Fast Times at Ridgemont High [Blu-ray]

The movie is a lot of fun to watch. Any partwith Sean Penn playing Jeff Spicoli is funny and perfectly playedon his part. With jargon, attitude, style, and slang included. Also Ray Walston as Mr. Hand,the history teacher, is played very well also. The interaction of both charactersin the movie is hilarious. It is worth seeing just for these parts.I felt the movie also portrayed high school accurately. Although I did notattend those years, but attended at a much later date, it appeared accurate.The lack of understanding or caring about History in regard to the students in class when Mr. Hand,the history professor is talking, is 100 percent on the mark. Nobody ever cared about history.This lack of caring is shown in the up and coming leaders and those in charge today. Youcan see the slow decay of knowledge, which started around this time. Although I bring this up asa side note, since that isn't what the movie is about. It just shows an accurate portrayal of high schoolstudents. If not today, then during that time period of the early 1980s. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Stacy in the movie.I don't know if this movie could havebeen made today with all the moral standards people look at in movies today, in regard to teens portrayed in this movie, especiallythe parts when Stacy meets the stereo salesman. A throwaway character you don't really feel much sympathy or care muchabout. A guy that acts too smooth and seems very much into himself only. What happens after with Stacy and him, I won't get into, but it brings up a lot of serious questionsin an otherwise funny movie. Recent movies regarding teens are raunchy, but what happens in particular with thestereo salesman left me a little bothered. Yes, there is other serious moments with Stacy, which I won't get into. She seemsmore of a troubled teen with absolutely clueless parents. The mother is shown briefly saying goodnight in one scene and is nevershown again. She has to turn for help later with an older brother, who isn't much help during the first half of the movie and seems to rely moreon her peers for advice.There are other famous characters, or soon to be famous characters, with their first parts in this particular movie. Whether for someit was their first movie or had a cameo in other movies beforehand, you can research.I can't recommend this as a family movie since there are some uncomfortable scenes. The rating is still relevant today. No matter howlong ago this was made, there are some serious scenes, and fun scenes as well, with nudity. Occasional language is also included.Overall, as I mentioned, the scenes with Sean Penn are excellent. I think there should have been more with himand Ray Walston, but of course at the time this was made, who knew they both would be the main attraction for this movie, in my own opinion andprobably many others. Then again, maybe they both made the right number of appearances, without overdoing it.The Jeff Spicoli character also seems to be featured more prominently on the cover than in past releases, as can be seen with some research on the internet,which shows the staying power of the character.The movie makes me want to wish I had actually gone to high school in the early 1980s but then again,maybe it wouldn't have made any difference. There was no sequel to this movie, so don't bother looking for it. As usual, you findyourself watching a whole school year go by in less than a couple hours. Maybe the only difference is that the movie starts in the mall before school starts and itends after school has ended for the year. The one thing I noticed is how fast the style of clothing changed. Since this was filmed in the very early 1980s or filmed in 1981 or 1982, you don't see too much of the late 1970s style of clothes. Going to high school in a later time, during my years, you would hardly notice the style changes over the course of not just one year, but 4 years. In fact some of the clothes you find in this movie, you could possibly wear today. It makes you wonder if we are stuck in a period of repetitive blandness, but maybe I'm the only one thinking that. It seems like creativity went awayduring this time. Sure you find exceptions to the rule, but I'm just saying you don't see you're average person nowadays sticking out with his own style too much.For a good laugh by yourself or with close friends, I recommend this movie. The seriousness in some parts just brings you closerand makes you relate and feel for the characters in the movie. If you know anyone just a bit squeamish, I recommend asking beforejust watching it with them, if you're not the only one watching the movie.

Fast Times is one of the great coming-of-age comedies of all time, and one of the best comedies of the 1980s. It starred Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Sean Penn (in a role that he has never come close to playing since), Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ray Walston (as the great Mr. Hand), Brian Backer, and Robert Romanus. It also featured Forrest Whittaker, and in (almost) blink and you'll miss them roles, Nicholas Cage, Anthony Edwards, and Eric Stoltz.The movie is really about the trials and tribulations of high school and growing up, and all that comes with it. It tackles subjects like dating, sex, and drugs all with a comedic bent, and also gets into deeper dramatic topics like abortion. Sean Penn and Ray Walston had great chemistry as the stoner loser Jeff Spicoli and his teacher nemesis Mr. Hand and played off each other very well. And, of course, there was "that scene" with Phoebe Cates which is one of the most (if not the most) paused scenes in movie history and launched thousands of crushes during the 1980s.For those who get the Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds good. It did not get as good an HD restoration as some movies have received, but it definitely looks better than the VHS and DVD releases. The extras include a "u-control" mode that plays making-of clips as the movie plays, and identifies the songs. There is also a making-of documentary that features interviews with the cast and crew (made about the time the movie came out), a commentary track with director Amy Heckerling and screenwriter Cameron Crowe, and the trailer. A good amount of material for those who like watching the bonus features.The movie does have a reputation as a cult classic, as most of the coming-of-age comedies do, regardless of the era in which they were made. It is certainly a bit dated now and does feel like a movie from the 1980s, both in the way it was filmed, the hair and clothing styles, and the teen slang. Even so, some of the things from the movie are timeless no matter what the era, especially the teenage awkwardness and insecurity. Penn steals pretty much every scene he is in, and as I said, it is the type of role he never played after that, going for much darker and more serious roles after this one. I think most people who are likely to be interested in this probably are in their mid-forties or older, including a lot who, like me first saw it on cable in the mid-1980s and instantly fell in love with Phoebe Cates. But, if you are one who has never seen the movie and are looking for a good comedy, this is definitely worth watching.

Great

Great product

That was not a romance ending

I can watch when I want

Totally Man! Like far Out. This movie nailed it. the hijinks, the sex, the stupidity of fast food restaurant managers, the crudeness and hardness of the the presumed alpha stud as so aptly portraited in the Damon character. Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Just thinking about the film now makes me relive my High School days all over again. This movie was to High School students of the 80's what Dazed and Confused was to High School students of the 70's. This hilarious comedy about the lives of students from every walk of life during a typical 80's High School year is a MUST have part of any film lovers collection. I saw this film when it was first released in 1982, and it is still as funny now as it was then. In fact, I refuse to watch this movie on TV, all hacked to bits. I will only watch it in it's true rated R form, which is why it is really unsuitable for children below the High School age to watch. I believe this movie captured some of the true essence of what it was like to grow up during that era. If anyone wanted to know what it was really like to grow up and go to school in the 80's, then Fast Times at Ridgemont High is the perfect film to suggest, despite the fact that some parents would, of course, deny some of the activities that are portrayed in the movie... no doubt to relieve themselves of some deeply hidden guilty pleasures. Watch this movie!!!