When Rock ‘n’ Roll High School came out in 1979, it gave punk fans one of the best teen comedies of the era. Directed by Allan Arkush, the movie starred P.J. Soles as Riff Randell, a Ramones-obsessed student at Vince Lombardi High School who was constantly going against the authorities. The film also featured Vince Van Patten, Clint Howard, Dey Young, Mary Woronov, and the Ramones, making it part teen comedy and part punk rock cult classic.
It was not a giant mainstream hit at the time, but it has become one of those movies that still feels like a time capsule of late ’70s rebellion, especially for anyone who ever wished their favorite band would help take over their school.