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 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Great Shot Gordo Award
Bill SimmonsAgrees with the Phoebe Cates pool scene, calling it 'the most important nude scene of all time'▶ 30:00
Mallory RubinThe 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'▶ 29:24
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsThe 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▶ 39:30
Chris RyanAgreed with intro and first day of school scenes, noted the blowjob carrot scene and Damone's five-point plan▶ 40:27
Mallory RubinPraised the intro for establishing characters and setting, discussed the blowjob carrot scene and Damone's five-point plan▶ 39:53
Hall of Fame Plaque
Bill SimmonsMike 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▶ 56:52
Chris RyanAgreed on DeMone character dynamics and 'American Girl' by Tom Petty as best song▶ 1:00:05
Mallory Rubin'Big hairy pussy' line and stereo guy Ron Johnson's transformation shot from Stacy's perspective▶ 59:39
Big Kahuna Burger Award
Bill SimmonsThe pizza delivery scene with Taylor Negron - double cheese and sausage pizza that looks nice and greasy▶ 1:00:12
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Mallory RubinInsufficient sports presence in the movie - likes the football scenes but feels sports elements are underdeveloped and box-checking▶ 1:01:03
Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake
Mallory RubinAgreed with Friday Night Lights approach, wants to see characters in gym shooting hoops before the Rat Damone locker room fight▶ 1:01:48
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsPat 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and bookies being wiped out by the internet, Perry's pizza looking gross, teenage names like Linda/Lisa/Stacy being outdated, circle pins with band pictures on jackets, and the 1986 Fast Times TV series▶ 1:09:32
Mallory RubinLinda's relationship advice to Stacey, particularly her inadequate blowjob advice using a 'skinny little carrot' that doesn't properly prepare Stacey▶ 1:07:07
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Mallory RubinSpicoli is a genius and scholar who understands life and has keen philosophical insights, not just a dumb stoner▶ 1:15:01
Dion Waiters Award
Chris RyanVincent Schiavelli — Mentions Whitaker, Jefferson, Russo or Stultz, then states 'I vote for Jefferson'▶ 1:19:48
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsKelly Preston — Recast Brad's girlfriend, suggests Kelly Preston as alternative▶ 1:20:16
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsProvided 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▶ 1:21:53
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsSean 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▶ 1:25:21
Chris RyanSean Penn — Young Sean Penn - this movie over Bad Boys; agrees on Hanks for Cruiser Hanks; discusses mall movies and Valley movies▶ 1:25:32
Mallory RubinJennifer Jason Leigh — Jennifer Jason Leigh is 'hard one for Apex Mountain'; participates in other discussions but no clear definitive picks▶ 1:25:44
Picking Nits
Bill SimmonsThe 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▶ 1:32:18
Chris RyanAgrees with the timeline issue and acknowledges missing this nitpick, noting that football happens in October/November but the movie structure made it less obvious▶ 1:32:25
Mallory RubinDiscusses the sequencing issues but focuses more on explaining how certain scenes relate to each other rather than offering a specific nitpick▶ 1:33:13
Is This Movie Better With
Bill SimmonsLists 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.▶ 1:34:54
Chris RyanWayne Jenkins working at All-American Burger, delivering a threat to Brad about Lisa and flipping burgers.▶ 1:35:19
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsMultiple questions: Did Doug exist? (No), kids sneaking out with Find My iPhone, Jefferson's stats, and football gambling details▶ 1:35:57
Chris RyanDoug didn't exist - Linda made up boyfriend and sex advice, kids sneaking out question, Jefferson playing college ball at Miami/Nebraska▶ 1:35:59
Mallory RubinDoug could exist as a way to keep guys at bay ('the veil of Doug'), questions about kids sneaking out being good for them▶ 1:37:01
Best Double Feature
Bill SimmonsValley Girl — Either Valley Girl or Last American Virgin to stay in the same year/theme, or Fast Times/Clueless combo▶ 1:39:15
Chris RyanAmerican Graffiti — American Graffiti because Heckerling acknowledged it as a huge touchstone▶ 1:39:21
Mallory RubinAmerican Graffiti — Either American Graffiti or Dazed and Confused for the high school stoner tie▶ 1:39:27
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill SimmonsHow to cheat during exams - taping cheat sheets to your leg when wearing shorts, using sunglasses, hiding notebooks in the bathroom▶ 1:41:14
Mallory RubinLock your door - to avoid invasion of personal space that occurs throughout the movie▶ 1:40:49
Who Won the Movie
Chris RyanPraised 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▶ 1:42:42
Mallory RubinSean 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)▶ 1:44:49
Movies Referenced (43)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clueless (1995) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 20:03 |
| Forrest Gump (1994) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 2:57 |
| Lincoln (2012) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 1:00:51 |
| American Graffiti (1973) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons | ▶ 6:26 |
| Blade Runner (1982) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 34:12 |
| Boogie Nights (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:26:36 |
| Fargo (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 27:05 |
| Bad Boys (1995) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 15:54 |
| Crank (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:54 |
| Dazed and Confused (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan | ▶ 6:25 |
| Rushmore (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:02:07 |
| Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 35:04 |
Directors Referenced (10)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Penn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 15 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan | Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking | ▶ 7:20 |
| Cameron Crowe | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky | ▶ 11:45 |
| Amy Heckerling | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan | Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Look Who's Talking | ▶ 17:59 |
| David Lynch | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 19:55 | |
| John Hughes | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club | ▶ 4:09 |
| Kosta Jokic | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 41:34 | |
| Paul Bellany | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Stardust | ▶ 0:05 |
| Spike Lee | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It | ▶ 22:28 |
| Stanley Kubrick | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon | ▶ 1:27:45 |
| Tom Brady | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Hot Chick | ▶ 1:41:38 |
Actors Referenced (66)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Hamilton | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 42 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 9:12 | |
| Linda Barrett | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 34 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan | ▶ 21:08 | |
| Damone | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 22 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan | Freaky Friday | ▶ 14:28 |
| Phoebe Cates | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan | Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Gremlins | ▶ 8:03 |
| Jennifer Jason Leigh | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Hateful Eight | ▶ 12:20 |
| Judge Reinhold | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons | Beverly Hills Cop, Fast Times at Ridgemont High | ▶ 30:34 |
| Led Zeppelin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan | ▶ 18:31 | |
| Van Halen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Spaceballs, Ready Player One, Mission to Mars | ▶ 35:07 |
| Jason Lee | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Almost Famous, Chasing Amy, Vanilla Sky | ▶ 20:50 |
| Tony Romo | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:20:39 | |
| Vincent Schiavelli | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Ghost | ▶ 1:11:52 |
| Crazy Town | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Something's Gotta Give | ▶ 0:00 |
Writers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan | ▶ 35:50 |