Rock ‘N’ Roll
High School (1979/Shout! Factory Blu-ray + DVD)
Picture: B-/C+ Sound: C+ Extras: B- Film: B-
A few
years ago when Disney of all companies issued Allan Arkush’s 1979 cult classic Rock ‘N’ Roll High School, one of our
fellow writers offered this very enthusiastic review:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3290/Rock+N+Roll+High+School+-+Special
Not the
fan he is, I give the film credit for being one of the best of the fall-of-school–as-center-of-education
comedies and did it very well, lucking out in getting The Ramones after several
other acts considered missed out for one reasons or another. Besides the band being more popular in the
post-Punk era, the cast’s performances hold up well because they were better
and more comically adept than they ever got credit for then, including P.J.
Soles, Mary Woronov, Dey Young, Vincent Van Patten, Paul Bartell, Dick Miller
and yes, Clint Howard. The energy helps,
but it still has its own clichés, similar to Animal House and Porky’s
in how such films (used to) work.
They
don’t make then like this anymore and that’s why the film is more than a time
capsule. It is a minor teen comedy
classic.
The 1080p
1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image is not bad for its age and considering
the low budget that for many films of the same time, usually meant an
independent production you’d be lucky to see today. Yes you can see grain and some shots are more
worn than others, with some materials being down a generation or two, but some
depth shots, some good moments of definition and surprisingly consistent color
make this a pleasant enough surprise. Those
who have tolerated poor video versions or even old film prints will be
pleasantly surprised. The anamorphically
enhanced DVD is not as colorful and similar to the limited Disney release. Though listed as Dolby TrueHD on the back of
the case, the 2.0 Stereo mix is simple Dolby Digital as was the previous and current
DVD. That’s passable, but you would
think there would be a lossless track here for the music, even if it was an
isolated music track
Extras in
both versions include a new booklet included in both format version sizes and
on the respective discs repeat the extras from the older release. Now you get four feature length audio
commentary tracks, the all new Back To
School: A Retrospective, Original Radio Ads & TV Spots, Staying After Class – new interviews
with P.J. Soles, Dey Young and Vincent Van Patten, Original Theatrical Trailer,
Audio Outtakes from The Roxy, New Arkush Interview with rare behind-the-scenes
stills from his private collection,
- Nicholas Sheffo
