In the clip of the Rebel Highway TV series, we have the last tenth review left: Shake Rattle And Rock (1994) – a remake of the 1956 film. Susan (Renee Zellweger) and a couple of teenagers – Cookie (Patricia Childress) and Tony (Max Perlich) decide to play rock and roll and join a band called The Eggrolls. Susan sings and plays the piano, Cookie blows the saxophone, and Tony keeps the rhythm. And then there is the Negro girl doo-wop quartet The Sirens on the backs, who do not mind the first roles. The gifted guys are supported by the host of the TV show Danny Clay (Howie Mandel), the popularizer of rock and roll, but “Baba Yaga is against it” – their prim mothers deny music that openly expresses the sexual desires of teenagers.
A battered biker Lucky (John Doe) is hitting on Susan. He and his friend Bubber (James Intveld) ride motorcycles and don’t really know what to do with themselves. Lucky rolls up to Susan, and the girl, though a little afraid, but wants a free life away from boring and proper parents. “Her life was saved by rock-n-roll”, the voice of one of the main bands of the American underground will sing later.
Lonely Teenager
Drummer Tony (by the way, he is also sitting at the installation in the last scene in the movie Girls In Prison) rents a Chinese restaurant and announces to Susan that it’s not too far like on Saturday the Eggrolls have their first concert with a $1 entrance fee. Of course, the kids in the film play like pros, the debut is a resounding success and a sell-out. But in the end, the session is closed by law enforcement officers, and in response, teenagers are taken to destroy police cars. The story goes so far that rock and roll is being held in a show trial with prosecutors, witnesses, juries and other legal paraphernalia – Americans love to sue, as well as make films about the trials. This is more and more reminiscent of the original 1956.
"And your daughter is being shown here and there!"
Modern critics write that Shake Rattle & Rock is a colorless remake with hints of obscenity, and that it is empty and lifeless. But in general, you need to know what kind of films are directed by Allan Arkush. His specialization is musical paintings, he started in the late 70s with the shooting of several video clips for the Ramones and the full-length Rock-n-Roll High School (1979) with the same popular punk rockers.
The Sirens black doo-wop quartet is actually a real vocal girl band For Real, formed in 1993 and performing soul and rhythm and blues, consisting of Wendi Williams, Latanyia Baldwin, Josina Elder, Necia Bray-Gates. Quite a Motown R&B in the spirit of the Marvelettes. Everything would be fine, but there are no hints on the albums of this group on the web.
"I think I remember this feeling when I was young..."
The mother of the main girl from the doo-wop quartet was played by Jennifer Lewis, who over the years earned the title Black Mother of Hollywood for the roles of colored moms, who worked with Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Whoopi Goldberg, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and others. And Aunt Ella (an obvious reference to Fitzgerald!) – blues singer Ruth Brown herself (I’ll call her songs Mother He Treat You Daughter Mean, I Smell A Rat).
Officer Paisley, standing guard at a Chinese restaurant where a teenage band concert is taking place, is played by Dick Miller. He has a more authentic role in another Rebel Highway movie Runaway Daughters. It’s funny, the episode with the complaint filed by worried moms to the cop reminds us of today.
The female version of Jerry Lee
Music is a separate topic and an undoubted plus of the film. In the episode, Susan (voiced by Julianne Ray, guitarist of the Eggrolls) performs Lonely Teenager Dion. It’s just very nice to everyone who loves his work. And of course Fats Domino, whose songs are in all Rebel Highway films with the exception of Roadracers. And yes, there were times when Little Richard tore the roof off teenagers. Also good are “For Real” versions of doo-wop standards and the action movie You Oughta Get To Know Me Better (original by Lillian Brooks 1959) performed by teenagers at a concert in Chinatown.
OST Shake Rattle & Rock (1994)
Fats Domino – Ain’t That A Shame
Eddie Cochran – C’mon Everybody
For Real – Blue Moon
For Real – Do You Wanna Dance?
For Real – She Put the Bomp
For Real – Look In My Eyes
For Real and Julianna Raye – All Around the World
The Robins – Every Night
The Robins – Since I First Met You
Julianna Raye – Lonely Teenager
Julianna Raye – You Oughta Know Me Better
Download songs from the soundtrack or listen online:
Shake Rattle & Rock – the film is certainly not brilliant, but on the whole it’s not bad. This is the very beginning of Renee Zellweger’s acting career, one of her first roles. A little later there will be the musical Empire Records and the life-affirming Jerry Maguire, and there it’s not far from the star role of Bridget Jones.
Watch the movie Shake Rattle & Rock online in our VK group.
