Production Company(ies)
Eye Steel Film Téléfilm Canada Rogers Group of Fund,s
 
Distributor
Touchstone Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1986
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Helen Shaver, John Turturro, Bill Cobbs, directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Walter Tevis, Richard Price, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Gene Siskel, Dave Kehr, Jay Boyar, Richard Schickel, Tom Hutchinson, Sean Axmaker, Matt Brunson, MPAA rating R, Touchstone Pictures, Irving Axelrod, Barbara De Fina, pool hustler, pool halls, scamming, mentor, pupil, opponent, sequel, The Hustler, pool-room culture, gamesmanship, split decision, soundtrack, Warren Zevon, pool tables, lounge lizard, pool shark, girlfriend, male ego, seedy, tension, witty dialogue, resolution, character development
 

Cast & Crew

Paul Newman

Tom Cruise

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Helen Shaver

John Turturro

Fast Eddie Felson

Vincent

Carmen

Janelle

Julian

Paul Newman – Fast Eddie Felson
Tom Cruise – Vincent
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio – Carmen
Helen Shaver – Janelle
John Turturro – Julian
Bill Cobbs – Orvis

 

Martin Scorsese

Walter Tevis

Irving Axelrod

Barbara De Fina

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Martin Scorsese
 
Writer(s)
Walter Tevis, Richard Price
 
Producer(s)
Irving Axelrod, Barbara De Fina

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
3 wins & 10 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Jason Bailey

Gene Siskel

Dave Kehr

Jay Boyar

Angie Errigo

Flavorwire

Chicago Tribune

Orlando Sentinel

Empire Magazine

TIME Magazine

THE COLOR OF MONEY
 All Critics (47) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (5)
 Yes, sure, this is mid-level Scorsese. But it says something about the director that his mid-level work still beats the hell out of just about anyone else’s best.
 
 April 8, 2017
 
 Jason Bailey
 Flavorwire
 TOP CRITIC
 The premise might sound interesting, but the plotting is so utterly predictable that The Color of Money turns into a pool-room variation of The Karate Kid.
 
 February 6, 2017 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 It is a surprise, and a disappointment.
 
 February 6, 2017 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Though this is clearly Newman’s picture, Tom Cruise also is a joy to watch.
 
 February 6, 2017
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 A joy to see two masters (Scorsese and Newman) at ease with their work, and one, Cruise, in the making.
 
 August 6, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Angie Errigo
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 We are not on Rocky’s side of the street, but in Martin Scorsese country, where bent character, not sentiment, shapes destiny, and the best the struggling human spirit can hope for is a split decision.
 
 August 1, 2008
 
 Richard Schickel
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Everything, including a splendid cast, works like a clockwork mechanism in which Scorsese faces youth with experience. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 August 27, 2019
 
 Alberto Abuín
 Espinof
 The confrontational climax never quite convinces, but Richard Price’s knockout script is one to treasure and director Martin Scorsese brings his trademark visual style to bear on the production.
 
 February 6, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tom Hutchinson
 Radio Times
 [Scorsese] delivers the cinematic charge of the pool room culture of hustle and gamesmanship along with the education of a young protg lacking self and a mentor who has yet to face his own conflicted feelings about the game.
 
 December 15, 2016
 
 Sean Axmaker
 Seanax.com
 There’s nothing [Martin Scorsese] made so achingly generic and impersonal as this.
 
 October 25, 2014 | Rating: 5/10
 
 Tim Brayton
 Antagony & Ecstasy
 It’s entertaining and at times even insightful, but nowhere near as powerful-or memorable-as “The Hustler.”
 
 June 30, 2012 | Rating: 7/10
 
 James Plath
 Movie Metropolis
 Working with his crack technical team, Scorsese turns the film into a high-wire act, using everything from the crack of the balls to the soundtrack (best bit: Cruise playing and preening to Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London”) to pump up the action.
 
 June 14, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Creative Loafing…

 

Plot
Pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson finds the young, promising pool player Vincent in a local bar and he sees in him a younger version of himself. To try and make it as in the old days, Eddie offers to teach Vincent how to be a hustler. After some hesitations Vincent accepts and Eddie takes him and Vincent’s girlfriend Carmen on a tour through the country to work the pool halls. However, Vincent’s tendency to show off his talent and by doing so warning off the players and losing money, soon leads to a confrontation with Eddie.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Tom Cruise’s performance in The Color of Money is described as “obnoxious overacting and toothy grinning” by one audience reviewer.
 

 
Martin-Scorsese.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
New Line Cinema, Zupnik Cinema Group II GGR
 
Distributor
20th Century Fox
 
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
San Francisco, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG-13
 
Year of Release
1986
 

 
Genre(s)
Action/Fantasy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, directed by John Carpenter, written by Gary Goldman, David Weinstein, W.D Richter, action, fantasy, PG-13, Larry J Franco produced, $11.0M box office, reviewed by James Berardinelli, Paul Byrnes, Eleanor Ringel Cater, Kathleen Carroll, Jay Boyar, Michael H Price, Eddie Harrison, Michael Sragow, Hal Lipper, Patrick Taggart, George Williams, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Mono, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo, 70mm, Scope (2.35:1) aspect ratio
 

Cast & Crew

Kurt Russell

Kim Cattrall

Dennis Dun

James Hong

Victor Wong

Jack Burton

Gracie Law

Wang Chi

David Lo Pan

Egg Shen

Kurt Russell – Jack Burton
Kim Cattrall – Gracie Law
Dennis Dun – Wang Chi
James Hong – David Lo Pan
Victor Wong – Egg Shen
Kate Burton – Margo

 

John Carpenter

Gary Goldman

Larry J. Franco

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
John Carpenter
 
Writer(s)
Gary Goldman, David Weinstein, W.D. Richter
 
Producer(s)
Larry J. Franco

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

James Berardinelli

Paul Byrnes

Eleanor Ringel Cater

Kathleen Carroll

Jay Boyar

ReelViews

Sydney Morning Herald

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

New York Daily News

Orlando Sentinel

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA
 All Critics (63) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (16)
 It’s sporadically amusing but not consistently funny. There’s plenty of action but minimal tension. And the story never tries hard to be even a little convincing.
 
 August 16, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 A rollicking, colourful comic strip of a movie with bells on.
 
 June 29, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Paul Byrnes
 Sydney Morning Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 Carpenter and his lively cast seem to be having such a good time that the easiest thing to do is relax and enjoy the ride. In a way, this is the movie “Escape from New York” was trying to be but never quite managed to pull off.
 
 June 29, 2021
 
 Eleanor Ringel Cater
 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 TOP CRITIC
 Watching Kurt Russell display not only a set of bulging biceps, but also… easy-going self-confidence is admittedly fun at times, even if the movie is as impenetrable as chop suey.
 
 June 29, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Kathleen Carroll
 New York Daily News
 TOP CRITIC
 Big Trouble in Little China is a failure, but it’s a fascinating, atypical failure.
 
 June 29, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 The result – suspense/action/comedy/kung fu/supernatural – defies categorization. Let’s just call it a rousing good movie and proceed
 
 June 29, 2021 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Michael H. Price
 Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
 TOP CRITIC
 …Big Trouble in Little China rises to meet our elevated expectations; fast, chaotic and inventive, its yet another Carpenter film that really deserved more than it got from audiences at the time…
 
 March 9, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Eddie Harrison
 film-authority.com
 “Big Trouble in Little China” turns into yet another failed remake of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
 
 June 29, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Michael Sragow
 San Francisco Examiner
 A campy, convoluted series of outrageous adventures that careens through an imaginary world for two hours before depositing you, breathless, back in your seat.
 
 June 29, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Hal Lipper
 Tampa Bay Times
 If you’re in the right mood for this sort of thing, John Carpenter’s new movie presents as fine an opportunity as any this summer to have a good, goofy time.
 
 June 29, 2021
 
 Patrick Taggart
 Austin American-Statesman
 When a circus is done right, you get caught up in its rhythm and lost in the fun of it. Carpenter has done it right.
 
 June 29, 2021
 
 George Williams
 Sacramento Bee
 For every genuine martial arts feat or gruesome monstrosity, there’s a sequence of riotous slapstick to counter the brief seriousness.
 
 August 31, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins…

 

Plot
Truck driver Jack Burton arrives in Chinatown, San Francisco, and goes to the airport with his Chinese friend Wang Chi to welcome his green-eyed fiancée Miao Yin who is arriving from China. However she is kidnapped on the arrival by a Chinese street gang and Jack and Wang chase the group. Soon they learn that the powerful evil sorcerer called David Lo Pan, who has been cursed more than two thousand years ago to exist without physical body, needs to marry a woman with green eyes to retrieve his physical body and Miao is the chosen one. Jack and Wang team-up with the lawyer Gracie Law, the bus driver and sorcerer apprentice Egg Shen and their friends and embark in a great adventure in the underground of Chinatown, where they face a world of magicians and magic, monsters and martial arts fighters.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Kurt Russell delivers yet another great performance in Big Trouble in Little China.
 

 
John-Carpenter.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Santana Pictures, Corporation,
 
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Vestron Video
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
600 Mesquit Street, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1985
 

 
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
To Live and Die in L.A., William Friedkin, Irving H Levin, William Friedkin, Gerald Petievich, Crime, Drama, R, William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow, Debra Feuer, John Turturro, Darlanne Fluegel, Box Office, $16.6M, Dolby, Surround, Flat (1.85:1), reviewed by Jay Boyar, Catherine Rambeau, Kathleen Carroll, Michael Blowen, Gene Siskel, Paul Attanasio, Cory Woodroof, Jas Keimig, Malcolm Johnson, Bob Ross, Patrick Taggart, starring William Petersen as Richard Chance, Willem Dafoe as Eric ‘Rick’ Masters, John Pankow as John Vukovich, Debra Feuer as Bianca Torres, John Turturro as Carl Cody, Darlanne Fluegel as Ruth Lanier, directed by William Friedkin, written by William Friedkin, Gerald Petievich
 

Cast & Crew

William Petersen

Willem Dafoe

John Pankow

Debra Feuer

John Turturro

Richard Chance

Eric ‘Rick’ Masters

John Vukovich

Bianca Torres

Carl Cody

William Petersen – Richard Chance
Willem Dafoe – Eric ‘Rick’ Masters
John Pankow – John Vukovich
Debra Feuer – Bianca Torres
John Turturro – Carl Cody
Darlanne Fluegel – Ruth Lanier
Director – William Friedkin
Producer – Irving H. Levin
Writers – William Friedkin, Gerald Petievich

 

William Friedkin

William Friedkin

Irving H. Levin

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
William Friedkin
 
Writer(s)
William Friedkin, Gerald Petievich
 
Producer(s)
Irving H. Levin

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
3 wins
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Jay Boyar

Catherine Rambeau

Kathleen Carroll

Michael Blowen

Gene Siskel

Orlando Sentinel

Detroit Free Press

New York Daily News

Boston Globe

Chicago Tribune

TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A.
 All Critics (48) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (7)
 If Friedkin occasionally goes overboard, he certainly commands an attention-getting technique and manages to tell a fascinating story.
 
 August 22, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 Comparisons to TV’s “Miami Vice” are probably inevitable because of the picture’s look and sound track. But “To Live and Die in L.A.” is hotter, faster, kinkier, and has better music.
 
 August 22, 2021 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Catherine Rambeau
 Detroit Free Press
 TOP CRITIC
 This movie leaves one feeling just squeamish and bored.
 
 August 22, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Kathleen Carroll
 New York Daily News
 TOP CRITIC
 “To Live and Die in L.A.” isn’t the prettiest film of the year, but it’s one of the best.
 
 August 22, 2021
 
 Michael Blowen
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 Petersen is to be congratulated for creating a solid character out of a film that likes its decor and soundtrack more than its actors.
 
 August 22, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 “To Live and Die in L.A.” will live briefly and die quickly in L.A., where God hath no wrath like a studio executive with bad grosses.
 
 January 2, 2018
 
 Paul Attanasio
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 A scuzzy, sun-drenched LA neo-noir where nobody is good forever and everyone has something to hide.
 
 June 25, 2022
 
 Cory Woodroof
 615 Film
 The thrilling car chase at the center of the movie is perhaps one of the best ever captured on film.
 
 June 17, 2022
 
 Jas Keimig
 The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
 “To Live and Die in L.A.” is weak at the center.
 
 August 22, 2021
 
 Malcolm Johnson
 Hartford Courant
 The film’s non-stop cinematic cheap thrills come at the expense of credibility and taste.
 
 August 22, 2021 | Rating: 1.5/4
 
 Bob Ross
 Tampa Tribune
 It’s a well-made, pulse-quickening action picture, but one that is, finally, as exhausting as it is entertaining.
 
 August 22, 2021
 
 Patrick Taggart
 Austin American-Statesman
 The film is nothing if not fast, and if you are willing to settle for that, if you are willing to look beyond the inconsistencies, you’re likely to enjoy the film. It’s hard.
 
 August 22, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Lou Cedrone
 Baltimore Sun…

 

Plot
Working largely in cases of counterfeiting, LA based Secret Service agent Richie Chance exhibits reckless behavior which according to his longtime and now former partner Jimmy Hart will probably land him in the morgue before he’s ready to retire. That need for the thrill manifests itself in his personal life by his love of base jumping. Professionally, it is demonstrated by the fact that he is sextorting a parolee named Ruth Lanier, who feeds him information in return for him not sending her back to prison for some trumped up parole violation. With his new partner John Vukovich, Chance is more determined than ever, based on recent circumstances, to nab known longtime counterfeiter Ric Masters, who is more than willing to use violence against and kill anyone who crosses him. Masters is well aware that the Secret Service is after him. Masters’ operation is somewhat outwardly in disarray, with Chance being able to nab his mule, Carl Cody, in the course of moving some of the fake money, and one of his associates, a lawyer named Max Waxman, probably stealing money from him. Partly with information from Ruth, Chance is trying to find and exploit the weaknesses in Masters’ operation. To accomplish his goal, Chance takes more and more unethical and illegal measures, which may be problematic for Vukovich, who comes from a family of police officers who are sworn to uphold the law.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for “To Live and Die in L.A.”
 

 
William-Friedkin.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Société Nouvelle Pathé Cinéma
 
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1984
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Music
 
Keyword(s)
starring Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, Christopher Villiers, Omar Sharif, Peter Cushing, Jeremy Kemp, Michael Gough, directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, written by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, comedy, music, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kathleen Carroll, Tom Setzer, Laurie Horn, Kevin Thomas, Gene Siskel, Jay Boyar, David Nusair, James Croot, Patrick Taggart, Allan Ulrich, Karl Vick, Adrian Turner, PG rating, Paramount Pictures, Dolby, Surround, Flat (1.85:1), Nick Rivers, Hillary Flammond, Nigel aka The Torch, Resistance Leader, Agent Cedric, Sven Jorgensen, the Sweden Bookstore Owner, Resistance Member, General Streck, German High Command, Elvis musicals, spy movies, underground resistance movement, Dr Paul, naval mine, East Germany, American singer, music festival, captured scientist, coercing, new naval mine, rescue mission, caught up in espionage intrigues, parody, satire, musical numbers
 

Cast & Crew

Val Kilmer

Lucy Gutteridge

Christopher Villiers

Omar Sharif

Peter Cushing

Nick Rivers

Hillary Flammond

Nigel aka The Torch

Resistance Leader

Agent Cedric

Val Kilmer – Nick Rivers
Lucy Gutteridge – Hillary Flammond
Christopher Villiers – Nigel aka The Torch, Resistance Leader
Omar Sharif – Agent Cedric
Peter Cushing – Sven Jorgensen, the Sweden Bookstore Owner, Resistance Member
Jeremy Kemp – General Streck, German High Command

 

Jim Abrahams

Jim Abrahams

Hunt Lowry

Jon Davison

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
 
Writer(s)
Jim Abrahams, David Zucker
 
Producer(s)
Hunt Lowry, Jon Davison

 

Film Festivals
Cannes
 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Kathleen Carroll

Tom Setzer

Laurie Horn

Kevin Thomas

Gene Siskel

New York Daily News

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

Miami Herald

Los Angeles Times

Chicago Tribune

TOP SECRET!
 All Critics (50) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (12)
 Although there is no question that this free-swinging spoof… runs out of steam, it is a wonderfully flaky example of what Hollywood has to offer in this traditionally silly summer season.
 
 April 20, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Kathleen Carroll
 New York Daily News
 TOP CRITIC
 If you’re in the mood for some frequently inspired silliness (and have been weakened by the heat) you’ll no doubt find something to laugh at in this movie.
 
 April 20, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Tom Setzer
 Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
 TOP CRITIC
 The jokes leave you tickled, but never build to a comic crescendo.
 
 April 20, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Laurie Horn
 Miami Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 The result is a non-stop barrage of gags, many of them inspired and hilarious themselves but scattershot in effect because the premise isn’t sturdy or coherent enough to hold them together.
 
 April 20, 2021
 
 Kevin Thomas
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Not even half as funny as “Airplane!’ but still… a lot more clever than most movie comedies made today.
 
 April 20, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s amusing enough in a Mad magazine sort of way to be worth a look.
 
 April 20, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 …a hit-and-miss comedy that benefits from its stirring performances and smattering of hilarious set-pieces…
 
 July 5, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 Along with his megawatt grin and pitch-perfect singing, which covers a range of musical genres, this was the moment that we saw a movie star born.
 
 June 27, 2022
 
 James Croot
 Stuff.co.nz
 It’s no classic, but Top Secret is funny, good-natured, and – with one exception early on involving a marital aid – clean.
 
 April 20, 2021
 
 Patrick Taggart
 Austin American-Statesman
 Abrahams-Zucker-Zucker scatter the jokes the way farmers scatter corn around a chicken house. They’re shameless.
 
 April 20, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Allan Ulrich
 San Francisco Examiner
 Insouciance runs so deep in the film it extends clear down to the structure, which must be ingenious to support the film as nimbly as it does, but which appears to be ad hoc.
 
 April 20, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Karl Vick
 Tampa Bay Times
 Not as funny as it should be, but entertaining enough.
 
 April 20, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Adrian Turner
 Radio Times…

 

Plot
This time Zucker and Abrahams are spoofing, most notably, Elvis films and WWII spy movies. Val Kilmer stars as Nick Rivers, a handsome American 50s-style rock and roll singer. While performing in East Germany, he falls in love with a beautiful heroine and becomes involved with the French Resistance.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Val Kilmer stars in Top Secret! in his first major film role and also showcases his singing abilities.
 

 
Jim-Abrahams.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Hollywood Pictures,
 
Distributor
MCA/Universal Pictures [us], MCA, MCA/Universal Home Video
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
24124 Welby Way, Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Brian Backer, Robert Romanus, Ray Walston, directed by Amy Heckerling, written by Cameron Crowe, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Ernest Leogrande, Richard Corliss, James Berardinelli, Variety Staff, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Nell Minow, David Harris, F.X Feeney, David Nusair, Matt Brunson, Rob Aldam, Mike Massie, R rating, Art Linson, Irving Azoff, MCA/Universal Pictures, MCA, MCA/Universal Home Video, high school, teenage life, love triangle, surfing, stoned, strict teacher, small details, school, work, American Graffiti, teen stories, teen audiences, sex, relationship, school issues, charisma of cast, iconic ’80s teen sex comedy, stellar cast, Cameron Crowe’s script, struggles of teenagers, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
 

Cast & Crew

Sean Penn

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Judge Reinhold

Robert Romanus

Brian Backer

Jeff Spicoli

Stacy Hamilton

Brad Hamilton

Mike Damone

Mark “Rat” Ratner

Sean Penn – Jeff Spicoli
Jennifer Jason Leigh – Stacy Hamilton
Judge Reinhold – Brad Hamilton
Robert Romanus – Mike Damone
Brian Backer – Mark “Rat” Ratner
Phoebe Cates – Linda Barrett
Director – Amy Heckerling
Producer – Art Linson, Irving Azoff
Writer – Cameron Crowe

 

Amy Heckerling

Cameron Crowe

Art Linson

Irving Azoff

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Amy Heckerling
 
Writer(s)
Cameron Crowe
 
Producer(s)
Art Linson, Irving Azoff

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Ernest Leogrande

Richard Corliss

James Berardinelli

Variety Staff

Jonathan Rosenbaum

New York Daily News

TIME Magazine

ReelViews

Variety

Chicago Reader

FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH
 All Critics (55) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (12)
 What it doesn’t have is a clear point of view, something that would make it of more interest than leafing through a high school yearbook.
 
 August 12, 2015 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Ernest Leogrande
 New York Daily News
 TOP CRITIC
 Director Amy Heckerling has failed to provide the raunch or poignancy that would interest young moviegoers, all of whom have seen American Graffiti and its 467 imitators. Ridgemont High? A nice place to visit, but who would want to transfer there?
 
 March 13, 2009
 
 Richard Corliss
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Fast Times will always be remembered for one thing: showing respect for and insight into the members of its core audience, something that was as rare in the 1980s as it is today.
 
 June 10, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 The nice thing is that Crowe and director Amy Heckerling have provided something pleasant to observe in all of these characters though they really are sadly lacking in anything gripping.
 
 July 18, 2007
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Was never all it was cracked up to be.
 
 July 18, 2007
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 February 25, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Movie Mom
 TOP CRITIC
 Fast Times at Ridgemont High broke down the barriers for Hollywood to tell teen stories to teen audiences.
 
 February 8, 2022
 
 David Harris
 Spectrum Culture
 Here is a portrait of modern high school life that speaks lightly but truly to the fears and trials of post-Watergate teens.
 
 November 10, 2021
 
 F.X. Feeney
 L.A. Weekly
 …an erratic yet ultimately rewarding endeavor that deserves a place among Hollywood’s very best high-school movies.
 
 October 17, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 The comedy quotient just doesn’t cut it – in fact, it’s odd that this is always considered a comedy when it’s the dramatic material that resonates more strongly.
 
 May 14, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 In many ways, Fast Times at Ridgemont High defined a generation of young Americans, excited about the future and what life may hold for them.
 
 May 13, 2021
 
 Rob Aldam
 Backseat Mafia
 With a hint of fantasy and a touch of romance, this small but memorable comedy proves immensely satisfying.
 
 March 24, 2021 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins…

 

Plot
Follows a group of high school students growing up in southern California, based on the real-life adventures chronicled by Cameron Crowe. Stacy Hamilton and Mark Ratner are looking for a love interest, and are helped along by their older classmates, Linda Barrett and Mike Damone, respectively. The center of the film is held by Jeff Spicoli, a perpetually stoned surfer dude who faces off with the resolute Mr. Hand, who is convinced that everyone is on dope.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels notes that Fast Times at Ridgemont High features Sean Penn’s “legendary performance” as Jeff Spicoli.
 

 
Amy-Heckerling.jpg