![]() This is the goofiest brand of high-school hijinks imaginable, full of silly pratfalls, sleazy Clint Howard sex comedy, and embarrassed authority figures. Corman regulars Mary Woronov, Paul Bartel, and Dick Miller join Vincent Van Patten, Dey Young, and a terrific Clint Howard in filling out the school population. Pat Smear and Darby Crash of The Germs can be seen in the audience, underlining the punk cred of the band and the film.īut rebels are nothing without something to rebel against, and that’s where the “High School” part of the title comes in. The band is magnetic from their first appearance, slouching down the street to “I Just Want To Have Something To Do.” Their chilled-out, pizza-gobbling insolence is infectious on record, but it’s even better in the film’s blistering live performance (recorded over the course of a day). There’s a Beatlesesque mania around them in the film’s alternate universe – a mania the film totally sells. Improbably lanky and flop-haired in denim and leather, the Ramones cast a shadow on the film even in the scenes they’re not in. Originally, the featured band was slated to be Cheap Trick, but despite that band’s higher record sales at the time, it’s hard to imagine Rock ‘N’ Roll High School without the Ramones. Arkush constructed a fad flick more earnest than most, thanks to being genuinely passionate about the source material – he was an avid record collector and Ramones fan himself. ![]() Fresh off a pair of Roger Corman classics ( Deathsport and Hollywood Boulevard), Arkush hijacked Corman’s idea for a film called Disco High, which was to cash in on the success of Grease and Saturday Night Fever, and reimagined it to cash in on punk instead. The concept of Rock ‘N’ Roll High School came straight out of director Allan Arkush’s idle fantasies of his favourite band playing his school – and of blowing said school up. If Riff seems like a Mary Sue, that’s because she is - and unapologetically so. Our budding songwriter protagonist gets to meet and have her song played by the band she fantasises most about, before teaming up with them to blow up the school. ![]() Played to spunky perfection by PJ Soles in a killer fringe, she’s the very embodiment of teenage energy and rebellion, whether hijacking the school loudspeaker system or ditching class to camp out for concert tickets. Riff Randell is the real punk rocker in Rock ‘N’ Roll High School. Rock and roll music changes mice into rockers, turns squares into alt-cool kids, and saves the day for all involved. Opening with a school-wide “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” dance party reminiscent of the Beach Party movies, it takes place in a world where punk rock is the principal voice of American youth. The Ramones never really topped the charts, but if all you saw of them was Rock ‘N’ Roll High School, you’d be forgiven for thinking they did.Ī punk-rock A Hard Day’s Night filtered through Roger Corman-brand Americana, Rock ‘N’ Roll High School is a film that somehow manages to embody the punk spirit while also exploiting it.
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