The Ramones’ biggest fan, Riff Randell, butts heads with the new principal, Miss Togar, whose strict discipline doesn’t go down too well with the unruly rock n’ rollers at Vince Lombardi High School. Miss Togar’s disdain for rock n’ roll reaches its limits when the Ramones turn up for a concert at the local Rockatorium, but the rebellious Riff and her new pals The Ramones have got other ideas, teaming up to perform the ultimate act of defiance against the straight-laced authorities…
It seems to have taken an eternity, but this – finally – is the first official UK Blu-ray release of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. Pleasingly, the disc that 101 Films have brought to us is a direct clone of Shout Factory’s 2019 40th Anniversary edition, containing a remastered 4K scan of the film along with pretty much all of the extra features that have been made available on other releases over the years. Four audio commentaries and multiple interviews with directors, screenwriters and members of the cast and crew provide more details than anyone could possibly need, and the slightly more up-to-date ’70-minute “Class of 79: 40 Years of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” ties everything up nicely. The 15-minute live performance (audio only, sadly) from the recording of the movie’s concert scene is a fun addition, and there are the usual TV ads and trailers to round things off.
If you’ve already sorted yourself out with an import copy of this release, there might not be many reasons to pick this up as well (although the included booklet does add something new to the package), but it’s certainly an excellent upgrade for anyone who might be looking to replace their battered old DVD copy. And if you’ve never seen it before, you’re absolutely in for quite the treat!
