Review: Classic Comedy 'Fast Times At Ridgemont High' Never Looked or Sounded Better

In what I've always considered a perfect double feature with Richard Linklater's "Dazed and Confused," Amy Heckerling's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is as fun as they come. Now on Criterion Collection Blu-ray, the classic 1982 coming-of-age high school comedy has never looked or sounded better, especially when you consider how its electric soundtrack serves up one hit after another.

"Fast Times" and "Dazed" share many similarities beyond their killer music choices. You have the quintessential stoner performance by a future Oscar winner (Sean Penn here, Matthew McConaughey in "Dazed"), plenty of characters and subplots, and an authentic tenderness that shines a light on the simple, yet complicated, nature of growing up.

But "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" set the bar, and while I personally prefer "Dazed and Confused," both films are excellent (and are now both included as Criterion releases). Revisiting "Fast Times" is always a trip, especially considering it helped launch so many careers. From excellent lead performances by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cate, and Penn, to quick supporting turns and first-time appearances by actors like Eric Stolz and Nicolas Cage (credited by his Coppola surname at the time), "Fast Times" is a treasure trove of "Hey! I know that person! Oh my god, they're so young!" moments.

The film was written by Cameron Crowe, who based it off his 1981 book "Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story," which found him going undercover at Clairemont High School in San Diego. With his sharp screenplay combined with Heckerling's insightful filmmaking, the movie cemented an undeniable legacy that is rightfully being preserved by Criterion's home entertainment mission.

Collectors can enjoy an array of bonus features included with this release, including an essay by Crowe himself that's included in the interior booklet. Other bonus features include:

�Audio commentary from 1999 featuring Heckerling and Crowe
�Television version of the film from the eighties, featuring deleted and alternate scenes
�New conversation with Heckerling and Crowe, moderated by filmmaker Olivia Wilde
�"Reliving Our 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High,' " a 1999 documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew
�Audio discussion from 1982 with Heckerling at the American Film Institute

"Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is available on Criterion Collection Blu-ray for the suggested retail price of $27.96