So... remember when I said I had watched 60 films out of 844? Well, some of those films included Batman and Robin, Supergirl, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. Yet out of all of these horribly made films, the one that I hated the most was this one. Rock n' Roll High School. And I'm going to tell you why today.
First off, I'm sure some plot would be nice for those who haven't seen it. I would also like to know what the plot to this was as well. It's not that there isn't a plot, it's just you have to find it inbetween all of the Ramones song. Of which there are a lot. Don't get me wrong, I like the Ramones, but when the title song is played about five times over the course of the film, well, you stop wondering why your brain is trying to escape out of your ears. This is one of the reasons why the only people who would like this movie would be die hard Ramones fans.
So anway, plot, before I go off on a tangent again. This has one of those plots that would work much better as a horror movie about an obssessive fan. The main character is fangirl Riff Randell (yes, her name is Riff) played by P.J Soles, and basically we watch her struggles to get to a Ramones concert. That's about it, but in all honesty, it feels more like a subplot than the main plot. In fact the whole film seems to be made of subplots. There's one about her best friend Kate trying to win over her crush, who in turn likes Riff. There's another one about giant rodents? I can't really remember, but what they were going for was the whole rock music corrupts, and decided giant rats would be the best idea.
Besides this, the main plot is over and done with all to easily. They get to the concert. Gee, never saw that one coming. Then this whole other plot takes over about the dictatorial principal of the school becoming even more dictatorial. And then they blow up the school. The end. It tries to be funny in new ways, but in the end they become cliches and go nowhere. Also, there are some really iffy scenes. There's one scene in which Riff fantasises that the Ramones are singing to her in her room. Ok, little weird, but not that unusual among fangirls. Then she imagines them singing to her while she's in the shower. ...What. Who made this! Oh, that's right. Roger Corman.
I should probably explain who Roger Corman is for those who don't know. Corman is the king of B-movies. He is responsible for a lot of the alien and monster movies of the 50s, he's also responsible for quite a few exploitation flicks. Knowing that he produced this, it doesn't surprise me that a scene in which a girl strips in front of three guys, who serenade her, and then follow her into the shower where she dons a towel has ended up in this movie. But it's still goddamn weird!
What this films suffers from the most is the fact that it thinks it's funny, when in all honesty, it's just weird. And not quirky or bizarre, just boringly weird. That's the other thing. Because the film spends so long on just Ramones songs, or musical montages and numbers, it feels a lot longer than it actually is, and the plot goes no where. Ten minutes of the film is dedicated to the concert, out of a 90 minute run time. Again, unless you are a massive Ramones fan, this scene will just drag on.
But ok, the plot was crap and kinda exlpoitative and weird, but why do I hate this film more than the others? More than Batman and Robin for chrissakes. Well, with Batman and Robin, it was god-awful, but it was also funny. It reminded me a lot of the 60s TV series, and was sorta fun in a mind bendingly terrible way, though that's for another review. In the case of Rock n' Roll High School, it's just boring! Cripplingly boring. It's the sort of film you're just waiting to be over with so you don't have to watch it ever again. I think I mentioned earlier that there were some scenes that have been completely erased from my memory, and partly that is because I watched this a while ago, but mostly because it was unmemorable in the first place.
In fact, the most memorable parts were the songs, but that's because they were forced down my ears so many times. So yeah, as I have stated many a time, die hard Ramones fans will love. Or die hard Roger Corman fans. If you're kinda meh about both, I'd give this a miss. In all honesty, it's not that horrendous. The dialogue (what parts I remember) was good, the acting was watchable and it was well shot. But if your film can't hold an audiences attention, then it's as bad as any other terrible movie. Except maybe Batman and Robin. Hmm, could I be hinting at the next review?
Thanks for reading, and I'm sorry if I offend anyone, but embrace your offence, understand it and don't come winging to me about it! Good night!
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