The Big Johnson

So I have been waiting for this documentary for a long time, almost as long as the purported length of Johnson’s “johnson.” It was worth the wait, as director Rocknrolla gets everything so perfect in the most fabulous ways. Rocknrolla showcases the archival video footage of Johnson’s performances, highlighting the majesty despite VHS resolution and degradation issues.

There are also some of the best and edgiest animations seen in a rock documentary by animator Lance Tooks. Done in the style of 80s alternative cartoons, they contain very raunchy imagery that captures the times in both depiction and spirit. That means you are going to see some real transgressive s**t. Enjoy, I did.

The biggest revelation for me was finding out Johnson was not a one-hit-wonder by any means. I kept being surprised by how good the deep-cut tracks by the Weenies were, with the never-heard-of The Velvet Mafia just being flat-out incredible. Johnson’s lyrics are still as clever and pertinent as they were back then. Definitely a silenced voice of Generation X.

“The Big Johnson is an incredible movie about an incredible artist during an incredible time.”

Rocknrolla also manages to capture the fantastic feel of New York’s Lower East Side during its plutonium age in the 1980s. At that time, Greenwich Village was arguably the most exciting place in the world, where freedoms that were forbidden elsewhere could be enjoyed.

Rocknrolla doesn’t shy away from the downsides of the area, including the mass AIDS deaths and rampant hard drug addiction. Public sex is also handled frankly, as is the sex work Johnson later did to get by. But that aura of permissive magic that imbued the neighborhood back then is here now to be enjoyed in The Big Johnson.

Them that were there will recognize it, them that weren’t are going to learn a whole lot about it. The Big Johnson is an incredible movie about an incredible artist during an incredible time. Doesn’t get much better.

The Big Johnson screened at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival.