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Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

List Price: $19.98
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Totally robbed.
Review: The Academy lost all relevance when they failed to give Robert Romanus 'Best Actor' for his role as Damone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Funny, and oh how I miss the 80's.
Review: 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.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Were you a teenager in 1982?
Review: 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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I DON'T KNOW
Review: 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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THESE WERE THE DAYS, WHATEVER HAPPENED !
Review: 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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The BEST comedy ever made
Review: 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!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: They Got It Right!
Review: 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!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Spoilli is the MAN!
Review: 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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Classic 80's high school comedy still has my toes tapping
Review: 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!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very Creative
Review: 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.


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