Cameron Crowe Pays Tribute to PHANTASM in Fast Times at Ridgemont High
What would the Tall Man think of Jeff Spicoli?!
Before it became the iconic 1982 film that defined a generation, Cameron Crowe's Fast Times at Ridgemont High existed as a rollicking novel based on his undercover year at a California high school.
We absolutely love that the legendary Cameron Crowe included PHANTASM in his novel of Fast Times at Ridgemont High!
Cameron Crowe is one of the most influential voices in American pop culture a teenage Rolling Stone journalist who became the Oscar-winning writer-director behind Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, and Say Anything. His debut as an author, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, launched not just his career but an entire era's understanding of teenage life, going from gonzo journalism experiment to beloved film to permanent cultural touchstone.
And buried within those increasingly hard-to-find pages is a wonderful piece of horror movie history: a scene where Don Coscarelli's 1979 cult classic Phantasm plays a pivotal role in one of literature's most awkward first dates.
Did you see PHANTASM here in the late 1970s?!
But here's the kicker…the Strand Theatre where that fictional date takes place? It was a real San Diego movie house, and Phantasm really did play there.
The Real Story Behind "Ridgemont High"
This ultra rare copy of Fast Times at Ridgemont High mentions PHANTASM several times!
While Crowe claimed in his book's preface that he'd changed names and locations to protect his subjects, Clairemont High School students weren't buying it. In December 1981, the San Diego Reader published an exposé revealing that "Ridgemont High" was actually Clairemont High School, where the 22-year-old Rolling Stone writer spent the 1979-1980 school year researching his book.
The San Diego Reader’s 1981 expose on Fast Times mentioned PHANTASM too…
The evidence was everywhere. Characters surfed at Sunset Cliffs, worked at Swenson's in the Towne Center mall, and yes went on dates to see Phantasm at the Strand Theatre, followed by dinner at the Charthouse.
Mark "The Rat" Ratner Was a Real Person
“The Rat” takes a date to see PHANTASM
The character who takes Stacy Hamilton to see Phantasm has an even more interesting backstory. Mark Ratner, nicknamed "The Rat," was based on Andy Rathbone a Clairemont student whose actual nickname was "The Rat."
The first mention of PHANTASM in Cameron Crowe’s version of Fast Times at Ridgemont High
In the book, we follow The Rat through that excruciating first date. He's borrowed his sister's car (complete with Led Zeppelin IV on the tape deck), taken Stacy to the Charthouse for dinner, and then to the Strand to see Phantasm. The evening spirals when Mike Damone crashes their dinner, and later, after the movie, Mark discovers his sister's tape deck has been stolen—replaced only by the metal mounting bracket. The theft kills any romantic momentum, and Mark ends the night in a fog of disappointment.
The second mention of PHANTASM in Fast Times at Ridgemont High by Cameron Crowe
Why Phantasm Matters
Cameron Crowe’s mention of PHANTASM in Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a perfect snapshot of the late 70s, early 80s…
Crowe's choice of Phantasm for this pivotal scene is perfect. This wasn't a blockbuster it was a weird, unsettling horror film about flying silver spheres, dimensional gateways, and the ominous Tall Man. It was exactly the kind of movie that would be playing at a neighborhood theater in 1979, the kind of film teenagers would see on a date because it occupied that sweet spot between genuinely creepy and campy fun. The fact that it was the actual Strand Theatre makes it even better.
The original printing of the book remains long out of print and is a popular collectors item somtimes fetching thousands of dollars at auction. For fans of both Phantasm and Fast Times, tracking down Crowe's original novel is one of the rarest collectables!
