My Rock 'n' Roll High School film review

My Rock 'n' Roll High School review. Hey! Ho! Let's Go!

Riff Randell, the leader of the students, is a fan of Ramones music. Principal Miss Evelyn Togar, who hates rock music, promises to put an end to the music craze. Miss Togar and a group of parents attempt to burn a pile of rock records, causing the students to take over the Vince Lombardi High School, joined by The Ramones. An explosive finale follows when the police summon the students and demand they evacuate the building.

The plot of this movie is sex, drugs, and rock and roll with the inclusion of The Ramones. It's not a film to be taken seriously. This is not an Oscar-winning film. Under $300,000 was spent on the production and 23 days were shot. Still, it was entertaining! There were some funny moments and great music in this high-spirited show. There was a good fit between the characters and The Ramones. I've seen worse. It was an hour and a half well spent.

P.J. Soles' character reminds me of Margot Robbie's Tonya Harding in I, Tonya. In both films, the characters are totally different, as one is a rebellious high schooler and the other is a popular ice skater. But, their characters kinda look alike; though Margot Robbie's Tonya Harding was not a teenager and she cursed a lot. If such a film were ever remade, I think Margot Robbie could pull it off. P.J. Soles was 28 at the time of filming Rock 'n' Roll High School, and Margot Robbie was 27 when filming I, Tonya. However, Margot Robbie turns 34 this year, and isn't that too old to star in such a film? If you think about it though, Hollywood often casts older talent in younger roles. The reason is the actors are more seasoned. Training and experience allow them to perform at a higher level of maturity. Long hours on set and fame may be easier to handle for older actors.

Dey Young's character, Kate Rambeau, is your typical nerd who enjoys "splitting protons" in her basement. Kate ends up a Ramones-loving punk who uses her chemistry knowledge to blow up the high school in revenge for Principal Miss Evelyn Togar trying to stop her and Riff from attending the Ramones concert. Her character is arguably the focal point of the movie.

Mary Woronov's character, Principal Evelyn Togar, is the main antagonist of the film Rock 'n' Roll High School. The film depicts Miss Togar as an uptight, cruel, and strict woman who hates everything teenagers do. According to her, rock music is the main cause of child rebellion and criminal activity, and students are unlawfully punished for their love of the music. In order to convey her point, Miss Togar commits various crimes based on her hatred for rock music. Fun Fact: this actress started out as a whip dancer for the Velvet Underground in the 1960s.

Others appeared in this film, but some of them had short roles or just smaller parts. There were much bigger roles for the three actors I wrote about.

Cool moments: Concert footage of five songs.  No lip syncing.  You get the real deal with The Ramones.  I also liked the scene where the band plays "I Want You Around" in Riff Randell's bedroom.  P.J. Soles nailed this role.  There is no doubt that she portrays the overly excited teenage Ramones fangirl. Toward the end, The Ramones approached Principal Miss Evelyn Togar. She thinks they are students until Johnny Ramone says, "Hey, we are not students. We are The Ramones." Miss Togar then says, "Ramones?! You're responsible for making that horrible rock and roll music? You turned the whole school against me." Johnny brushes her off, then Principal Miss Evelyn Togar says, "Do your parents know that you're Ramones?" Afterwards, Riff Randell welcomes the band to the school, and all the students trash it.

What's surprising is the ending. In an act of youthful rebellion, the recalcitrant students and The Ramones burn down the school after the police summon them and demand they evacuate the building. I was not expecting an explosion. Perhaps just kids breaking out of the school's doors and swarming the police; defacing the cop cars and pulling the principal's hair. Something to that effect. To be a low-budget film though, the ending was rather cool.

I was elated to hear Nick Lowe's "So It Goes" in the mix of all the other songs on the soundtrack. Whoever put the soundtrack together combined the right songs. The songs fit each scene perfecly in the film.

Cool clips:

I only disagree with the PG rating. This film contains innuendos and scenes involving sex. Drug scenes are also included in this film. The target audience for this film is more mature, perhaps older teens and up. I wouldn't call this movie rated R, but age 13 seems too young for it. Yet, there are way too many sex and drug references to be considered PG-13. A rating between PG-13 and R films is needed. Other than that, if you love punk rock music and classic cult films, watch this!