Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Porky's may have been responsible for a flurry of sleazy rip-offs in the short term, but it was Fast Times at Ridgemont High, released the same year, that had the far bigger influence on teen movies in the long run.

Adapted by Cameron Crowe from his own non-fiction book about going to high school, Fast Times attempted to mix fun and thrills with real-life issues like losing your virgnity, working crappy weekend jobs, abortion and drugs. It mostly succeeds too, giving a sensitive look at realistic-acting teenagers - not least the women, rare at the time, courtesy of director Amy 'Clueless' Heckerling - despite the odd bit of smut that Wouldn't Be Allowed These Days.

Anyway, this was Heckerling's feature film debut and features three future Best Actor Oscar winners in Nic Cage, Sean Penn and Forest Whittaker, as well as Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Eric Stoltz and Anthony Edwards. All unknown, several in their debut role.

Here's a trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKov1lmq_OU

And here are the tickets, £8.50 each. I've heard the bar in this cinema is pretty nice so let's meet for a pre-drink there at eight and head in afterwards.