Paul Green: Hey, guys, we can laugh at ourselves, but now we're going to play some Sabbath--and that's no laughing matter.

Whether director Argott likes it or not "School of Rock" a similar film with a similar title, was a pre-cursor to this enlightening documentary called "Rock School". Imagine Jack Black as an erratic, irate, unkempt, high-strung blowhard, imagine the children under his tutelage as just average neighborhood kids with a disposition, and imagine less comedy and more melodrama and you have "Rock School".

In some ways "Rock School" is a shameless promotional film for Paul Green's school of music where he teaches rock and only rock militantly, but in other respects, it's a documentary that really shows what succeeding is all about. The children in here aren't bargain basement musicians, take for example the extremely gifted guitarist CJ Tywoniak, they're real musicians with genuine dedication, and won't waver in their love for the music and Green, in his own ways, nurtures that aspect. "Rock School" is fun from the very beginning as he counsels a bunch of children in a room in playing their instruments and as a ham shows off his Buffalo Bill impression to the students.

In many ways Green is a fascinating man, one who failed as a musician but took that knowledge and used it to teach others how to become musicians and true artists in their fields. The students are so much fun to watch during interviews as they bash "bands" like Korn, Bush, and Sheryl Crow and engage in true music almost obsessively with an
immense push from Green who runs back and forth teaching the kids to perform and yelling when they don't get it right. To many people, Green will look like a pure asshole who gets off on screaming at people, while never afraid or ashamed to tell us as many times as possible that his school is the best, he's the most talented, and no one can top him.

And even during performances for his students he jumps in front of them on stage pretending he's orchestrating the number and yanks the microphone thanking the audience for the performance he wasn't involved in, but through and through it's tough taking your eyes off Green who is a sheer presence as an utter blowhard. A good man, he's not, but he's a great teacher, and a role model for these children. Many will be vexed by his methods which are comprised of simply demonstrating, watching, and screaming. Green is the star in his own world, and as a student points out, Green is not the star, he's only a fraction of Rock School. But Green is a great teacher in spite of his crude methods because at the end of the day, there's Madi Diaz-Svalgard who is utterly talented as she is gorgeous (Which Green is not above flaunting her placing her in front).

In the age of militant political correctness "everyone gets a gold star" sentiment it's nice to see these children striving for extra-ordinary, and it's nice to see Green pushing them as they should be pushed. He pressures and demeans them in to perfection, because he knows children of this age need this sense of discipline. He says one girl has the possibility to be a druggie, he makes fun of one mentally disabled student, his student CJ decides to play two days after surgery and must sit down while playing to which CJ mocks, and he asks the young guitarists that if they don't practice they have a better chance of joining "The Bangles" than an actual band.

At one amusing but utterly disturbing scene he warns with a dead set stern threat to one of his pre-teen drummers "You mess this up, and I'll fucking punch your face in", and he threatens to kill their family when they get a number wrong. It's not that he doesn't love them. He does love them (or so he says, for the cameras). And the kids love him, because they know he means well. And they take it in stride with laughter and they have shouting matches with him on many occasions. They want perfection, he wants perfection, but they still love him because he's pushing them in ways no one else can. He doesn't inspire them to improve, he makes them improve. All of the documentary leads up to the Frank Zappa music festival where Green's best students will perform in and get them ready. "Rock School" is such an amusing bit of candid musicianship and a new view in to rock obsession, one that I flipped over.

Paul Green, buddy, pal, you're a prick. Yes, you may not get this often, or you probably do, but you're a prick. No, prick is too soft, you're an amoral, impotent asshole. One of the main aspects you assume Argott would commit to is downplaying Green's prick-titude (I know, it's not a word) but Argott seems to know the deal and shows Green's idiocy in all its glory, but if he wasn't sure he had, then you fucked up royally. Green is one true portion of the documentary that keeps this film from getting off the ground because he's only a failed rock star who tries to mold these children in to what he wanted to be. Imagine a stage mom or dad teaching a bunch of children and it's him. He comes on too strong with children. By pushing them he diminishes any interest in anything else, and he does so consciously. He mocks their tastes and belittles any other interest they may have because he wants them to be just like him. Green in all his glory is an attention whore, he's a pure stage dad who pressures his children, makes them perform and then takes all the credit, he's shameless, he's embarrassing and boy is he quite a number.

Paul Green is a giant prick who is basically the center of his own universe, but in many respects he's a great teacher who can form truly gifted musicians in to rousing performances. With good music and often very candid amusing interviews, "Rock School" is a very good piece of entertainment.

• Not the same, not a sequel, nor a spin-off of "School of Rock". In fact it was being made during "School of Rock".

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