Review of Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979) by Jack S — 07 Nov 2010

It was the end, end of the 70s; it was the end, end of the century. Perhaps this is a 3-star movie, but two factors knock it up a notch. One, it's a wonderful time capsule. And two, it's got the Ramones in it at the height of their powers. If the movie was made with a fictional band, it would just be a fun, campy flick. But the presence of these real-life goofballs raises this to a surreal work of art.

The movie starts with a anarchic rush of energy that puts a smile on your face. It's unable to maintain this sense of joy, but things definitely pick up again when Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Marky roll into town. They only get a couple of lines of dialogue each but thatâ"and the ample performance footage, with a couple of high-concept, funny settingsâ"make this a lot of fun to watch.

You have clichà (C)d characters (uptight principal, student who is an entrepreneur) and some unique ones (prettyboy jock who is awkward with girls, music teacher who becomes obsessed with the Ramones' music). But the actors make all of them fun.

The plot, the script, both on the weak side. But there is such innocent, uncalculated good times here, you can't help but like it.