Sleep with Rock Stars: Fast Times at Ridgemont High

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Welcome to Sleep With Rockstars, the Gen X Sleep podcast and tonight's special holiday bonus episode featuring the movie and soundtrack from Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

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Hey y'.

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All.

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Welcome to Sleep With Rockstars, the Gen X Sleep podcast that helps you unwind with a calm, mellow reading from Wikipedia about the music we still love.

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I'm your host Sloan Spencer, here to help you let the day go and drift off.

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Before we start, take a second to like, rate and review the show and make sure you subscribe wherever you listen.

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It's quick, it helps a lot and it keeps the good vibes coming.

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Now get comfortable.

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Take a slow breath in and out.

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Let your thoughts settle.

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No need to fix anything, check anything or scroll anything.

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Don't even say anything.

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Just listen.

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Let the sound, the story and the music of our generation ease you toward rest.

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This is Sleep With Rock Stars.

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Times at Ridgemont high is a: 1982

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y Cameron Crowe, based on his: 1981

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Crow went undercover as a student at Claremont High School in San Diego and wrote about his experiences.

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The film chronicles the school year and the lives of underclassmen Stacey Hamilton and and Mark Ratner and their older friends Linda Barrett and Mike Damone, both of whom believe themselves wiser in the ways of romance than their younger counterparts.

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The ensemble cast of characters form two subplots with Jeff Spicoli, a perpetually stoned surfer facing off against history teacher Mr. Hand, and Stacy's older brother Brad, a popular senior who works in entry level jobs to pay for his car and ponders ending his two year relationship with his girlfriend Lisa.

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their feature film debuts in: 2005

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The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

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Plot in the San Fernando Valley, popular Ridgemont High student Brad Hamilton has got a job at All American Burger, his Buick is almost paid off and he plans to break up with his girlfriend Lisa to fully enjoy his senior year.

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Brad's sister Stacy is a 15 year old freshman working at Perry's Pizza at Ridgemont Mall alongside her friend Linda Barrett, a senior.

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Stacy envies Linda's supposed sexual experience.

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So Linda, who claims to be engaged to college student Doug, gives her pointers.

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Smooth talker Mike Damone fancies himself a worldly ladies man, earns money taking sports bets and scalping concert tickets.

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Mark Rat Ratner, Damone's best friend, is an usher at the movie theater across from Perry's Pizza.

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Stoner Jeff Spicoli is a slacker who lives only for surfing and getting high.

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On the first day of class he clashes with history teacher Mr. Hand by arriving late for class.

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Mr. Hand attempts to get Spicoli to take his studies more seriously.

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At Perry's Pizza, 26 year old stereo salesman Ron Johnson asks Stacy for a date.

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She lies about her age so Stacy winds up losing her virginity to him in the baseball field dugout.

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On their date, Ron sends her flowers the next day but soon disappears.

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When Rat meets Stacy in biology class taught by Mr. Vargas, he is smitten and takes her on a date to a German restaurant.

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Stacy invites Rat in after the date but he nervously makes up an excuse and leaves before they get beyond kissing.

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She takes his shyness as a lack of interest.

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Linda suggests that she forget him.

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Brad is fired after clashing with a businessman customer seeking Lisa's support during a pep rally.

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She instead breaks up with him just as he had planned to do to her.

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He gets a new job at Captain Oak Fish and Chips.

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Spicoli accidentally wrecks the Camaro of Ridgemont star football player Charles Jefferson while driving Jefferson's younger brother to a party.

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Spicoli makes it seem like Lincoln High School fans destroyed Jefferson's beloved car, inspiring Jefferson to make numerous brutal tackles in the game against Lincoln, blowing them out.

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420 Rhett and Damone join Stacy and Linda after school in the Hamiltons pool as Brad masturbates while imagining Linda undressing only to get caught by a disgusted Linda.

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Stacy rebounds from Rhett with Timon by inviting him over to go swimming just the two of them.

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The two have sex in the Hamiltons pool house and Damone ejaculates prematurely and immediately leaves.

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Embarrassed he avoids her at school though Stacy has no idea why.

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Brad quits his new job due to people constantly mocking his pirate uniform.

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When Stacy later informs Damon he has gotten her pregnant, he she asks him to help finance the abortion and take her to the clinic.

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Unable to come up with his half, he blows her off.

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Stacy asks Brad to drive her supposedly to go bullying with friends, but he watches her enter the abortion clinic.

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Afterwards, Brad reveals that he knows the truth.

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He promises not to tell their parents, but she does not divulge who impregnated her.

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Stacey instead tells Linda, who in revenge spray paints prick on Damone's car and school locker.

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After hearing about it, Rat angrily confronts Timon about his involvement with Stacy and they nearly get into a fist fight in the gym locker room.

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On the evening of the last dance of the year, Mr. Ann forces Spicoli to endure a lengthy history lecture to make up for the hours of class time he had wasted until he is satisfied Spagoli has learned his lesson.

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Rat and Damone make peace.

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Stacy comforts Linda when she receives a breakup letter from her supposed fiance Doug.

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Realizing that what she wants is a relationship, Stacy professes feelings for Rat at Brad's new job at Money Martin.

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He foils an armed robbery with help from Spicoli, who inadvertently distracts the robber.

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A postscript revealed that Brad was promoted to manager of Mighty Mart.

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Damone got busted for scalping Ozzy Osbourne tickets and is now working at a 7 11.

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Mr. Vargas switched back to coffee.

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Linda attends college in Riverside and started living with her abnormal psychology professor.

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Rhett and Stacy have a passionate love affair but have not yet gone all the way.

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Mr. Hand is convinced that everyone is on dope.

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Spicoli saves Brooke Shields from drowning and blows the reward money hiring Van Halen to play his birthday party.

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Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli, a stoner teenager who fancies himself an expert surfer.

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Jennifer Jason Lee as Stacey Hamilton, a 15 year old underclassman and Brad's younger sister who works at Perry's Pizza.

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Judge Reinhold as Brad Hamilton, Stacy's older brother who works entry level jobs.

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Robert Romanes as Mike Demone, a smooth talking teenager who takes bets and scalps concert tickets.

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Brian Backer as Mark Rat Ratner, Damone's best friend who works as an usher at the movie theater at Ridgemont Mall.

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Phoebe Gates as Linda Barrett, Stacy's 18 year old best friend and her co worker at Perry's Pizza.

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Ray Walston as Mr. Hand, a history teacher at Ridgemont High.

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Scott Thompson as Arnold, a friend of Brad's.

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Vincent Chevelli as Mr. Vargas, a science teacher at Ridgemont High who switched from drinking coffee to drinking Sanka at the start of the film.

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Amanda Weiss as Lisa, Brad's girlfriend.

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DW Brown as Ron Johnson, Osteria salesman.

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Forest Whitaker as Charles Jefferson, a star football player at Ridgemont High.

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Kelly Maroney as Cindy Carr Tom Nolan as Dennis Taylor, the manager of All American Burger Blair Ashley as Pat Bernardo Eric Stoltz as one of Spicoli's stoner buds Stanley Davis Jr. As Jefferson's younger brother James Russo as a man who tries to rob Mighty Mart James Brashad as Greg Adams Nicholas Cage as Brad's bud, a friend of Brad and co worker An All American Burger credited as Nicholas Coppola Reginald H. Farmer as the vice principal of Ridgemont High Other minor appearances include Anthony Edwards as one of Spagoli's stoner buds Pamela Springsteen as Dina Phillips Stuart Cornfield as the pirate king, the proprietor of Captain Hook's Fish and Chips Michael Weil as Brad's bud Sonny Carl Davis as obnoxious businessman who argues with Brad about his order, leading to Brad getting fired David E. Price as Desmond Patrick Brennan as Curtis Spicoli, Jeff's younger brother Stu Nahan as himself Duane Tucker as Dr. Brandt Martin Breast as Dr. Miller Taylor Necron as the pizza deliveryman for the Pizza Guy restaurant Nancy Wilson as beautiful girl in car she laughs at Brad's pirate costume Ellen Fentwick as Brad and Stacy's mother Lana Clarkson as Mrs. Vargas, wife of the science teacher Roy Ulmer Wallace as Amal Santa Claus Jason Bernard as the gym teacher uncredited Hallie Todd as Carrie Fraser uncredited a friend of Linda Production Writing and Development the film is adapted from a book Cameron Crowe wrote after spending a year at Claremont High School in San Diego, California.

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rcover to do research for his: 1981

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Universal executives recommended David lynch as a director and Crow met with Lynch.

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Though lynch liked the idea, he passed on directing.

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Producer Art Linson showed Crow's script to Amy Heckerling, who at that point had directed only student films.

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Heckerling then met with Crow and the two began brainstorming different ideas for the film.

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Heckerling thought the book had just such an amazing wealth of material that could be incorporated more into the script.

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She liked how much of the book's action is centered around a mall and suggested featuring the mall setting even more prominently in the film.

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Said Crow.

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Amy completely got it and we were up and running.

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Casting Nicolas Cage made his feature film debut portraying an unnamed co worker of Brad's at All American Burger.

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Credited as Nicholas Coppola.

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Cage originally auditioned for the role of Brad Hamilton, but he was not cast due to his age.

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It was also the film debut for Eric Stoltz and provided early roles for Anthony Edwards and Forrest Whitaker.

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Crowe's future wife, Nancy Wilson of Hart has a cameo as beautiful girl in the car who laughs at Brad in his Captain Hook uniform during a traffic light stop.

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Tom Hanks was considered for the role of Brad Hamilton.

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Justine Bateman was offered the role of Linda Barrett, but she turned it down to star in Family Ties.

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Matthew Broderick was offered the role of Jeff Spagoli, but he turned it down.

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Jody Foster was considered for the role of Stacey Hamilton.

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Ally Sheedy, Meg Tilly and Ralph Macchio also auditioned for roles but were not cast.

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Fred Gwynn was offered the role of Mr. Hand, but turned it down as he felt the script had too much nasty stuff.

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In a scene in Spicoli's Dream, where he was originally going to be on the Tonight Show, Johnny Carson passed on a cameo appearance, as did Tom Snyder.

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Jennifer Jason Lee stated that she prepared for the role of Stacy by rereading her own high school diaries and letters, as well as taking a job at the Sherman Oaks Galleria Perry's Pizza Restaurant for three weeks.

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Filming Mall scenes were filmed at the Sherman Oaks Galleria after hours.

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,: 1981

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Scenes at Ridgemont High School were filmed at Vandenhuys High School.

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Universal Test screened an early cut of the film in Orange County, California.

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Heckerling said feedback from audiences and the studio was worrying because people were like we teenagers are not like that.

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You think all we care about is sex and drugs and and blah blah blah, and we were worried that we would have to cut out a lot of stuff.

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However, producer Art Linson, who maintained that conservative audiences in Orange county were not the film's target audience, ensured that no major cuts or edits were made.

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,: 1982

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It peaked at number 54 on the US Billboard 200 album chart.

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e work of many quintessential: 1980

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Several of the movie's songs were released as singles, including Jackson Browne's Somebody's Baby, which reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

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Other singles were the title track by Sammy Hagar, a cover of the Times so Much in Love by Timothy B. Schmidt, which reached number 59 on the Billboard Hot Hundred Singles chart.

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Raised on the radio by the Ravens and Wafflesnob by Joe Walsh.

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In addition to Schmidt and Walsh, the album features solo tracks by other members of the Eagles, Don Henley and Don Felder.

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The soundtrack also included I Don't Know, Spicoli's Theme by Jimmy Buffett and Goodbye Goodbye by Oingo Boingo, led by Danny Elfman.

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Five tracks in the film not included on the soundtrack or Moving in Stereo by the Cars, American Girl by Tom Betty and the Heartbreakers We Got the Beat by the Go Go's which is the movie's opening theme, Led Zeppelin's Cashmere and Winter Wonderland by Darling Love.

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In addition, the live band at the prom dance during the end of the film played two songs also not on the soundtrack, the Eagles, Life in the Fast Lane and Sam the Sham's Wooly Bully.

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ighway Runner was recorded in: 1981

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ds but ultimately released in: 1996

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Todd Rundgren also recorded the song Attitude for the film at Crowe's request.

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It was not included in the film but was released on Rundgren's demos and lost albums.

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In: 2001

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A track titled Fast Times was recorded by Hart but was not used in the film.

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The track ended up on their: 1982

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In some countries the album was released as a single LP with 10 tracks.

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io commentary states that the: 1970

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Irving Azoff.

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One of the film's producers was the personal manager for the Eagles and Stevie Nicks Track Listing Somebody's Baby written by Jackson Browne and Danny Korchmer performed by Jackson Browne Waffle Stomp written and performed by Joe Walsh Love Rules written by Don Henley and Gorschmer performed by Don Henley Uptown Boys recorded by Louise Goffin co written with Janet Allen so Much in Love written by George Williams, Bill Jackson Roy Straggis performed by Timothy B. Schmidt Sign 2 Raised on the radio by Rob Fahey performed by the Ravens the Look in your Eyes performed and written by Gerard McMahon speeding by the go go's written by Jane Woodland and Charlotte Caffey Don't Be Lonely performed by Quarter Flash written by their guitar player Marv Ross Never Surrender written by Don Felder and Kenny Loggins Performed by Felder side 3 fast times the best Years of Our Lives written and performed by Billy Squire Fast Times at Ridgemont High written and performed by Sammy Hagar I don't know.

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It's Pacoli's Theme Written by Jimmy Buffett and Michael Atley performed by Jimmy Buffett Love Is the Reason Written and performed by Graham Nash I'll leave it up to you Written by Rusty Young and performed by PoCo side 4 Highway Runner Co written by Donna Summer and Giorgio Marauder performed by Donna Summer Sleeping Angel Written and performed by Stevie Nicks she's my baby and she's out of Control Written and performed by Dave Palmer and Phil Yost Goodbye Goodbye Written by Danny Elfman performed by Oingo Boingo Release the film was initially given an X rating by the MBAA due to a protracted sex scene and brief May male frontal nudity during the pool house scene.

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The original scene was longer as Heckerling wanted to portray what she felt was the awkwardness of teen sexuality realistically and with gender equality when it came to showing nudity as X rated.

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Films up to that point had mostly only shown nude women to secure the R rating needed for commercial release.

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The sex was drastically shortened in editing and Heckerling regropped the full frontal male nude scene in question.

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Lee expressed disappointment that the recut version eliminated the sense of awkward hesitancy between the two characters.

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Universal was not confident the film would be a box office success and was considering shelving the film.

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Crow said, what happened is somebody wrote a memo shortly before the release to Universal executives Ned Tannen and Sid Sheinberg that said the future of the studio was in doubt if we are making movies like this high school movie.

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Tannen stood by releasing the film theatrically and it was given a limited theatrical release.

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It was not given a big marketing push due to a lack of marquee names and concerns over its sexual content, actor Judge Reinhold recalled, we were really heartsick because somebody high up said this is pornography and there's no way that Universal is going to release it.

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We didn't see it as this horny high school movie at all.

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We saw it as having the opportunity to do something authentic that was based on the actual experiences of the kids that Cameron chronicled for that whole year.

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,: 1982

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Positive word of mouth with audiences showing up to repeat viewings and quoting dialogue from the film prompted the studio to expand the release box office.

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On its opening weekend, the film earned $2.5 million.

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The release was widened to 713 theaters, earning $3.25 million.

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th among US releases in: 1982

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,: 1999

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The DVD included audio commentary with Heckerling and Crow, as well as the making of documentary Reliving Our Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

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,: 2012

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,: 2021

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The Criterion release restores Heckerling's original cut of the film.

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Reception Critical Response on the review aggregator Website Rotten Tomatoes, 78% of 60 critics reviews are positive with an average rating of 6.7 out of 10.

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The website's consensus reads While Fast Times at Ridgemont High features Sean Benn's legendary performance, the film endures because it accurately captured the small details of school, work and teenage life, which uses a weighted average assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100 based on 21 critics indicating generally favorable reviews.

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Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B on an A to F scale.

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On its initial release.

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Multiple critics dismissed the film as as just the latest in a wave of teens floatation films such as Porky's and the Last American Version.

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Roger Ebert was highly critical of the film's vulgar humor and called it a scuz pit of a movie.

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Though he praised the performances of Lee, Penn, Cates and Reinhold, he lamented that Lee's character is put through humiliating situations that he found degrading to young women.

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In later years, Ebert re evaluated his opinion of the film and became a big supporter of Cameron Graf's directorial career.

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Richard Corliss of Time compared the film negatively to another teen coming of age movie, American Graffiti.

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Janet Maslin of the New York Times wrote that it was a jumbled but appealing teenage comedy with something of a fresh perspective on the subject.

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In contrast, LA Weekly praised the film, particularly its screenplay, direction and the performances of Lee and Ben.

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The review read.

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While neither as slapstick as Animal House nor as apocalyptic and biting as over the edge, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is both serious and funny enough to hold its own in their company, the review added, the film presents a portrait of modern school life that speaks lightly but truly to the fears and trials of post Watergate teens.

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Speaking on earlier negative reactions to the film due to the sexual content, Heckerling said, the whole theme of even the title is things are going too fast for young people.

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They shouldn't have to worry so much about sex at such an early age.

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As time went on, however, the film was increasingly seen as a classic.

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iterion collection edition in: 2020

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Deep in its horny heart, this is the story of one 15 year old girl's clumsy and sometimes painful introduction to the world of sex.

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Related without judgment or preconception or the least hint of sentimentalization, Heckerling's film is a raunchy crowdblazer replete with stoner humor, a masturbation gag and a blowjob tutorial that makes use of school cafeteria carrots.

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But it is also attuned to the emotional lives of teenagers, girls and boys in ways that place it far ahead of its time.

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In Collider, Grace Neave noted that in teen comedy films like Porky's, the women are typically objectified and are chased by the male characters.

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However, in past times, Stacy and Linda are fully formed characters that also pursue the guys.

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Neeves added that unlike most teen comedies of its time, which tended to encourage misogyny as a comical gag, Stacy's enthusiasm about sex is never shamed or used as a plot point to cast judgment over her character.

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Fast Times has also received praise for its realistic depiction of the abortion scene, forgoing judgment or moralizing about the act itself and instead focusing on Damon's failure to support Stacy.

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Of Heckerling's decision to depict the scene, Crow later said, she said, you know what?

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This is life.

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I want to shoot this like life.

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She just quietly did it and in an almost European way.

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She put this young girl's life on screen in a way for you to judge.

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This is just how life is and it meant a lot when she did it at the time and it still means a lot.

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It was a very courageous thing to do and it actually is the one thing about the movie that I'm probably most happy about at this point.

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th anniversary in: 2022

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Accolades Crowe's screenplay was nominated for a WGA Award for best comedy.

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Adapted from another medium, the film ranked.