Home/Episodes/Fast Times at Ridgemont High
‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Mallory Rubin
May 28, 2024 · Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) · Comedy · Drama · 1:47:04
Categories
Great Shot Gordo Award
Bill Simmons▶ 30:00Agrees with the Phoebe Cates pool scene, calling it 'the most important nude scene of all time'
Mallory Rubin▶ 29:24The Phoebe Cates pool scene - her stepping out of the pool in her red bikini and removing her bathing suit top, which he calls 'one of the most iconic stretches in the history of film'
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill Simmons▶ 39:30The intro with credits, first day of Mr. Hand's class, the blowjob carrot scene, Brad breaking up with Lisa and getting fired, Damone's five-point plan
Chris Ryan▶ 40:27Agreed with intro and first day of school scenes, noted the blowjob carrot scene and Damone's five-point plan
Mallory Rubin▶ 39:53Praised the intro for establishing characters and setting, discussed the blowjob carrot scene and Damone's five-point plan
Hall of Fame Plaque
Bill Simmons▶ 56:52Mike DeMone as hall of fame sleaze character, VW vans aging well, guy code concept in movies, method acting by Sean Penn/Stoltz/Edwards smoking pot, Johnny Carson turning down cameo, sniffing Xerox copies as 80s nostalgia
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:05Agreed on DeMone character dynamics and 'American Girl' by Tom Petty as best song
Mallory Rubin▶ 59:39'Big hairy pussy' line and stereo guy Ron Johnson's transformation shot from Stacy's perspective
Big Kahuna Burger Award
Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:12The pizza delivery scene with Taylor Negron - double cheese and sausage pizza that looks nice and greasy
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:01:03Insufficient sports presence in the movie - likes the football scenes but feels sports elements are underdeveloped and box-checking
Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:01:48Agreed with Friday Night Lights approach, wants to see characters in gym shooting hoops before the Rat Damone locker room fight
What's Aged the Worst
Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:32Pat Benatar look reference, scalpers and bookies being wiped out by the internet, Perry's pizza looking gross, teenage names like Linda/Lisa/Stacy being outdated, circle pins with band pictures on jackets, and the 1986 Fast Times TV series
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:07:07Linda's relationship advice to Stacey, particularly her inadequate blowjob advice using a 'skinny little carrot' that doesn't properly prepare Stacey
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:15:01Spicoli is a genius and scholar who understands life and has keen philosophical insights, not just a dumb stoner
Dion Waiters Award
Chris Ryan▶ 1:19:48Vincent Schiavelli — Mentions Whitaker, Jefferson, Russo or Stultz, then states 'I vote for Jefferson'
Casting What-Ifs
Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:16Kelly Preston — Recast Brad's girlfriend, suggests Kelly Preston as alternative
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:53Provided multiple trivia facts: mall scenes at Sherman Oaks Galleria, high school scenes at Van Dyke High School, Mark Ratner based on Andy Rathbone who wrote For Dummies books, Jennifer Jason Lee worked at Perry's Pizza for three weeks to prepare, Phoebe Cates was a teen model on Seventeen Magazine covers, Lana Clarkson appeared in film and was later murdered by Phil Spector
Apex Mountain
Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:21Sean Penn — Young Sean Penn (1981-85) - this movie over Bad Boys; Phoebe Cates - yes; Jennifer Jason Leigh - no, early 90s with Single White Female; Tom Hanks as Brad for Cruiser Hanks
Chris Ryan▶ 1:25:32Sean Penn — Young Sean Penn - this movie over Bad Boys; agrees on Hanks for Cruiser Hanks; discusses mall movies and Valley movies
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:25:44Jennifer Jason Leigh — Jennifer Jason Leigh is 'hard one for Apex Mountain'; participates in other discussions but no clear definitive picks
Picking Nits
Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:18The timeline inconsistency between Christmas scenes and football season - football season ends in early November in California but the movie shows football games happening around Christmas time, which is about three months after football season ends
Chris Ryan▶ 1:32:25Agrees with the timeline issue and acknowledges missing this nitpick, noting that football happens in October/November but the movie structure made it less obvious
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:33:13Discusses the sequencing issues but focuses more on explaining how certain scenes relate to each other rather than offering a specific nitpick
Is This Movie Better With
Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:54Lists a series of actors/characters (Wayne Jenkins, Danny Trejo, Sam Jackson, JT Walsh, Byron Mayo, Harling Mays, Ramon Raymond, Philip Baker Hall) as potential additions, establishing the category's premise.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:35:19Wayne Jenkins working at All-American Burger, delivering a threat to Brad about Lisa and flipping burgers.
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill Simmons▶ 1:35:57Multiple questions: Did Doug exist? (No), kids sneaking out with Find My iPhone, Jefferson's stats, and football gambling details
Chris Ryan▶ 1:35:59Doug didn't exist - Linda made up boyfriend and sex advice, kids sneaking out question, Jefferson playing college ball at Miami/Nebraska
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:37:01Doug could exist as a way to keep guys at bay ('the veil of Doug'), questions about kids sneaking out being good for them
Best Double Feature
Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:15Valley Girl — Either Valley Girl or Last American Virgin to stay in the same year/theme, or Fast Times/Clueless combo
Chris Ryan▶ 1:39:21American Graffiti — American Graffiti because Heckerling acknowledged it as a huge touchstone
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:39:27American Graffiti — Either American Graffiti or Dazed and Confused for the high school stoner tie
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill Simmons▶ 1:41:14How to cheat during exams - taping cheat sheets to your leg when wearing shorts, using sunglasses, hiding notebooks in the bathroom
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:40:49Lock your door - to avoid invasion of personal space that occurs throughout the movie
Who Won the Movie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:42:42Praised the movie's depiction of maturity differences between men and women, highlighting how women are more mature and open about sex while men just fantasize
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:44:49Sean Penn — Summarized Craig as being 'in on female empowerment, sexual empowerment, agency, out on one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema' (referring to Sean Penn)
Movies Referenced (41)
Clueless (1995)
9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin▶ 20:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Directors Referenced (10)
Cameron Crowe
10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky▶ 11:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Amy Heckerling
7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan · Known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Look Who's Talking▶ 17:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗
John Hughes
4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 4:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Paul Bellany
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Stardust▶ 0:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Stanley Kubrick
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon▶ 1:27:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Actors Referenced (66)
Brad Hamilton
42 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin▶ 9:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Linda Barrett
34 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan▶ 21:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Phoebe Cates
13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan · Known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Gremlins▶ 8:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Jennifer Jason Leigh
10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Hateful Eight, Single White Female▶ 12:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Judge Reinhold
8 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Beverly Hills Cop, Fast Times at Ridgemont High▶ 30:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Led Zeppelin
6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan▶ 18:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Vincent Schiavelli
4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Ghost▶ 1:11:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Crazy Town
3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Something's Gotta Give, Saving Silverman, Orange County▶ 0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Writers Referenced (1)
Roger Ebert
4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan▶ 35:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗