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HTF Blu-ray Review: Rock 'n' Roll High School (1 Viewer)

Todd Erwin

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Rock 'n' Roll High School


Studio: Shout! Factory

US DVD Release Date: May 11, 2010

Theatrical Release Year: 1979

Rated: PG

Running Time: 93 minutes

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 widescreen

Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (English)

Subtitles: None


Movie: 4 out of 5

Rock 'n' Roll High School was one of the many gems to come out of Roger Corman's New World Pictures in the 1970s. Newly installed Principal Evelyn Togar (Mary Woronov) is desperately trying to stomp out rock and roll music and bring order to Vince Lombardi High School. Riff Randell (PJ Soles), the Ramones number one fan, leads a revolt, taking over and eventually blowing up the high school.


That is pretty much the pitch first-time director Allan Arkush made to Corman, who was initially looking to capitalize on the disco craze. What followed became a cult classic, thanks mostly to midnight showings and positive reviews from the likes of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel.


PJ Soles' performance as Riff is the very definition of perky, helping bring an infectious energy and charm to the film. Dey Young is very good as her brainy sidekick Kate Rambeau, who has the hots for shy and awkward jock Tom Roberts (Vincent Van Patten). Woronov's Hitler-like Togar is so inherently evil, her performance is downright hilarious. Rounding out the cast are Clint Howard as the entrepreneurial Eaglebauer (who has an office in the boy's restroom), Paul Bartel as the hip-wannabe music instructor Mr. McGree, Loren Lester and Daniel Davies as Togar's minions Fritz Hansel and Fritz Gretel, and the real Don Steele as DJ Screamin' Steve Stevens. But the real stars of the film are the Ramones, who have a definite film presence, particularly during the live concert footage. It's a shame they never made any other movies.


Corman was known for nurturing young talent, and much of that talent is on display here. Arkush would go on to a successful career in television, including executive producer on Crossing Jordan and the recently canceled Heroes. Director of Photography Dean Cundey would later lens the Back To The Future trilogy as well as the first Jurassic Park. Other top talent included Second Unit Directors Joe Dante (Gremlins, Innerspace, The Howling) and Jerry Zucker (Airplane!, Ghost), Assistant Editor Kent Beyda (Gremlins 2, Jingle All The Way), and Michael Finnell (Gremlins, The Howling). Dey Young even mentions in one of the disc's commentaries that Avatar director James Cameron would often bring the cast coffee on set.


This is one of the few intentionally funny films to come out of New World, thanks to a clever script by Richard Whitley, Russ Dvonch, and Joseph McBride, from a story by Arkush and Joe Dante. There are many running gags in the film, including the effects of rock music on mice, a ticket scalper, etc., as well as some very unny lines, the most famous is Togar's “Do your parents know you're Ramones?”


It is worth noting that the film's PG rating is representative of the time in which it was made. If the film were released today, it would very likely have received a R rating for its depictions of teenage alcohol and drug use.


Video: 3 out of 5

Shout! Factory brings Rock 'n' Roll High School to Blu-ray in a newly-mastered high definition 1080p transfer in the film's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, using the AVC codec. For a low-budget movie, the transfer is a good representation of how it probably looked during its initial theatrical run. Flesh tones are accurate, colors are as consistent as they can be, and black levels are decent. Film grain is very noticeable, particularly during any optical effects (titles, wipes, etc.). There are some occasional scratches and dirt accumulation, likely attributed to the negative.


Audio: 3 out of 5

Although the packaging indicates a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack, all we get here is a Dolby Digital 2.0 mono track, encoded at 192 kbps. The track does its job, with clear dialogue and music that can have a hollow sound to it, with occasional pops. Again, this is likely a good representation of how the film sounded during its initial theatrical run.


Special Features: 4 out of 5

Shout! Factory has managed to include most of the special features from all previous home video incarnations (including laserdisc).


Special Introduction by Allan Arkush: A reprint of the liner notes from the laserdisc release, as well as the 2001 DVD edition, written by Allan Arkush, thanking everyone involved in making the film, to the fans for supporting it over the years, and a dedication to Paul Bartel and Joey Ramone.


Back To School: A Retrospective (23:47): The cast and crew reflect back on the making of the film in this featurette from the 2005 DVD release.


Staying After Class (15:59): PJ Soles, Dey Young, and Vincent Van Patten discuss what it was like making this film and how it has impacted their lives, recorded on a cold, windy day outside a high school. This appears to have been recorded with two hand-held consumer-grade high-def camcorders. The video exhibits some aliasing issues, and the audio tends to go slightly out of synch until cutting to the second camera. New to this edition.


An Interview with Allan Arkush (11:33): Arkush discusses the many influences from growing up that contributed to making Rock 'n' Roll High School, including Hard Day's Night and working at the Philmore. He also talks about how he got hired at New World and how that led to his directing career. New to this edition and presented in high definition.


An Interview with Roger Corman Conducted by Leonard Maltin (4:34): An all-too-brief interview segment that appears to have been recorded on the set of Reelz Channel, originally appearing on the 2001 DVD.


Audio Commentary with Director Allan Arkush, PJ Soles, and Clint Howard: This newly-recorded track is the best of the four commentaries included on this release. This is a very engaging track, and a delight to listen to, with some very amusing stories about the making of the picture, as well as just how cheap Roger Corman is.


Audio Commentary with Screenwriters Richard Whitley and Russ Dvonch: The other newly-recorded track for this release, this is a fairly dry commentary with some dead spots, and often comes off as more of an instructional track.


Audio Commentary with Director Allan Arkush, Producer Michael Finnell, and Screenwriter Richard Whitley: From the laserdisc and 2001 DVD, this is the second best track, featuring many of the same behind-the-scene stories from the other tracks and documentaries.


Audio Commentary with Roger Corman and Dey Young: From the 2005 DVD, this is a rather lackluster track, with Corman coming off as a real bore. The two often become more involved in watching the film than talking.


TV Spot (0:40): The original television spot, apparently taken from an analog video source of a 16mm transfer.


Audio Outtakes from the Roxy (15:33): Live performance audio recorded at the Roxy during filming of the concert sequences.


Original Radio Spots (1:05): Don Steele sells both the movie and the soundtrack album in these two radio spots.


Photo Galleries: An assortment of production stills from Richard Whitley's and The Ramones' personal collections, the original pressbook, two deleted scenes in script form, as well as other artwork from the film.


Original Trailer (2:09): The original theatrical trailer is presented here from a scratchy 16mm print. Although the packaging indicates there is a commentary available by Eli Roth, it is nowhere to be found on this disc. For those desperate for the commentary, it is available at Trailers From Hell.


Bonus Trailers: Also included are trailers for two other Corman Classics, Suburbia and Grand Theft Auto.


Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Rock 'n' Roll High School has never looked or sounded better, and the exhaustive special features make this a worthwhile upgrade, and a must-have for fans of cinema.

 

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