2/4  Fast Times At Ridgemont High
I really enjoyed this movie, which surprised me, as it was a pretty lame movie. It is about teenagers... juts being teenagers, I guess. It isn't the average teen movie with all the bitchy girls and stereotypes and all that, it shows teenag... (read full)

4/4  Fast Times at Ridgemont High
We are all dorks in some way. I very much adored this movie because it really does stand out among what seems like an ocean of 80's teen flicks. Rarely do I get to watch a woman wanting sex more than the man, a teen druggie that I care abo... (read full)

3/4  Fast Times at Ridgemont High Quick Review
A great slacker comedy. While it doesn't really capture my high school experience it is a great teen movie.

3/4  Fast Times at Ridgemont High Quick Review
A true classic. Sean Penn is hilarious. See It.


3/4  Fast Times at Ridgemont High Quick Review
Phoebe Cates is the most beautiful woman in the world!

3/4  Fast Times at Ridgemont High Quick Review
A true classic. A real depiction of high school students in the early 80s -- drug, sex, struggle for self-identity and purpose -- all with a lot of laughs.

3.5/4  Fast Times at Ridgemont High Quick Review
Another film that captures a period in time and make it work. You'll recognize a lot of the character in this film. Primarily a comedy, it also manages to tackle some pretty rough territory (like teen pregnancy). It succeeds on both levels.

5/5 Huh, Those dudes are fa...
  by Sid the Elf (North Pole)
When it comes to Sid you may think we're all about b and nothing else, but that's just not true. Yes we do love a horribly low budget straight to video releases but also have a big place in the stocking for some corny 80's comedy. Despite the fact that most 80's films are well loved among the masses they do walk the line of b just perfect enough for Sid to get plenty of enjoyment. Fast Times at Ridgemont high is one of those classics that never seems to lose it's luster.

We won't bother with the synopsis since almost everyone on earth has watched this at least once before. If you haven't it's pretty much your typical high school 80's comedy except with a great cast along the board. Naturally Sid's 2 favorites are stoner Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) and Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates) for obvious reasons. Spicoli's constant baked dialogue is just perfect and Linda's famous scene getting out of the pool is possible the finest 80's moment in history. It certainly gets the Santa seal of approval. Sid 100% has and will always love this flick and plan on honoring Spicoli at this years Woody Awards for the best stoner lifetime achievement award.

5/5 Not to be Missed
  by mbcantoral
This film is about (mostly) middle class high schoolers during the opening years of the 1980s. The Sixties are over. Generation X has yet to define itself to an America that has begun its post-boom economic decline. Aids is not yet in the popular lexicon. (You get the picture).

The technical aspects include well crafted editing and brilliant acting by a young Sean Penn and many others, including Ray Walston of My Favorite Martian and Damn Yankees fame. In Ridgemont High he steps aside from his roles as, respectively, a martian and the devil, to play a U.S. History teacher named Mr. Hand, that tries to get through to a group of young people whose minds are on their next date--or in the case of Penn's character, Spicoli, their next bong hit or pizza.

Spicoli appears to be out to lunch-- in the case of the pizza delivery to class, literally-- until he surprises the teacher one fine day with an astute--if not wholly coherent--paraphrase of America's most cherished and legendary history.

Fast Times is a heartwarming, coming of age film that encapsulates American youth at a fascinating time in history. Not to be missed!





3/5 Empty Comedy? Maybe Not.
  by Bradley Headstone (New York)
This is actually more of an interesting movie than we would be inclined to give it credit for. It basically shows us the lives of different types of high school students. (Not to mention some teachers.)

Stacey and Linda are interesting. Stacey is the young naive girl ever ready to shed her virginity. She follows the advice of her friend Linda (who means well), but does not think as much as she should. Stacey ends up getting hurt, but she grows to the point where she sees that having love and friendship is much nicer than simple sex.

Linda is the more sexually experienced girl, but rather predictably, she gets hurt with her own fascination.

Mark and Damone are an interesting pair. Damone is the ever sexual predator. But he carries a charm despite his repulsive actions. And to some extent, he does realize that some of his actions were wrong.

Mark is the 'geek.' But we also come to realize that he is not only on the smarter side, but he is in fact a really nice person. Undoubtedly, under Linda's advice, Stacey gets upset when Mark isn't ready for sex. But the truth is that just because Mark wasn't ready for sex, that did NOT mean he didn't care about Stacey. And soon afterwards, Stacey gets HURT badly. (Going back to Mark, there is something really funny about how everyone tries to see his answers during the final exam.)

Charles Jefferson is the one weak link here. He is a stereotypical Jock, and he offers no real personality. The wreck of his car is an annoying intrusion, and it really doesn't fit. Unlike the other characters, he does no real growing.

Undoubtedly, the favorite pair in this movie is Sean Penn and Mr. Hand. While they have a bad teacher/student relationship, at times it looks like a father/son relationship. Mr. Hand is hard, but he is fair: "Get used to doing your own business on your own time. You wouldn't want me to come to your house some evening and discuss U.S. History would you?" As hard as Mr. Hand gets, he is right when he says: "This class is for your own benefit." The reconciliation of Mr. Hand and Sean Penn is drawn rather well.

Moving on, Stacey's brother Brad is worth mentioning as well. He is probably the closest to a 'normal kid.' He works hard in jobs he really doesn't like; but he knows he needs the money. In an especially sympathetic moment, he is brutally fired from his job for a DUMB reason. And he is especially helpful to Stacey when she has BIG problem. In many ways, it's so appropriate that Brad has his moment of glory in the last scene.

Another character worth mentioning is the eccentric Mr. Vargas. He appears to be a strange teacher, but he is really likable: "Look, I am a little slow today. I just switched to SANKA. So PLEASE, have a heart." There is something utterly comical about how the students are shocked when they see that Mr. Vargas's wife is especially beautiful. Like Mark, he is strange, but nice, as well as smart.

In all honesty, this is not just empty comedy. It shows us real students who have weaknesses and problems. But they are also likable and even Damone has some notable redeeming qualities. The teachers are not without likable qualities either.

This movie is worthy of at least a chance.

5/5 Ah yes...High School
  by Chris E. Tinsley (Whittier,CA)
The gold standard, Absolute must see for anyone who went to high school in the 80's. Not just craziness, but a real story behind all the fun. And whoa,Jennifer Jason Leigh is unbelievable naked.

5/5 Great movie, even after its prime
  by T. M. McLaughlin (Naperville, IL, USA)
I recently saw this movie for the first time, and while it is slightly outdated, it was still very entertaining. There isn't really a main character, just a conglomeration of role players, and that helps the movie turn out well. Spicoli is hilarious as the high-guy at school who cares about nothing but warm weather, surfing, getting high, and saying "dude;" Judge Reinhold was in there as the normal guy who gets sick of the same old stuff, different day routine of his life; the girls in the movie are attractive, but without personality, as expected, the dorky guy who likes one of the attractive girls, plus the guy who is just a total a-hole, Dimone - they all blend in together very well for a fun, fast-paced movie.

I think everyone can identify, in at least some way, with one of the major characters, or even a minor one (in some respects, now again, I'm saying this in a relative comparison to the 80's) and this makes the movie somewhat real.

A good movie to watch with the guys, or just in a group environment. An absolute classic, and I would recommend that everyone see this movie, since it has been so popular for so long, and I can see just why.