Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

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

It has that one song that was in Rock Band!

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 4, 2010

A shameless display of adolescent abandon.

Rock 'N' Roll High School, huh? It's not Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but it's a decent if not mostly disposable little high school Comedy that tackles the tough issues of...nothing really. A story of teenage rebellion and a big long promotion for The Ramones ("They're forming in a straight line! They're going through a tight wind! The kids are losing their minds! The Blitzkrieg Bop!"), Rock 'N' Roll High School is an incredibly irrelevant film, but who ever said relevancy is the key to cinematic success? Animal House and Porky's aren't thematically, emotionally, or artistically relevant, but they're classics of humor and "classy" raunchiness run amok. Rock 'N' Roll High School, well, it tries, give it that much. The film's funny at times, but never uproariously so; it's characters are good, but there's no Bluto or Spicoli among them; a few scenes are memorable, but none of them are all-time classics. That's the film in a nutshell, good but not great, a serviceable Comedy that does nothing and goes nowhere, but it's a mostly fun ride even through the painfully flat characters, transparent plot lines, and sluggish acting from a music quartet that's better off when they're making music and not delivering dialogue.

That's my name...don't wear it out.

At Vince Lombardi High School, winning isn't the most important thing, it's the only thing, and the school's rebellious students and new administration are about to clash and take that motto to a another level. The school's most ardent Rock 'N' Roll fan, Riff Randell (P.J. Soles, Halloween), isn't too thrilled with the new sheriff in town, Principal Evelyn Togar (Mary Woronov). Togar is of the mindset that it's people like Riff -- influenced by the destructive nature of the Rock music she so loves -- who are destroying the very foundation of all that academia stands for. It's Togar's mission to rid the school of any and all Rock influence, and she proves her point by conducting a thorough study of lab rats exposed to the reprehensible Rock beats. Riff's obsession with Rock begins and ends with The Ramones, a popular group that just so happens to be headed to her hometown. With the help of her nerdy friend Kate Rambeau (Dey Young), she tries to secure tickets for the hottest show of the year, but she must work hard to stay away from the watchful eyes of Miss Togar, who's bound and determined to keep that profane sound from ever again being heard in her hallowed halls.

As noted above, Rock 'N' Roll High School is really just a big commercial for The Ramones. They're talked about, their albums are played by some and burned by others, they appear in a fantasy daydream, they play at a concert, and do a few other things in and around the final act. It's hard to find a stretch of more than a few minutes where there's not at least something revolving around the group popping up in the film, but it's not like cross-prommotional commercialism is something new, and done right, there's nothing wrong with it. For example, George Strait's Pure Country was little more than a feature-length advertisement for a new album, but that movie also works very well as a tenderhearted Romance. Several major Disney new releases -- particularly those "films" that feature Hannah Montana and The Jonas Brothers -- are little more than a means of promoting the music and separating fans from a few more of their hard-earned dollars. Queen enjoyed a resurgence after Wayne's World, even if they weren't integral to the plot. Rock 'N' Roll High School, however, labors along with such a routine plot and silly characters that it never finds much of a footing of its own, and by the end, it's so dominated by a singular element -- The Ramones -- that it may as well have just been an epically-long music video. There's no substance here, but a lack of substance doesn't necessarily spell doom for a movie; Rock 'N' Roll High School works well enough as silly diversion, but it never achieves the same level of success as its peers.

Other than an overdose of The Ramones, Rock 'N' Roll High School delivers some scattered laughs that stem primarily from hormonal teenagers and whacked-out faculty members, not to mention a parade of elements that can be labeled as nothing other than pure randomness -- a "hook up" counselor who works from behind a stall in a smoky bathroom, paper airplanes that are capable of pinpoint maneuvers around campus, or mice that supposedly become leather jacket-wearing rebels after listening to some Rock music -- that work because they're so unexpected and over-the-top that they're funny by default. The picture's not even all that raunchy; four-letter words aren't commonplace, and naked torsos are replaced by a gym full of braless girls. What really saves the film, though, are some spirited performances that shine despite a lackluster script and low production values. The cast seems genuinely thrilled to be playing in the movie, with P.J. Soles, Dey Young, and Clint Howard turning in some spunky performances. Mary Woronov's portrayal of the tyrannical Miss Togar is nothing special, but her performance is aided greatly by a totalitarian-looking hairdo, thick red lipstick, and some angled camera shots that make her look larger than life and quite a bit more menacing to boot. Director Allan Arkush's work fits the mood of the picture well, enhancing not only Togar's character but giving the entire movie a breezy, fun feel that accentuates the positives while playing a part in masking the deficiencies.

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

Rock 'N' Roll High School enrolls on Blu-ray with a wishy-washy 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. The image is most notably covered in a moderately thick layer of grain, but it's also home to an incredible array of hiccups in the form of spots and scratches, some big, some small, but in whatever size, shape, or form, they're almost ever-present companions through the movie. A few shots also go soft, but there are plenty of scenes that appear nice and sharp with good detailing and solid coloring. Mostly, however, details are flat, even some more roughly-textured objects like a thick gym class rope, while clothes, hardwood floors, a folding chair, and plenty of other random objects offer what amounts to only a slight upgrade in clarity over upconverted standard definition material. Flesh tones and blacks are never excessively problematic, but they're not immaculate, either, the former sometimes wavering towards a slightly pinkish-red shade and the latter occasionally obscuring a few details on the screen. All things considered, though, Rock 'N' Roll High School doesn't look too bad for what it is, a cheap genre movie from a bygone era. It could be better, yes, but the damaged elements, soft shots, and lack of pinpoint detailing all recall the texture of a well-worn drive-in print which, in all honesty, sort of adds some charm to the movie that might not be there if it looked like it was shot five months ago. Overall, a good job by Shout Factory.

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

Rock 'N' Roll High School jams on Blu-ray with a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack; fans need realize that the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack advertised on the back of the Blu-ray box is nowhere to be found on the disc. This one's pretty ordinary at best and sloppy at worst; for a movie that's all about music, there's a noticeable lack of clarity about the track, whether the unbalanced dialogue that's sometimes hard to hear even at reference volume or the many Rock tunes that simply lack precision, clarity, or any kind of oomph that would have certainly benefited not only the track but made the movie all the more enjoyable. The absence of clarity and punch carries over to more ordinary effects, too; the school's bell sounds puny and indistinct, and while the sound is clear enough to identify it as "a school bell," it certainly never makes the listener want to slam the locker shut and scramble to the next class. There are a few distinct pops in the track, a bit of background hissing, and a couple of split-second dropouts throughout the film. Though this is definitely not Blu-ray's best soundtrack, it's hard to be too critical of it considering the film's age and low budget.

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

Shout Factory doesn't play hooky with Rock 'N' Roll High School; rather than take the easy way out, the studio has included a wealth of extras headlined by not one, not two, not three, but four, yes, four (4), audio commentary tracks. The first track features Director Allan Arkush, Producer Michael Finnell, and Screenwriter Richard Whitley. This is a nicely-balanced track, one that's well-spoken, entertaining, and informative all rolled into one. Discussions include the origins of the project, casting, the process of writing the script, real-life elements that influenced the film, the picture's themes and homages, the soundtrack, and more. Producer Roger Corman and Actress Dey Young man track two; this one's a bit slower and less interesting than the first, with heavy emphasis on the actors and their careers, anecdotes from the set, the film's staying power and the reasons behind the movie's success, the various process that went into the making of the film, and the coming remake. Topics for track three -- which features Director Allan Arkush and Actors P.J. Soles and Clint Howard -- include the casting process, the performance of The Ramones, the actors' memories from the set, and other parts they played throughout their careers, amongst others. The final track contains Screenwriters Richard Whitley and Russ Dvonch covering many of the same basic topics as heard in tracks one through three, but there's obviously a greater emphasis on some of the more nitty-gritty details about the writing of the film. It's obvious that some of the comments are being read from prewritten material, but fans of the film will enjoy the many behind-the-scenes recollections and observations.

Next is a collection of four interviews. Back to School: A Retrospective (480p, 23:47) features cast and crew speaking on a wide array of information, most of which is carried over from the commentaries. Fans that don't have several hours to sit through four commentaries can learn the basics by watching this more manageable piece. Staying After Class (1080p, 15:59) is a newly-minted retrospective that contains Actors P.J. Soles, Dey Young, and Vincent Van Patten reminiscing about their experiences in making the movie. An Interview With Allan Arkush (1080p, 11:33) features the Rock 'N' Roll High School director speaking on his influences that helped shape his career and his work on the film, The Ramones, the legacy of the film, and more. An Interview With Roger Corman Conducted by Leonard Maltin (480p, 4:34) features the famed critic speaking about the film with its legendary producer.

Following these four interviews is a "special introduction" which is the text of an Allan Arkush essay that speaks on the process of preparing a new home video release. He also thanks several individuals that helped make the movie happen. Some of this text is also found in the included booklet (more on that below). This disc also contains a TV advertisement for the film (480p, 0:40), Audio outtakes from a Ramones performance at the Roxy (1080p, 15:53), several radio ads (1080p, 1:05), six photo galleries (Photos From Richard Whitley's Personal Collection; Pressbook; Script Pages From a Deleted Scene; Script Pages From Deleted Shower Scene; The Ramones Gallery; and Photos, Posters and More), and trailers for Rock 'N' Roll High School (480p, 2:09), Subirbia (480p, 1:52), and Grand Theft Auto (480p, 2:07). Also included in the Blu-ray case is a 20-page full color booklet that offers a collection of photos; an introduction by Director Allan Arkush; an essay by Screenwriters Richard Whitley & Russ Dvonch; and interviews with Alan Arkush, Johnny Ramone, Paul Bartel, and Mary Woronov.

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

Rock 'N' Roll High School isn't a great within its genre, but it's an entertaining enough romp through the world of teenage rebellion. The plot is loose and the structure is shaky, but the film finds more positives than negatives through spunky performances, good direction, and some funny gags. Ultimately, though, most of it is but a frame within which is placed a long commercial for The Ramones; whether that's a good or bad thing really depends on each audience member, and the film neither benefits from nor falters under the band's presence. In fact, it would have probably been pretty much the same movie had most any other, similar band been tossed into the movie in their stead. Regardless, the film's worth a watch, and Shout Factory's Blu-ray release is fairly impressive, all things considered. The soundtrack is dull, but the picture quality benefits from the 1080p resolution, even if it is littered with damaged elements. The supplements are the real highlight, though, and fans of the film will want to buy based on the extra content alone.