton. He was a great brother and funny (100% Guaranteed Breakfast). Stacy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Linda (Phoebe Cates) are two very hot people! You'll get to see. Who can't forget the pool scene? The soundtrack rocks too. There are so many great songs! This movie is gnarly!
Overall, I loved this movie. It was hilarious, funny, and dramatic at the same time. Parents must be warned though. This movie was originally rated X, but they cut down some scenes (in the shed, the baseball dugout).
Rated R for strong nudity, strong sexual content, drug use, and brief strong language.
No Shirt, No Shoes, No Dice
51 Fast Times...Stands the Test of Times!
When the trailer for FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH was being previewed before the feature film in the theatre I was in, an elderly couple behind me(elderly..they were probably only in their early 40's..but this was way back in 1982 when I barely got out of high school..)the husband stated to his wife "Remind me NOT to watch this movie!". This is because the preview showed mostly clips of Sean Penn's Jeff Spicoli character. This was a little misleading because the movie wasn't all about Spicoli. This was a dead-on representation of high school life at that point of history of the early 1980's. The movie is episodic focusing on various character's ups and downs during the course of one school year. Some thought provoking real life situations and some comedic situations a little exagerated. However, the movie is honest in its depiction of teen high schoolers. Good cast of future stars such as Judge Reinhold, Nicholas Cage, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anthony Edwards, Pheobe Cates,Eric Stoltz,Forest Whitaker, and of course..Sean Penn. Also, some veteran character actors such as Vincent Schiavelli (GHOST, TOMORROW NEVER DIES) and of course Ray Walston as Mr. Hand. Written by Cameron Crowe (JERRY MCGUIRE, ALMOST FAMOUS). Note: Classic line -(after counselor tells Brad Hamilton/Judge Reinhold that the "fun" is over because he's about to graduate) "Over? I'm still waiting for the fun to begin!"
52 FUNNY!
If you want to remember your high school days this is the movie to own. We can all relate to one character as ourselves, and see many other friends in the movie. It is a true classic.
53 MR HAND!
OK, Kids, listen up... most of what there is to say about this movie has been said...it's a classic. Performances by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold (his best performance), Phoebe Cates and the rest make it rock.
It's the music, it's the attitude, but most of all it's the time. Fast Times is a capsule of the early 80's. Idealized, sure, but still very 80's...my generation had no illusions about sex or drugs, but after this we might have started thinking about other things...or maybe not.
All in all, an entertaining comedy set in a high school with great performances from all involved. (Did you know that "Rat" has a Tony?)
It caught the attitude perfectly, and is worth watching for nostalgia, for study, or for Phoebe Cates' topless scene. You be the judge.
PS>...
54 The Red Bikini
Phoebe Cates. Red Bikini. Boing boing. Need I say more? Also Sean Penn playing himself.
55 high school was never this much fun
Do you remember the 80s? If not, pick up Fast Times at Ridgemont High. And while high school was never this 'fast' it is a bit of a capsule of the 80s.
Fast Times was Cameron Crowe's (writer) first foray into film, and one of the first movies director Amy Heckerling made. And what a movie it is. It's funny, intelligent, risque, and was far ahead of its time. And this movie introduced us to Sean Penn, Judge Reinhold, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Forest Whitaker, Robert Romanus, Brian Backer, Phoebe Cates, Eric Stoltz, Anthony Edwards, and even Nicholas Cage had a bit part in it. A genius piece of casting. Even now, 20 years later, the film is still relevant and doesn't seem dated.
The dvd contains a documentary, 'Reliving our Fast Times at Ridgemont High' and commentary by Hekcerling and Crowe (which actually goes on longer than the movie).
56 Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Before AMERICAN PIE, DAZED AND CONFUSED and all the other teen movies, there was FAST TIMES! This is easily one of my favorites. It's got everything you'd expect in a high school comedy. That and Sean Penn rocked in this one. Spicolli has got to be one of the funniest stoners on screen ever.
Now of course (for 1982 standards at least) this movie almost got itself an X rating for druf use, swearing and one of the swankiest nudity scenes at the time (Phoebe Cates, pool side and Judge Reinhold in the bathroom). In comparison to some of the movies now, it's still up there with AMERICAN PIE and HALF BAKED but if you're looking for straigh funny and not cheap shot funny, check out FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH! It's very cool and you'll thank yourself later.
57 Poor soundtrack and sync problem.
This is the only DVD I've seen in a long time in which the voices are frequently out of sync with the actors' lips. Plus, this flick has a lot of great 80's songs that remind me of going to high school in California, but the DVD's soundtrack is regrettably only mono.
58 An exercise in tedium
FAST TMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH was uneven, patchy and an exercise in tedium, as well as fundamentally fraudulent when it was released all those many long years ago, and the passage of time has neither removed nor relieved the stench of weakness.
The only fun in the entire film comes from the interaction between Sean Penn and Ray Walston. Plus, it was also fun to see Eric Stoltz and Anthony Edwards (with a full head of hair, no less!) as the "stoner's buds" and Nicolas Cage as "Brad's bud."
A much better film about the early '80s -- and far, far, far less dishonest about the teen culture of the time -- is the underappreciated VALLEY GIRL...starring none other than Nicolas Cage.
59 "Those guys are f......"
Many have tried since, but nothing has come quite close to the Ridgemont and fast/fun times this flick provides. Now on DVD, it only gets better. An amazing cast consisting of many known and not so known faces. You can rearrange the cast and create a great drama considering the talent contained. Regardless of it's age(folks, 20 years..WOW!) Fast Times still rings a familiar bell with the younger generation who experience similar highs and lows. While the "Pat Benatar" look may not be the rage anymore, mall-jobs and weird teachers still remain now and forever. A classic...no less.
60 Aloha.....
This is an all time classic from the 80's
I was a freshman in High School when this movie was in theatres.
I thought my next four years were going to be like that LOL.
But even 20 yrs later this is still a cool movie, no one can stand to watch it with me because I talk along word for word.
I just wish the DVD had all the scenes from all the different versions... IE the television scenes etc.... I will wait for a Directors Cut before purchasing. But this disc is still great for the casual Fast Times fan. Buy it
61 Not the Collectors Edition you expect it to be!!!
This is really a fun movie, like many High School movies of the 80's, this one really hits home, it is likely the movie that inspired John Hughes to make what seemed an endless stream of movies about High School that followed in the years after this one, come to think of it, I can't recall movies like these before Fast Times in 1982, anyway this movie has it all, just about every personality you can think of is here, with Sean Penn in his star-making role as a stoned surfer dude that is funny in just about every scene he is in, Penn has since become a hardcore serious actor, but here he shows his comedic charm, especially his run-in with Mr.Hand(Ray Walston) a strict history teacher that echoes many teachers we all remember, Jennifer Jason Leigh also got notoriety here as a sexually curious young woman who will sleep with just about anyone, as if she is searching for love & attention, Judge Reinhold(Bevery Hills Cop)is on hand as Leigh's brother Brad who worships his 1960's automobile(can't remember year & make), with Forrest Whiitaker who like Brad worships his Iroc-Z Camaro that gets destroyed by Penn & Whittaker's younger brother, Phoebe Cates is Leigh's best friend who gives her advice on sex, Cates' pool scene is a classic that has Iggy Pop playing "life is strange", a song that fits the scene perfectly as Reinhold fantasizes about her, there are many future stars here such as Anthony Edwards(ER)as one of Penn's pals who is sort of unnoticeable here, as is Eric Stolz sporting long hippie-like hair, Nicholas Cage is here as an unknown, which brings me to my gripe about the Collector's Edition, when this movie aired on the USA Network or TBS or even TNT, there is at least 15 to 20 minutes of additional footage, that for some reason or another is non-existent on this DVD, WHY???? , one of these scenes shows Cage standing in line with Reinhold at the cafeteria, who is talking to Leigh about her first day in Mr. Hand's classroom, they jokely mock Mr.Hand, which is funny, although the scene is somewhat in the movie, it is cut short, another scene has Penn is the men's room telling Stolz & Edwards that he is getting a hit before going to class, this sets up the scene later when Penn shows up late, why Universal or should I say the filmakers didn't include these scenes is a mystery to me, I won't buy this until they do, these scenes add many more comical moments, one scene has Cates talking to Leigh about her first date over the telephone in which she is sporting her legs, a scene designed to make any man google, until they do a director's cut, I will not buy it, it is a shame they didn't include these scenes.
62 Phoebe Cates is Hot
Sean Penn is pretty hilarious as the strung out sufer dude, but the real reason to see this is if you're a guy and haven't had the opportunity to ever see the Phoebe Cates poolside fantasy sequence, wow.
63 Excellent Movie But The DVD Lacks
FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH is a classic teen film. Its like the CITIZEN KANE of the "Rated R Teen Films". FAST TIMES is a timeless classic. I was somewhat dissapointed at the DVD. I was dissapointed cause they didn't bother to put any of the "deleted scenes" or "additional scenes" on this disc. I think they should have put out a Director's Cut of this movie cause evendentally they show alot of deleted stuff on TV. The commentary track on this DVD is great also, the commentary track was longer than the movie. What was with the "HANGOUTS" featurette thing. The featurette was informative. Overall the movie is excellent but the DVD is missing a lot.
64 Hidden Screens and Quotes
On the main menu, the special features menu, language menu and the cast biography menu you will see some footprints either at the right top or the bottom of the screen. Highlight them and then press 'Enter', and you will get to see different screens with 'famous quotes' from the movie. Each of these screens contains a number of quotes and if you select a quote, the disc takes you directly to the scene in the film where the quote is coming from.
65 This DVD does NOT have any scenes changed!
Someone posted a review saying that this DVD had some scenes missing, particularly those of Eric Stoltz. Hey dude, he's all over the place! He's the guy with long red hair who hangs out with Spicoli. He's got several scenes. That reviewer also mentioned problems with audio synchronization. Not on the dvd I rented, bud! Perhaps this guy got a hold of some copy that was sold to some other country and re-edited and dubbed. That can be the only excuse because this DVD has all the scenes in tact, the audio is fine, and the commentaries by Heckerling and Crowe are great fun and will point out where you can peek at Stoltz and other soon-to-be-famous dudes like Forest Whitaker and Nicolas Cage. Seriously man, this DVD totally has it all (pizza optional)!
66 A Great DVD
This movie is a great movie. It's a classic. Even at 20 years old, it is funny and smart. Cameron Crowe did an awesome job with the screenplay. Amy Heckling did a great job directing as well.
The plot is somewhat simple. It's about 6 kids who are in high school, and they are growing up fast and not realizing it. The kids are:
Jeff Spicoli( Sean Penn ) who is a stoner, surfer dude, who is extremely funny and well played by Sean Penn.
Stacy Hammilton( Jennifer Jason Leigh ) who is a younger girl who is just trying to fit in in high school.
Brad Hammilton ( Judge Reinhold ) who is Stacy's older brother, who has a tough time in the fast food world during his senior year.
Linda ( Phoebe Cates ) who is a beautiful girl who has a lot of knowledge about sex and relationships.
Mark "Rat" Ratner (Brain Backer) who is the theater's manager's assistant and ticket-taker who falls in love with Stacy.
Damone (Robert Romanus) who is a ticket-scalper who becomes Rat's mentor.
I think I got everything right, oh well.
It was orginaly rated X (X was the NC-17 back then) because of the pool house sex scene, but that was trimmed a little for its R rating. There's not that much cursing, and there's just a little bit of drug content. So the R is just due to the nudity (maybe 20 total seconds of it, but it's spread out into 3 parts). There's only a couple gross-out gags (maybe about 3 or 4)...As for the extra features, not bad.
The Commentary with Amy Heckerling and Cameron Crowe- is actually watchable. I liked it. It had some funny parts. There was some cursing (maybe 15 cuss words) but it was never very offensive.
The documentary- It was 39 minutes long. It was alright. I personally liked the "Fast Times At Ridgemont High: True Hollywood Story" on E! Entertainment Television better, but this was a good extra feature.
The production notes- Always nice to have included. I like that they were on here.
Cast & Filmakers- Also, this is always nice to have. On this digital video disc, it has biographies and filmographies for the 6 characters I mentioned early in my review, Ray Walston (who plays Mr. Hand), and Amy Heckerling. I also like having this on the disc.
Theatrical Trailer- This is also an awesome special feature. I like this too.
Hangouts Of Ridgemont High (Video Map)- It has a map that you can pick about 3 places in the movie, and then it shows you what they are and how they are used now. The places are the school, the mall, and the baseball dugout(it's called something else in the movie, but I don't remember.) A good extra feature.
Music Highlights- Excellent. You can pick any song, and it will show you the scene in the movie where the song was played. Another good special feature.
Overall it was good. It is 1.85: 1 widescreen, not too bad picture quality, great sound, and awesome menus. It has a couple of menus where you can pick a famous quote from the movie, and see the scene that it was in. I suggest you purchase this.It's a great buy.
67 Funny 'Fast Times'
Oh, the memories! I just graduated high school and saw this hilarious romp about typical teenagers living the good life! The surfer dude (Sean Penn) was great as the rebellious student who moved mountains. The two girlfriends (Jennifer Jason Leigh and Phoebe Cates) and who can forget Judge Reinhold! The movie has its funny moments which involve a tough teacher and Jeff Spicoli driving the top football player's car. The movie also tackles some serious issues dealing with teenage pregnancy. Poignant! Almost immortal. All I have to say is "you're a nerd!" and don't forget Phoebe Cates! This was based upon Cameron Crowe's research and directed by Amy Heckerling.
68 Was anyone's High School actually like this?
I felt that the movie itself had serious problems (not knowing what direction it wanted to go in, leading to pacing catastrophes) but was made watchable and occasionally really funny by its exellent cast. Sean Penn and Jennifer Jason Leigh (who looked about 12) were very good, but my favourite by far was Phoebe Cates as Leigh's good-natured, Promiscuous friend. She had an energy and charm beyond everyone else.
69 All-time classic movie in a nice package
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is quite simply THE movie that sums up high school for the generation of suburbanites that graduated in the early-to-mid-1980s. Amy Heckerling tried to recapture that lightning for the next decade's graduates with her "Clueless" and did a fair job, but it was really the writing of Cameron Crowe, who actually went underground and attended high school for a year to come up with this material, which made Fast Times so much more authentic and enduring than the spate of contrived and formulaic modern teen comedies.
The DVD is a good package, with a very nice "making of" documentary which catches you up with the actors/actresses and tells a very thorough behind-the-scenes story about everything from the casting (Nick Cage would have been Brad if he hadn't been too young to work full time? Judge Reinholdt was Heckerling's neighbor and best friend's boyfriend?) to the release (the studio HATED the film...? Said it was too raunchy and mean-spirited to be a high school movie!) The documentary lacks any participation by Crowe, but he does join Heckerling for the commentary track, which is also nice.
The DVD also features shortcuts to some of the more famous lines from the movie, and to some of the featured songs, as well as an interactive map to the movie locations.
Those added features alongside a classic movie make the DVD very much worth owning.
70 A fun, at times thoughtful, movie.
Don't come here looking for an aesthetic experience, but do come here for the fun. This movie has some decent acting and pretty good directing. Its storyline gets a little jumpy trying to cover one year's time in the lives of about six characters, but not so much that you can't follow it. There are a few moments of actual thoughtfullness (such as Stacey's disturbing first sexual experience, or Rat's pining for a girl who's not as innocent as she seems), but overall this is a movie you watch for fun, not enlightenment.
71 Holds up over time
I hadn't really watched this since my teen years and was happy to revisit these characters. I hadn't remembered just how dark this film is and how the lives these kids lead are really more mature than they are ready for. I think it is a wonderfully accurate depiction of the teen lifestyle. Having sex at 15, when many adults are not prepared for its repercussions, is simply part of their lives. Drugs aren't really touched on so much (except for surfer marijuana use which is played for laughs), but the character of Stacy is confronted with the reality of pregnancy and subsequent abortion (although after the event, she doesn't really seem to suffer) after a one-time encounter in her pool changing room.
So, okay, maybe it's not so realistic, but, hey, it's got a great cast of then-unknowns like: Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Penn, Judge Reinhold, Eric Stoltz, and blink-and-you'll-miss-him Nicolas Cage. As well as an insightful screenplay by Cameron Crowe and spot-on direction from Amy Heckerling.
A note on the commentary from Crowe and Heckerling: while not terribly enlightening about the process of movie-making, one does get the impression that everyone had fun making the film, and they two seem to be having fun making this commentary. Interestingly, it continues on well past the end of the film--almost ten minutes after. Which isn't so entertaining, having to look at a black screen and all, but is the first time I have seen this happen.
Also included: Reliving Our Fast Times at Ridgemont High
This short documentary included on the Collector's Edition DVD and consisting mostly of interviews with the cast and director--including, surprisingly, Sean Penn!--and longish clips from the film (which, presumably, you had just watched) is entertaining, but only relatively informative.
It's good, though, to revisit the cast members twenty years later and see how they have changed (all except for director Heckerling appear to have aged). Several cast members are missing including Cates and Leigh, but the most notable absence is that of screenwriter/novelist Cameron Crowe, although he is well spoken of and pictures of him at the time are shown. He is, however, present on the film's commentary.
Enlightening enough on the subject of how fun the film was to make and how the casting process went about, and all in all a pleasant expenditure of thirty minutes.
72 awesome...totally awesome...well, almost
I had picked up the dvd this past weekend in Edmonton. My wife just knew I was going to play it right away when we got back home. Its awesome, even after 20 years. Except for the fact that on the case it's labeled as being anamorphic widescreen. The films true aspect ratio is 1.85 NOT 2.35! Anamorphic is optically stretched, while 1.85 is simply matted on the top and bottom of the picture to simulate widescreen. There are lots of extras on the disc, including some timbits about behind the scenes and even about the locations where the film was shot. Amy Heckerling looks good, she must have been just out of film school when she made Fast Times. I do wish that there were interviews with all of the cast, especially PHOEBE CATES, JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, NICHOLAS CAGE (Coppola) and FOREST WHITAKER. They were not included in the one hour documentary. There was also 3 minutes of footage that was in the TV version but not included on the dvd. The on-screen menus are great. I hope there will be a complete collector's edition out soon. Cameron Crowe did a great job on the screenplay, based on his book! Totally realistic but funny as well!
73 Not quite a classic but not bad either
Fast Time at Ridgemont High is one of those films that prompt me to ask the same question over and over, "where were these girls when I was in high school"? Even though I graduated only a couple of years before the characters Cameron Crowe wrote about in his novel of the same name, none of the girls I knew even came close to the girls in this story when it comes to sexual promiscuity. But perhaps that is the difference between going to high school in Southern California versus Eastern North Carolina.
The story basically follows the lives of several teenagers attending Ridgemont High somewhere in the LA Area. Sean Penn almost steals the picture with a very funny performance as a wacked out surfer named Spicoli. His straight man is his history teacher, Mr. Hand, played by veteran actor Ray Walston. Their scenes together are very funny and it is obvious they have a chemistry between them that is seldom found in movies which involve student/teacher relationships. While Penn provides the comic relief, the rest of the film deals with characters such as Brad & Stacy Hamilton (brother & sister played by Judge Reinhold and Jennfer Jason Leigh) who are struggling with just growing up and the pains that teenagers share. Brad is BMOC and very popular with his peers until his world starts to crumble as a result of breaking up with his girlfriend and losing his job at a popular burger joint. Stacy is interested mostly in boys and sex. It is her more experienced friend, Linda, (played by Phoebe Cates) that mentors her in the ways of love. This character development leads to one of the more interesting situations in the movie- one in which Stacy seduces a boy and instead of enjoying love making, she ends up just having sex instead and later learns the hard way that sex does indeed have consequences.
Over all, FTARH is a fun movie with a lot of laughs courtesy of Penn & Walston. But this is not your typical teen sex comedy. And while alls well that ends well, some of the characters will have taken a few lumps on their way to adulthood. This could well be a "must see" for teenagers that are considering becoming sexually active.
In a way, FTARH reminded me a bit of the classic, American Graffiti in that there are several actors (Anthony Edwards, Eric Stolz and Nicholas Cage to name a few) that would eventually go on to great fame after appearing in this film.
74 A definite vote of dissent
The first half hour or so of this 1980s comedy is perfect. Sean Penn really juices up the screen as Jeff Spicoli; it's not hard to see why he went on to become a real film star. The conflict that's established between him and Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), Spicoli's teacher, is exactly what's needed in this type of comedy and it's absolutely spot on. The other characters are also well thought out--for the first half hour.
Then what happens is a definite lessening of impact as Stacy (played by a very young Jennifer Jason Leigh) gets serious with sex. Okay, it's true that you don't want sex to be a fount of ridicule all the time, but the transition from the first riotous half hour to these serious issues (loss of virginity, abortion, etc.) changes the film dramatically. By the time the really funny stuff starts up again, in the last third of the film, the comedic impact has been definitely lessened.
In addition, there seemed to be a number of characters (for example, those played by Eric Roberts and Anthony Edwards) who were just kind of there, not doing much at all. These two served as sounding boards for the amazing Sean Penn.
This is by no means a bad film. Not at all. I just found it inconsistent. It would have been great to see the real punch of the first half hour carried through the entire film.
75 still classic
Fast times at Ridgemond High has been with us for a while now. After all these years, you would think that teenagers would be far different now then they were in 1982 when the movie was released. However, you'll still find the teenagors now and then are still pretty similar. If you're now a teenager like mysefl you'll still enjoy the movie because it is funny and can take you back to when you were in high school.
76 A welcome corrective to 'American Graffiti'.
'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' remains the template against which all subsequent teen movies must be judged. although it is a delightful period piece, a portrait of small-town mall-culture in a particular time and place, a record of fashions, music, poses, language, codes etc., it manages to transcend its time in a way many teen movies (especially the Brat Pack ones) don't. This is because it doesn't impose any bogus narrative arc or spurious goal on its vignette-structured observations - its rapid, seasonal, jump-cutting storyline remains true to the developing emotional lives of its characters, where everything of the moment seems life or death, but everything flies by so quickly. Potential traumas that might have been Ponderous Issues in a lesser film, such as drugs, teenage pregnancy or abortion are treated lightly (even if the emotion behind them are not) and absorbed into the rush of the film (although the film's authenticity quotient is somewhat undermined by actors clearly in their 20s playing mid-teens). This gives the film its joyous energy, but also its poignancy, its admission of transience and failure - images of confinement and death recur, but never heavy-handedly.
Heckerling's direction has a freshness usually missing from the genre, mixing reality, dream and fantasy with an irony undercutting some of the screenwriter's lazier assumptions, the latter evincing even at this young age a tendency towards the reactionary. It is particularly enjoyable to see actors who have subsequently taken themselves Very Seriously, in a comic context - Jennifer Jason Leigh is especially appealing and wide-eyed and funny, like the less smart elder sister of Kirstin Dunst; Sean Penn (I forgive everything!) is hilarious as the Bill/Ted/Butthead/Jay-prototype stoner slacker with a private kind of twisted intelligence. Despite the explicit content, there is a pervasive 50s air of innocence which avoids the sentimentality of Crowe's later work as a director. The soundtrack is an awful and unlikely selection of mostly soft-rock 'classics', but in a movie this good you forgive everything.
77 "Awesome....Totally AWESOME!!!"
This flick really takes me back to the days when teen films didn't take themselves too seriously. Except for the topic of abortion that comes up in Fast Times, the movie isn't bogged down with brooding characters full of angst like some newer films. The characters are pretty funny, happy people and this translates into a good time for the viewer. I know Sean Penn would never admit this, but this is probably his best film - even with some of the fabulous stuff he has done over his career. If you are a former teen of the 80s or just love a goofy fun film, check this one out. Don't watch the TV version with the awful voiceovers ("He's been STRANGE since the third grade" as opposed to "He's been STONED since the third grade." )The soundtrack is great and sounds terrific on the DVD player- Billy Squire, Stevie Nicks, the Ravyns, etc. Weed-toking video arcade addicts and rock and rollers still have a place in the world.
78 Am I the only one who doesn't think it's a comedy?
Yes, it has many very funny scenes. Yes, I laughed throughout. But am I the only one who thought that Stacy's story is a bit tragic? There's a genuine human warmth at the core of this movie. As somebody else said here, you'll never again hear Jackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby" without thinking of Stacy losing her virginity. Moreover, if you're at all a decent person, the memory will be a sad one, remembering how she was used and discarded. The film is full of moments like that. It's not just a comedy, it's a cautionary tale, but without being preachy.
79 Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Judge Reinhold and Sean Penn were very funny . This is just a good wholesome funny movie.
80 Sean Penn High school WAY COOL
Sean Penn is so funny in this movie. If you love 80s looking high school and the life they had during there school this is the dvd for you. You wont be disapointed get this and enjoy over and over again.
81 Started a genre
For being a fantastic movie that launched it's stellar cast upon the world, I duly thank the filmmakers. For producing a great DVD release with fun extras (the reunion document and the "look at the places where Fast Times was filmed" are great additions), I thank whomever it may concern.
For unleashing upon the world the plague of legions of sub-par (often even seriously crappy) cheap imitations, I deduct 5 stars from my original rating of 10. ;-)
82 The Ultimate High School Classic
Fast Times At Ridgemont High is a monumental film for a lot of people. I was 3 or 4 when it came out, but this film would still work and ring true to people my age in this modern day and time. That's why this film is completely timeless. The premise is pretty simple. It's about a bunch of high school kids in the early 80's dealing with everyday life, which includes girls, boys, sex, drugs, sex, and, oh, did I mention sex?. After watching this hilarious and downright touching film, you wonder why Phoebe Cates isn't a bigger star. Her famous scene(not for children)is classic and the fantasy of every red blooded American male in the country. Sean Penn gives one of comedy's most memorable characters as stoner Jeff Spicolli. He is brilliant in this film. There has not been another teen/school movie like this that is as special or classic. There have been a few that came close. The rest of the cast is great: Judge Reinhold, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Forrest Whitaker, Ray Walston. This is a great film. A true comedy classic!.
83 "STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS"
Perhaps (Argueably) the BEST (Tied with "Americn Graffiti")film About Highschool made.All other scince pale in comparison to The writing casting and acting and situations in this film. This film is also a "Whoes Who" of futur stars. I am 50,I love it,My wife loves it'my teenage sons like it, and 3 out of our 4 cats give it 3.5 mouses. The other one Is a Vehement Fan of "CATS" as greatest story ever told.
84 It Takes Me Back to the Eighties
I just watched the "20th" anniversary of "Fast Times" on TV. Apparently they are counting 20 years from the time the movie was finished shooting since it wasn't released until 1982. Just before I saw it in 1982 (when I was 15), a local movie critic said it basically was to the 80's what "Porky's" was to the 50's, but I think "Fast Times" is a much better movie in just about every way, especially in taste.
I really don't agree with some of the other reviewers who say that it was very realistic. But what movie is? Don't get me wrong, it was a really good movie, but most high school students don't fall into those strict catagories depicted in the movie.
I saw high school as a student in the 80's and as a teacher today. Despite popular sentiment, most schools are safer now than they were then, and at least in the suburbs, there are less drugs.
But back to the subject. The basic storylines are a bit shallow, but they are developed well and the acting is great. Why didn't Phoebe Cates ever make it bigger?!? One reviewer mentioned that kids who see this movie (especially boys) will wish they got as much action as many of the characters!
Enjoy the movie, but don't include the children. Besides all the drugs, there is plenty of foul language and one nude scene.
85 AY-AY, SIR!!! AND...1ST DOOR ON THE LEFT....UP THIS RAMP?
I've really enjoyed reading all of these positive reviews. A lot of areas have been covered, and a lot of people quote their favorite parts in their preview titles. So I did the same.
Did you ever have a job as a teenager you really hated? In high school, I was in the marching band and DETESTED the uniforms. So naturally, I related when Judge Rheinhold's character took the job in the fried chicken joint. He's forced to make a delivery wearing that idiotic uniform, stops at a light, finds a pretty babe in the car next to him, and she breaks up with laughter. The next thing you know, his car's pulling away and there's food flying out the window!! Great!!
As a matter of fact, all of Hamilton's jobs have drama--almost having a trainee put a burger joint up in smoke, a run-in with an a-hole customer which costs him his job, then a hero in a 24/7 convenience store.
Sean Penn went on to become an accomplished dramatic actor and if you stopped him on the street and told him how pheonomenal he was in Fast Times, he'd probably punch you out. But he's sensational, he BECAME the part! Even during the breaks in shooting, he demanded to be called Spicolli, according to the late Ray Walston
For the older critics who had a problem with the promiscuity of the character played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, I say....lighten up! This was high school in the 80's, and it's lot worse today.
Lastly, Mark Ratner's friend, Damone, is a riot!! Everyone knew a guy like that, who talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk! He's giving out advice like an encyclopedia on women; meanwhile, he's sitting at home on Saturday night watching cartoons and is lost when he gets his chance with Stacy! When Linda spray-painted his car and you see him driving to school, he turns into the parking space and you see the car is covered with cardboard, I fell out of my seat!
In closing, no one associated with the film could have predicted it could become a cult classic. But it did because it relates to people, and sometimes that overcomes a low budget.
86 One of the best movies from the eightes!!
FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH is one of the best movies of the eightes. The movie is based off of Cameron Crowe's book "Fast Times At Ridgemont High", Crowe went undercover as a student at Clairmont high school for a year. This movie started careers for Forest Whitaker, Nicholas Coppola [Nicholas Cage], Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anthony Edwards, and Sean Penn. This movie is a all time classic. The soundtrack is great. My favorite character is Jeff Spicoli.Their was a kind-of a sequel made 2 years later called "THE WILD LIFE", none of the orignal cast where in it except Eric Stolz, Chris Penn is in it too. I recommend this movie if you like Cameron Crowe's work or if you like movies from the 80's. Hey Bud, Lets Party!
87 "Why don't you get a job, Spicoli?" "What for?"
Slice of life of Southern California kids dated with great early '80's tunes. Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Mark Ratner (Brian Backer) are interested in the fair sex, but their more experienced friends Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates) and Mike Damone (Robert Romanus) give them hopelessly bad advice. Great performances all around, but the scene-stealers are surfer pothead Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), who thinks nothing of having a pizza ordered in to his history class, Stacey's older brother Brad (Judge Reinhold), who has bum luck with women and jobs, and history teacher Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), who has all the patience of a boiling tea kettle. Unfortunatly, extra scenes that appear on Comedy Central among other stations are not included here, as director Heckerling is not particularly fond of them. Look for Nicholas Cage, Anthony Edwards, and Eric Stoltz as Spicoli's fellow stoners, and Forest Whittaker as Ridgemont's football hero. Bruce Springsteen's younger sister Pamela appears briefly as a cheerleader.
88 Get off my case....................!!
A classic line from Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) as well as "Doesn't anyone know how to knock around here?" or "Sir, if you don't (be quiet), I'm gonna kick 100%...!" As entertaining as Penn was, I think Reinhold did the best acting job in the enitre movie. Directors were som impressed by his work that he started in Beverly Hills Cop's 1 and 2, two of the biggest box-office hits of the 80's. Anthony Edwards (Gilbert on Revenge of the Nerds) did a great job as a stoner bud as well as Harold (Scott Thompson, Copeland on Police Academy), Jefferson, Rat (Police Academy 4), Stacy, DeMone, Linda (Phoebe Cates) and many others.
This movie was based on Clairemont High School in San Diego. I have a friend who graduated from Clairemont High in '82 who constantly tells me stories about incidents that actually happened in the movie as well as at the high school. He remembers when some guy ordered a pizza in history class. The teachers name was Mr. Crocker (not Mr. Hand). BTW, the screen names, including the teachers, are not the actual names of the ones who revolved around the high school. However, the personalities in the movie are very similar to the one's in real life. As for the mall, that was supposed to imitate Unviserstiy Town Center in San Diego. I was told that that was where every teenager wanted to work during that time.
Great movie of a semi-true story!!!
89 My high school days - Gnarly, dude!
I was a senior in high school when this film came out, so for me it is a wonderful time capsule from my youth in the early 80's. Hanging out at the mall and video arcades, cruising the boulevard, trying to fit in, talking about sex, listening to the radio, a career in fast food - it's all there! "Fast Times" is full of some great up-and-coming talent, hilarious scenes, cool music, and even some sobering insight about the pain of adolescence. A lot more intelligent than other 'teen sex' films of this genre. But the Phoebe Cates pool scene is still an undeniable classic! Possibly Sean Penn's best (funniest, fer shur) performance!
90 ISN'T IT OUR TIME?
Complete 80s teen classic. Sean Penn will forever be remembered as the clueless surfer dude, Jeff Spicoli, and the late Ray Walston will probably also be associated with his role as Mr. Hand, Spicoli's teacher and nemesis (although this is, perhaps, too strong and inappropriate of a word to describe their teacher-student relationship). You will always remember the classic scenes of Mr. Hand insisting that he does not want his students to waste his time, and Spicoli challenges him, saying something to the effect of, "If you are here and it is your time, and I am here and it is my time, doesn't that make it our time?" This film, from the early 80s, was one of the first films I remember watching in my childhood. I was not even close to being a teenager when it came out. But I remember it making a lot of impact on me... I was just coming to understand some of the issues with which the film dealt. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Stacy a high school girl with no grand ambitions but who doesn't mind imagining herself with different guys and eventually ending up having sex with them. At some point she ends up pregnant and gets an abortion which is a pretty heavy issue with which to deal in such a film. Her best friend is played by Phoebe Cates, of whom we have not seen much in the last few decade or so. Many of the players are not even in the public eye to my knowledge, at least not to the level that Jennifer Jason Leigh or Sean Penn have been. They have remained prolific and have grown more talented and seasoned with time and experience.
91 What are you people - on dope?
"Fast Times At Ridgemont High" is essential viewing for anyone that thought "American Pie" was funny. An excellent cast included the late Ray Walston as the concerned American History teacher Mr. Hand. His famous line "What are you people - on dope?" later was used in the 1991 dance song "Total Confusion" by A Homeboy, A Hippi, & A Funki Dred. Sean Penn is hilarious whenever on screen, either via facial expressions or quotes. Phoebe Cates gorgeous as the supposed sexually experienced Linda Barrett ("if I didn't have a fiance in Chicago I'd go for it") although Jennifer Jason Leigh as her naive friend was the one who actually had the sex. Being 32, I really like some 80's movies even today, and can watch "Risky Business", "Revenge Of The Nerds" and "Fast Times..." over and over again. This movie is funny one moment and depressing the next. (Who hasn't winced when Mark Ratner, initally, blows it with Stacey Hamilton?) A movie that deserves all plaudits - gets better with repeated viewings. Initially, I'd reviewed the VHS version - the DVD version finally was released in Australia this week (June 20th, 2002)- and it's worth buying. You get the film, the film again in it's entirety with Amy Heckerling and Cameron Crowe talking - anyone seriously into the film will love this - they discuss add-libbed dialogue, song choices, locations, etc. A documentary "Reliving Our Fast Times..." which is great, interviews with several cast members including the late Ray Walston. Also includes trailer, cast bios, etc.
92 Good Times
Fast Times At Ridgemont High is Cameron Crowe's first foray into the movie industry. He started out (as chronicled in Almost Famous) as a teenage reporter for Rolling Stone. After he left the magazine, he posed as a high schooler in a Southern California high school. The result was a book that was turned into this movie. Mr. Crowe wrote the screenplay and Amy Heckerling directed. The movie follows several different students and is one of the funniest movies ever made. Sean Penn stars as the stoner surfer Jeff Spicoli who only goal in life is to find some tasty waves and keep a cool buzz. His history professor, Mr. Hand (played with menacing glee by the late Ray Walston), provides an adversary for Spicoli to go up against. Judge Reinhold & Jennifer Jason-Leigh play brother & sister, Brad & Stacy. Brad is a senior who seems to have it all, cool car, good job at a burger joint and a perfect girlfriend. All of this collapses on him as his girlfriend breaks up with him, he's fired from his job and is forced to work a couple of embarrassing jobs. Stacy is a freshman and works at a pizza place in the mall (which is the center of alot of activity in the film) with the world wise Linda (played by Phoebe Cates). Linda is constantly giving advice to the naive Stacy. She meets an older guy and in one of the more poignant moments in the film, loses her virginity to him in a baseball dugout. Mark Ratner works at the movie theater in the mall and has a crush on Stacy. His friend, Mike Damone (played by Robert Romanus) is a hustler who scalps tickets to concerts and he, like Linda to Stacy, gives advice to "Rat". Stacy and Rat eventual go out, but Damone ends up sleeping with Stacy. A whole mess ensues, but in the end, every one makes up. The movie was a springboard to the careers of Mr. Penn, Ms. Cates, Ms. Leigh and Mr. Reinhold and is riff with future stars in small roles including Nicholas Cage, Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz & Forrest Whitaker. The movie has a great soundtrack and is a perfect snapshot of the fashions, trends and lives of teenagers in the early 80's. But throw away the different hairstyles, clothes, slang and music, the situations that the kids get into are the same for any generation and we can all relate.
93 DVD presentation rated.
First, this was probably the 2nd R-rated movie I ever saw at the theater when I was a kid (the first was PORKY'S). I was about 15. Watching it now at 34 really takes me back. The movie gets so many things right about high school life in the 1980s. FAST TIMES is a 5 star movie for we who were born around the mid-60s. The things we did...and the things we WISHED we were doing.
So...why did I give it only 4 stars? The sound on the DVD was a bit disappointing. All that great 80s music...in mono! I read somewhere that it was originally made that way. Sometimes there was some popping in the sound too. What a shame. The picture, which is anamorphic widescreen, is quite a bit better. Only a little scratchy here and there. And Phoebe Cates looks like a shimmering princess...her inviting eyes...and her bright red lips that just seem to call out to you...oh! Sorry. Anyway, it all looks great.
As for extras, its not too bad! I haven't listened yet to the commentary by the writer and director. There's some other features like production notes and cast notes. There is even a feature that allows you to skip to different parts of the movie to view the "Hangouts of Ridgemont high" and "music highlights". Those are nice to have. The documentary wouldn't run correctly on my PC-based DVD system (looked GREAT though). However, the trailer was terrific! I remember now why I got my friend Kevin Sloan, who looked a bit older than me but was also about 15, to buy my ticket. God I miss those times! There's a lot of great memories tied to this flick. It's one of the first DVDs I ever bought too. I don't regret it! If a version with better sound comes out I'll buy it too.
94 A great movie of teenage life in the 1980s
I was a junior in High School when this came out in 1982, and I remember laughing 95% of the time when I first saw this in a theatre. Why? Because I could identify with alot of the characters in the movie and knew alot of other teenagers at the time who acted just like the main characters.
Sean Penn really did an outstanding job play Spiccoli the stoned out beach bum who just wants to "smoke some buds, catch the waves and party", ahh the life of a teenager who don't have a care in the world. Judge Renihold, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates are just a few in this movie to become major movie stars later on. Cameron Crowe did a brilliant job bringing teenage angst to the screen in what truely should be considered a time-capsle on film of the early 1980s.
The plot is funny, the acting is great and myself, who graduated from highschool in 1983 can truely enjoy this film and I find myself watching it over and over again. Highly recommended.
95 Aloha!
This movie set the tone for John Hughes movies yet-to-come. It was also the breeding ground of some major stars. Sean Penn, Eric Stoltz, Nicholas Cage....etc.
This movie is filled with laughs but the tone turns very very serious at the end. That works though. It's what many teens go through and it is not sugar-coated.
Oh, but of course, the Phoebe Cates scene is one of the best ever. Gotta love that.
96 DON'T BUY THE DVD!!!
What a great movie. An 80's classic. However, for anyone with a home theater, the soundtrack will be a great disappointment. How can you call a DVD a "Collector's Edition" when it is in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono?!!! Yes, Mono. No stereo, no 5.1. Just mono. The extras also leave something to be desired. Don't waste your money on the DVD until Universal decides to release it with a decent audio track. And, why did they leave out the extra scenes that are on the TV version?
97 Good stuff
I thought it was very nice. Especially the part when the fish delivery guy got caught in the bathroom fantasizing. It kind of reminds me of an embarrassing moment I had in the dressing room at a lingerie shop in the Mall. I could only laugh when Pheobe Cates walked in on him. She's very nice.
98 80's Cult Classic Leaves Something to be Desired on DVD
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is truly one of the funniest films to come from the so-called "me" decade. The fact that this picture has such a cult following is a testament to its staying power and relevancy in 2000. I predict that in 2010 it will still be a good snapshot at high school kids in that era.
It's clear to me that amazon.com reviewer Marshall Fine doesn't have a clue about movies when he refers to Cameron Crowe, who scripted this picture, as an "overrated filmmaker". To the contrary, Crowe has established himself as one of the brightest of the most recent crop of filmmakers. His script as well as Amy Heckerling's direction in "Fast Times", show that they really have tapped into what makes high school kids of the 80's tick. Sean Penn turns in the performance of his career as Jeff Spicoli, a stoner with no direction and little ambition (other than to have Van Halen play at his birthday party, of course). This movie also marks the acting debuts of Judge Rheinhold, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Forest Whitaker, Anthony Edwards, and Eric Stolz. Ray Walston's brief performance as a crusty teacher is also noteworthy.
My only complaint about this motion picture is that certain scenes which were added to the television edit of the movie were deleted for the DVD. They helped give some direction to the plot and will be missed. That aside, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is to 80's high school students what "Porky's" was to 50's high school students and "The Hollywood Knights" was to 60's high school students. I'm still waiting for the definitive comedy film on 70's high schoolers.
99 Great movie, but not the DVD it should be
While the film itself is a bona fide classic, and the transfer is crisp and clear, this DVD production is sorely lacking. The extras are slim, and the bonus soundtrack featuring commentary from directory Amy Heckerling and writer Cameron Crowe is unenlightening. The original trailer (showing how the studio sold the film to audiences), and the documentary (including contemporary interviews with several of the players) are nice bonuses.
Like other seminal teen films (e.g., American Grafitti), so many imitations sprouted in their wake, it's hard to remember the ground that was broken with the original releases. But this was a truly groundbreaking film in its attitude and perspective on high school life. Crowe's undercover study yielded a dead-on portrait, and Heckerling's direction makes the most of it.
As a DVD production, though, the enhancements are disappointing. The additional soundtrack, featuring the director and writer in conversation is incredibly insipid, repetitive and sycophantic. 90% of it is taken up with Heckerling complimenting Crowe, Crowe complimenting Heckerling, and Heckerling and Crowe drooling over Sean Pean. Very little of it concerns the actual filmmaking, and, surprisingly, given the lucidity with which Heckerling and Crowe are able to commit their thoughts to film, they shed very little light on the film itself.
Even more maddening is that Heckerling and Crowe often speak of alternate takes and extra footage included in the TV version of the film, yet none of it is included on the DVD.
Move: 5 stars. DVD production: 2 stars.
100 Great Music Accompanies 'Fast Times'
I don't know how I initally got turned on to this movie, but I'm glad I did. Sure, it could've toned down it's content a bit, but it also gives a good example of growing up around friends in high school, and the pressures that accompany that time in a person's life. I would not suggest showing this film to a small child, but it's good fun for the more mature. Judge Rinehold, and Sean Penn are both terrific in their rolls, and the film has some really funny moments. However, in my opinion, most notably should be that this movie is a soundtrack for the early 1980's. Some fantastic music is to be found in the movie, such as "Raised On The Radio" and Jimmy Buffett's "I Don't Know (Spicoli's Theme)". It should be noted that 'Fast Times' gave Jackson Browne his biggest hit record with "Somebody's Baby". This is the epitome of suburban California....kind of a Riverdale High of the '80's.
GOD BLESS YOU !
