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‘Rock ‘n’ Roll High School: 45th Anniversary Edition’ 4K UHD (review)

Shout! Factory

 

Warren Beatty’s fun romantic comedy, Heaven Can Wait, came out in 1978. Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney had written and recorded a lovely theme song for it, entitled “Did We Meet Somewhere Before?” only to have it rejected. Who rejects a brand-new McCartney number? I mean, seriously! Anyway, it wasn’t long before the song turned up the following year, as the opening number in Rock ‘n’ Roll High School.

There’s a marvelous book I reviewed for Forces of Geek in 2023 entitled I Want You Around: The Ramones and the Making of Rock ‘n Roll High School by Stephen Armstrong. For purposes of today’s review, I made a point of not revisiting that book or my review of it as I wanted to see how well the movie itself holds up here, some 45+ years after its initial release.

And it does!

Allan Arkush wrote and directed Rock ‘n’ Roll High School for Roger Corman (with, as I understand it, some help from Joe Dante). On my first viewing, I immediately considered Arkush a kindred spirit. As in a Mel Brooks movie or a Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker flick, the gags are non-stop. If one gag falls flat, there are two more that have you rolling on the floor before you can catch your breath. This is a movie movie. Reality has little bearing on anything in the film, and many of the early MAD-style gags are just so clever that even if you don’t laugh, you appreciate them.

Plotwise, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School is the story of teenage Riff Randall, the number one fan of The Ramones, and how her love of anarchic rock music sets her at odds with her high school’s newly installed principal, the dictatorial Miss Togar

Riff Randall was the quintessential role for actress P.J. Soles, despite the fact that, nearing 30, she was way too old to be considered a teenager. She chews the scenery with abandon, however, and her non-stop, infectious energy helps color the rest of the film. Her on-screen enthusiasm for the Ramones—a group she was reportedly unfamiliar with in real life—is palpable.

Likewise, Arkush was unfamiliar with The Ramones, settling on them only after being unable to come to terms with any of his several initially preferred performers on a notoriously stingy Corman budget. At the time, the Ramones were an underground sensation. Their music rarely got radio play but to those in the know (and that did not include me) they were the hippest of the hip as far as US “punk” bands.

I’d venture to guess that most of America was introduced to The Ramones via this movie. They turned out to be the perfect band for the film. Couldn’t act their way out of a paper bag, mind you, but mainly all they did was sing their rapid-fire rock songs and look cool…and eat pizza.

A secondary plotline features Vince Van Patten, son of Dick Van Patten and a minor teen idol a few years earlier, as a nerdy football star wanting to make time with an oblivious Riff, and paying the local fix-it guy (Clint Howard) to make it happen. This involves “practicing” with Riff’s friend and sidekick, played by Dey Young. It may be just me but speaking as someone who has always had a thing for nerdy science chicks with glasses, I’ve long thought Ms. Young to be much hotter than Ms. Soles. Ahem! But anyway…!

From there, you can go all the way down the cast list without a misstep. The heinous, dominatrix-like Miss Togar is Warhol-alumnus Mary Woronov and the science teacher is Woronov’s frequent co-star, the soft-spoken, dry-witted actor/director Paul Bartel! Veteran comic Grady Sutton has a welcome small role as President of the School Board while one of Miss Togar’s two toadies is played by Loren Lester, who later became known as the voice of Robin on Batman-The Animated Series. Corman mainstay (and good-luck charm) Dick Miller is around, too, with one particularly funny line!

As you might expect, from something called Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, the movie’s soundtrack is choice, with the highlights being from The Ramones themselves in a concert sequence shot specially for this movie. The title song is sung by Riff early on and by the group over the violent ending sequence. Violent, yes, but since the movie can be considered a live-action cartoon, it isn’t shocking, and, in fact, would seem to be the only way to end the film!

As for extras, this is packed!  With five audio commentaries, interviews, featurettes, audio outtakes, radio ads, trailer and a tv spot.

So again, yes, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School holds up. It’s a surreal, silly comedy, very much of its time and yet timeless. Watch it whenever you get the chance…but whatever you do, stay away from the belated sequel (in name only), which gets everything wrong that this original movie got right.

Booksteve recommends.

 

 

 

 

 

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