A truly mad concoction, blending 1950s juvenile delinquents, sci-fi melodrama, song-and-dance, and a touch of horror, everything in just the right combination to create an engaging big screen spectacle! This curious and curiously entertaining story involves one Jonathan Xavier and his devoted misfit gang who, incidentally, have been exiled to Earth from the far reaches of outer space. Johnny's former girlfriend Bliss has left him and stolen his Resurrection Suit, a cosmic, mind-bending uniform that gives the owner power over others. Along the way, there will be several highly stylized musical numbers, lots of genuinely humorous dialogue, and a wacky plot-twist or two, all beautifully captured on the very last of Kodak's black-and-white Plus-X film stock.
The Ghastly Love of Johnny X is showing in 1 cinema in Los Angeles — next screening Friday 24 July at 19:30 at Gardena Cinema.
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Ah, the glory days of beatnik sci-fi, so why not turn it into an ultra-camp musical as well? Eastman b/w enhances Bunnell's eye for mid-60's art trash, and predictably, choreography and songs lean toward ironic cheese. Still, it has fun, loopy sfx and lots of retro fizz. It fades a bit, but wildly inventive.
The Ghastly Love of Johnny X had the perfect formula to be my kind of throwback B-movie: shot on actual black-and-white filmstock, written as a love letter to the likes of Ed Wood and Russ Meyer, and it's a musical to boot! Only one problem: the musical numbers are so dire that I immediately wished this had been played straight instead. Not only would that cut the rundown down considerably, it would have saved my ears from bleeding as well. Shame too, because the production side is lavish; as is often the case, it's the writing that lets down Paul Bunnell's vision of a retro-future.
Some people are gonna watch this and say, this is exactly what I needed. I was that person.You know old timey gang movies where they snap their fingers and dance? Yeah, it's kind like that. Remember sci-fi movies and their radioactive soundscapes? Those are there too. And of course, Creed Bratton playing an undead music star who is psychicly brought back to life by Johnny X, a greaser starman and leader of The Ghastly Ones. Lots of humor, attitude, and spunk. It's on Tubi, you got no excuse.
The film follows an alien gang exiled to Earth who must navigate human life, romantic betrayal, and the quest to recover a stolen cosmic suit in this genre-bending musical comedy.
Paul Bunnell directed the film in 2012, crafting it as a deliberate homage to 1950s B-movie aesthetic and rock-and-roll culture.
Yes, the film features original song-and-dance numbers integrated directly into its sci-fi and teen-delinquent premise.
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