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Volume CXXXII, Number 20 |
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Film society rocks out
HEIDI HOLMSTROM
CONTRIBUTOR
If you are a fan of rock 'n roll, there are two events this weekend that you should be sure to attend. The Bowdoin Film Society is bringing punk rock to two of the biggest screens on campus. On Friday, April 11, Rock 'n Roll High School (1979), starring the Ramones and produced by Roger Corman, will play in Kresge Auditorium (a switch from our usual venue). For Saturday, April 12, we move back to Smith Auditorium with Blank Generation (1979), starring Richard Hell. Both films will begin at 7:00 p.m., but come a little earlier to hear some music.
If you are unfamiliar with the music of Richard Hell or the Ramones, these films are excellent introductions. Both contain live performance footage of the bands. In the case of Blank Generation, this is the only hi-fi visual footage of Richard Hell playing with the band that recorded the Blank Generation LP (a bonus for Ramones fans: the drummer for the Voidoids was Marc Bell, later to become Marky Ramone). While the inclusion of live performances is perhaps the most compelling reason to see these films, each one has much more to offer besides a great soundtrack.
Rock 'n Roll High School is one of my favorite bad movies of all time. When I say bad, I mean it has a low budget, cheesy script, second rate acting, and yet an incredible potential for entertainment. Considering the Ramones' almost cartoonish image, this film is the perfect vehicle for their music. The whole thing is a tongue-in-cheek rendition of the typical teen movie. The setting, Vince Lombardi High, is populated by jocks and rocker chicks, nerds and cheerleaders. Yet all of them seem to be united in their love of rock 'n roll.
In this story of students vs. a fascist school administration, Riff Randall (P.J. Soles) is a troublemaker, and the Ramones' number one fan. With the help of the nerdy Kate Rambeau (who, of course, is beautiful once you get her glasses off), Riff concocts a plan to make it to the Ramones' concert and free her school from the iron fisted grip of the new principal. Though the Ramones concert converts Mr. McCree, the school's music teacher, to the cause of rock music ("I regret that I have but one life to give for rock 'n roll!"), it is the Ramones, themselves, who must be called in to save the day and, quite literally, rock down the school.
The Ramones are not actors. They do not pretend to be actors. The delivery of their lines ranges from manic over-enthusiasm to what appears to be total ignorance that they are in a movie at all. That might be why they are given few opportunities to speak and most of their screen time is dedicated to musical performance. This is for the best as the punk rock component is what raises Rock 'n Roll High School far above other teen comedies.
In contrast, Blank Generation is a drama that takes place in the midst of the 1970s New York punk scene. Richard Hell (of Television, the Heartbreakers, and the Voidoids) stars as Billy, whose rise to success as a rock star is contrasted with his stormy relationship with Nada, a beautiful French journalist played by Carole Bouquet (the Bond girl in For Your Eyes Only). Andy Warhol also appears in a small role.
I was able to contact Richard Hell and ask him some questions about the making of Blank Generation. Hell replied by saying that he had hoped to make a film reflecting the thoughts and experiences of his years as a performer in New York City. Due in part to a lack of rapport with the director, Ulli Lommel, the film became less about what Hell wanted and more about the impressions that Lommel had of Hell, and his own interpretation of Hell's "blank generation." Of the resulting movie, Hell states that he thinks it is "empty and pretentious and boring."
While Hell's dismal assessment of Blank Generation is valid as far as the story goes, I believe there are a great number of redeeming features that make the film worth watching, for example, Richard Hell himself. Hell appears much as he did in real life. With the exception of one or two items reserved for use in the film, his wardrobe consists of clothes that he owned at the time. Those of you familiar with punk's history may recall that Malcolm McLaren, the eventual manager of the Sex Pistols, used Hell's image as an inspiration for the band he was to create. In fact, modern punk rockers in such far-flung places as Cork, Ireland still flaunt the ripped, do-it-yourself type of clothing that Hell brought to the New York music scene. Richard Hell and many other people appearing in Blank Generation provide us with a visual record of how early New York punk culture looked.
Visual elements are some of the most interesting components of Blank Generation. Ed Lachman, who received an Oscar nomination this year for his work on Far From Heaven, was responsible for the film's cinematography. Lachman worked with the landscape of New York's Lower East Side to create images that are visually stunning. The film also treats us to a casual tour through CBGB's, the home base of many early punk and proto-punk bands. The camera takes us throughout the legendary club, moving from the main room, to backstage, to the green room, and back. When a gig is being played, we are given a perfect view of the stage.
The musical performances captured in Blank Generation are the one aspect of the film that Richard Hell identifies as worthwhile. Among the songs performed are "Love Comes in Spurts" and the classic "Blank Generation." According to Hell, the appearance of these performances is typical of Voidoids gigs. He notes: "We were just playing the material we'd been playing for a year on that stage and even the audience is familiar. I recognize a lot of them."
The author wishes to thank Richard Hell for answering her questions about Blank Generation. If you would like to read more about Rock 'n Roll High School, track down a copy of the WBOR 'zine and read the article entitled "Do Your Parents Know You're Ramones?"
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