Out of bed for Rock School!

Marky Ramone and the Collins kids at CBGBs following the NYC premiere of Rock School.

Even though I can't sit at this desk more than a few minutes due to my fucking bad back, I had to come downstairs and make this post.

You might have read or heard via a news wire that Newmarket had decided to pull Rock School from all theaters after just one weekend due to slow sales.

Not true. The news of Rock School's death is greatly exaggerated.

My son, Eric, is helping out Don Argott today, distributing flyers to see the movie. Don, who is of course the director and producer of Rock School, told Eric that while the film has been pulled from some venues, it is still playing in selected theaters around the country but everything...and I mean everything...hinges on how well it does in Philadelphia this weekend. Unfortunately, it will not be playing at either the Neshaminy AMC or Loews, NJ but has an exclusive area showing at the Ritz Five. This family personally has recruited every friend, neighbor, and relative we have to come out to the Ritz this weekend and I know of other Rock School families who are doing the same. We need to all pull together and make this happen -- this is such a great film and it's been given no real advertisements at all. It's got to happen by word of mouth via the crowd in Philly. And of course the Ritz is by far the coolest movie theater in the tri-state area.

I mean, look at what critics all over the country are saying about Rock School:

"Two thumbs up!"
- Ebert & Roeper

"Headbanger and headmaster Paul Green is the real deal."
- Kevin Maynord, USA Today

"Makes Jack Black…look positively unplugged."
- Manohla Dargis, New York Times

"Immensely Entertaining!"
- Carina Chocano, The Los Angeles Times

"In this day of dummying-down and coddling students, it's refreshing to see a teacher push his students to levels of accomplishment they didn't think was possible."
- Duane Byrge, Hollywood Reporter

"Irresistibly entertaining and full of unique character portraits."
- Robert Koehler, Variety

"It's funny and moving to see this eccentric nugget of boomer virtuosity played by a generation that has absolutely no idea how weird it was."
- Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

*** (out of 4)
- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

*** ½ (out of 4)
"Hilarious, inspired, frenzied"
- Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune

*** (out of 4)
"Ignore the ridiculous R rating. Mature children will enjoy this film and might be the perfect audience"
- James Verniere, Boston Globe

"Meet a pint size guitar prodigy, soccer moms 'without the soccer,' and international Zappa devotees - they're all here. And they all Rock. Invigorating!"
- Premiere Magazine

"Joyous and righteously entertaining. Rock School is required viewing"
- Lewis Beale, Film Journal International

"Love him or hate him, Paul Green is one of the best characters you will see in any film."
- Erik Childress, e-film critic

"Paul Green is so intense, he makes manic Jack Black look like a valium"
- Robert Philpot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Plugged-in, and turned on."
- Ken Tucker, New York Magazine

"Highly Entertaining"
- Darren D'Addario, Time Out NY

"'Rock School' revels in moments of transcendent joy."
"'Rock School' celebrates music, family, hard work and yes, Paul Green."
- Jami Bernard, New York Daily News

"Deliciously Loud, Wildly Funny! Rock School is engrossing from its first shot to its final fade."
- Lisa Rose, NJ Star Ledger

"EXHILARATING"
"Raw and Funny"
- John Hartl, The Seattle Times

A-
- Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post Intelligencer

**** (out of 4)
"Revealingly entertaining and raucous"
- Scott Galupo, The Washington Times

"Hilarious and charming"
- Melissa Levine, San Francisco Weekly/East Bay Press

**** (out of 5)
- Peter Hatlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

*** (out of 4)
- Michael O' Sullivan, San Francisco Examiner

Newmarket Films, who isn't really Newmarket anymore but now called Picturehouse Films, is demanding a retraction of this false story about Rock School's demise and as soon as it appears on line, I will post it here.

But in the meantime...ouch...back to bed...