Revisiting Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Splice Today ^ | 17 July 2022 | Mark Judge

[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.

[skeeter]

Yes and this movie is even set in southern CA.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I watched The Professor and the Madman not long ago and out was excellent. I really enjoyed it. What a tragic story.

[OKSooner]

Now I’m gonna have to rent it and watch it again.

[MotorCityBuck]

Of course. Where else would you get the “Tasty waves; and cool buzz”.😉
Shaun Penn is a good actor. Period.

[mcmuffin]

“those guys are fags!”

Watched Fast Times again recently on network tv.

The phrase “those guys are fags!” was deleted

and was replaced with “those guys are fools!”

Unbelievable!

[SamAdams76]

Sleazy movie targeting youth.

I was 19 when it came out. It does hold up as a nice time capsule of what mall culture was like at the time.

High schoolers actually did spend much of their free time at the mall. If they weren't working a part time job there (i.e. Radio Shack, Orange Julius, Tape World, etc.), they were hanging out. At the food court, the arcade, or taking in a movie at the "multi-plex".

This was before internet, cell phones, home video games, most people didn't even have VCRs yet.

My favorite Spicoli scene was when he wrecks his friend's Camaro and tries to calm his friend down: “Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he’s got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.”

[BozoTexino]

My measure of a good movie is how many times I’ll rewatch it. This is one of those movies. So many good lines.

[Manic_Episode]

[skeeter]

Agree. I wonder if tucking a bagel into the waste of his pants was his idea.

[norcal joe]

I actually read the book (yes, the movie is based on the book of the same name) before watching the movie. In the book it’s explained that the teacher’s (Mr. Hand) idol is Steve McGarrett of Hawaii Five-0. But that is never really explained in the movie, and many lines and jokes (”aloha,” “bring ‘em in,” his car, etc.) go unnoticed because of that omission. Can’t figure out why they left out that explanation, but left in the references and punchlines that most people don’t get.

From the book:
https://www.theuncool.com/books/fast-times-at-ridgemont-high/fast-times-at-ridgemont-high-excerpts/

[Revel]

Well the main one was Phoebe Cates of course. And I am not just talking about the flash scene. She was really beautiful.

[Arcadian Empire]

Moving in Stereo is a great song.

[MotorCityBuck]

No. Brad puts it in the bag because Spicolli doesn't have the $ to afford it. That's why he says Thanks.

[skeeter]

In one scene Spicoli showed up in class with a bagel tucked in his waste. Always thought that was an odd but funny touch.

[hoagy62]

Everyone talks about Phoebe. I was too busy looking at Jennifer Jason Leigh.

[BobL]

“What teenage boy would cherish “Fast Times” without the topless Phobe Cates fantasy scene?”

Except, as you say, it was a ‘fantasy scene’, so it never really happened.

[drjimmy]

He is credited in the movie under his birth name, Nicolas Coppola. Two other future stars in the movie but not mentioned in the article are Anthony Edwards and Eric Stoltz.

[mowowie]

I had that exact same silver Z-28 when I was 19.
Was a beautiful mint car.
I totalled it in a similar fashion in 1986...

[MotorCityBuck]

Oh yea. Good catch.

[Revel]

Well she was very nice too.