Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Rock 'n' Roll High School Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 30, 2019

Looking to update the high school rebellion picture, director Allan Arkush tries his luck with punk rock, bringing in the Ramones for 1979’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School.” It’s teen antics from executive producer Roger Corman, who gives Arkush and his screenwriters (Richard Whitley, Russ Dvonch, and Joseph McBride) a chance to go crazy with this semi-satire of the subgenre, with the production team packing in as many gags as possible as they send-up educational hell features. What the helmer really has here is a scrappy, lovable ode to the freedoms and curiosities of youth, while the Ramones deliver their signature sound to support the endeavor’s sonic dominance. “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” is a pure delight, partially because Arkush allows it to roam wherever it wants to, and his timing with the Ramones, then at their peak of their powers, couldn’t have been better.

The school year is in session at Vince Lombardi High School, and Riff Randell (P.J. Soles) is dedicated to her fandom of the Ramones, hoping to become their songwriter, and she lives to make life difficult for Principal Togar (Mary Woronov), the institution’s strict disciplinarian. Her pal is Kate (Dey Young), who’s crushing out on the nerdy quarterback, Tom (Vince Van Patten), going to school fixer Eaglebauer (Clint Howard) for help making the match. When the Ramones arrive for a local concert, Riff makes it her mission to get tickets for her entire class, only to find Togar standing in her way, refusing to allow such punk rock filth to corrupt the town’s youth.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” has some degree of structure, but it’s mostly contained to the efforts of Kate to attract Tom, a hornball teen who has his eye on Riff. Their courtship is problematic, and it does what it can to supply a wackier depiction of teenage lust, brokered by Eaglebauer, who keeps a stocked office inside a bathroom stall (one the best sight gags in the feature). The rest of the film follows Riff around as she tries to contain her fandom, worked up in full by the impending arrival of the Ramones, and Arkush follows through on such adoration, presenting a killer mid-movie dream sequence where the band pops up in her bedroom, serenading their fan and following her around the house. It’s such a charming sequence, and one of many in the endeavor, which always shines brightest when indulging its inner Warner Brothers cartoon, as Arkush comes to play with lovable absurdity, including the addition of dippy Togar enforcers, Hansel (Loren Lester) and Gretel (Daniel Davies), who provide pitch-perfect silliness in an already screwball picture.

Rock 'n' Roll High School Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Originally offered on Blu-ray in 2010, "Rock 'n' Roll High School" returns to disc boasting a new "4K scan from the original camera negative." The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a distinct and fresh viewing experience for fans of the movie, with source issues present in the earlier BD release eliminated here, offering consistent appearance for the low-budget effort. Detail is exact, with beautiful skin surfaces and fibrous costuming, with satin and leather really coming alive here. Frame decorations are easily studied, adding crispness to all sorts of visual jokes. Locations are dimensional. Colors are vibrant, securing rich reds and blues, and clothing provides broad period outfits that retain intensity here. Delineation is secure, with deep evening blacks. Grain is fine and film-like.

Rock 'n' Roll High School Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Even director Allan Arkush admits "Rock 'n' Roll High School" has never sounded great, lowering expectations for the 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offered here. Lossless sharpness is welcome, but the inherent thinness of the track is problematic during musical performances, as songs tend to trigger crackly highs. Dialogue exchanges are more comfortable, reaching original mix limitations. Hallway and concert atmospherics are present. Curiously, an obviously ADRed line from Tom (his lips aren't even moving) at 9:50, "I need to get laid," is omitted on the track, though it remains on the subtitles.

Rock 'n' Roll High School Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features director Allan Arkush, producer Mike Finnell, and co-writer Richard Whitley.

• Commentary #2 features Arkush and actors P.J. Soles and Clint Howard.

• Commentary #3 features co-writers Whitley and Russ Dvonch.

• Commentary #4 features producer Roger Corman and actress Dey Young.

• "Class of '79: 40 Years of 'Rock 'n' Roll High School'" (70:23, HD) is a lengthy examination of the production history behind the movie. Allan Arkush is the primary contributor here, delving into his initial viewing of "A Hard Day's Night," which inspired him to become a director. Making his way west, Arkush found his way to Roger Corman, becoming part of his team as an editor of trailers, joining Joe Dante. After making "Hollywood Boulevard" together, Dante and Arkush were tasked with hashing out the details of "Girls' Gym," a teen romp Corman wanted to make, only to have the filmmakers change the material to a musical comedy. Solving production problems on "Deathsport," Arkush was finally handed a chance to make "Rock 'n' Roll High School," which was filled with real-world influences from his own adolescence, while comedic rewrites were handled by Richard Whitley and Russ Dvonch. Finding the right band proved to be difficult, with Arkush against the casting of the Ramones at first. School scouting and additional casting tales are shared, along with memories of on-set Ramones interactions. Additional topics include the climatic school explosion, Rob Bottin and his giant mouse creation, Arkush's battle with illness (forcing Dante to shoot a section of the feature), editing challenges and soundtrack miracles, post-production battles, and the effort's initial release. Arkush also examines the lasting legacy of "Rock 'n' Roll High School," happy to be associated with the endeavor.

• Allan Arkush 2019 Sunday Slasher Intro (5:30, HD) returns to the helmer, who recycles production origin information for "Rock 'n' Roll High School," exploring movie inspirations and influences.

• "Back to School" (23:46, SD) is an older featurette for "Rock 'n' Roll High School," with Arkush joined by actors P.J. Soles, Mary Woronov, Clint Howard, Dey Young, and Loren Lester, producer Roger Corman, and drummer Marky Ramone. Many tales from the production are offered, from a pleasingly enthusiastic group of interviewees.

• "Staying After Class" (16:02, HD) is a trip down memory lane with actors Vincent Van Patten, P.J. Soles, and Dey Young, who gather at a high school lunch table and trade tales from the making of "Rock 'n' Roll High School."

• Interview (4:36, SD) with Roger Corman is a brief run-through of "Rock 'n' Roll High School" tales, hosted by Leonard Maltin.

• Interview (11:35, HD) with Arkush revisits his moviemaking memories, detailing the assembly of "Rock 'n' Roll High School."

• Audio Outtakes (15:24) offers sound from the 1978 Ramones concert used in the movie.

• T.V. Spot (:34, SD) provides a commercial for "Rock 'n' Roll High School."

• Radio Ads (1:05) collect two spots for the film.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:11, HD) is included.

Rock 'n' Roll High School Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Rock 'n' Roll High School" is stocked with wonderful performances, especially from Woronov, who delivers career-best work as Togar, making her a larger-than-life villain for the modest production. There's palpable joy coming from Soles and Dey, and Arkush offers plenty of time for the Ramones to do their thing, even extending screentime to survey their acting skills. Jokes fly fast and land everywhere in the picture, giving it an irresistible rhythm and a high comedy batting average. Arkush manages to pull together something special with "Rock 'n' Roll High School," which doesn't have much polish, but retains a huge spirit, reviving a dormant subgenre with a winning blast of hallway insurgency and musical specificity.