The first of its sort, I Want You Around: The Ramones and the Making of Rock 'n' Roll High School provides readers with a detailed production history of this beloved film that draws upon extensive interviews the author has conducted with many of the people who contributed to its creation, including director Allan Arkush, uncredited co-director Joe Dante, screenwriter Joseph McBride, producer Michael Finnell, the Ramones' tour manager, Monte A. Melnick, and Roger Corman.

This is a free event, open to the public. We will be on hand with copies of his book to sell and get signed by the author.

REVIEW QUOTES

"The Ramones' involvement in Rock 'n' Roll High School was a significant milestone for the band, as it helped them gain more mainstream exposure and recognition. They had a great time working on the movie, and Joey Ramone described the filming process as "a blast." The movie remains a cult classic among punk rock fans and is remembered as a fun, energetic tribute to the music of the Ramones." --Monte A. Melnick, Ramones tour manager, 1974-1996

"There used to be an underground movie theater at Columbus Circle in New York. Is it still there? That's where Tina [Weymouth, bassist, Talking Heads] and I attended a premier of Rock 'n' Roll High School. It was so exciting! The Ramones were the first of the CBGB crowd to make a Hollywood movie." --Chris Frantz, drummer, Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club

"Loaded with compelling anecdotes, Steve Armstrong's history of Rock 'n' Roll High School is for anybody who loves the Ramones, and who doesn't love the Ramones?" --Legs McNeil, co-editor Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk

"Rock 'n' Roll High School is a refreshing burst of teenage anarchy. P. J. Soles shines, Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov represent the faculty, and the Ramones supply the rock 'n' roll! Raucous and funny, one of my favorite New World Pictures movies." --John Landis, American filmmaker and actor
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen Armstrong is a film/popular music historian and author of several books, including Paul Bartel: The Life and Films, Pictures about Extremes: The Films of John Frankenheimer, and Andrew V. McLaglen: The Life and Hollywood Career. His short stories have appeared in the journals American Writing and Criminal Class Review among others. A professor of English, he teaches in the Creative Writing and Professional & Technical Writing emphases at Utah Tech University.