Observer » Rock ‘n’ Roll High School

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

Joe Pompeo — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:15:57 -0400

So apparently we've been too busy blogging about television and the Emmys and new movies to get around to a post about the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees, which were announced earlier today. Then again, not too much excitement here. The nominees are Metallica, Run-D.M.C., Chic, Wanda Jackson, Little Anthony and the Imperials, War, Bobby Womack and, our personal favorite, the Stooges. But you know the drill—only five will make the cut at the museum's 24th annual induction ceremony on April 4 in Cleveland. Will Iggy get snubbed? Will Run be able to take time out of his busy reality television schedule? And who is this Little Anthony character? (Kidding! Sort of.) You can find out for yourself: This year, for the first time, tickets to the ceremony will be made available to the general public. More information on the nominees here.

Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll High School Forever?

Joe Pompeo — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:36:33 -0400

So Howard Stern is producing a remake of Rock ’n’ Roll High School, the classic 1979 B-movie starring P.J. Soles as the rebellious Riff Randall, a Ramones-obsessed teen who stages a punk rock coup against the repressive administration of Vince Lombardi High. Apparently Mr. Stern is a huge fan of the original movie—for which the Ramones filmed an actual concert as part of the plot—and has been known to talk about it on his radio show. But wasn’t there already a remake, albeit a forgettable one, of Rock ’n’ Roll High School?

The answer is...sort of.

As some of you may recall, in 1991, Corey Feldman starred in the deliciously atrocious sequel Rock ’n’ Roll High School Forever, which followed a similar plot, except instead of the Ramones we got a fictionalized rock band, fronted by Mr. Feldman’s character, called the Eradicators, and instead of Vince Lombardi High we got Ronald Reagan High. (Although in a nod to its predecessor, the character who played the evil principal and nemesis to all things rock ’n’ roll, Ms. Togar, returned—for some reason with a hook for a hand—as the far more militant and butch Dr. Vadar.) All told, the movie is horrid, but in that “I would totally watch this if I stumbled across it on VH1 on a Saturday afternoon” sort of way.

So it’s up to Mr. Stern to give us the amazing remake that Rock ’n’ Roll High School deserves. Can he do it? Probably not. But! In the meantime, we give you the trailer for Rock ’n’ Roll High School Forever in all of its over-the-top early '90s glory.

Beastie Boys Get Hall of Fame Nomination

Tom McGeveran — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:36:19 -0400

From a New York point of view, the AP buried the lede here:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Here's something Madonna can really celebrate: a nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Madge joins heartland rocker John Mellencamp, the puckish rappers Beastie Boys and premier dance acts Donna Summer and Chic among the nine nominees for the hall.

(Even calling her Madge is like an acknowledgement of her non-New Yorkiness!) So we remember that she got her start at the Mudd Club and broke out of the crazy early-80's dance scene, but does anyone else?

The Beastie Boys, meanwhile!

Good luck, kids.