Shake, Rattle and Rock!

From the very beginning of this film, those who have any fondness of the 50s and its music know that this is a film they will enjoy. The camera work is done in such a way that it seems to bring you greatly into the emotion of the film and truly make you believe that you are there. This then carries on though the film along with some classic 50s music. It is a film in which the parents are so stereotype-hyped that they almost don't seem real, yet there is an edge to them which makes you fear that parents truly where that way. It tells the story, not only of the apparent parent inability to accept rock 'n' roll but of the social pressure against the coloured community at the time. In many ways this film seems to still talk about many issues of today and therefore this remake still has a modern edge. The only thing against this film is the fact that more was not done with the plot, therefore creating a film where you know how it will end from the first meeting we see of Susan (the main star played by Renee Zellweger) and Luck.

A great film full of romance, teenage angst, and more importantly - the 50s.

I did not see this cable movie when it originally played on Showtime in 1994. I just grabbed the video off the dollar rental rack at my local supermarket's video dept. the other night, and I was pleasantly surprised. Well, I did see Allan Arkush's name listed as director, and felt if it was anywhere close to his "Rock n' Roll High School" (1979) it would be worth a look. I enjoyed the fact that Arkush cast the heroine of his 1979 film, P.J. Soles, and the actress who played her best friend in that movie, Dey Young, as two of the mothers objecting to rock and roll's influence on their kids. Mary Woronov, who played the evil principal in RnR HS, and Dick Miller, who played a policeman or fire chief in the first film, also appear under the same character names. Fans of cult actor Miller will note that he uses the name Paisley, which he first used in the Roger Corman Beatnik spoof horror movie "Bucket of Blood" in 1959. Yes, this is not up to the level of John Water's "Hairspray," but it is a fun movie with generally good performances, including one by sixties soul singer Ruth Brown, who was also in the Water's film. I generally avoid Howie Mandell like the plague, but he was OK here as the fast talking hipster DJ. Zellweger, John Doe, Gerrit Graham, Max Perlich, and (especially) Jennifer Lewis all give good performances and seem to be having fun in roles familiar from dozens of old American International drive-in movies. Makes me hope Dimension will release more of the "Rebel Highway" Showtime series, which all took their titles from AIP "classics."

Though I have only seen this once, and frankly I wasn't impressed with the lead actress, It was great that the writer would choose to reference three characters from an earlier film about teenagers and rock and roll. P.J. Soles, Dey Young, and Mary Woranov are playing the mothers of their characters from 'Rock and Roll High School'. Forget Zellweger and go rent 'Rock and Roll High School' if you want teenage antics and a good soundtrack. By the way if John Lennon was the first "songwriter", then who wrote all those songs that came before him? And as for women playing instruments in the 50s, as an earlier review stated that they did not, apparently the reviewer has never heard of the hoards of female artists in the fifties that not only wrote their own music, but played instruments on the recordings, and live.

Not a great film, not a terrible film but it IS a prequel to the great Rock 'n' Roll High School starring The Ramones. Andy Warhol alum Mary Woranov plays E. Joyce Togar, reprising her roll in the earlier film. PJ Soles and Dey Young play their own mums. At least we find out why Miss Togar hates rock and roll as much as she does. Both films were directed by Allan Arkush, though this one was made for the short-lived 1994 television series 'Rebel Highway'. At least it's fun but unfortunately, though the potential was there, not nearly as good or funny as Rock 'n' Roll High School. It was never billed as a prequel to the Ramones' film, or maybe it might have been noticed more than it ultimately was. If I hadn't already been a fan of RNRHS I never would have known the connections.

In my opinion, this is a simple yet enjoyable movie filled with rock 'n' roll and swinging tunes of the 60's. A "fresh" alternative for those who are chilling at home with their friends and are longing to see a standard comedy. Definitely worth checking out for fans of Renee Zellweger.

Though it's not far away from clichés, it's still fun enough to watch. Just take it as it is and don't expect too much from it, knowing it's a typical "feel-good" movie. So relax, take off your shoes, grab a comfy sofa, and start watching. There's a special appearance by Paul Anka, in case you didn't notice.