The Ghastly Love of Johnny X

When I saw the trailer for this over a year ago I had to watch it. Unfortunately, living in rural America, it never came to any theaters near me. When it hit Vudu for purchase I snagged it almost immediately. Anyway, here goes.

If you love campy sci-fi humor you will love this movie. The musical aspect also give a nice touch and is well done. The choreography is also top notch.

If you appreciate odes to an era gone by where campy sci-fi flicks were plentiful then you cannot go wrong with this film. When comparing this to modern flicks in the same vein, it holds up well. While Repo The Genetic Opera remains my favorite indie musical, The Ghastly Love of Johnny X holds up well. I give it a solid 9/10 stars with zero reservations.

I think this was a very fun retro movie and a tribute and spoof of the 1950's sci-fi and juvenile delinquent movies. Creed Bratton was very funny as a zombie entertainer. It has a GREAT look to it in scope and the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The music is good and I really enjoyed this. Some of the film score and songs stayed with me many days later. It also was very nice to see Kevin McCarthy and Paul Williams in this movie. The very last film shot on Kodak Plus X 35mm black and white film stock. A very entertaining film. Very campy. I think this film will continue into the future as a major cult film. I am so glad it was shot on real film stock and not on digital format equipment.

'THE GHASTLY LOVE OF JOHNNY X': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Sci-fi musical comedy flick about a gang of deliquent misfits, from outer space, who are exiled to earth and trying to find their way home. It was produced and directed by Paul Bunnell and written by Bunnell, Steve Bingen, Mark D. Murphy and George Wagner. The film stars Will Keenan in the title role (who's probably most well known for playing Tromeo in the Troma flick 'TROMEO AND JULIET') and it also features a supporting cast which includes Creed Bratton (Creed of 'THE OFFICE' fame), De Anna Joy Brooks, Reggie Bannister (of 'PHANTASM' fame), Les Williams, Jed Rowen, Kevin McCarthy (of 'INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS' fame) and veteran actor Paul Williams. The movie was made on a budget of just $2 million and was the lowest grossing film of 2012! I found it to be a pretty amusing and fun time at the movies.

The movie begins, in outer space, with Jonathan Xavier (Keenan) being exiled to Earth by The Grand Inquisitor (McCarthy). Johnny then spends his days causing trouble, on Earth, with his gang of troublemaking friends. His girlfriend Bliss (Brooks) recently dumped him and ran off with his 'Resurrection Suit'; which is a powerful uniform that can control others. Johnny will now stop at nothing to get the suit back and win back Bliss's love. Multiple musical numbers follow as the plot also involves Johnny's gang helping a music promoter (Bannister) put on a show with a dead rock star (Bratton).

I really love the style and enthusiasm of this 50s throwback sci-fi flick. Bunnell really got the mood and feel right; of the B movies from that era. I'm not from the 50s but I remember watching a lot of movies from that time period, growing up as a child, in the 70s and 80s. So even for me this movie has that magical 50s nostalgic feel. The acting is all good and the music numbers are well done and catchy as well. It's definitely not a flick for everyone, some will find it downright stupid and silly, but it should more than please it's target audience (if they ever see it).

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A decade in-the-making, The Ghastly Love of Johnny X really comes together in the details. In order to make such a concept pop, this one needed as much research as guts and gumption to see it over the line, and filmmaker Paul Bunnell has obviously invested a significant amount of time and money into making sure his film rises to its many, many sources of inspiration. I can see John Waters in here; I can see alien invasion films; I can see the big monster movies of the atomic age; I can see West Wide Story; I can see James Dean's oeuvre; I can even see a bit of Frankenstein and Re-Animator. The fact that Bunnell has managed to rope all these influences together into one cohesive package is a feat that deserves 'high five' recognition. The songs by Ego Plum and lyricist Scott Martin aren't quite that of Bacharach or Leiber & Stoller, but they're tight, finger-snapping ditties that recall the show tunes of a bygone era and ornament the film perfectly without overwhelming it. Ultimately, The Ghastly Love of Johnny X is just too unique and beautiful not to recommend. You may like it, you may not. Either way, I guarantee it will be unlike anything you have seen before.

I had first head about Johnny X a couple of years ago and had been wanting to see it, as I have been a fan of Will Keenan since TERROR FIRMER. I didn't know too much about the movie going in other than it was a sci-fi, and it was supposed to be the last movie ever, ever, shot on real black and white FILM. Not digital, but true film stock, lots of little pictures in a row, film. I had been meaning to look it up but had kind of forgotten about it until I actually came across it at my local library - which, I have to say, has an awesome taste in movie selections - and immediately grabbed it. Popping it in, we are treated with Kevin McCarthy (aka The Bad Guy from UHF...) sentencing Will Keenan to a horrible punishment for his crimes... Earth! *this is not a spoiler, this is the first minute of the film* I was also super excited to see that JX starred Reggie PHANTASM Banister and Creed THE OFFICE Bratton in juicy roles as well. Overall this is a really fun homage to 50's sci-fi that gets just about everything right, from the costumes to the cars to the sets to the songs. It updates a few things here and there (mostly the effects), but keeps that camp feel that makes watching old films so much fun. If you "got" and enjoyed THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA, JX will be right up your alley. If you like watching MST3K, but sometimes more for the 50's movies themselves, you'll love this. Highly recommended.