Movie review – “Rock n Roll High School” (1979) ***1/2

One of the best films from New World – a spirited, free-wheeling teen picture made with love, energy and enthusiasm from director Alan Arkush. There’s no nudity or gore (or even sense), just a lot of music, wacky humour and oomph. PJ Soles and Dey Young are immensely likeable as students who are best friends though very opposite: Soles is a rock chick, a big fan of the Ramones, the sort of spirited girls heaps of guys have crushes on but their heart is with the lead singer of a band; Young is a bespectacled nerd who pines for Vince Van Patten (she’s very pretty – although more so with the glasses on somehow – I think because the hint of the attraction without glasses is more evocative than when the glasses come off).

The two have a strong, supportive friendship that is the heart and soul of the film. However, the rest of the cast is excellent too – there’s Clint Howard as a teen tycoon, the magnificent Mary Woronov as the new principal (it’s impossible to imagine who else could have played this role), Paul Bartel as a teacher. The lack of a strong story means it runs out of puff a little around the two-thirds mark – and why no scene where we show Van Patten and Young actually fall for each other? (indeed Van Patten disappears for a whole section) - but it recovers for the glorious finale.

The film has great production values – heaps of songs. The Ramones are perfect band, rockers but just the right degree of cool – it’s hard to imagine who else would have worked as well. Indeed, watching the whole film you keep thinking “this could have gone wrong so easily”, because it’s about tone (which is why there are so few films like it), but it works beautifully.

The DVD is full of interesting bits and pieces – the long gestation of the project (Corman was supposed to be quick putting films into production but there were several scripts, including one by Chuck Griffith), the cost cutting that went on, the fact there was a nude scene (a topless PJ Soles, with a cameo from Ron Howard) that was cut out (a good choice I think, this film didn’t need nudity – although Soles does dance around in lingerie during a dream sequence). Great fun.