Rock School (2005)
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Theatrical Release: Jun 3, 2005 Limited
Box Office: $58,241
Synopsis: Rocks Stars. Guitar Gods. Kids. At some point in most everyone's life, we dream of becoming a rock star: feeling the roar of the crowd; basking in the adoration of legions of fans; experiencing the adventures of life on the road. Now imagine fulfilling that fantasy as a child. Welcome to ROCK... Rocks Stars. Guitar Gods. Kids. At some point in most everyone's life, we dream of becoming a rock star: feeling the roar of the crowd; basking in the adoration of legions of fans; experiencing the adventures of life on the road. Now imagine fulfilling that fantasy as a child. Welcome to ROCK SCHOOL. First time feature documentary filmmaker Don Argott traces the ups-and-downs of the Paul Green School of Rock Music, a unique institution founded in Philadelphia in 1999, dedicated to teaching children ages 9 through 17 the ins-and-outs of rock and roll. That's rock and roll, kids. Not hip-hop. Not Britney. Not Limp Bizkit. But a thunderous roll call of musical greats: Led Zeppelin. Pink Floyd. Black Sabbath. Carlos Santana. Frank Zappa. ROCK SCHOOL follows an entire season of classes, in the process establishing school founder, director, and self-proclaimed "überlord" Paul Green as one of the most complex, contradictory, and unforgettable characters in recent films. A whirling dervish of manic, pinball-machine energy, Green is at once sensitive and verbally abusive; generous-spirited and mercilessly critical. As tornado-like as his tantrum-filled teaching style can be, however, Paul's commitment to his student's goal of achieving musical greatness is never in doubt. Paul's thorny relationship with his students is the true subject of ROCK SCHOOL. For while the sight of nine-year-olds performing Black Sabbath songs outfitted in full heavy metal regalia is charming, ROCK SCHOOL goes deeper: posing tough questions about the nature of prodigal talent and flamed-out youth. Is Paul—a failed guitar God himself—fostering his students' gifts or inhibiting them? Is he living vicariously through his students? Or using the school to fulfill the rock and roll dream of suspended adolescence? Filmed cinéma vérité to provide an intimate portrait of this one-of-a-kind instructor and his eagerly aspiring students, ROCK SCHOOL reaches its climax in Bad Doberon, Germany, where the School of Rock Music honor roll is invited to perform the music of Frank Zappa. This special festival dedicated to the prog-rocker's oeuvre features Zappa legends such as Ike Willis and Napoleon Murphy-Brock. . .and the kids prove they can rock with the very best of them. A meditation on talent and teaching, ROCK SCHOOL is a celebration of youthful promise and steadfast dreams. It is also a kick-ass music movie that should be played loud! ROCK SCHOOL is directed by Don Argott and produced by Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott. -- © Newmarket Films [More]
Genre: Education/General Interest
DVD Info
Release:
Sep 13, 2005
DVD Features:
- Anamorphic - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 2.0 - English
- Subtitles - English - Closed Captioning
- Subtitles - English - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Comentary - Don Argott - Director
- Behind the Scenes - "Making the Soundtrack" Featurette
- Deleted Scenes
- Music Video
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
Watching the students band together to rock -- and the faces of the audience and participants when they realize what these kids are capable of -- is a joy.
The documentary studies the different children at the school, some lazy, some brilliant, some sensitive. Argott traces their development.
Where you'll find a bunch of raucous and talented kids, you'll find at least one glory-hungry grown-up intent on stealing the spotlight.
Engaging, ultimately uplifting documentary that is by turns hilarious and horrifying - but say what you like about Green's methods, he certainly gets results.
Green berates and insults his students to push them to work harder
So overpowering is Green's outsized, needy, arrested-adolescent personality (while you initially suspect he's playing for the camera, the blasé attitude of his students suggests he really is like this), it throws the movie off-balance.
It's unflinching, discomfiting, profane, with an ignoble real-life 'hero' and children who absorb the full brunt of his rage.
Their playing is terrific, but there's little doubt the kids are fulfilling Green's fantasy rather than the other way around.
As a documentary, Rock School works just fine. As an advertisement for the Paul Green School of Rock Music, it's considerably less successful.
The movie seems a little too much in love with the overbearing and self-aggrandizing Green - almost as much as Green is with himself.
Even with Paul Green's invective echoing in the back of your mind, nothing's quite so heartwarming as the sight of a young person blossoming.
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