Posted on 07/17/2022 5:42:04 AM PDT by Rummyfan
“You old, red-faced ************.”
That’s the line Sean Penn delivered to Ray Walston in 1982’s classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Penn was playing Jeff Spicoli, a surfer and stoner, and Walston Mr. Hand, a tight-assed history teacher. The two clash when Spicoli’s late for class. Mr. Hand sends him to the principal, and Spicoli reacts by calling Mr. Hand a “dick.”
Not in the final film is Penn’s effort to get Walston truly riled up and add some genuine tension to the scene. As the camera panned over to Walston, Penn dropped the bomb about Hand being a red-faced MF’er. Walston wasn’t pleased.
That’s one of the bits of trivia found on the new Criterion Collection edition of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It’s one of the best teen movies of the 1980s and deserves inclusion in the highbrow Criterion Collection. The film’s success and continued relevance is mostly due to director Amy Heckerling. Although the movie is based on the book by Cameron Crowe, it was Heckerling who fought the studio to capture the tone and stye of the film. Heckerling suggested Fast Times be set mostly in a mall. She refused to put any adults in the film. She rejected bland conventional choices for music, insisting the Go-Gos “We Got the Beat” open the film, a perfect choice.
(Excerpt) Read more at splicetoday.com ...
Mr. Hand “convinced everyone is on dope”
LOL!
Great movie. I missed it when it was released but have seen it a couple of times years later.
I was 23 in 1983. I get those films, I just think they are terrible.
“Sleazy movie targeting youth”
I was 22 when this movie came out....for better or worse I found it a strikingly accurate depiction of late teen early 20s life in this country at the time.
And every time "Moving In Stereo" by The Cars comes on the radio, I have to say, "Hi Brad."
What teenage boy would cherish "Fast Times" without the topless Phobe Cates fantasy scene?
I had no idea that Nicholas Cage was in the movie until I read this article
Fast Times,
SoCal High School 1970’s.
I’m surprised I Survived.
I would agree with your assessment of his acting ability despite his politics. Seeing him in other roles I saw him playing different characters - I wasn’t watching Sean Penn.
The early DeNiro and Nicholson were the same. Great actors.
But those guys eventually would “play themselves” in the film - I was watching Bob DeNiro and John Nicholoson, not the characters in the movie. Since I have not seen Penn movies in last 10 or more years, I don’t know if he ever reeached that level of being type cast ... like Bob and John.
Classic movie saw this in the theater when it came out and laughed my butt off.
Late 70’s early 80’s was a great time to be a teenager.
The scene where Brad is driving to/from work wearing his ridiculous hat, the girl who laughs at him is Nancy Wilson of Heart. She was dating Cameron Crowe at the time
That’s some real film trivia!
Judd’s scenes of his multiple personal “failures” really pulled the movie through right to the end. The scene where he gets fired for “threatening a customer” is an HR department classic.
good movie!!!
“those guys are fags!”
Right down to the mall being the epicenter of teenage social life.
Didn’t like it much when it came out, but have learned to appreciate it since, probably in light of what has happened to society since. The movie is a timepiece
Finally saw it for the first time a couple of months ago. Meh.
Fast Times is overrated. IMHO.
“in light of what has happened to society since”
Yep and I’ll give you an example of how the mall environment has changed.
The one closest to where I live was forced to adopt a policy of “no gang apparel allowed inside the mall”.
Now that’s a damn shame right there. SMH
Just Amy Heckerling? Not Cameron Crowe’s screenplay?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.