The eponymous Johnny (Will Keenan) is an alien with an attitude problem. He and his group of pals have been exiled to earth for insubordination and disrespect for the authorities of their rule bound world (led by Grand Inquisitor Kevin McCarthy in a fun cameo role), taking the powerful resurrection suit (which can control people at a distance) with them. They fit right in to 1950's greaser culture, forming their own gang, The Ghastly Ones. But then, Johnny's girlfriend Bliss (De Anna Joy Brooks) decides she's had enough of Johnny's controlling ways, and wants out.

Bliss hides out in a diner, and puts herself (sort of) under the protection of shy and awkward soda jerk Chip (Les Williams). While Bliss and Chip flee from the gang, sketchy club owner King Clayton (Reggie Bannister) and his girlfriend Lily (Heather Provost) try to convince Johnny to use the resurrection suit (which they've seen in action) to help them out of a jam. They're trying to revive the career of rock and roll star Mickey O'Flynn (Creed Bratton), but he has inconveniently died mere days before his comeback performance.

And this is the least of the craziness. Amidst it all are actual resurrection of a corpse, dead lizards, teleological philosophy, betrayal, true love, and most of all incredibly well staged musical numbers. The songs (mostly written by Scott Martin, though Ego Plum is the composer of the film score) are original, fun, and fit very well into the time period represented. The singing and dancing is certainly odd, Bunnell says in the commentary that the film was not originally intended to feature music, but they fit seamlessly into the narrative, and add a lot of charm to the proceedings.

And charm is what The Ghastly Love of Johnny X is loaded with, and ultimately what makes the film successful. The plot is sort of thin and implausible, but in a way that honors and hearkens back to the implausible science fiction films of yesteryear. The antagonist feels a bit haphazardly thrown together. The effects are cheesy at times, but endearingly so. And that's really it. The flaws themselves are endearing. The process shots of the characters driving are obviously fake, but evoke a savory nostalgia. It's fake in a sweet and wonderful way. An undertone of sweetness pervades everything, even though at times Johnny's actions are a little less than noble, and his eventual turn to righteousness is never fully thought out. It helps that the film looks amazing. The black and white photography is sumptuous and clear, not at all looking like a fakey modern approximation, but like an actual fifties film perfectly preserved. The wide open vistas, classic cars and beautiful women are presented with joy and style. Johnny X manages the difficult feat of being sexy without descending into vulgarity.

In short, if you like your films linear, realistic and grounded (and more importantly, if you don't have love in your heart for the silly fifties sci-fi films to which Johnny X is an homage), you aren't going to like this movie. But if you have a sense of fun, and have fond memories of staying up late on Saturday night to watch a bit of goofiness on TV, then The Ghastly Love of Johnny X will hit exactly the right spot. Highly recommended.

The DVD

Video:
The video is 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, and as stated above, looks amazing. The black and white image is rich and nuanced, with deep blacks and bright whites, and fine gradations of grey. It's very nice.

Sound:
Audio is available in Dolby digital 2 channel and 5.1 channel. It sounds very good. The music plays an important role in the film, and it is well presented and clear. The dialogue is always clearly audible, and no hiss or other problem can be heard. No subtitles or alternate language track is available.

Extras:
There are a few extras included. They are:

Trailer
At two and a half minutes, this trailer is a bit long, but stylish.

Featurette - "Paul Bunnell's Ghastly Vision"
This is a thirty minute presentation of behind the scenes footage, interviews and tomfoolery about the making of Johnny X. It suffered a six year interim mid-shoot, and was plagued with money and weather problems. There is a lot of fascinating stuff here.

Deleted Scenes
Three deleted scenes are included here.

Outtakes
Almost six minutes of goofs and flubbed takes. Fun.

Other Strand Releasing Trailers
Trailers are included for Astral City, Crazy Eyes, California Solo and The Condemned.

Commentary Track with Director Paul Bunnell, Composer Ego Plum and De Anna Joy Brooks
This is the most substantial extra here, and is quite interesting. The trio discusses the tribulations of low budget film making, what it was like to work with Kevin McCarthy and Paul Williams, who also had a cameo role as a talk show host, and lots of set anecdotes. The film took ten years to make, and there are scenes in which whip back and forth between shots that were taken six years apart, yet are done so well that I had no idea until they began talking about it. One other nice feature in the commentary is when they play alternate or rejected music cues, and then discuss why they weren't used in the final film. This is very engaging and informative.

Easter Eggs
There are two Easter eggs on the disc, one in the main menu, and one in the extras menu. I won't ruin things by telling you where they are. They're not difficult to find, but they are fun.

Final Thoughts:
The Ghastly Love of Johnny X won't be a film for everyone. People will say it's too melodramatic, or silly, or not exciting enough, or whatever. But those people miss the entire point. This isn't a grinding British drama or slam bang shoot ‘em up or steamy thriller. It's an homage to a certain type of film that's made to watch with a big bowl of popcorn and your best gal (or guy) by your side. It's a loving recreation of a drive in staple, with no illusions about itself. It's sweet and sexy and cool all the way through, and that's good enough for me.