Bring home ‘School of Rock’ special limited edition

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

Twenty years ago a little comedy that was meant for both kids and adults took audiences by surprise. School of Rock was a hit and now Paramount Home Entertainment is commemorating this adorable film with a limited edition Blu-ray SteelBook that includes a Digital code as well as plenty of fun bonus features.

The story is about an out-of-work rock musician, Dewey Finn (Jack Black) who pretends to be his friend Ned Schneebly, a substitute teacher at a prestigious private school. It’s outrageously funny. Not knowing about anything except rock and roll, Finn turns his students from attentive scholastic kids into a rock band. Of course, all of this is a secret to their parents and even the school’s administer. The kids really get involved in their  “school project” with costumes, music, a band logo, and everything that a proper band needs. 

The fun begins the first time Finn enters the classroom and doesn’t end until the final credits roll. This is truly a cute movie for the entire family. 

Bonus features include commentaries by Jack Black, director Richard Linklater, and the kids. Being a show about rock and roll, it was important to include a Led Zeppelin song and to get their approval, Black taped a plea to them. After all, what is a film about rock music without Led Zeppelin?

Another adorable featurette is “Lessons Learned on School of Rock.” This is basically an fun look behind the scenes of the creation of the movie with the cast and Linklater. The kids tell their stories about how they were cast and they also talk about working with Black. Black describes his wackiness during the filming and said it was the most fun he has ever had making a film. He took his job seriously even though his character did not. He also took time to bond with the kids, which was an important element in making this the hit that it became.

Black acknowledged he had to brush up on the electric guitar for his reel life as he played acoustic guitar in real life. He also said this was a hard movie to make but was great fun. Rehearsing all the funny scenes over and over was daunting because when it came time to film everyone hoped the scenes would come across as fresh and funny as they did all the times they were rehearsed. And they did. There was no need to worry on that front. 

There is also a feature about the premiere of the film at the Toronto Film Festival, which, for the kids, was the first film festival they had ever attended. It’s evident they had the time of their lives being on the red carpet and in a press conference. 

A music video and a few other additions complete the bonus features. 

Going behind the scenes of the film and the film festival adds a lot of enjoyment to the already enjoyable movie. This limited edition Blu-ray is a must-have for fans of the film and of Jack Black.

When it premiered in theaters on October 3, 2003, it hit the top of the charts and remained the number one film in the U.S.A. for ten weeks. 

On a side note: having reviewed the film when it first came out (sheesh – has it been 20 years already?) and having interviewed Black and the kids, I can say they were all great about speaking with the press and thoroughly enjoyed making the movie. The respect they had for Black and each other was clear. Their off-screen relationships helped make their on-screen relationships work great for the camera. 

School of Rock is rated PG-13 for some rude humor and drug references.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.