Rating: 
Summary: Aloha!
Review: This movie set the tone for John Hughes movies yet-to-come. It was also the breeding ground of some major stars. Sean Penn, Eric Stoltz, Nicholas Cage....etc.This movie is filled with laughs but the tone turns very very serious at the end. That works though. It's what many teens go through and it is not sugar-coated. Oh, but of course, the Phoebe Cates scene is one of the best ever. Gotta love that.
Rating: 
Summary: DON'T BUY THE DVD!!!
Review: What a great movie. An 80's classic. However, for anyone with a home theater, the soundtrack will be a great disappointment. How can you call a DVD a "Collector's Edition" when it is in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono?!!! Yes, Mono. No stereo, no 5.1. Just mono. The extras also leave something to be desired. Don't waste your money on the DVD until Universal decides to release it with a decent audio track. And, why did they leave out the extra scenes that are on the TV version?
Rating:
Summary: Good stuff
Review: I thought it was very nice. Especially the part when the fish delivery guy got caught in the bathroom fantasizing. It kind of reminds me of an embarrassing moment I had in the dressing room at a lingerie shop in the Mall. I could only laugh when Pheobe Cates walked in on him. She's very nice.
Rating: 
Summary: 80's Cult Classic Leaves Something to be Desired on DVD
Review: "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is truly one of the funniest films to come from the so-called "me" decade. The fact that this picture has such a cult following is a testament to its staying power and relevancy in 2000. I predict that in 2010 it will still be a good snapshot at high school kids in that era. It's clear to me that amazon.com reviewer Marshall Fine doesn't have a clue about movies when he refers to Cameron Crowe, who scripted this picture, as an "overrated filmmaker". To the contrary, Crowe has established himself as one of the brightest of the most recent crop of filmmakers. His script as well as Amy Heckerling's direction in "Fast Times", show that they really have tapped into what makes high school kids of the 80's tick. Sean Penn turns in the performance of his career as Jeff Spicoli, a stoner with no direction and little ambition (other than to have Van Halen play at his birthday party, of course). This movie also marks the acting debuts of Judge Rheinhold, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Forest Whitaker, Anthony Edwards, and Eric Stolz. Ray Walston's brief performance as a crusty teacher is also noteworthy. My only complaint about this motion picture is that certain scenes which were added to the television edit of the movie were deleted for the DVD. They helped give some direction to the plot and will be missed. That aside, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is to 80's high school students what "Porky's" was to 50's high school students and "The Hollywood Knights" was to 60's high school students. I'm still waiting for the definitive comedy film on 70's high schoolers.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, but not the DVD it should be
Review: While the film itself is a bona fide classic, and the transfer is crisp and clear, this DVD production is sorely lacking. The extras are slim, and the bonus soundtrack featuring commentary from directory Amy Heckerling and writer Cameron Crowe is unenlightening. The original trailer (showing how the studio sold the film to audiences), and the documentary (including contemporary interviews with several of the players) are nice bonuses. Like other seminal teen films (e.g., American Grafitti), so many imitations sprouted in their wake, it's hard to remember the ground that was broken with the original releases. But this was a truly groundbreaking film in its attitude and perspective on high school life. Crowe's undercover study yielded a dead-on portrait, and Heckerling's direction makes the most of it. As a DVD production, though, the enhancements are disappointing. The additional soundtrack, featuring the director and writer in conversation is incredibly insipid, repetitive and sycophantic. 90% of it is taken up with Heckerling complimenting Crowe, Crowe complimenting Heckerling, and Heckerling and Crowe drooling over Sean Pean. Very little of it concerns the actual filmmaking, and, surprisingly, given the lucidity with which Heckerling and Crowe are able to commit their thoughts to film, they shed very little light on the film itself. Even more maddening is that Heckerling and Crowe often speak of alternate takes and extra footage included in the TV version of the film, yet none of it is included on the DVD. Move: 5 stars. DVD production: 2 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Great Music Accompanies 'Fast Times'
Review: I don't know how I initally got turned on to this movie, but I'm glad I did. Sure, it could've toned down it's content a bit, but it also gives a good example of growing up around friends in high school, and the pressures that accompany that time in a person's life. I would not suggest showing this film to a small child, but it's good fun for the more mature. Judge Rinehold, and Sean Penn are both terrific in their rolls, and the film has some really funny moments. However, in my opinion, most notably should be that this movie is a soundtrack for the early 1980's. Some fantastic music is to be found in the movie, such as "Raised On The Radio" and Jimmy Buffett's "I Don't Know (Spicoli's Theme)". It should be noted that 'Fast Times' gave Jackson Browne his biggest hit record with "Somebody's Baby". This is the epitome of suburban California....kind of a Riverdale High of the '80's. GOD BLESS YOU !
Rating:
Summary: the best high school flick of all time
Review: Non compare to fast times. Shawn Penn in his BEST role! 1980'S fun and a pretty good soundtrack. See it now or Nipsey gets mad!
Rating:
Summary: The Quintessential High School Flick
Review: 'Fast Times' is the quintessential high school flick. What 'American Graffiti' did to put high school films on the map, 'Fast Times' did to expand and redefine the genre. Every hijinks film that has succeeded in recent history owes a debt of gratitude to this film for resetting the boundaries. This is an adaptation of Cameron Crowe's book about his undercover high school experience. What differentiates 'Fast Times' from its predecessors is its realism, since it was based on the actual experiences of real kids. The skits weren't as outrageous as other high school flicks, and indeed this wasn't that funny a film. But it struck a chord, because of its frank depiction of the issues with which kids really struggle. This film was controversial from the start. Universal almost didn't release it because they thought it would bomb. Profanity, nudity and sexual situations were just not done in high school films. This was the first such film to earn an R rating. It was actually rated X until they toned down the sex scene between Stacy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Mike (Robert Romanus). The studio was sure that the only audience the film had would be prohibited from seeing it. Finally, Universal agreed to release it on the west coast only with no promotional budget. It exploded and the rest is history. Though this was an ensemble project, the film really belonged to Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Judge Reinhold. All three gave outstanding performances and went on to successful acting careers. This part was perfect for Penn who has made a career of playing offbeat maverick types. Penn may have peaked in this film, not because his skills have diminished, but because he has not and may never again find a role into which he can slip so seamlessly. Jennifer Jason Leigh did not one, but two nude sex scenes; a very gutsy move for a 20 year old actress at the time. In this film she became a model for the sweet girl trying to lose her innocence. Reinhold spring boarded off this film to land numerous successful roles in the 1980's and 90's most notably the Beverly Hills Cop series of films. The film also helped launch successful careers for Eric Stolz, Forrest Whittaker, Phoebe Cates and Anthony Edwards. Nicholas Cage was also an extra in this film and was director Amy Heckerling's second choice for Spicoli. She went with Penn because Cage (then going by Nicholas Coppola) was only 17, and he was limited as to how many hours he could work because he was a minor. The DVD has an interesting retrospective, produced very recently, where the director and many of the actors give their stories of the making of the film. The only disappointment with the DVD was that they didn't go back and re-master the sound, which was still mono. This film changed the landscape for high school films. Though it has been eclipsed by numerous more recent films, it stands as a trailblazer that made them all possible. I rated it a 9/10. Anyone who liked 'Clueless' or 'American Pie' and hasn't seen 'Fast Times' should go back and see where it all started.
Rating:
Summary: Curious Mix
Review: An interesting choice of films to ship together. Animal House and Fast Times would be considered classics, but then the addition of American Pie? A good movie but it just doesn't suit the rest... Guess I just like my sets to hold a more specific theme than "it has a school in it doesn't it?"... All up, I'd say I enjoyed all of these movies. Each has it's own appeal, Animal House for the classic dumb frat house road trip style, Fast Times for the fresh dialog - well it was for it's time... And American Pie made for a nice feel-good movie with some good laughs along the way. I expect all three had hidden lessons to be learnt but I sure missed 'em all :) Get it if you like some harmless dumb fun at a low price.
Rating:
Summary: Major Trendsetter for all teen movies to come.
Review: Being a fan of rough-around-the-edges movies such as "Dazed And Confused" I had to see this. In fact I BOUGHT it without even seeing it before. At first I thought it wasnt even funny and that it went no where. Considering it was made in the early 80's I knew it wouldn't be as bold as the shock comedies of today such as "American Pie". After watching it a few more times I began quoting scenes such as "No shoes, no shirt, NO DICE! " . And soon after that it was in regular circulation in my VCR and I was reccomending it to all my friends. So if your a fan of 80's movies or teen movies period, than "Fast Times At Ridgemont" high is the movie for you.
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