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At one point in my life, Ramones were a large part of my music rotation. Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash are three of the first punk bands. Ramones lent their name and music to a lot of commercial endeavors. Rock and Roll High School revolves are Riff Randell’s, P.J. Soles, love of Ramones. The new principle of Vince Lombardi High, Miss Togar (Mary Woronov), is determined to put an end to rock and roll music. She also has no issues killing mice.
The biggest subversion to a normal high school movie is that the football team’s quarterback, Tom Roberts played by Vincent Van Patten, is also a dweeb. He is desperate to lose his virginity but always ends up talking about the weather in Iowa when talking to a girl. This leads Tom to employ the services of Eaglebauer Enterprises. A Boy’s room based problem-solving business. Eaglebauer is a highlight of the movie. He doesn’t trick girls into sleeping with boys. He must flip Tom’s feelings to a more appropriate girl that is genuinely interested in him. Kate Rambeau, Dey Young, is Riff’s best friend and is interested in Tom.
The film is over the top with plenty of slapstick fun of the era. The soundtrack is all about Ramones, so any casual Ramones fan should enjoy it. The film is goofy with a cartoonishly evil villain who burns records. Clocking in at 93 minutes with a few full music videos and a multi-song concert should easily hold your attention even if the story is simplified. It is a light piece of comedy that many people can enjoy.