Featured Blu-ray Review: Rock ‘n’ Roll High School: 40th Anniversary
December 26, 2019
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School: 40th Anniversary - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Every Christmas, I like to relax and review a movie I had recently bought. This year, that movie is Rock ‘n’ Roll High School: 40th Anniversary Blu-ray. I swear I’ve reviewed the movie in the past, but apparently not. Is the 40th anniversary edition worth picking up? Is it worth the double-dip?
The film takes place at Vince Lombardi High School, a high school with a rock ‘n’ roll obsessed student body that has managed to drive away multiple principals. Their newest principal, Evelyn Togar, has been brought in to bring a sense of discipline. Or to be more accurate, to rule with an iron fist. She has a lot of work to do, especially with Rif Randell. Rif, with the help of her best friend Kate Rambeau, hijacked the schools PA system to broadcast the Ramones throughout the school causing yet another breakdown in discipline. While Evelyn Togar is able to scare most of the students into submission, Rif is undeterred and she’s not going to let anyone stand in the way of her dream of writing for the Ramones. That’s right, her life dream isn’t to date one of the Ramones, but to be a songwriter.
(That’s not to say there’s no romance in the movie, but it is relegated to the B-plot between Kate Rambeau and Tom Roberts.)
Evelyn Togar also has reasons to fight against rock ‘n’ roll. She has science on her side. As she explains to two of the teachers, Mr. McGree and Coach Steroid, when mice listen to rock ‘n’ roll, they inevitable buy leather jackets and live together in sin. ... I don’t think her science experiments are sound.
It’s clear from the start that Principal Togar and Rif Randell were never going to get along, but things escalate when Rif skips school to buy tickets to the Romones concert for essentially the entire school. (She even gives a ticket to Mr. McGree.) However, she’s featured in the local news paper and is busted as a result and Principal Togar takes away her and Kate’s ticket, and therefore her best chance to meet the Romanes and give them her song. Now it’s war.
This movie is even better than I remember it. Rif Randell is an inspirational character, which seems strange to say, because on the surface, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School is just a goofy high school comedy. However, Rif’s goal is not to get a boyfriend, but to secure her future as a songwriter. She rebels not because she’s a troublemaker, but to take control from a dictatorial principal. A lot of high school comedies lose their appeal as you grow older, because with age comes crotchetiness. No. What I meant to say is with age comes a different perspective and in a lot of similar movies, you will start to empathize with the authority figures. The movie avoids this, for the most part. (The scene where they go after lunch ladies is an exception.) Even as an adult, Rif Randell is still someone that can inspire. P.J. Soles gives the character so much energy and charisma, while she and Dey Young have so much chemistry together. Furthermore, any movie with Mary Woronov or Paul Bartel is a win and this movie has both.
On the other hand, some of the humor is far more childish and this hurts the overall review. It is still an easy recommendation, but it is worth noting.
Class of ‘79 is a 70-minute long documentary with interviews with a lot of the crew and one member of the cast. It takes a while to get to Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, because the documentary spends a lot of time talking about how the various members of the crew got their starts in the movie business. There is also a five-minute intro by Allan Arkush. These are the only two new extras on this edition of the Blu-ray. Still, that’s 75 minutes of new extras to go with the massive collection of old extras.
Extras ported over from the 2010 edition include four audio commentary tracks, a 24-minute long retrospective, 16-minute interview featurette with the three main cast members, an interview with Roger Corman, another interview with Allan Arkush, some audio outtakes, and finally some of the promotional spots for the movie.
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School is a cult classic for a reason and the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray has enough extras to make it worth the double-dip.
The Movie
The Extras
The Verdict
Filed under: Video Review, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, Paul Bartel, Roger Corman, P.J. Soles, Mary Woronov, Dey Young, Allan Arkush, , Alix Elias