I figured that it was finally time to talk about the GOAT: Amy Heckerling. Here at Mr. Skin, we obviously LOVE Amy Heckerling. She brought the world one of the hottest nude scenes of all time, but she's also a celebrated director that churned out some seriously influential classics. Let's talk about the one and only Amy Heckerling!
Before she showed the world Phoebe Cates' cans, Amy was a native New Yorker who was born and raised in The Bronx and then in Queens when her family moved. She said she never felt like she fit in in Queens. There's that Bronx grit, for you! She was very interested in hearing people's stories which drew her to entertainment.
She wound up attending NYU to study directing in the 1970s. While she was there, she made musicals which made her stand out because she said she was the only one doing them. She admitted that they were weird films, but it got her into the American Film Institute.
She moved to LA to study at AFI where she made her first short film about a 19-year-old girl who is determined to lose her virginity. This obviously has some notes of Fast Times at Ridgemont High in it, doesn't it? The process of making this film was long and arduous, but it landed her an agent and an opportunity to make her first feature-length film: Fast Times!
Fast Times at Ridgemont High was released in 1982 which she worked on writer Cameron Crowe. The movie is a legendary teen comedy that stands out amongst the rest because of its strong and relatable female characters. It also helped launched those actress' careers, namely Phoebe Cate's and Jennifer Jason Leigh's careers. It's not hard to see why!
After Fast Times, she was inundated with scripts to choose from for her next big project. She also directed a brief series based on the movie called Fast Times. She had a lot of pitches for scripts that were TOO similar to Fast Times about teens trying to lose their virginity, so she decided to go in another direction and direct 1984's Johnny Dangerously.
Even though she is very well-educated, Heckerling prefers silly senses of humor and subject matter. That's one of the reasons we love her so much! It's also one of the reasons that she directed National Lampoon's European Vacation in 1985. Beverly D'Angelo did not show her breasts, but Claudia Neidig did and we dig that.
After that, she did the family-friendly Look Who's Talking films, but it was her 1995 teen comedy Clueless that once again proved that Amy Heckerling is the absolute master. Clueless did not include nudity, but it did include blonde bombshell, Alicia Silverstone, playing a spoiled rich girl trying to navigate her way through Beverly Hills.
Once again Clueless helped launch its female stars into stardom. Not only did Alicia become a household name, but we all got to know Stacey Dash, Paul Rudd, and the one and only Brittany Murphy. Heckerling loves to work with young actors and nurture their talents. It turns out that she is very good at this!
Clueless is a total classic and it received a resurgence in popularity rather recently, once again causing teens to say things like "as if" and "whatever" as everyone relived the taboo romance between Cher Horowitz and her step-brother. You remember that that's part of the plot of the movie, right? Leave it to Heckerling!
She made a few lesser-known films like 2000's Loser which starred the one and only Mena Suvari and the comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman which once again starred Paul Rudd and Stacey Dash. It also had a dash of Sarah Alexander's butt when she squats down in her low-rise jeans. Hey, when are those things making a comeback? It feels like we're due for one!
The last film she directed was the 2012 flick Vamps that stars her favorite flirty actress Alicia Silverstone. Krysten Ritter joined Alicia to play two vampy vixens who showed flashes of undies and bras.
In recent years, she has stuck to television work. She has directed episodes of Gossip Girl, Royalties, and Red Oak. She has become a very well-respected director, mostly because it is very clear that her films will continue to stand the test of time. It's rare that a director gives us ONE iconic film, let alone several! Do you think Amy Heckerling could ever be forgotten? As if!
