If it looks and sounds like the Rev. Johnny Starr - Double N, Double R - then it must be John Carmen in new movie called The Rev

By Michael Ireland

Chief Correspondent

ASSIST News Service

Poster artwork for The Rev movie

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (ANS) -- The Reverend Johnny Starr has been cursed (or blessed) with two paths to travel in life. The first path leads to preaching the gospel and saving lost souls. The other is his need to become a rock n' roll legend: Johnny Starr.Double N, Double R. Both of these paths have hit a dead end in the small Midwestern town he comes from.

Starr, a white Evangelist raised in a devout black family, goes by the moniker "Double 'n' double 'r'" and believes himself to be called by God to be both a minister and a rock star and spread the Gospel.

Adopted and raised by an African-American family, Johnny has packed up his Mama and two stepbrothers Tiny and Freddy into his classic red Caddy and has headed for another town that needs him.

Leaving his career and talent agent in Las Vegas, Johnny takes a pastoral position at a small, poor church in upstate New York. He seeks to awaken the congregation spiritually with his unique preaching style and also save the church's land from being taken over by the local mega-church's head pastor.
In his latest radio interview, international journalist and author Dan Wooding caught up with Johnny Starr.Double N, Double R... in Los Angeles recently for his Front Page radio program on KWVE.

Welcoming his guest to the airwaves, Wooding said: "On today's program we're going to have a very fascinating talk with a Rev. He's not a real Rev, but he's a movie Rev. His name is John Carmen, he's from Canada originally, from the city of Toronto, but now lives here in Southern California and he's just made a wonderful new movie called The Rev. It's a fascinating story."

Dan Wooding (DW): You're from Toronto, your family had a big business there I understand. Tell us a little bit about your background.

John Carmen (JC): "Well we had a successful automotive trim company and I lived there for many years and to make a long story short the company sold and I was wondering what to do with my life and I began praying and I kept having these dreams about this Rock And Roll preacher named The Reverend Johnny Starr. In dream after dream after dream I was playing this part and my pastor told me why don't you do it. So I went out and did it.

DW: Now that's the short version of it. But you said you prayed about it, so I'm assuming then that you're a Christian. So how did you become a believer? Were you a pretty wild person in your early days?

JC: I've had my moments. I was going through a depression at the time many years ago and I became a Christian, but I always had problems even when I was a Christian. That's how I came up with Johnny Starr double N double R trying to be a Christian but still falling into temptations. Johnny's trying to serve the Lord but he's trying to be an entertainer. I know it says not to serve God and mammon but to get the comedy part of what I'm doing, you have to have some kind of double innuendos to make people laugh. So I took it from my real life story. It was a problem being a totally-committed Christian, which I believe I am now but derived from that the concept. I was adopted in real life, not by a black family as in the movie by a black African family, and I'm white. But I was adopted in real life. So a lot of true things happened in my own real life that I put into the story that I wrote.

DW: So the Rev. it's fascinating again you call yourself Johnny Starr double N double R which I think is very interesting that you've done that and certainly creative. First of all give us a little bit about the plot -- we don't want to give everything away because we want people to see the movie, but tell us a little bit about the plot of The Rev.

The Rev. poses next to his red Caddy.

JC: Well the plot is The Reverend Johnny Starr is on his way to take over a church, a black African church, and they're just assuming that Johnny Starr is black because somebody's heard of his mother and his mother's black and they have a bit of a shock when he walks in and he's white. You know that creates storylines and there's another minister down the road she's trying to run him out of town because she wants his property and they're on the verge of losing the church because they don't have money to pay the mortgage. John Ellison, who wrote and recorded Some Kind of Wonderful smash hit song, his band gets back together and reunites at the end and the church gets saved. So Reverend Johnny Starr I came up with that name because you can't call him the Reverend Johnny Brown or Smith it's gotta be interesting to give it a flare, because people say Ooh the Reverend Johnny Starr what's that all about.

DW: Now did the reverend actually become a rock star as well then?

JC: He's a wanna be he's trying to make it as an entertainer. He's like Gilligan -- he can never get off the island -- but he's trying to serve the Lord at the same time. He really loves the Lord and the people love him and it's like a hobby him trying to make it to the top.

DW: Now you've done something very interesting because you not only starred in the film as Johnny Starr double N, double R, but you've also written the film I understand, and you recruited the cast and I that's a pretty incredible piece of work to pull all of that together. First of all how did you script it?

JC: Well I came up with the concept myself and I met a producer that was running a Christian network. He helped me produce it and I hired a couple of screenplay people to write my dialog, my story that I had. I took some acting lessons and I starred in it. We got a great soundtrack by John Ellison who wrote Some Kind of Wonderful. That's all available on www.therevmovie.com which has been seen in several cities across the United States. It's also aired several times in Canada and we're turning it into a TV series.

DW: So here you are, now you've got the script you've got the whole idea, who are some of the key people? I know one of the guys in the TV series and I'm sure he's in the movie was a guy called Johnny Isuzu what was his name? He was an actor who was in a commercial here.

JC: That was David Leisure. He is in the sit-com pilot, but he wasn't in the movie though. But we did a sit-com pilot that we pitched to several networks and it looks like we're going to get it picked up as a syndicated series, so we're hoping the ratings this coming week in New York City and Chicago and a lot of these cities it's in are as good as they were in Atlanta last week. And hopefully we'll have a deal.

DW: So now how did you pick the cast?

JC: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe! I we had what they call a Cattle Call in this business and people from everywhere came out and it took about a week and that's how we did it. We just picked the best ones for the best parts.

DW: Then what about the actual shoot; did you do it in a studio or what?

JC: Well the movie was shot in Toronto and it was shot in an Anglican church and actually there was another Independent Christian church that some scenes were shot in. We had a lot of help from the Christians communities. I want to do it again.

DW: Now you look very much like The Rev. So we're sitting here in Irvine, California and you're wearing a big cross and you've got the rock and roll persona -- it very much must have been based on your own personality then?

The Rev. strums his electric guitar.

JC: Well one of the reasons I did this movie is because you always see movies -- Christian movies -- they're always based on one of the books in the Bible like Moses or the Ten Commandments or you see the same movie on TV. And there's nothing wrong with those movies: The Ten Commandments is a great movie, but it seems like they're always doing the same thing. You never see a comedy, because people always are afraid they're going to upset Christians. You know, you can't make everybody happy in entertainment.. I mean everybody knows that and some people aren't going to like my movie for whatever reason. But I wanted to do some comedy because, you know, we need to laugh; and I stepped out and did that because everyone else is doing the dramas. It is kind of a dramidy -- there's some drama there too but the series is going to be more keyed-in on comedy. I figured Jesus made comedy; He should be the best. It makes sense to me.

DW: Are you hoping that non-Christians will watch this or is this just for the Christian community?

JC: Oh yeah, it's for everybody. It's just like Jesus: you know he preached to the non-Christians, the Jewish people, the ones that were becoming Jesus' followers Christians, all things to all men.

DW: Now is that your big dream to one day become a famous lounge singer in Las Vegas then?

JC: No, it's the Reverend Johnny Starr's dream -- he wants to fill Los Angeles Laker's Stadium with his music act!

DW: Is it really bad, I mean is the character you portray, is he really corny?

JC: He's well, he's like me -- kind of! He sings ok, he's not going to win any awards! He's a wanna be singer, (but) he's not as good as he thinks he is. It's a tongue and cheek thing really.

DW: Now a lot of Christians today -- for instance my dad was a pastor, he was very anti-movies (and) wouldn't let me as a kid go and see films -- and yet today now movies are a large part of the Christian community and you know people go and see these movies. When you were a kid were you raised in a pretty strict home?

JC: Umm, I've seen worse! I think it was average; I was brought up Catholic and they had very good morals and they taught me right from wrong. I became a non-denominational Christian whatever you want to call it Born Again or reborn -- all things to all men.

DW: They must have been shocked then: were they pretty upset with you?

JC: On no, my parents are down to earth; they come to my church and they were believers too. A lot of Catholics are good strong believers, you know; they're Born Again a lot of them are.

DW: Were you raised on going to the movies?

JC: Not really, more on TV; watched Gilligan's Island, Brady Bunch, Hogan's Heroes, stuff like that.

DW: A lot of people watch this stuff but not a lot of them do what you do. I mean very few people as I know go ahead and actually make the movie. Were there times when you just wanted to give up? Was it just such hard work?

JC: Yes. Well people were saying oh you won't do that, John's just talking and now that it's airing all over television they know.You know a lot of people talk about things and they don't do it, and it was a big challenge, it cost a lot of money, it was a lot to do. I had at least forty dreams of doing this Rev. project and just couldn't stop. I didn't want to do it at first. I'd always dreamed of getting into entertainment, but I was always had excuses. I'm too fat, I'm too old, I'm too this, I'm too that. I didn't have anything else to do at the time and so I went and did it.

DW: Now when you saw the first cut what did you think?

JC: I was horrified! I was praying 'Lord just make it good.' It was so awful I had to re-edit this movie I don't know how many times. We just re-edited it again for the US release and for the DVD and I can honestly say it's a really good movie. We got it! I didn't have some of the professionals, (but) I had some good people involved in making the movie because it was my first time. You know you get these people, 'oh yeah, I know how to direct a movie; let me try !' I ended up directing some scenes and then there really wasn't a director in the movie -- it was just a lot of prayer during the editing that brought it together.
DW: What about the actors; what did they make of this upstart coming down from Toronto and starring in his own movie? Were they mad at you, did they tell you off?

JC: No, all the actors in the movie were happy because they got work. They got a lot of exposure in Canada and now it's airing all over the US so. You meet some people that have been in the business a long time and they're like 'where does this guy get off he's never acted a day in his life. he puts together a movie and he stars in it.' I mean they think it's crazy, and it is kind of crazy. But it was fun.

DW: It's really amazing that you would do this. A lot of people would dream about doing it, and you go ahead and do it. I'm just fascinated when you said you had these thirty dreams about.In these dreams were you actually seeing some of the scenes that you put in?

JC: Honest to God, I'd have dreams at night, I woke up and I'd say 'Rose (that's my wife by the way) I had another dream I was playing this rock and roll preacher and it won't go away.'

DW: Did she wonder if you'd get locked up or something?

JC: I was afraid to do it. I kept having these dreams and I was looking for something to do because our company had sold and it was just like He was telling me to do it. People need the joy of the Lord. You see all this corrupt entertainment that's going on and it just makes you so mad and you think God gave us the gift of comedy why can't His art be the best? You know originally it was called the performing arts and happened is it got perverted now they call it entertainment but it's really an art form.. I thought He's the greatest artist of them all I'm supposed to be a part of Him, the body of Christ and the Christian body, and I thought 'well, why can't we do something great?' and He kept giving me those dreams and that's why I did it.

DW: Did your wife try and encourage you or did she think you needed psychiatric help?

JC: A little of both! She started having some dreams too about it so she got confirmations; so she supported me. She even does a little cameo in the movie.
DW: What role is she?

JC: I can't say because she didn't want to do it, but we needed somebody so I threw her on the set.

DW: Now how did you come about with the music because I presume most of it's Gospel music. How did that all come about?

JC: I'll tell you this and I say this firmly: the movie's a really good movie, the soundtrack is a classic. I'll say that and I'll argue with anybody. The soundtrack was written by John Ellison who wrote the smash hit Some Kind of Wonderful which sold over a million singles. It was also a hit on the Gospel charts done by Mark Farner who recorded it also in his secular band Grand Funk Railroad and it sold over a million singles and John wrote all the songs on the album, twenty songs. Now there's a couple of cover versions, like Battle of Jericho, stuff like that, but it's the best Gospel rock and roll Gospel album ever made. I'm serious, it's not your typical heavy worship album; you know I love worship albums.

DW: Like a black gospel album?

JC: It's an R&B Gospel rock and roll has some rap in there, but it has some stuff like 'Nobody wanna talk about Jesus.' It has some of that R&B slow stuff. It's got a little for everybody. Everybody I know just loves it. It's available at www.therevmovie.com plus it's about to be released on a major label.

DW: Now the big question is did the Reverend Johnny Starr (Double N, Double R) sing on this album?

JC: I did a cameo vocal on The Battle of Jericho. You can hear it when he says Johnny Starr come on up. I sing about two lines because I always wanted to be on an album and I thought 'well I'm financing this movie, a good part of it, so I might as well sing on a piece of it.'

DW: So it's worth buying the album just for that then?

JC: Just to hear my cameo vocal!

DW: That's very fascinating. Now you moved here to southern California when?
JC: I moved here about two years ago. I saw the Beverly Hillbillies sit-com about when he hit the oil and he moved to Beverly Hills, swimmin' pools movie stars, so I decided to move.

DW: Do you live in Orange County now or are you in Beverly Hills?

JC: No I'm in Orange County. I love it there, beautiful state here.

DW: Now do you miss Canada at all, or are you glad to be here?

JC: I don't miss it in the Wintertime, that's for sure! I like it in the Summertime there. I'm used to it here; I love the weather and the people are nice. I couldn't get things done that I wanted to get done in Canada with the movie. I couldn't break out of Canada. You know the US is the market too.

DW: I don't know if Canadians are like Brits but (they) are usually sales resistant, and they say you can't do that. 'We've never done it like that before' and are the Canadians pretty well the same, a little bit cynical -- 'well you'll never get it done?'

JC: Well I love England. I went there once and I loved England and I've heard the concept that what I'm doing would be a real market in England, Europe, they like stuff about preachers and stories and I think they'll really dig this story. I hope so.

DW: Obviously you want people to watch it you want them to get the DVD, but what would be one scene that is the funniest scene in the whole movie that you'd like people to watch out for?

JC: Well the reunion is fun. The original band that wrote and recorded Some Kind of Wonderful gets back together again at the end of the movie; that's fun. People love reunions. I like some of the scenes I was in, of course! Watch every scene that I was in.!!

When I told you about the label, we're kind of negotiating with a major label it's not in stone yet just in case there's any record execs out there -- just thought I'd add that. I'm still open for negotiations. You can hear some of the clips on itunes or on myspace where I have some of it. It's really a hot album.

DW: John Carmen has just produced this very fascinating movie called The Rev. and he certainly doesn't look like a Calvary chapel pastor. Can you describe the cover, because you it's wonderful?

JC: I thought the Reverend Johnny Starr could wear flashy clothes and I thought of Joseph in the Bible, Joseph in Genesis -- you know he wore the coat of many colors -- and I wanted him to have pizzazz, drives a red fifty-seven caddy too, by the way; to have a show on TV, especially that's part comedy, you gotta have that -- he couldn't just be a suit and tie preacher. He's gotta have something significant about him or who's gonna watch? He has his trademark saying Johnny Starr, double N double R!

DW: If you want to know more information go to http://www.therevmovie.com/ and there you'll see that the Reverend Johnny Starr actually looks like him, at least in the movie, although in real life he looks pretty similar as well.

Now what I'd like you to do is to become Johnny Starr for a moment and we want you to end the program by introducing in Johnny Starr fashion this track that we're going to play.

JC: Hi everybody out there in TV land, radio land, I want to introduce a beautiful R&B blues song called Nobody wanna talk About Jesus, but we do. This is The reverend Johnny Starr Double N, (two finger snaps) Double R. saying God bless you!