SHANNON’S DRIVE-IN: ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL

Shannon heads back to school with the Ramones in Rock and Roll High School.

High school students rebel against the principal of their school with a little help from the Ramones.

Director: Allan Arkush

Writers: Richard Whitley, Russ Dvonch, Joseph McBride

Stars: P.J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, Clint Howard, Dey Young

It’s September now, which means back to school time for all the kiddos and I’m sure of one thing: school was NEVER as much fun as it was in the movies.

Rock and Roll High School comes from a time when cinematic high school kids got their kicks from being rebellious, not caring about history, and sticking it to the man (or in this case, the woman). The kids are alright in Rock and Roll High School; they love their rock music, wanna get wild, and *gasp* dance!

When I put it that way, Rock and Roll High School comes off as pretty wholesome, and it is. In one word, the movie is FUN, and doesn’t try to be anything other than that.

Self-proclaimed rock and roller Riff Randell (P.J. Soles) is a student at Vince Lombardi High School. She’s is a true fangirl whose ultimate goal is to get the songs she’s been writing to the Ramones. When the Ramones come to town to give a concert, Riff will stop at nothing to get tickets to the show AND get her songs to them.

Meanwhile, Principal Togar (Mary Wornorov) is on a mission to enact control and discipline over the entire student body. She’s aims to spread her frigid bitchiness around to anyone who gets in her way and she’s got her eye on Riff.

Then there is the band we’ve all been waiting to make an appearance, the Ramones. In order to truly have a good time with this movie, you have to at least like the Ramones. Riff has a big crush on Joey Ramone and doesn’t hide it. During one scene, she lights a joint and fantasizes about the band being in her bedroom, with Joey crooning to her while the audience is treated to way too many close-up shots of his face. The whole scene, like the rest of the movie, is nostalgic for those days when anything was possible and music could be a harmless obsession in a teenager’s life.

Also throw in Clint Howard running a business out of the back of the men’s bathroom. There’s gags with lab rats getting turned into delinquents from listening to rock music. There’s nostalgia about lining up at a venue to get concert tickets and calling into a radio station to win a contest. It all comes together in a high-energy rock and roll fantasy. The whole thing is about as subtle as a Twisted Sister video and that’s a good thing, turning it into the memorable mishmash of random stuff happening that it is.

Soles is all playful spunk and you can’t help but love her for that. Riff Randall lives and breathes music, is exciting to hang out with, and makes you believe the Ramones are the biggest band in the world. Soles has always been a likeable actress; it’s great to see her in a lead role, proving she can shine bright in carrying a movie.

Executive producer Roger Corman wanted to make a teenager movie like he did in the ‘60’s, but updated to the music of the ‘70’s. Cheap Trick and Todd Rungrun were both considered to be the artists the young kids would go wild over, but scheduling conflicts kept that from happening. And honestly, aren’t we all better off with the Ramones being THE band for this movie?

Rock and Roll High School is full of sight gags, broad humor, and musical sequences to rock the school halls with, and most of it works. It’s weird and absurdist which makes it a fun movie to rock out to. Though some of the humor is outdated and problematic now (which is to be expected of films of this time period), most of the humor makes a sturdy landing. Add in a soundtrack full of great artists and it’ll take you back to the days when music was LIFE.

Begin this September by living vicariously through a high school that was way cooler than anyone ever attended in real life. Try to block out any bad memories by imagining how cool it would’ve been to hang out with Riff Randall. Relive the passion of being a music fan. These are the lessons Rock and Roll High School teaches and I love it for that.

Shannon Grant is a writer, performer, adventurer, and horned cryptid living in the wilds of upstate New York. Her work can be found in many small press anthologies such as A Guide to Useless Sidekicks, Catskill Chaos, and The Lizzie Borden House Anthology. She is currently at work on a vampire novella. When not writing, she can be found haunting drive-in movie theaters, karaoke bars, and looking for ghosts in the woods.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.