I think I saw this movie for the first time back in middle school. I know it was around the time that all my friends and I were “discovering” punk rock. We’d been blown away by Green Day’s Dookie album and instantly started plundering the genre’s back catalogue. Suddenly we were all taking a crash course in The Clash, The Exploited, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, and of course The Ramones and Sex Pistols. For some reason I’ve still never seen The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle, but boy oh boy have I seen Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. I distinctly remember my friends hating it for being cheesy and “not punk”, but I secretly loved it. It was funny, it had cute girls, a kicking soundtrack and was about rebellion. How is that NOT punk rock? THEY BLOW UP A SCHOOL! As I’ve learned more about the “Corman School” of low-budget filmmaking, my love for this film has only grown. The cast and crew is a who’s who of awesome: Allan Arkush, Joe Dante, Paul Bartel, Clint Howard, P.J. Soles, Mary Wornov, Dick Miller, Dean Cundey, Don Steele, and Rodney Bingenheimer! Though it might not be high art, this film is a load of fun and makes me feel young again. Do your parents know that you're Ramones? Hey ho, let’s go!
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