A short-lived TV series based on Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the film, which was based on the book.
Everyone has been re-cast, except for both teachers. It's awkward to see other people playing these parts, especially since so many people in the movie nailed their parts perfectly.
What de-rails this show is how much it ignores the movie. It wants to re-create the humor of the movie, but it also wants to ignore the charm and the realism of it.
The teachers are fleshed out a bit. An additional teacher is introduced. We see Brad ask Linda out (which seems like an awkward thing to do, since I assume that they both graduated. If they haven't, then I think Brad should still be with Lisa.) Ratner is… terrible. I think he's my favorite character in the movie, but here, he comes across as inept, not just awkward. Spicoli is annoying. When Sean Penn played the part, I knew exactly what the character was. I knew a guy exactly like him. With this guy (Dean Cameron) I don't think he grasped the character. He tries to imitate Sean Penn, but the script doesn't allow for it. Either it re-creates moments from the movie, with slight variation, or it completely reinvents the character.
Ray Walston does a great job. Especially given a kind of poor script.
Stacy has been changed, and in a way that really sucks. She comes across as being too aggressive. Her relative innocence, and her focus on trying to be grown up was what made the movie work.
Linda and Brad's story doesn't work, because the premise doesn't work. Linda doesn't want people to talk about them going out, so she tries to keep their date a secret. Linda was the character that made it a point of feeling superior to other girls in her grade, by acting more grown up than them. Why would she suddenly care what they think? Brad is just… kind of a dick. I can't explain that very well, but he comes across as a
Spicoli is drawn into a situation where a teacher wants him to do a good presentation so that teacher can prove herself to Mr. Hand. The resolution to that storyline is a little forced. I don't buy it.
There are a few bright moments, but they're short, and they don't retain well. Just a decent punchline or so.
Also, there are two instances of Bryan Adams in this episode. Kids Wanna Rock and Heaven.
There's a general portrayal of the students being especially wild and crazy, throwing paper around, stuff like that.
It just makes me appreciate Freaks & Geeks all the more.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Dick Van Dyke Show - 2x20 - It May Look Like a Walnut
I first heard this episode described as being like a Twilight Zone episode. So I looked it up. It was available for free on Hulu.
I've now watched this episode twice. The second time, I showed it to my wife. There's something very charming about the writing for this show. It moves along a little slower than we're used to nowadays, but it's a nice sensibility. Episodes usually seem to start off slow, but they build up as jokes are established, and the callbacks always pay off.
I found the second viewing to be even better than the first. I don't care for Mary Tyler Moore that much. She seems a little vacuous for my tastes, but it could be that her character was developed over a longer stretch.
Seeing the separate beds is one of the most dated aspects of this show. But it plays well for comedic purposes.
My favorite aspect of this episode is the fantastic way that Van Dyke is able to do the UFO sound.
Now, on to some more general points, as I've started to watch this show a little more earnestly. The writing is great. There's a lot of heart and soul to the whole thing, even though some characters never get fleshed out. I've been impressed with the rather progressive message across the episodes I've seen. There's an interesting approach of tackling some awkward scenarios, situations that would normally make people cringe a little, but they play out with a fun ending. This makes it easier to keep coming back.
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