I had a lot of memorable experiences at this year’s SF Indiefest, but the screening of director Paul Bunnell’s The Ghastly Love of Johnny X has to be right up at the top of the list. I was greeted at the box office by a camera crew (which I would later learn was shooting a piece for CBS) and Bunnell himself, who was full of enthusiasm and excitement about introducing the film to fresh eyes. The movie was presented in 35mm, and there were some projection issues in the middle of the film (the image completely blacked out at one point), but these technical hiccups only served to make the night more unforgettable. It reminded me that I was watching film, not a plastic disc. I’ll take imperfection over sterility every time.

Read our review of The Ghastly Love of Johnny X

Mr. Bunnell was generous enough to give Way Too Indie an interview about his wacky sci-fi adventure. He offers insight into the history of the film, his filmmaking process, his inspirations, the benefits of shooting on film, and much more.

The Ghastly Love of Johnny X is one of the strangest, scatterbrained films you’d have the pleasure of watching this year, and even Bunnell, the creator of the erratic comedy, had trouble summing it up into a sound bite.

“You can’t really put it into one sentence, but I’d say it’s about a gang of juvenile delinquents from outer space…and their gang leader (Johnny X) gets sentenced to planet earth for general mischievousness until Johnny can do a good deed. You know, I’ll tell you, it’s so crazy, it’s hard to really sum up into a sentence. I’d like to call it the only sci-fi/horror/comedy/intergalactic/weird movie you need to see this year…I don’t know, it’s just kind of a strange film. Good luck trying to sum it up! I usually say ‘The movie’s 106 minutes. Just come on in, go with it, and don’t have any expectations. It is what it is, (so just) go along for the ride and have a good time.”

Johnny X is full of greasers, classic cars, and soda shops, indicating influences from 50s and 60s culture and cinema. While Bunnell set out to make a nostalgic film, he was careful to not veer into ‘spoof’ territory.

“I was influenced by movies…from the 50’s and 60’s. A lot of the juvenile delinquent, teenage angst type films…like The Wild One with Marlon Brando to East of Eden (with) James Dean, to sci-fi films like Teenagers From Outer Space. Genre stuff like The Good the Bad and the Ugly. I wasn’t trying to make one of those films necessarily; I just wanted the look and feel of (them.)”

Initially, what surprised me about the film were its atypically high production values (the posters make it look like a B-movie.) Bunnell discusses the importance of making the film look as polished as possible.

“I didn’t want to compromise on the quality (of the film), which is why I had to wait to get the movie finished. A lot of friends said ‘Hey, you shot part of the film, why don’t you just go ahead and finish it up as a short film, shoot it (digitally), or make some kind of director’s reel out of it’, but I really didn’t want to do that. I knew I had to go for broke. I took the extra time and headache(s) to get (the film) looking, feeling, and sounding like a bigger movie, something contemporary. I felt like if I wasn’t going to do that, then what’s the point? I think audiences today expect a movie to be well done. They can certainly smell a cheap movie.”

It was truly a joy to watch such a retro-stylized movie projected in 35mm in the historic Roxie Theater. The flicker and life only film can achieve made this screening one of the purest movie-going experiences I’ve had in a while. Bunnell described the significance of film to his work.

“When I was a kid, I started out shooting on super 8 film…graduated to 16mm, and (Johnny X) was my first 35mm production. When I was a kid, 35mm was the thing to do. During the making of (Johnny X), everything started shifting over to digital, but I still wanted to finish it on film because I feel that film delivers something (organic) that you still cannot quite replicate (digitally.) The bottom line for me is the story. If you’ve got a good story, it doesn’t really matter what you shoot it on.”

Alfred Hitchcock mourned the silent film era when the first ‘talkies’ began to overrun cinemas in the 1920s. I asked Mr. Bunnell if he felt the same sadness for the passing of the film era into the digital era.

“I do (mourn the film age.) I’m so used to seeing (film) and what it looks like. (Film) is a really magical medium. It’s an over 100-year-old process. When (you’re) working with film, you have to be very, very careful about what you’re shooting, how you shoot it. (Everything has to be) very thought-out, and the plan has to be in place. With digital, you can roll and roll and roll, and you don’t have to worry about it. Well, we’re burning up film here! It really takes discipline. With digital cinema, there’s a lack of discipline with some filmmakers, because I don’t think they know (discipline.) When I’m shooting, I know exactly what I want to do. I get my angles, my shots, I rehearse the scenes, because (I) don’t have a lot of time or money to burn. It’s a technique that is going away with younger filmmakers.

There’s something about getting film exposed, taking it to the lab, developing it, then watching it when it’s projected…there’s something magical (about that experience) for me.”

Bunnell discusses these topics and much more, like the 10 year process of making Johnny X, his talented cast, how a carbon arc projector works, his choice to film on the now extinct Kodak Plus-X film stock, and much more in the full interview, which you can listen to in its entirety below.

The lineup at this year’s SF IndieFest was unbelievably strong; I anticipated that there would be at least a few certified duds, but that wasn’t the case. Though I didn’t love every film, each had its unique voice, ambition, and spirit. From the lowest-budget short to the most polished full-length feature, they all offered a brand new experience. This made making my list of ten favorite films very difficult. I connected with many, many films at the festival, but these ten are the ones that I felt compelled to champion the most.

Top 10 Films from SF IndieFest

#1 Simon Killer

The thing about Simon Killer is, it’s a difficult movie to digest, but in the best way possible. The teeth-grinding level of discomfort Antonio Campos and Brady Corbet are able to achieve in Simon Killer resonated with me more than anything else at the festival. Corbet finds a way to make Simon both magnetic and repulsive, and Campos captures Paris at its most deeply colorful and richly textured. Pound for pound, my favorite movie of the festival.

Remember to keep it tuned in to Way Too Indie in April for our full review of Simon Killer and our interview with director Antonio Campos.

#2 Be Good

Though not as flashy as Simon Killer, Todd Looby’s Be Good also finds its protagonist going through alarming mental transformations that surprise even him. Be Good will break your heart stealthily, little by little. Joe Swanberg’s All the Light in the Sky does the same and shares the same naturalistic tone, but when it comes to picking my personal favorites of the festival, Be Good just hits closer to home. Every moment in this movie feels earned, and Looby’s characters are handled with care. It’s the type of movie that just might teach you something about yourself by the time the credits roll.

#3 I Declare War

There were more than a few movies at this year’s festival that evoked feelings of nostalgia, but I Declare War recalls an era of movies (The Goonies, Stand by Me) that I just happened to grow up with. The kids playing their supposedly innocent ‘game’ quickly realize that their heated prepubescent emotions are too powerful to contain. The child actors’ performances are beyond impressive, and the film’s intensity and stakes are consistently high throughout the running time.

#4 The Legend of Kaspar Hauser

‘Strange’ does not begin to describe this movie. To attempt to describe what ‘happens’ in The Legend of Kaspar Hauser would be to betray it. It’s a visually and sonically stimulating film that rubs you in a way that no other film can. It will make you laugh, squirm, headbang, ponder, gag, yadda yadda yadda. You just…you just need to watch it. It’s absolutely nuts… in a good way.

#5 Antiviral

Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral serves as a showcase for its gifted lead actor, Caleb Landry Jones, much like two other films at the festival, Simon Killer and The Story of Luke. What sets Jones’ performance apart from the other two is his spine-chilling physical transformation. Cronenberg’s imaginative and haunting imagery are as arresting as his fathers’, but Jones makes use of every bit of his body to burn the images of his painful deterioration into our minds.

#6 All the Light in the Sky

Films are best when they act as a mirror, illuminating our darkest fears and forcing us to confront them. As Jane Adams, as Marie, fights internally to find her place in this gigantic world, we realize that she’s fighting something we all must all face sooner or later. Nobody has captured the 21st century adult on film quite like Joe Swanberg, and he delivers another stunning time-capsule work of art with All the Light in the Sky.

#7 The Story of Luke

Of all the characters I’ve encountered in the many films at SF Indiefest, The Story of Luke is the one I hold nearest to my heart. The attachment you feel for Luke and his quest for love is inescapable, mostly due to Lou Taylor Pucci’s spot-on performance. The powerful message of acceptance and love The Story of Luke delivers is one that fit the spirit of SF Indiefest and the great city of San Francisco like a glove.

#8 The We and the I

Leading up to the opening night screening of Michel Gondry’s The We and the I, the thing I was most looking forward to was just how innovative Gondry would get with his camera in the super-enclosed space that is a city bus. Just how many interesting camera angles could he find? The answer? It doesn’t matter. Gondry does use his camera in interesting ways, but what makes this film special are the ever-changing dynamics of the loud-mouthed, quick-witted, unfiltered characters that occupy the bus.

#9 The Ghastly Love of Johnny X

Watching this film in 35mm at The Roxie was one of the cornerstones of my incredible SF Indiefest experience. Having the director, Paul Bunnell, and the cast there, the energetic crowd, the buttery popcorn, the technical difficulties; these things all added up to an unforgettable night at the movies, which is what SF Indiefest is all about.

#10 Funeral Kings

The ultra-vulgar kids in Funeral Kings remind me of myself as an awkward teenager. I chuckled at how much of myself I saw in these characters in their pursuit of attention, validation, and sex. To see them chase after girls and sneak around their parents’ houses in the middle of the night was like a blast from the past. Like I Declare War, Funeral Kings features some incredible performances by young actors. The attitude these kids exude is authentic, and nothing about their performances feels forced.

It was a huge weekend at SF Indiefest, and we’ve got some equally huge coverage from the festival to bring to you all week. Stay locked-in to Way Too Indie this week for reviews, interviews, and our top 10 lists for best features and best shorts. There are only four days left in the festival, and we’re going to keep the train rolling until the fat lady sings!

Friday night at SF Indiefest provided a ton of retro-centric fun to kick off the second weekend of the festival. I popped into the festival’s popular Roller Disco party at the Women’s Building just a couple blocks away from the festival’s epicenter, the Roxie, and found a group of enthusiastic roller-skating machines having a hell of a time skating circles around me (my uncoordinated ass had big-time roller-skating envy.) Dressed in sharp 70’s garb, the disco-skating crowd continued to keep the party rolling as I headed back over to the Roxie to catch a screening of The Ghastly Love of Johnny X.

I was greeted at the box-office by a large camera and boom mic stuck in my face, and a man dressed in 50’s-esque attire (at this point I felt like I was falling backwards inside a time warp) who asked me what movie I was going to watch. I told him I was there to see Johnny X, he smiled, shook my hand, and introduced himself as the director of the film, Paul Bunnell! He was a very nice guy and I told him I looked forward to watching his film. The 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s-inspired film turned out to be a lot of fun and was projected for us in gorgeous 35mm. After the film, Paul and a few members from the cast participated in a playful Q&A that kept the crowd laughing. All in all, the night was a fun blast from the past that turned out to be the most unique evening of the festival so far.

One of my favorite moments of the festival so far was on Sunday when a huge group of local Bay Area filmmakers took the stage for a Q&A after a presentation of their short films. As a Bay Area native, it was a proud moment to see such an impressive array of home-grown talent on display. There was a huge turnout for the program, which made it a lot of fun to be a part of.

I saw a TON of films this weekend, which included the festival’s centerpiece film, Days of Grace, a violent look into Mexico City’s seedy underbelly, Amy Seimetz’s bittersweet (mostly bitter) Sun Don’t Shine, the McManus brothers’ hilarious coming-of-age story, Funeral Kings, Leslie Zemeckis’ documentary about a couple of famous Siamese twins, Bound by Flesh, a cautionary tale of the dark side of the porn industry in Mia Donovan’s Inside Lara Roxx, mumblecore king Joe Swanberg’s All the Light in the Sky, and MANY more.

We’ll have reviews for all of these films coming up in the next few days, but we’ll start off with our review of Paul Bunnell’s The Ghastly Love of Johnny X.

The Ghastly Love of Johnny X (capsule review)

A decade in-the-making, The Ghastly Love of Johnny X is a retro-tinted window into the mind of director Paul Bunnell, mashing together influences from sci-fi B-movie flicks like Flash Gordon and musicals like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Grease. The combination of the two genres (with touches of various other eccentric influences) works well, though it’s not quite as explosive as it should be. There are some pacing and narrative issues, but ultimately Johnny X is an enjoyably wild and surprisingly slick-looking adventure that is worth a look, especially if you’re a fan of over-the-top, genre filmmaking.

Read full review of The Ghastly Love of Johnny X

Also, STAY TUNED to Way Too Indie for an extended interview with director Paul Bunnell incoming soon!

A decade in-the-making, The Ghastly Love of Johnny X is a retro-tinted window into the mind of director Paul Bunnell, mashing together influences from sci-fi B-movie flicks like Flash Gordon and musicals like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Grease. The combination of the two genres (with touches of various other eccentric influences) works well, though it’s not quite as explosive as it should be. There are some pacing and narrative issues, but ultimately Johnny X is an enjoyably wild and surprisingly slick-looking adventure that is worth a look, especially if you’re a fan of over-the-top, genre filmmaking.

Johnny X is a too-cool-for-school greaser a la James Dean and The Fonz who gets banished to earth from a far-away world. Followed by his gang of goons, the Ghastly Ones, Johnny chases after his ex-girlfriend, the sultry siren Bliss (De Anna Joy Brooks), and a soda jerk with a heart of gold, Chip, who have stolen his powerful “Ressurection Suit”, which grants its wearer with the ability influence others in a powerful way. In their epic cat and mouse pursuit, they sing songs, dance their asses off, and have a fateful run-in with an aging former rock star, Mickey O’ Flynn (Creed Bratton), who is mysteriously linked to Johnny.

While the tone is light and the goofs are plentiful, Johhny X actually takes a long time to build up steam. Some of the scenes and musical numbers in the first half of the film are entertaining enough to grab your attention, but the film loosens its grip with slightly overly elongated scenes of dialogue and exposition that aren’t funny enough to sustain the momentum the musical and action scenes generate. In the second half of the film, however, gloriously strange sets and imagery, gigantic performances, and a refreshing shuffling of allegiances help to create a more kinetic pace. Johnny uses his Resurrection Suit to take control of Mickey O’ Flynn’s body puppeteer-style in the film’s most visually hilarious and unforgettable musical number. The more outrageous the film gets, the more fun we have. The film stumbles when scenes are stretched out, and could definitely trim some fat in areas to make Johnny X all killer no filler.

The film’s title and posters scream schlocky B-movie, but don’t get it twisted; Johnny X looks lightning slick. Filmed in lush black and white on the now discontinued Kodak Plus-X film stock, Bunnell’s 10 years of work can be seen in the impressively high production values. There are moments where you’ll be laughing at the zany absurdity of the scene, when suddenly, you’ll realize that what you’re watching is actually pretty damn good-looking. The visuals in Johnny X are always rich, always interesting, and are one of the films biggest strengths. The film’s other big strength lies in the well-choreographed and sung musical sections. The cast really shines in these moments, and the pieces are arranged well. There is a scene where Bliss dances, prances, taunts, and teases around good ol’ Chip in a parking lot that’s phenomenal, mostly due to the gifted Brooks.

The rest of the cast do a fine job of getting through the songs and dialog with flair, but Brooks as the sexy Bliss and Bratton as the decaying Mickey O’Flynn steal the show and give their performances that extra “oomph” that helps to propel the film forward. Brooks dominates the screen every time she’s given the opportunity, and Bunnell gives her lots of room to work her magic. Bratton goes balls-to-the-wall and chews up everything in his path. He has doesn’t hold anything back, and he’s so gross, so repulsive, so unflinching, that you can’t help but eat it up. Will Keenan as Johnny X has no problem embodying the super-cool aura that the role requires, but isn’t quite as convincing in his quieter scenes.

Though Johnny X has its flaws, the feeling I was left with at the end of the film was pleasingly positive. It was a joy to watch this 50’s sci-fi throwback in 35mm, and provided an experience I’m not sure I’ll see again for a long while. Though it starts off somewhat slow, it ramps up towards the end, which is better than if it had been the other way around. What makes this film work is the passion Paul Bunnell injects into it; he obviously loves and is a connoisseur of the genres he pays homage to. For fans of wacky genre film, this is definitely a film worth discovering.