| Thursday, July 3 2003 - Johnny Rocks
Marblehead
"We've Got Johnny" was screened last night at the Marblehead
Festival of Art's Film Festival. Wish you all could have seen
it as it was the best Johnny viewing experience ever! The festival
was an hour and a half of shorts screened outside in a park overlooking
the harbor. Well over 100 people were there -- entire families and
all ages. By far the biggest crowd ever seeing Johnny. And people
were dying the entire time. As soon as the PlasticVille spork logo
showed up -- there were laughs, and they didn't stop. A few people
whooped it up for the Leominster sign, every insane apple fact got
laughs, the "bitches" went over HUGE, as did Jack and
his Ax and even the "giant schlong" line worked in Marblehead.
People were just dying for all the whole Johnny sign montage, and
the festival - especially Flu's JA impersonation, Johnny 3:16, Shrub's
"I feel ripped off!" and the football guys.
The movie looked amazing being projected onto a screen outside
in the pitch dark and the audio was cranking seemingly through the
whole town. Every lyric from Angry Johnny was even getting laughs.
When the scene running through what each town has was going on and
it came to Fitchburg -- I heard from behind me "they've got
the big rock" even before Jack said it on screen. The short
ended to major applause - and final laughs to the "no apples
were harmed" line in the credits and even some big woops for
the final tease - "Johnny Appleseed Rules!" Doubt anyone
else has the exact order of every scene and line in there head like
I do - so I'll just say that everything worked.
There were two other shorts after us before it ended and lights
came on. Then as getting up from our cliff side seats I look behind
me and see Leominster native Tom Kearney (older brother of Brian
for those in the loop). He was the one who I had overheard saying
the Big Rock earlier. He told me he even pointed me out to his wife
during the screening saying Andy kind of looks like that guy.
The festival organizers, whom I had introduced myself to earlier,
called me down to meet some folks who had done time - rather, lived
in Leominster. One woman also debated with me that Paul Bunyan was
indeed real. I told her those comments were intentionally there
to pick a fight with Paul Bunyan supporters. She told me he was
from Minnesota - so I'll have to find a festival there to enter.
This festival was just a screening of 8 shorts with no sort of
competition. But based on response we were definitely the audience
favorite. The organizers even gave me a cookie shaped like a camera
which I will treat as an award and never eat... well, not until
I'm hungry anyway.
Last night's reaction was better than I ever dared imagine and
after seeing all your fine performances for the first time in quite
awhile I wanted to thank you all again and I hope someday you can
experience seeing so many strangers enjoying your work.
So thanks again - you are all officially Lemonsta residents (especially
those of you who actually live there).
AF Grant
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