people on 'ludes should not drive

[wickedflea]

I'm in the middle of reading Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Yes, that's right, folks--I own a copy of the long out-of-print book. Behold:



Stop it, people. Your envy is dripping all over the carpet.

Anyway, I've had this book for a while now (I scored it at a used bookstore in Memphis a couple of years ago), but for some reason I never picked it up to read until this weekend. I'm quite enjoying it. It's interesting to see what they left out of the book. For instance, did you know that Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates's character) was a drug dealer? Yep, it's true. After she got busted, she wanted to stay out of trouble, so she sought out the straightest arrow she could find: Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason-Leigh's character). And Damone was actually two characters in the book! The ticket scalper was another dude.

Hmmm. I guess I should be writing about the book in the present tense like a good little English major. Oh well.

Anyway, I can't believe this book has been out of print for so long. Check out some of the prices it's fetching on abebooks.com! (You'll have to search for it yourself; they won't let me link to the results.) I would think someone could get Cameron Crowe to write a new preface and sell a shitload of copies, especially after everyone knows who he is from Almost Famous. Maybe they could even do a "Where are they now?" thing with the actual people the characters were based on. Shit. All these good book ideas I have are going to waste here at an academic press.

Another cool Fast Times find: this site, where you can find video clips of the scenes that weren't in the theatrical release, only the TV versions. I can never bring myself to watch the flick on TBS or USA, so I've never seen most of these scenes. I'm gonna check 'em out when I get home.

And did you know that Lana Clarkson, the woman who Phil Spector allegedly killed, was in Fast Times? Yep, it's true. She was Mr. Vargas's wife.

God hell, I need help.

Comments

[cierrablue.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize that at all! I knew she was kind of famous at one time and had dated AJ Benza for a while, but I had no idea... that was really f*cked up what he did. He did a lot of super psycho crap.

By the way... yes, I am drooling with envy. I watch Fast Times at least 3-4 times a year. I still think that's a classic. Think about it... so many fine FINE actors! Nick Cage, Eric Stolz, Ray Walston, Judge Reinhold, Pheobe Cates, and of course Jennifer Jason Lee!!! Who would have known those kids would be so famous?!? (of course ray was already quite well known)

[buscemi.livejournal.com]

I forgot there was a book, and I didn't know who Lana Clarkson was, either. Heh.

[dangerpest.livejournal.com]

Yer gonna do the same thing that you did with the girl who worked at the fotomat: you went there all summer, you bought 50$ worth of fucking film and yuou never said a word to her...

[theodicy.livejournal.com]

You must get out more, darling.