Shake, Rattle and Rock!

This TV movie comes from a series of remakes of budget 50's teen movies. It is a relatively simple tale of a battle between teenagers and their elders who think their offspring are being corrupted by rock 'n' roll. This version features some old tracks (generally remade) plus a couple of new tracks that try to mimic the old style. On screen these are performed by the then little known Renee Zellweger, although the vocal performance is by Julianna Raye. This is a must for any Zellweger fans as she lights up the small screen. Beyond that it could pass the time adequately for 'armchair rebels' or nostalgia seekers.

Two young girls start a band and open up a nightclub in town where the local kids can hang out and stay out of trouble, but they encounter opposition from local people who think rock is the devil's music and will corrupt their kids.

Is it wrong that I found it ironic Howie Mandel was accused of allowing close dancing, when it is well known he is terrified of people touching him? In a strange way, this exists in a parallel world to "Rock and Rock High School", with Mary Woronov again as the rock-hating lady, and Dick Miller again as a cop (Officer Paisley!). Even P. J. Soles as an adult Riff Randell?

John Doe, who plays Lucky, recalls Allan Arkush being "everything you'd want in a director. He was one of those people who really got it. He knew how to have fun, how to let people cut loose... and you can feel it." He says the movie took only three days to shoot.

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.

Renee Zellweger can only take a role so far. She is cute, the movie is very colorful, and the costumes are nice, but the story and the quality of the movie aren't enough to make it very good. This movie is reminiscent of "Hairspray" starring Ricki Lake. It is a low-budget film with an underdeveloped story. I wouldn't recommend it unless you love Renee Zellweger or Hairspray.

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.