Vile Pervert: The Musical (2008 Video) User Reviews

Look at him...

[barnthebarn · 7/10 · 10 July 2008]

It would be nice to begin this review with the words "Putting aside Jonathan King's conviction..." but of course we can't because this is his response to his ordeal at the hands of the British tabloid press and his own behaviour many years ago. It is also an attack on the things that Jonathan King views as wrong with our society.

'Vile Pervert: The Musical' is not only a homage to King's musical career but also highly entertaining. King's conviction which is still being contested in the European courts was shady. We don't actually need King to tell us this (though he does so with obvious vigour and passion). The police worked in conjunction with tabloid paper 'The Sun' (British pornographic daily 'news'paper that promotes racial hatred) to arrest King and charge him with a number of sexual offences against boys in past decades. King denies any wrongdoing, admitting he had sex with boys but claiming they were 16 or older. Though at the time the homosexual age of consent was 21, it is now 16, and though some of the boys may have been 15 (or even 14) there is no evidence to support these claims. The trial was by media and if a certain allegation was proved false (as most were) then minute details were changed to rubbish the real evidence. In the end King faced prison (a 7 year sentence when 5 years was the norm) for being proved as a homosexual. Sex offences had little or nothing to do with it, all of the events being consented from all parties involved and the victims, though boys were also young men.

This film covers King's trial by media with King playing all the roles, including the then editor of The Sun, the judge and Max Clifford among others. The songs are catchy though several are sung to the same tune and all in King's weak vocal range. King includes praise for Shami Charabati, from Liberty in a great song, bemoans the existence of religion (God himself features at several points). Generally the film works as entertainment and as an eye-opener to the way the media manipulates for those who didn't know. One tune might fail to achieve King's aim for it as lyrically it perhaps takes things a little too far "Nothing wrong with buggering boys, as long as its' something he enjoys". The song 'Mad Hatter's Tea Party' is excellent and the songs are generally very clever, each with a point to make. 'The Likely True Story of Harold Shipman' questions 'serial killer' Shipman's motives and is a prime example of what King is about. He is not going to be quiet but will fight and question everything that doesn't make sense until it does, if ever. Any film that teaches us that 'joy rhymes with boy' must be jolly good. Jolly rhymes with golly and at the risk of finding myself convicted of something "Golly, this a very good film". Obviously at the time King was with underage boys but these 'crimes' were not dealt with at the time so must be scrutinised by today's laws. If King had sex with boys under 16 then guilty he is. If not then aside from being homosexual and liking younger men, what did he do. Perhaps King was a sexual pioneer, paving the way for mainstream acceptance of homosexuality. I don't know. I do know that the entire witch-hunt was a diabolical shambles and one that every one of us should be ashamed of, perhaps from the prison cell where you sit because you did something you might not have actually done.

A fantastic documentary - certainly makes you think

[livemanc · 9/10 · 23 July 2011]

Now, this one seems to have passed under my radar until this week. Vile Pervert is a home made documentary/drama/musical satire by Jonathan King. Maybe it's apt that it should come to my attention at this current time when the UK newspaper industry (red tops especially) is in meltdown and is being as demonised as they have done to so many others in the past. Karma? I'm sure JK would agree. Whatever your opinion on JK as a person you can't deny that he has had major part in the British music industry, as a performer, writer, producer and much more. When I was growing up, he was a familiar face and name, his TV shows Entertainment USA and No Limits were required viewing, especially for someone like myself who liked to listen to things that would not get radio airplay outside the Friday Rock Show on Radio One. Before I start with the film, I would like to point out as a disclaimer that I'm a male, in my early 40s, very straight, and if anything have a preference for older women. So at no time did I relate to JK's interests in that way. Now, JK had a very public trial and humiliation for allegedly abusing boys who had come to visit him at his home in the early 80s. All these allegations came many years after the events and, as we find out in this frank and very enlightening film, had no proof whatsoever to back them up. Which brings me to the film. Shot entirely on digital video and interspersed with musical numbers set to cut and paste videos, it is King's side of the story. An honest account of what he is. Along the way, we meet fictionalised versions of the key characters into his story, all very thinly veiled that it wouldn't take too much to work out who they are meant to be. Waxie Maxie, a PR agent nicknamed "The Silver Stoat" who will take on anybody's story providing they say they are telling the truth, and there's money to be had. The "victims", some of which had not even met King, but then what did that matter? The police, not too bothered with facts as long as they get a result for the figures. Flame Mitchell, the ex-editor of a red top newspaper who had previously employed King as a columnist for many years, and God, the narrator of the sordid story. I say sordid, but it's not in the way the papers' would have it. The sordidness comes from the way the facts were changed, and the whole scaremongering and hysteria that comes along with anything to do with "perverts" and celebrity misdemeanours. It's worth noting that what King was accused of, and imprisoned for, involves "children" of 15, (some proved to actually older than that when the alleged events happened) and were willing participants. Even the judge, in his summing up, noted that no violence was used, and that incidents stopped when if it was clear that it wasn't wanted. None of which was reported of course. In fact there's so many twists and turns that come out of the documentary that you'd think it was a Hollywood thriller. And then we have the music. Some of the old hits are included, Everyone's Gone To The Moon and It's Good News Week are both strangely prophetic. It's the new songs that stand out though. Taken out of context, you would think they were terrible and would outrage the public decency. But no, they all make a point. You just have to have the balls enough to think about them. Something I'm sure most people wouldn't bother doing. There is the the wonderful Wilde About Boys, sung by King dressed as Oscar Wilde with its catchy refrain of "there's nothing wrong with buggering boys" Whaaaat.. f*cking disgusting! String him up I say.. Yep, just the sort of red rag that would have the estates lighting their torches and going en-mass to lynch the nearest paediatrician. In context, what the song is actually saying is there's nothing wrong as long as BOTH sides are compliant. Who would argue with that? It even says "as long as their not too young" and borrows from the famous quote from Wilde's cleaning woman during his trial about "as long as it's not in the street and worrying the horses". It's worth noting when thinking how disgusting it might be for someone in their 30s to be interested in anyone of 15 or so, (the proper name is ephebophilia) that in many of the countries that YOU, the mob minded hate breed go on holiday every year the age of consent is lower than in the UK. In Spain, for example, it is 13. The whole thing was very enlightening, and shows the press up just as much as the current scandals. While I have my own personal opinions of certain high profile accusations in the past (the other "King of pop" I have no doubt that something iffy was going on) when presented with the discrepancies that King provides it's hard not to see that something is rotten in the system. The only warning I'd give is that you might see a bit more of JK than you'd like. There's an image I could have done without! In the end King presents his case with humour, and as in his final word, is not interested in making you like him, but just make you think. That it certainly does. And man, can he write a catchy tune....

Absolutely superb and original movie

[kenjones2009 · 10/10 · 14 July 2008]

I bought the DVD from Amazon thinking it would be a waste of money but curious. The songs are so catchy and clever though and the characters so surprising and funny that I think this is a future Hedwig or Rocky Horror.

It is amazing. It made me laugh. It shocked me. I'm still humming the tunes and playing the music soundtrack CD.

Bet you this becomes a massive cult hit.

But the best part is the songs. Whilst I think students and the young will be delighted by the courage and daring behind this film, mocking many Establishment sacred cows, the older will remember the 4 or 5 big hits (in the UK anyway) and will like some of the new songs. What's A Girl To Do? is a personal favourite - the girl singing it has a great voice and the words are brilliant.

In October 2009 I showed it to another friend who thinks it is absolutely superb and should be as successful a cult classic as Paranormal Activity or Colin. I have had numerous similar reactions. This film needs picking up and showing on a big screen.