REVIEW: FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH CRITERION BLU-RAY
I was really surprised when I heard the artsy film label ‘The Criterion Collection’ was releasing the 80’s teenage comedy classic ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’. Even though Ridgemont High has more heart then let’s say Porky’s, it’s still a movie I would of though they would have shunned. The crazy thing is, I have seen this movie a dozen times and for some reason I never realized it was directed by a female. I always thought it was directed by Cameron Crowe. Well, I certainly didn’t pay much attention when I was younger watching who really directed what now is a cult classic. This was the first film I was introduced to the a beautiful Phoebe Cates, who became an iconic actress in the 1980’s and who most teenage boys had a crush on. The film looks great with no artifacts, and the colors really pop. The restored 4K digital transfer was supervised by director Amy Heckerling and also includes a 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master audio which sounds better than ever. Criterion released a stunning release of this film and everything looked revived. After viewing this film again, I could see why Criterion chose this film to be added to their collection. It’s not only a comedy, but it’s also a teenage coming of age story that deals with some teenage experiences good and bad. What I love about these movies is going back in time and seeing all the pop culture of that time. It reminds me of when I was a kid, hanging out at the mall, looking for chicks. It was a simpler time with no big brother tracking us all day. You would meet up some place with no distractions of a cell phone. You had real person social interactions unlike virtual social interactions. I love the 80’s and it’s sad that technology, although good in many things, has taken over our attention span. The fashion and music was iconic. I am glad I grew up in the 70’s and 80's- unfortunately there will never be a decade like that again.
So here’s what you get in the blu-ray. You get an audio commentary from 1999 featuring Heckerling and screenwriter Cameron Crowe. The television version of the film from the eighties, featuring deleted and alternate scenes. A new conversation with Heckerling and Crowe that is moderated by filmmaker Olivia Wilde. Reliving Our “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” a 1999 documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew. Audio discussion from 1982 with Heckerling at the American Film Institute and an essay by film critic Dana Stevens.
Fast Times included an all star cast that included Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Forest Whitaker, Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz, and Sean Penn. It would of been awesome to get interviews with the cast who got their careers launched from this classic film, but I would think Criterion tried. I know some actors get embarrassed by some of the roles that got them their start, but they should really learn to embrace it.
Based on Crowe’s experiences going undercover as a student at a Southern California high school, Fast Times at Ridgemont High blends hormone-fueled hilarity with an almost sociological examination of the 1980s teenage experience: the shopping-mall hangouts, fast-food jobs, buzzkill teachers, awkward dates, and first experiences of love and sex. This pop-culture touchstone launched to stardom practically an entire cast of unknowns — including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Forest Whitaker, Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz, and Sean Penn as stoner icon Jeff Spicoli — and broke new ground in its raw yet sensitive depiction of the realities of coming of age.
Here’s a video Review and Unboxing of Fast Times at Ridgemont High- The Criterion Edition.
