This looks promising at only £4 on the Kindle (£9 just a few days ago).
Fast Times and Excellent Adventures: The Surprising History of the ’80s Teen Movie by James King
Take a trip back to the era of troubled teens and awesome soundtracks; of Reagan, rap and Ridgemont High; of MTV, VHS and ‘Axel F’; of outsiders, lost boys and dead poets; of Bill and Ted, Brooke Shields and the Brat Pack; of three Porky’s, two Coreys and one summer when everyone called her Baby . . .
Fast Times and Excellent Adventures goes behind the scenes of a genre where cult hits mingled with studio blockbusters, where giants like Spielberg and Coppola rubbed shoulders with baby-faced first-timers and where ambitious future superstars Sean, Demi and Tom all got their big break. Music, comedy and politics – all play a part in the surprisingly complex history of the ’80s teen movie. And while the films might have been aimed primarily at adolescents, the best tackle universal issues and remain a magnet to all ages. Time of your life, huh kid?
From a late ’70s Hollywood in flux to an early ’90s indie scene that gave youth cinema a timely reboot, respected film expert James King smartly highlights the personal struggles, the social changes and the boardroom shake-ups that produced an iconic time in movie history.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06Y15GCPB/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o00_?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I’ve read about 10%. It’s good. Well worth £4 so far.
I wonder why the UK never produced such films in the 80s? As a contemporaraneous teenager at the time, I remember marvelling at the unlimited funds, the widely available drugs/sex, the cars, and huge bedrooms with en suite bathrooms enjoyed by my American equivalents – who would somehow have all of these things but still be portrayed as hopeless deadbeats. If I had a day off like Ferris Bueller – I think the film would have been us drinking cider in the precinct and pooling together any remaining money to buy 10 Marlboros.
Ohhhh nooooo….
Ohhhhhhhh noooooooo…..
Is that a Greg Mitchell moment you’re having there, Moose?
Kermode’s mini me ….
He’s a much better and more substantial writer than Kermode.