"Things sure have changed since we got kicked out of high school! "
The Story:
To say the kids of Vince Lombardi High School are out of control would be an understatement; these rock n’ roll loving party animals sent their last principal straight to the loony bin. Led by Riff Randell (P.J. Soles), the student body must now endure the wrath of new principal, Miss Togar (Mary Woronov) who is on a crusade to rid the teenagers of their beloved rock music, especially The Ramones (Joey, Marky, Johnny and Dee Dee), the legendary rock group that just so happens to be coming to town for a performance. Intent on getting the band to take a look at a song she wrote for them, Rock N’ Roll High School, Riff waits in line for three days and snags tickets only to have them taken away by Togar who subsequently arranges for all rock albums to be burned. Hell bent in leather, Riff and her buddy Kate (Dey Young) plot to make The Ramones honorary students of Lombardi High and take over the school to oust Togar with a bang!
The Review:
The Review:
Rock N’ Roll High School takes me back a few years ago when I finally gave the film (or more succinctly, The Ramones) a fair chance. Needless to say it turned me onto the band and I spent a good portion of that summer drinking Jack Daniel’s Eaglebauer (Clint Howard)-style – straight - and showing the boys how much fun this little picture truly is. Eaglebauer, you ask? Well he’s kind of like a cross between Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused and Morgan Freeman’s character from The Shawshank Redemption for the high school crowd. He’s the guy that can get it for you. Fake I.D. cards, dates with some foxy chick or a blow up doll to practice the art of undoing a bra. Just check in with his receptionist in a smoked out boys’ room and he’ll hook you up with whatever you need.
No, there isn’t much to complain about in Rock N’ Roll High School, except that it ends, as Roger Corman produces a fine, updated version of Frankie and Annette’s Beach Party film series for a grungier punk audience yet still keeps the tone sugary sweet. The typical teen theme of rebellion is turned up to 11 and Miss Togar is seen as a drill sergeant on a mission to bring conformity to the youth, even going so far as to conducting metaphorical analysis on the behavior of white mice after being subjected to rock n’ roll music. I can still remember when Togar showed a chart of the study and showed a before and after picture of a white mouse who donned a sweet leather jacket and badass shades after listening to some good old rock n’ roll. It cracked me up the first time and continues to make me chuckle with each viewing. There is a distinct 70s cartoonish, game show vibe to the film that lampoons its own goofiness, adding a unique element that I enjoyed, but may date the film too much for its own good in the eyes of modern viewers.
With a cornucopia of bubbly, dancing high school chicks and goofball characters, there is no doubt that The Ramones inclusion in the film itself is perfectly placed given the fact the group looks to have stepped out of a Hanna Barbara production and are perfect fodder for the silliness of the plot. The concert scenes show The Ramones in their trademark, sloppy-but-I-don’t-give-a-fuck form and turned me into an instant fan with all their best songs being played in portion. I checked out the special features of the DVD, an almost unheard of venture for me, where they paid tribute to the late Joey Ramone with a picture and date of birth and death that was pretty sad given I had just watched him in such an upbeat film. It was almost like a “whatever happened to?” end credits montage straight out of American Graffiti, except for real. Rock N’ Roll High School is timeless, hilarious and oozes rebellion, proving itself to be an all-time classic teen comedy. Most importantly, it’s a big “fuck you!” to your permanent record! (Brett H.)
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