School of Rock (Widescreen Edition) | 
| Director: Richard Linklater
Actors: Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack, Adam Pascal, Lucas Papaelias
Studio: Paramount
Category: DVD
List Price: $12.98
Buy Used: $0.49
You Save: $12.49 (96%)
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Rating:  338 reviews
Sales Rank: 3884
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Dts Surround Sound, Dvd, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 108 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: D338514D
ISBN: 079219098X
UPC: 097363385141
EAN: 9780792190981
ASIN: B00018U9G6
Theatrical Release Date: October 3, 2003
Release Date: March 2, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
Turbo-charged comic Jack Black shakes School of Rock to its foundations, wailing with born-again metalhead passion as Dewey Finn, a guitarist who gets kicked out of a band because he grandstands too much--or, to put it another way, enjoys himself. Through an intercepted phone call, Finn gets a job as a substitute teacher for a fifth grade class at a private grade school. Neither students nor teacher quite know what to do with each other until Finn discovers that some of his young charges can play instruments; at once he starts turning them into a blistering rock & roll troupe that can crush his former band at an upcoming competition. School of Rock is silly and formulaic, but director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused), writer Mike White (The Good Girl), and especially Black and co-star Joan Cusack invest the formulas with such glee that the movie is irresistibly fun. --Bret Fetzer
Product Description
JACK BLACK STARS AS A DIEHARD ROCK GUITARIST-TURNED-SUBSTITUTE TEACHER WHO TRANSFORMS A CLASS OF FIFTH GRADERS INTO A HIGH-VOLTAGE ROCK GROUP. HIS LESSON: TO LEAD THEIDS ON TO VICTORY IN THE LOCAL BATTLE OF THE BANDS COMPETITION.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 333 more reviews...
 Summer School July 4, 2009
Star Bux
The movie starts and ends with a show. His band "mates" are not
happy with him, so they vote him out (it's a democracy). They want
to be "professional", that is to say, "financially successful".
Dewey Finn, after intercepting a phone call meant for his roommate,
decides to impersonate his roommate, Shneebly (sp?), and takes an
assignment as a substitute teacher, in order to pay his share of the rent.
Dewey (Mr. S) hears the children learning classical music, and gets
excited at the "prospect" of teaching the kids "rock and roll". But then,
he gets "greedy": He dreams of winning the "Battle of the Bands" with
his new band, the kids with himself as the band leader (it's a
dictatorship). For the School of Rock is run by a Teacher, not an
equal.
There are two songs, Dewey's and one that one of the students writes.
Whereas before Dewey was not very good as a musician, he and his
new band, are. Maybe because now the fear of not "making the rent"
has been replaced with the fear of not "putting on an awesome show,
and changing the world". He is having fun, whereas before, it was
about "being professional". Forget the "score board" and focus on "the
game", the show and not the competition, becomes the focus for them.
Summer, one of the students, can't sing very well or play a musical
instrument, but she can manage the band very well. She can handle
the financial side of things, as well as adults. Gene Simmons of Kiss
can do both, or is Shannon Tweed more like Summer, and Gene
Simmons less like Summer? The point is, musicians tend to make
poor mathematicians, and artists tend to make poor accountants.
Although, could an electric guitar be possible without an understanding
of both music and engineering?
Logic and Emotion. Reason and Rhyme. Truth and Love.
Lyrics: Baby we were making straight A's. We were stuck in the dumb
days. Doesn't take much to memorize your lines. Feels like I've been
hypnotized. Rock is the reason. Rock is the rhyme. Get me to school
on time....So writes Zack, one of Dewey's (Mr.S's) students. But Dewey
corrects him: "Rock got no reason; Rock got no rhyme". Dewey sees
chaos, whereas Zack sees order. Yet, Mr. S is the dictator, and Zack, the
rebellious student (according to his parents). They both like "Rock and
Roll", they are attracted to it, but see it differently. Which is the correct
interpretation? Perhaps they are both right? Duality and Paradox: A
Paradox is of 2 statements, both True, but which appear to contradict
each other. So, Is Rock a need (chaos) or a desire (order)? Is it like
water, or wine? For Dewey, Rock is his life, it is what keeps him alive,
it is water to him. But for Zack, Rock is about escapism, a temporary
relief from daily concerns, a reason, a desire, it is wine, but he needs to
get to school on time...Zack's priorities are the three R's: Reading,
wRiting, and aRithmetic: aRRR! Dewey's priority is two R's: Rock, and
Roll; Rent may be a concern, but is not a priority (if push comes to shove,
his roommate will simply have to break up with his girlfriend, so he can
stay).
Dewey teaches the kids that Rock is about "sticking it to the man", but
"who's the man"? The Principal? Dewey's rommate's girlfriend? Or
Dewey's former bandmates, who are now his competition in the Battle of
the Bands? Perhaps all art is political, about, putting on a great show,
and changing the world, while having fun. Rock, is about life. Good art,
then, seeks to tear down walls, rather than put them up.
Upon American money you will find the inscription, In God We Trust.
But which God? For the Bible (KJV) says, Trust in the Lord, thy God.
Is the Lord, your God? Dewey leads the children in prayer, and speaks
of "the God of Rock". Is Israel, Rock? Israel is both a person, and a
people. The children of Israel, are they not the children of God?
Words matter, but can you tell poetry apart from prose? Is Rock to be
taken literally? Who can tell the interpretation thereof? Can Rock be spoken?
Dewey says to the parents: "I've been touched by your kids, and I'm pretty
sure I've touched them"...He is not ashamed, just misunderstood, as he
runs away, crucified in a court of public opinion, but exalted in the School
of Rock. That's Rock, and not, 'Wrok', which is 'Work' in disguise...Of means
From, or Belonging to..."The God of Rock", is He a god of order, of chaos, or
is he both, as in, Love? For love is about water and wine, about both needing
and wanting. Do you want, what you need? Who would write a song about
a dialysis machine, he needs, but which is indifferent to his plight? The God of
Israel, and the God of Rock, but do they (Israel and Rock) worship the same?
Do you see Rock, or Wrok? Love, or mammon? Do you see the Israel of God,
or the "State of Israel", as in "how's the patient doing, today"? What motivates
the artist? Rent, or "putting on a great show, and changing the world"? Israel a
holy people, a chosen people, versus Rock, a rebellious people, a stiffnecked
people, like sheep without a shepherd: It is a "battle of the bands". But it is,
No Contest, as far as Israel is concerned. "Remember Mr.S, it's not about
winning"...Why did Moses pray for them?
For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which
cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name
unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And
again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold, I , and the children which
God hath given me. Hebrews 2: 11-13, KJV...The preceding scripture is about
Jesus.
The movie ends, as it began, with a show. But the end is not like the beginning,
which is a show in the midst of a drunken crowd, but the movie ends with a concert
in the midst of a sober audience: Two songs, one to open, or is the second, the
encore? If the School of Rock had a motto, it might be: I want to Rock and Roll
all night, and study every day. Which may explain why Summer takes attendance
by day, and studies the business acumen of David Geffen by night. What do
you call, Rock? What do you call, Fun? What do you call, "Good Art"? As Marilyn
Monroe once said, "It's all Make Believe, isn't it?" Rock got no reason. Rock is the
reason.
 Very good buyer and prompt mailer March 4, 2009
ginalocks
This product came in Excellent condition and it came fast too. Will do business again. A++++++
 Very funny, but disturbing to see kids using language January 21, 2009
City Of Rocks
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I wanted to give this more stars. I think the character Dewey perfectly sums up in a delightfully honest, humorous way, the failed educational philosophy of John Dewey (Hey! Teacha! Leave those kids alone...)
But you're not watching this for the philosophy. You're watching it for the humor, and possibly for Jack Black. You will get some good doses of that, although probably nothing will rival Nacho Libre.
The reason I can't give it more stars is, it's terribly disturbing to see young children using language and dressing in skimpy clothes. I wouldn't let a child do something that.
It's reasonably funny, and I love Joan Cusack's acting. Jack Black did a fine job although, like I said, he can probably never rival himself as he was in Nacho Libre if you're a Jack Black fan. But he's also done much worse in his mockery of Jesus. Greatly dampens my enthusiasm for future projects. A pity.
Gotta Love Jack Black! January 6, 2009
Marlena (Texas)
This is one of my favorite movies to watch when I need a laugh and just to have some layed back fun. I love this movie from beginning to end. Jack Black can be so funny without even trying. If you like music, Jack Black, and to laugh and left feeling good when a movie is over, you'll love this movie.
It was a fun movie to watch. January 2, 2009
Grant Reed (San Antonio, TX USA)
While School of Rock is billed as a comedy, I found it more related to Shakespearian comedies than say recent movie comedy. That is to say that no one died and overall it had a good ending. I was surprised to find very few laugh-out-loud moments in this movie. Maybe I'm just a tough audience, but that was my take. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy it.
As a matter of fact, I quite enjoyed it. This is something of a feel good story, and it is fun, which is something I always enjoy in movies. While the story leaves a certain number of blatant holes, such as how easy it would be to be invited to a prestigious prep school as a substitute, it is enjoyable enough that I can forgive the unlikely plausibility.
Central to School of Rock is the music. By this I mean that the themes revolve around music not that music is what it is all about. Rock is what molds the protagonist, Dewey Finn, and puts him into the situation that starts the basic plot. Rock is what pulls him out of the funk that he finds himself in, and what gets him into a bit more trouble.
The kids are what make the movie though, and I enjoyed the fact that they play so well. The kids do offer the opportunity for Dewey to change (a little) and to offer his own wisdom to help them through the rather convoluted (or weak) issues they experience, such as being cool, stage fright, and pressure from both peers and parents.
My favorite part was the concert at the end of the movie. In the concert, one gets to see the fun of rock and roll, both during the performance and at the conclusion of the performance.
I think I would have enjoyed a little bit more on the history of rock, other than just a diagram, but that is something that is a minor concern.
I would recommend this movie as a light repast. It isn't very serious, and it isn't over-the-top comedic, but it is fun, for at least an hour and forty minutes or so. I give it 3 stars, which I rounded up.
As far as extras, they were okay, but they were neither a deal maker, or deal breaker.
I enjoyed the Kids' commentary, though it completely overtakes the movie so that you really don't hear the movie during the overplay.
The Lessons Learned section was moderately okay, and you had a better chance at meeting the young actors. There was a little tongue and cheek by Jack Black, which I had mixed (slightly toward positve) feelings about.
I would still reccomend the movie, just on fun.
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