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| The Last American Virgin |
15. Fraternity Vacation
14. Valley Girl
13. Back To School
12. Private School
11. Loverboy
10. Losin' It
9. Hot Dog: The Movie
8. Zapped!
7. Just One Of The Guys
6. The Last American Virgin
"I can sum up Risky Business in just three short phrases: Rebecca De Mornay. Empty subway car. Tangerine Dream. 'Nuff said."
But then I said to myself, "Self, that's really not enough. Readers are expecting more. They want depth. They want analysis. They want to understand the deep pop cultural impact. Readers are interested in learning more about this pointed satire of teen, suburban life in the '80s."
Pshaw. Our readers want more Guido the Killer Pimp. And Porsches. And more Rebecca DeMornay.
Sure, Risky Business is, as Entertainment Weekly put it, "a satire... about the soul-crushing pressure to be perfect, and the primal urges to rebel against a manicured, pre-programmed future - even if that means turning your parents' house into a brothel." But, all analysis aside, it's a wild, albeit over-the-top, romp in how much you can get away with while your parents are away. From raiding the liquor cabinet and having a dalliance with a hooker to dumping a Porsche into Lake Michigan and going toe-to-toe with said Killer Pimp, Risky Business is the template for every "pushing the envelope" teen movie to follow.
Miles (Curtis Armstrong) says it best: "Joel, you wanna know something? Every now and then say, 'What the fuck.' 'What the fuck' gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future."
Well said, Booger. Well said. --Mr. Big Dubya
Neeeeeeeeeeeerds!
I actually didn't see this film in its entirety until fairly recently (thanks Netflix Instant!), but I'd seen scenes out of order here and there. And I was surprised by how well it's held up. I mean, it's still incredibly funny, and not in a "ha ha, the '80s were silly" kind of way. The casting is excellent - John Goodman, baby Anthony Edwards, Ted McGinley, Timothy Busfield, and Booger (I know he has a real name, but he'll always be Booger to me). They're pitch perfect in their roles. The dialogue is snappy. The musical performance is '80s-tastic. And the movie ends on a surprisingly sweet note: not saccharine sweet, but from the heart sweet.
I, too, am proud to be a nerd.
Plus, I like to think that I too could have some pretty sweet dance moves if necessary. --Archphoenix
Two nerds.
One computer.
One Barbie doll.
To make one sex goddess.
I love this movie. As a geekling coming of age in the '80s, this movie spoke to me on a personal level. I thought all of my problems could be solved if I could recreate the experiment from the movie. But I didn't have a computer at the time. My attempt to explain to my parents that I wanted one to try to make a woman didn't go over as well as planned.
Weird Science is arguably the geekiest movie John Hughes ever made. It just may be the geekiest movie on this list. Look past the sci-fi goofiness (furniture sucked through chimneys, frozen grandparents, bully big brother blob creatures) and you've actually got a teen sex comedy that's pretty innocent. This is part of its charm. When confronted with the drop-dead gorgeous Kelly LeBrock, what is Gary and Wyatt's first impulse? To take a shower... with their clothes on. These are not the typical horn dog characters from an '80s sex comedy. These are two good guys who really just want girlfriends. That's what helps make this movie timeless (despite the somewhat dated Oingo Boingo soundtrack).
By the time I finally got a computer, my impulse to try to make a woman had subsided. But I can't help but see a potential Kelly LeBrock in every Barbie. And if that's wrong, I don't want to be right. --Daddy Geek Boy
1982 was a banner year in movie going for me.
I was on a roll with Blade Runner, E.T., Poltergeist, and Tron, so when a raunchy teen sex comedy called Porky's hit the theatres and made such a huge splash, I was kind of at a loss.
All the boys in my middle school claimed to have been able to find a way around the age problem that would have plagued them while trying to get into an R-rated movie and sat there on the Monday after it opened truly amazed at what they considered THE best new film of the year. While I tried to discuss the finer points of Harrison Ford's role as Deckard, they spent the next few months salivating over the now-famous shower scene.
There is no debate that Porky's was a game changer in the '80s sex comedy genre. It was raunchy, unapologetic, and funny and it didn’t hold back when it came to cringe-worthy moments.
The plot formula couldn't have been more appealing: a group of sex-starved teens from the '50s set out to lose their virginity at all costs and, after some serious buffoonery, the typical hijinx ensue. Since this movie was released nearly thirty years ago, I obviously needed a refresher and imagine my surprise when a young Kim Cattrall appeared (I had forgotten she played Honeywell). The gags and practical jokes really have aged well and it still packs a sexual punch.
I laughed, I covered my face, I threw up a little in my own mouth – the mark of a true classic. --Dufmanno
Really now. What else could be at #1?
Several things set Fast Times apart from the typical '80s sex comedy. First being the incredible cast they assembled for the film: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Forest Whitaker, Judge Reinhold, Anthony Edwards, Eric Stoltz, and Nicolas Cage (billed as Nicolas Coppola). And that's not even counting the talent behind the camera, director Amy Heckerling and screenwriter Cameron Crowe. Every single one of these people went on to have great careers in Hollywood, racking up five Oscars between them. No other sex comedy from the '80s has this sort of pedigree. I mean really, when was the last time you saw Pee Wee from Porky's (though to be completely honest, for the longest time I thought he was The Biscuit on Ally McBeal)?
Another reason this movie leaves its counterparts in the dust is the story: this movie is about teenagers. Sure, most of the movies on this list are about teenagers. But Fast Times is about teenagers doing teenagery things: hanging out at the mall, working, trying to lose their virginity, dealing with teachers, peer pressure, etc. They weren't running from an obese man in a brothel or creating their dream woman from a Barbie doll or dressing up like some strange Devo/Village People/Michael Jackson cover band and performing a cheesy computer-driven rap song to win the Greek Games or setting up their very own home-based whorehouse. The kids in Fast Times were real teenagers with real problems. They were beautiful, emotional, and flawed, like we all were when we were young.
Those are two very good reasons, but let's not kid ourselves here. We all know why this movie is ranked #1. It's for the same reason that 71% of men born between 1965 and 1975 are turned on when they see this Pennzoil commercial:
It's for the same reason shows like Family Guy and bands like Fountains Of Wayne reference/spoof the film:
I am, of course, talking about the Phoebe Cates pool scene. Presented in super sexy slinky slo-mo, it's playing in your imagination right now. Hell, it's probably been playing in your mind since I first mentioned Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
For all the little boys who spent endless hours reinholding their judges while watching this film, we salute you, Fast Times At Ridgemont High! --Chag
We showed you ours, now show us yours. What's your favorite '80s sex comedy?
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