Studios are always looking for easy profits and the surprise success of 1981’s Porkys kicked off a wave of teen sex comedies. In the mix was a rare Studio film directed by a woman, and it became not only the best of the wave but one of the greatest films of all time. 10 years after American Graffiti, Fast Times at Ridgemont High was a hit at the same level, launching the careers of Jennifer Jason leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Forest Whitaker, Nicolas Cage, Anthony Edwards and Sean Penn. It had a soundtrack of 80s radio staples, but we’re here to talk about movies.
This was the first feature for Marilyn Vance, who had a large influence on 80s culture. She went on to do most John Hughes films and action blockbusters like Die Hard, Road House. When the Academy Museum had an exhibit on Costume Design, they included the Red Gown she designed for Julia Roberts to wear in Pretty Woman.
About the pool scene… One of the most rewatched and paused moments of my generation is also the most stylized moment in Amy Heckerling’s career. I want to know about the decision to use a rain tower to make the whole pool area look like a light, warm shower that Phoebe Cates walks in. And I want to know how Heckerling directed Judge Reinhold in the bathroom, especially once I learned he was dating her friend at the time.
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