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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

School of Rock

foot long subbacultcha

11:48 / 03.02.04

No one's mentioned this yet, so I may end up embarrasing myself, but I think Richard Linklater's latest is a passionate, solid, rocking, mind-melting, gut-busting masterpiece.

The premise is simple - loser musician manages to swindle a position as a substitute teacher and moulds a class of ten year old school children into a formidable rock act. What then unfolds is a collection of what I found to be some of the best scenes about passion and respect that I've seen in the last year.

Anyone else blown away by this film?

02:27 / 04.02.04

I do fancy this rather a bit.

Someone else say it's good, and I shall surely go.

02:55 / 04.02.04

I was surprised by this film. I was expecting formulaic comedy... and well, that's what I got, except it was better. I don't know, it could have been boring shlock, but it wasn't. It was very funny. The kids were really cool. I liked Jack Black (He also is a complete dead ringer of a friend of mine, which was sort of a odd sideline while I was watching this).

Jack The Bodiless

04:22 / 04.02.04

Yeah, dude! It rocks!

Seriously. It does.

The Return Of Rothkoid

04:41 / 04.02.04

But only after you pledge allegiance to the Band.

BrianFitzgerald

04:44 / 04.02.04

I went into the theatre thinking this was indeed a formulaic Jack Black vehicle. Maybe low expectations helped, but I was stunned by the heart, the fun, the, yes, f***ing rocking energy of this film.

Moments that I treasure several months after viewing:

SPOILERS
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"I've mooched off you for YEARS, and it was never a problem until SHE came along! Get rid of her."
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The bit where he's handing out CD's to the kids. Every album drew forth a "Yes!" from me. "2112" for the drummer! Perfect!!!
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The bar scene with JB and Joan Cusack.
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Yeah, it was cheese, but GOOD cheese, you know? The performance of the kids in the club at the end, the fat girl belting those vocals as her parents stare in stunned joy, the goofy band costumes, JB howling vocals with a band of twelve year-olds, and the result of the band contest: BOOOOOO!!!!

I highly recommend this to Falcon, and anybody else even remotely interested.

08:17 / 04.02.04

I'm planning to go and see it this week, but am wondering how it compares to Linklater's earlier films? It seems more commercial than some of his others (ie, it's actually being shown at major cinemas), but is it still in any way similar to his earlier films?

foot long subbacultcha

09:05 / 04.02.04

It doesn't really compare on the surface. But there is an underlying passion and respect to the movie. Sorry to repeat myself. Jack Black's character lives for "R"ock and this love gets passed on to the kids for them to express themselves. Linklater does a great job letting the actors go ahead with that. The film is full of warming epiphanic moments. The scene where the band is first put together is one of these. Each student gets their first try at an instrument that's familiar yet new, and each gets their own moment until we pull back and up to see the whole team start out. It's like a bloody crane shot inside a classroom or something. It's great.

We've seen stuff like this before but this time it's full of heart and there aren't really any cliches. Don't wanna discuss spoilers yet, though.

I'm interested in finding out what female 'lithers made of School of Rock (I'm thinking of the best friend's girlfriend character). Is this a boys' flick?

11:01 / 04.02.04

I'm in two minds as to whether I should go and see this or not;

On the plus side: is directed by Richard Linklater, is concerned with matters of ROCK!

minus side: Jack Black, kids movie.

Given this thread I'm swaying toward the plus side..

21:04 / 04.02.04

Ive got to say that i found the the film a little toothless, oboiusly to avoid a higher rating there are no swear words and you could tell that JB struggled in places to avoid the odd fuck.

not that i find ALL swearing funny.

who am i kidding

bollocks

12:47 / 10.07.04

gorgeous movie, very very "nice", in the nicest possible meaning of the term "nice"

15:02 / 10.07.04

I adore this film. JB's enthusiasm is infectious, I actually found myself jealous of the kids acting in the film- what a great experience to have.

My partner took his eight year old brother to see the film and he was so excited by the film he was playing air guitar in the aisle's of the cinema at the finale.