Corman classics make comeback with special-edition DVDs

It is far too easy to pigeonhole Roger Corman as the "King of the B-Movies," yet that always seems to be the label that sticks.

Sure, Corman has turned out a slew of low-budget, hastily-shot films whose releases tend to follow current trends in pop culture, but Corman just may be one of the most admired men in Hollywood. Without Corman, Ron Howard forever might be remembered as the kid from "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Happy Days." Thanks to Corman, who allowed the young actor to try his hand at directing the low-budget film "Grand Theft Auto" in 1977, Howard is also an Academy Award winner for directing "A Beautiful Mind" in 2001.

Shout!Factory recently announced the release on DVD of several of Corman's best-loved productions. Being the music-minded guy that I am, I took particular interest in a couple of Corman movies in which music figured heavily into the plots.

At first look, both "Rock 'n' Roll High School" and "Suburbia" seem cheaply made and nearly devoid of any redeeming qualities. But peel back the layers -- yes, there are layers here -- and each film has its own set of merits. The 1979 film "Rock 'n' Roll High School" takes the same plot points delivered by classic 1950s exploitation flicks such as "High School Confidential" and "Blackboard Jungle" and gives them a late-1970s spin.

Where early rock-'n'-roll music was the supposed harbinger of doom in those '50s films, in "Rock 'n' Roll High School," punk rock, more specifically the music of the Ramones, is the weapon of choice. P.J. Soles stars as Riff Randell, who considers herself the No. 1 fan of the Ramones. When a new principal tries to transform Randell's alma mater, Vince Lombardi High School, into a strictly-governed institution, it is up to Randell and her friends to stir things up and fight the power.

The film also features Vince Van Patten, Paul Bartel and Clint Howard (Ron Howard's kid brother) although it is really the Ramones that end up being the stars of the show. Still regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of all time, basically inventing the punk rock sound, the Ramones pop up all over the film to play several classic songs. In directing "Rock 'n' Roll High School," Allen Arkush gave us a story that was a combination of "Grease" and "The Decline of Western Civilization."

The new DVD version of the film features a healthy selection of special features, including three different commentaries, documentaries about the actors and the Ramones, and original radio ads and television spots from the film's release.

From the beginning, it seems that the 1984 Corman film "Suburbia" is even more haphazardly slapped together than "Rock 'n' Roll High School," with barely passable acting and low-budget special effects. However, the real beauty of understanding "Suburbia" comes from the knowledge that this story of Los Angeles punk rockers revolting against, well, everything actually features real punk rockers playing the kids. Even Flea, the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, stars as the lovable scamp Razzle.

Penelope Spheeris, who directed the excellent punk rock documentary "The Decline of Western Civilization" before moving on to big-budget fare such as "Wayne's World," wrote and directed "Suburbia." Because she had close ties with the very kind of people the film portrays, there is a remarkable level of realism among the group of kids that call themselves "The Rejected" and squat in an abandoned house while stealing food from nearby neighborhoods.

There is a hopeless, menacing mood that permeates throughout "Suburbia" that begins with the shocking first scene involving a doberman and a toddler and extends to the predictable, yet no less emotional climax. One could take the kids from that mid-'80s moment and drop them into today's bruised American society, barely missing a beat. That is largely why "Suburbia" holds up as well as it does despite its obvious lack of anything resembling a budget.

Extras on the "Suburbia" DVD release are not as plentiful as on "Rock 'n' Roll High School," but there are two audio commentary tracks, a photo gallery and trailers for the film.

Future Shout!Factory releases will include horror camp classics such as "Piranha" and "Humanoids From the Deep," as well as the classic Corman "Star Wars" knockoff, "Battle Beyond the Stars."

Again, say what you will about Corman, but the guy knows how to play the Hollywood game, and Hollywood loves the guy enough that he received a lifetime achievement Oscar last year. I'm as big a film snob as the next guy, but then again I do occasionally get into the mood for a good B-movie, and Corman can always be counted on to deliver.