Rock and Roll High School 40th Anniversary- Gabba Gabba Hey!

It's kind of stunning (for me, anyway) to realize that it was forty years ago this month that Rock and Roll High School was released in theaters. Sure, it isn't high art, but I always liked it for being one of those "turn off your brain and enjoy" experiences. Plus, you get P.J. Soles and The Ramones in the same movie? Sign me up!

At any rate, here is an article about the making and distributing of the film that is pretty interesting.

‘Rock ‘n’ Roll High’ at 40: How the Ramones and a Rebellious Female Lead Invaded Theaters

 

I still remember seeing it first-run in Austin back in '79. Within the first five minutes, one audience
member shouted "Sucks!" at the top of his voice and stormed out. Everyone else stayed and enjoyed
this fun and entertaining film. I also remember that it was only in local theaters for four days (!)

 

I love, love, loooooove "Rock N Roll High School!" I've lost count of how many times I've seen it over the years. It's the movie that made me into a Ramones fanboy for life.

I was aware of the Ramones' existence prior to seeing RNRHS, due to MTV airing the "Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio" video frequently in their early days, and an older distant cousin who was a fan, but it wasn't till I saw this movie on TV in '83 or '84 (New York's WPIX-TV/Channel 11 played it often on weekend afternoons) that I started getting into their music. I was 13 or 14 at the time. I recorded the movie and watched it over and over again, particularly the concert scenes, and soon I was collecting their albums.

When I started college in '88, the Ramones were my first ever show in a small club in Staten Island, NY, and my first mosh pit experience as well (ouch). So I may have gotten a later start than some Ramones fans but I think I made up for it with my obsessive enthusiasm

 

Have not seen this film since back in the early 90's, didn't Paul McCartney do a song for this film? or maybe I'm thinking of another film.

 

Riff Randall, squeeky-cleanest "Bad Girl" ever.

That "I Want You Around" scene, tho.

Do your mothers know you're Ramones?

 

Yes, but the McCartney track was excised from most post-1979 versions that I've seen.

 

Checked my old Laser Disc it has the McCartney track.

 

Warning: somewhat off-topic.

I first saw The Ramones on the Sha Na Na Tv show as a child and thought that they were comical characters that were invented for that show.

Imagine my suprise at 16 when I started hanging around a college radio station and found out they were a REAL BAND!

 

Yes, the McCartney track "Did We Meet Somewhere Before?" plays over the opening scene of the film.

 

Love P.J. Soles. Such a cutie!

 

I used to go see it at a revue cinema every Sunday. It was on double bill with The Kids Are Alright. Those were great afternoons. Forty years ago...Jesus, I feel old

 

I first saw R&RHS at a suburban mall theater. There was just me and my buddy and three girls. We had a great time, they didn't make a sound. The second time was the exact opposite experience. I saw a midnight showing that was packed. Everybody had a great time. By the end half the audience was dancing in the aisles. It was the most fun I ever had in a movie theater (except for Rocky Horror).

 

Going to a screening later this month!

 

Won't someone think of the white mice?

 

Saw it when it came out, at the best possible place....the Drive-in!

 

The soundtrack to Rock N Roll High School was my introduction to The Ramones. I was a little wary about the whole "punk" thing, but Nick Lowe & Devo were on the soundtrack album so I took a chance. When I mentioned to a girl in my high school that I found the few Ramones tracks cool, she loaned me the first four albums and the rest is history. That one night of listening to the first four back to back changed my trajectory. Saw the film at a theater in Greenwich Village and within a few months had seen the band live twice.

On a very odd side note, many years later when my wife and I were expecting our first child, we were shown a childbirth film in one of our birthing class sessions. My jaw dropped when I realized that the women in the film, delivering a baby, was PJ Soles!!! Absolutely surreal.

 

The last time I saw the film was New Year’s Eve 1979 at The Palladium in New York. The band screened the film rather than having an opening act for that night’s concert.

We had no idea that was the plan and had gone to the concert having spent the entire day at a rock n’ roll movie triple feature of Gimme Shelter, Let It Be, and The Last Waltz at The Bleecker Street Cinema. I do recall having a wee bit of a headache!

Loved the film back in my teen days, 40 years now, well I’ll have to watch again sometime, won’t I?

 

I spent my teen years in a small isolated town on the west coast. I too saw this in the local theatre back to back, but separate nights with The Kids are Alright. What a great weekend. I may already have had the soundtrack by then. Films arrived months after they started showing in larger cities.

 

They were great films to see on a dreary Sunday in a rundown cinema with a young enthusiastic audience. It's like we'd discovered rock and roll or something

 

I first saw it on WPIX as well, but it had to be a few years later;'87 or '88 maybe.

 

Were Kate Rambeau’s science articles ever peer-reviewed? I mean, what ever happened with her research career. Screamin’ Steve seemed really impressed with her embryonic work. Kate had such a promising future until she got with that blond dolt Tom.

 

Her scenes were also some people's first and only exposure to music of Brian Eno.

 

I'm pretty sure that's Darby Crash in the front row at the concert.