![]() It is all casual fun, until it no longer is. ![]() Why is this happening? Because this is precisely how young people have some of the greatest lessons in their lives, while the fun is on and their best friends constantly remind them that nothing can possibly go wrong. Ponder this: it is filled with jokes, pranks, great parties and terrific music the teachers at Ridgemont High are either too friendly or too clueless to realize that they are constantly being played and there are no curious parents around complicating the lives of their daughters and sons - and yet, for some 'strange' reason, everyone gets scarred while the fun is on. In fact, this is the reason why the film is so interesting to deconstruct because it feels almost manipulatively sincere. If you do, you should instantly recognize that Heckerling and Crowe are focused on the destruction of naivety and innocence that typically occurs during the period that is captured in the film. It is why I asked if you identify with one of them. The only way in which the smoke screen I mentioned earlier remains invisible is if you convince yourself that these characters were not modeled after real people and you can't connect with them as you should. Also, there is something quite disturbing in the manner in which everyone seems perfectly fine observing how the harmless stoner Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) is slowly but irreversibly drifting away from the real world and heading down a path that will eventually book him a date with the Grim Reaper. Mark 'Rat' Ratner (Brian Backer) has another illuminating experience after he accidentally discovers that his good friend Mike Damone (Robert Romanus), whom he has defended for years, would not hesitate to stab him in the back if there is a good reason to do it. ![]() Despite being a hardworking and loyal employee, the older and supposedly smarter Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) loses his lousy job over a lie, and then has a second illuminating experience after his new boss demeans him just as badly as his first boss does. Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh), for instance, has to consider an urgent trip to the local hospital after a few rushed dates make her realize that there is a big difference between love and sex. The biggest clue is that every single character is scarred in a way that does not seem right for a silly funny film. There is an excellent chance that from time to time you will still laugh, but I guarantee that once the final credits roll you won't think of it only as a 'great comedy from the '80s'. Indeed, there are just too many clues that point to the funny as being a classic cinematic smoke screen, and once you see through it, viewing the film becomes a completely different experience. I wanted you to ponder the above questions because I am convinced that neither director Amy Heckerling nor screenwriter Cameron Crowe intended for the film to be a conventional comedy. Do you identify with one of the main characters in the film? If you answered yes, why? Also, do you think that everything this character experiences throughout the film qualifies to be described as 'funny'? Instead of giving you a simple answer, I would like to point you in the right direction with a few more questions. But what if your take is, well, incomplete? What if the funny is only a small fraction of what makes the film good? Have you ever considered such a possibility? ![]() After all, this film does have some pretty darn funny moments that aren't easy to forget, so your take on it would not exactly be controversial. If you started arguing that Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a great comedy, maybe even one of the greatest that the '80s produced, a lot of people will wholeheartedly agree with you. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Also included with the release is an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film critic Dana Stevens and a new introduction by Cameron Crowe, as well as technical credits. #Fast times at ridgemont high tv#The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new program with Olivia Wilde, Amy Heckerling, and Cameron Crowe archival Q&A session the longer TV version of the film and more. ![]() Svet Atanasov, April 25, 2021Īmy Heckerling's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. Fast Times at Ridgemont High Blu-ray Review ![]()
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