Watch Rock 'n' Roll High School For Free

Sorry, this movie sucks

One of my all time favorites.

Fantastic!

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

A group of rock-music-loving students, with the help of the Ramones, take over their school to combat its newly installed oppressive administration.There really is not much that can be said about this film -- the plot is nothing special and the acting is pretty average. But as far as cult films go, this is about as cool as you can get. Just look at the list of those involved: Roger Corman, Dick miller, Joe Dante, Mary Woronov, Don Steele, P. J. Soles, Clint Howard... and on, and on...And then the Ramones, both starring and providing the soundtrack. I cannot say I am a huge fan, but they delivered in here.

I saw this around 1980 when it first came out. I was in High School myself and could relate to some of the rebellious shenanigans pictured in this film. So right off the bat, this low budget affair already had elevated itself from other teen rebellion films. Another favourable move was to make the issue of trying to figure out how to date a girl a major plot point. This was another thing I could relate to. Some genuine laughs occur as the school wheeler-dealer (Clint Howard - looking closer to 'Gentle Ben' age) gives the school hunk lessons. All that despite the PG rating.Then there are the Ramones. I read in the IMDb trivia page that several very high profile bands were approached to appear in the film. Bands like DEVO, Cheap Trick, even Van Halen might of been the major characters. Luckily, they all blew their chance because the film would have been more about the charismatic and popular members than the high school students. Instead the Ramones, very introverted and seemingly camera shy, were just about the music. Although my high school friend was heavily into the Ramones and had a few of their albums, it was the on screen performances that got me hooked.Over 30 years later, with Joey Ramone gone, I was able to appreciate his pure talent as a songwriter. In other words, the real formula for success for this band wasn't attitude, presence, the hair, or being at the right point in music history to make a breakthrough. Instead it was Joey's ability to write very catchy songs and lyrics. All the songs featured in the film are equally classics. That is certainly one of the reasons why the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I finally got to see the band live in front of perhaps 100,000 people at a Lalapalooza show in the late 90s. Playing alongside Soundgarden, Metallica, amongst other big names, they held their own with the audience.The best thing about this film is that it refuses to stop a joke short. Each gag scene in the film seems inspired (my favourite is the lunch ladies being punished by being bombarded with their crappy food). Performances are also energetic and the editing crisp. There are no dead spots in this brisk film. For anyone older than junior high or high school age, for sure this film is a bit immature. Even so, memories of your days in high school are relatable with some poignant reflections of what hell it was during that time (like a dorky kid being stuffed inside a locker.) The climax of the film benefits from real pyrotechnics and of course great music.

I first saw ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL (1979) some time around the early 80s as a kid on a Saturday night. TV used to show a lot of "teen comedies" on the weekends back then. Not really having any insight into what I had just seen, I only recall enjoying RnR High School as a crazy high-school movie with a LOT of music! Now, in hindsight and having recently re-visited this cult classic, I appreciate it so much more. Sorry to sound completely cliché, but they REALLY don't make 'em like this anymore! The time of the purely fun, entertaining, lighthearted high-school comedy is all but extinct.RnR High School had the fortune (or misfortune) of premiering around the time of the insanely popular film Grease, but, for my money, RnR High School is much more invigorating, while simultaneously delivering a message without devolving into self-praise. The message of the movie is to enjoy being a teenager, because life is short! It's not telling kids to literally blow up the school (as is done in the climax), but to live life as a nonconformist. Be your own person, embrace your beliefs, tastes, and likes. Never forget the joys of youth. Even one of the teachers in the movie, the most stuffy in the school, turns against the principal and embraces the music of the rebellious students of the school.The setting of RnR High School is Vince Lombardi High School in an unnamed California town. The school's most popular student Riff Randle (played with nonstop energy and sex appeal by late 70s/early 80s vixen P.J. Soles) is the #1 fan of the iconic 70s band the Ramones, who are in town for a concert. Riff, with the help of her best friend, the nerdy bookworm Kate Rambeau (played with earnest charm by the appealing and sexy-in-her-own-right Dey Young), advertises the impending arrival of the band by playing the Ramones' music during school hours in the quad, during gym class, pretty much whenever and however they can! This inspires the wrath and ire of the Lombardi High's new principal, the intimidating and imposing authoritarian Evelyn Togar (deftly played by sexy 80s icon Mary Woronov). Miss Togar spends the entire film trying to thwart the efforts of Riff and her schoolmates from attending the concert.In addition to the wonderful and refreshing female cast, the film also boasts a very solid male contingent. In particular, the second-billed Vincent Van Patten (famous for both having a short-lived tennis career and being the son of Dick Van Patten) shows real comedy chops as the film's male lead Tom Roberts, captain and quarterback of the football team. In a very interesting and refreshing twist, even though Tom is an attractive jock, he's actually rather shy around girls and played as under-confident introvert; in most films, Tom would be essayed as a stud and a jerk, but Van Patten does a splendid job of playing him as an awkward teenager who just happens to be attractive and athletically gifted. A very nice subplot of the film is the relationship between Tom and Kate. I wish there had been more of this pair! The other male cast members are the infamous Clint Howard (Ron's little bro!) who plays school matchmaker Eaglebauer, 80s campy-comedy filmmaker Paul Bartel (as Mr. McGree, the aforementioned teacher who joins the student rebellion), Don Steele (as passionate radio D.J. Screamin Steve Stevens), and a great cameo appearance by 70s teen-comedy stalwart Dick Miller (as the Police Chief), who gets a wonderful line near the film's climax that underscores what many conformists truly think of punk rock music and much of the music that has taken over the airwaves in the last 30+ years now! With a short running time of right at 90 minutes, the first 45 minutes of the film is more even-tempered mixing in the Ramones music with the various subplots, then the last half just goes all out with nonstop music and almost plays like a long music video. But it's all good as the Ramones music in this flick is very infectious! There's a healthy amount of funny lines and clever dialog and bits sprinkled throughout to give the viewer a break from the nonstop music. More so than Grease, RnR High School is most probably the true precursor film for the wave of insanely popular 21st century high-school musical media such as the High School Musical movies and the Glee TV series. These new models have very much a similar comic tone and atmosphere to the original RnR High School. A refreshing comedy from the good ol' days that still holds up in a many ways.

This film is a jolt of punk rock fun, from start to finish. The Ramones, reigning princes of late-70s Punk rock, appear as themselves. PJ Soles stars as Riff Randle, the rebellious high school girl who lives and breathes rock 'n roll. Riff is obsessed with writing songs for the Ramones, her favorite rock band. She keeps the school rockin', and encourages her fellow-students to join her in her jubilant antics.Meanwhile the school that Riff attends, has just hired a brand-new Principal, named Ms. Togar. She's a tall, intimidating Amazon of a woman. And she vows to make the students 'toe-the-line'. She even has a couple of the students act as monitors, who report back to her with dirt on their classmates. Ms. Togar is especially determined to nab Riff, and put a stop to Riff's anarchic shenanigans. But Riff has clever ways to foil Togar, at every turn.Kudos to the superb performance of Mary Woronov, in her role as Principal Togar. Mary is a legendary B movie actress. And in this film, she plays the fascist Ms. Togar, with sneering relish. PJ Soles as Riff, turns in an electrifying performance. Clint Howard as the duplicitous Eaglebauer, has lots of fun with his role.The Ramones perform many of their hit songs in this film. And so the viewer sees why the Ramones were so influential, in the 70s Punk rock scene. Certainly, this is a good film for Ramones fans. But even if you're not into the Ramones, or Punk rock, this movie is a terrific blast (literally) of energetic fun.