Johnny Suede

 Johnny Suede 1991

• Director: Tom DeCillo
• Seen by this director: When You’re Strange, Living in Oblivion
• Based on the novel: no
• Cast: Brad Pitt, Calvin Levels, Nick Cave, Alison Moir, Peter McRobbie, Tina Louise, Catherine Keener, Samuel L Jackson (just a few seconds so I won’t list him here. If you want to know his films look at my review of Pulp Fiction)
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Brad Pitt – Ad Astra, Once upon a Time in Hollywood, World War Z, The Tree of Life, Inglourious Basterds, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, Babel, Troy, confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Friends, The Fight Club, Being John Malkovich, Meet Joe Black, Twelve Monkeys, Seven, True Romance, Thelma and Louise
• Calvin Levels – Ragtime, M*A*S*H
• Nick Cave – not in any other films
• Peter McRobbie – Brokeback Mountain, Palookaville
• Tina Louise – Gilligan’s Island
• Catherine Keeler – Enough Said, The Soloist, Genova, Into the Wild, Full Frontal, Being John Malkovich, Living in Oblivion
• Why? Brad Pitt
• Seen: 14 February 2021.

             It’s worth it just to see the young Brad Pitt in a foot-high pompadour.

       Johnny (Pitt) lives a slummy life and dreams of being a new Rick Nelson but he is plagued by poverty, love problems, lack of recognition and, frankly, lack of talent.

       It’s all parody and kitsch. It might be cool or it might be just plain dreadful, I can’t tell for sure. It is most certainly bizarre. It has the feel of a cult classic, but does it really fulfil the requirements? Again, I can’t tell for sure. It’s mostly just meanderingly odd.

       There’s no doubt though that Brad Pitt’s budding genius as a loser who doesn’t have a clue is already there.

       I think I’ll vote for cult classic.

 4* of 5