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Post by rick on Jul 15, 2019 20:36:07 GMT -5
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Post by rick on Feb 8, 2020 3:32:57 GMT -5
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Post by rick on Oct 8, 2021 4:16:42 GMT -5
From Deadline Hollywood -- A First Look at Warner Bros' "Elvis" Biopic Elvis was also in the building, sort of, as Warners showed off a brief first-look at Baz Luhrmann’s musical biopic of Elvis Presley. The film explores the life and music of the King of Rock and Roll (portrayed by Austin Butler), as seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks).
The footage included a look at Hanks as Parker and Butler as Elvis, interspersed with stills and set against the backdrop of some of Presley’s music. In a video message, Luhrmann described the film as Parker’s take on Elvis. It’s currently posting in Australia and is set for release in June next year.
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Post by erik on Oct 9, 2021 21:49:08 GMT -5
One of the ironies about this film, it seems to me, is that, for one of the few times (maybe the only time thus far) in his career, Tom Hanks has to play a heavy, since a lot of people, present company included, feel that, while The Colonel may have made Elvis a star in 1956, in later years he put him through a treadmill of truly mediocre B-movie musicals (in the 1960's) and overworked him onstage, especially in Vegas (in the 1970's). This likely would not be an easy kind of role for Hanks to play.
But I could be wrong. After all, if Henry Fonda, an actor who was the paragon of American decency on screen for so many decades, could portray a cold-blooded corporate gunman for Sergio Leone (in the 1969 Western epic ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST) and make it stick, then who knows what Tom Hanks could do portraying a cigar-chomping shyster of a manger like The Colonel?
Watch this space.
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Post by ausfan2 on Oct 11, 2021 0:46:30 GMT -5
One of the ironies about this film, it seems to me, is that, for one of the few times (maybe the only time thus far) in his career, Tom Hanks has to play a heavy, since a lot of people, present company included, feel that, while The Colonel may have made Elvis a star in 1956, in later years he put him through a treadmill of truly mediocre B-movie musicals (in the 1960's) and overworked him onstage, especially in Vegas (in the 1970's). This likely would not be an easy kind of role for Hanks to play. Ironically, whilst his movies were B-grade, Elvis is the only actor that has the claim that every movie he featured in was a commercial success at the box office.
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Post by erik on Oct 11, 2021 21:08:09 GMT -5
Quote by ausfan2:
I don't doubt the irony of that. But not many of them were all that memorable, either while he was alive or well after his death. If we get down to it, I'd boil it down to FLAMING STAR; BLUE HAWAII; WILD IN THE COUNTRY; and VIVA LAS VEGAS as the four good ones from the 1960's. But even Elvis himself was embarrassed by a lot of those films, and even more embarrassed by the songs (recall that for 1968's STAY AWAY JOE, he sang a song called "Dominic" to a real-live bull!).
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Post by rick on Feb 17, 2022 16:27:27 GMT -5
The trailer --
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Post by rick on May 3, 2022 2:39:44 GMT -5
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Post by rick on May 8, 2022 0:41:36 GMT -5
New clip from "Elvis" biopic released
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Post by rick on May 26, 2022 4:15:21 GMT -5
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Post by rick on Jun 26, 2022 5:55:53 GMT -5
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Post by erik on Jun 26, 2022 18:39:41 GMT -5
I saw ELVIS today; and no matter how much one knows or has ever read about The Man, it is just staggering to see how much of his entire career is a cautionary tale about certain parts of the American Dream, and how having a manager who seemed to care much more about the almighty dollar (and spending so many of them at the Vegas slots, at that) than how important his client's artistic trajectory was can have a cataclysmic effect on that client.
I thought Austin Butler did a really good acting performance as Elvis, which couldn't possibly have been all that easy, to copy his onstage persona, to depict his offstage insecurities, and how vulnerable he became to the excesses that, if they didn't directly lead to his extremely premature demise, did seem to make such a demise possible in some way. As I thought would happen, Tom Hanks practically filled the same role that Henry Fonda had in ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, of playing a heavy, a villain of sorts, since Colonel Tom Parker was neither a colonel, nor even named Tom Parker, and had in fact snuck into this country illegally from Holland decades before encountering Elvis because of some allegedly homicidal hanky-panky back home. I don't think it was Hanks' job to make The Colonel a sympathetic figure (that ship sailed decades ago), only to really depict Parker as a shady carnival barker who just happened to luck out with turning this white kid with the Negro sound who had grown up in abject poverty in Mississippi into the single greatest figure in American popular music during the 20th century. And credit must go, in my opinion, to director Baz Luhrmann, who really made a crazily brilliant use of split-screen shots and arguably over-the-top concert sequences. This wasn't an easy film to pull off by any means, but I really thought it worked brilliantly here.
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Post by Dianna on Jun 27, 2022 0:17:48 GMT -5
Erik, I Knew you would see it! Great Review.. I've heard lots of positive things from family members about The Elvis Movie. My cousin warned me about Tom Parker.. and I have heard stories. I've only seen the previews.. My husband loves Elvis as much as I love Linda so we're planning on seeing it in short order.. What I noticed from the different trailers.. The actor, Austin Butler, Not only transformed himself into Elvis but his speech and tone/accent IMO was almost identical to Elvis' AND identical to Elvis' at the various stages of his life.. . As Elvis got older his voice got deeper and richer, granted he was only 42 yrs old when he passed. Very excited to see this .
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Post by erik on Jun 27, 2022 8:42:44 GMT -5
It had to have been a monumental task for someone like Butler to not do a blatant impersonation of The King, as has been done thousands and thousands of times over on TV, in the movies, and on Vegas stages since his death in 1977, but to really get to the core of all the things that drove Elvis to do what he did. When he was at his best, Elvis really transcended the mundane; and however many times there comes a Michael Jackson, or a Prince, a Beyoncé, or a Garth Brooks, you will just never see the likes of that man ever again, period, full stop.
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Post by Dianna on Jun 27, 2022 16:50:42 GMT -5
There have been several Elvis' movies made.. My Mom would watch the ones on tv.. there was one made with Kurt Russel and more in-between..A few years ago there was also an Elvis series on cable tv..From what I've seen in these previews, and what I like about this Elvis movie is they go to the very beginning and what influenced Elvis.. The black gospel church. I can imagine being from the south, at that time, a white boy hanging out at a black church revival, I'm assuming would have been taboo? right? I'm not sure if the others movie's covered that aspect from Elvis' childhood and what inspired him.. I didn't pay attention. lol
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Post by Dianna on Jun 27, 2022 17:02:39 GMT -5
Not to change the subject but I hope if ever there is a movie about Linda it would be done in a similar way.. Opening scene... Showing Linda as a child sitting on an aunt or uncles' lap and her expression, of inspiration watching her father Gilbert singing in Spanish... inspired and intrigued as she fades off to sleep. lol I love all that stuff..
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Post by erik on Jun 29, 2022 9:04:05 GMT -5
Quotes by Dianna:
Yes, a white kid hanging out at an African-American church in the Jim Crow-era South was definitely taboo...and I think we all know what that eventually did, which was to break down the barriers between White and Black folk, whether them Suth'n segregationists wanted it to happen or not. And given the way they reacted to Elvis' onstage moves when he became a household word in 1956, the answer was a definite "NOT!" (LOL).
I don't know that this would be quite as dramatic or attention-catching as what is shown at the beginning of ELVIS. I could be wrong, of course; it's all in how to make it stick in an audience's mind (IMHO).
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Post by Dianna on Jul 6, 2022 17:03:23 GMT -5
Elvis related: When I was a kid, I used to think this was Elvis singing.
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Post by Partridge on Jul 7, 2022 1:12:10 GMT -5
I haven't seen it yet. I keep looking for other members to slide in here and give a review.
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Post by sliderocker on Jul 10, 2022 7:55:06 GMT -5
Not to change the subject but I hope if ever there is a movie about Linda it would be done in a similar way.. Opening scene... Showing Linda as a child sitting on an aunt or uncles' lap and her expression, of inspiration watching her father Gilbert singing in Spanish... inspired and intrigued as she fades off to sleep. lol I love all that stuff.. That's a scene I would like to see in a fictional biopic about Linda. I would also include a scene about how young Linda was an Elvis fan and how as a young adult singer, cited him as one of her three main influences. But, I would juxtaposition her early statements with her later statements in the same film where she disavowed Elvis as ever growing artistically and dissing Kitty Wells, whom she also cited as an influence. Unless she had listened to all of Elvis's total number of released recordings (all 711 of them), it would not be possible to know if he had grown as an artist. Even in the soundtrack era, not every song he did was bad. Sadly, one of his best soundtracks ( Viva Las Vegas) was never released on an album because Parker didn't want Ann Margret's numerous duets with Elvis and her two solo numbers plus the song The Climb by the Jubilee Four, which was produced by Elvis, who also contributed backing vocals along with the Jordanaires. It probably would've been a huge number one album for Elvis in 1964 because everything about Viva Las Vegas was different, and that included the songs.
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Post by sliderocker on Jul 10, 2022 8:11:06 GMT -5
I haven't seen it yet. I keep looking for other members to slide in here and give a review. I'm waiting to go see it. I need to buy myself another vehicle after having sold what I originally had, but haven't settled on anything as yet. The new movie about Elvis has been good for Elvis, musically as the movie soundtrack has mad number one in Billboard, giving Elvis a 66-year span between his first number one album and the new soundtrack album. Additionally, the RCA reissue Elvis 30 Number 1 Hits also charted back to the number one position in Billboard's back catalog albums, giving Elvis a second time number one album that's part of that 66 year span of time. That's a record I don't know if anyone will ever be able to break. I know Elton John and Neil Diamond both broke longevity records between their first albums and then-current albums which charted at number one, but it will be interesting to see how many copies of the movie soundtrack sells adding to Elvis's total US sales. It's still undercounted because the RIAA doesn't have awards for albums that haven't made it to the gold or platinum status and RCA/Sony can't locate the sales books the RIAA would need to certify the titles that have. The Elvis 30 Number 1 Hits album is one of RCA's/Sony's best sellers on Elvis. It's a multi-platinum seller and its number one position this week is bound to add further sales. Which is incredible.
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Post by sliderocker on Jul 10, 2022 8:13:07 GMT -5
Elvis related: When I was a kid, I used to think this was Elvis singing. I was 16 when Don't Pull Your Love by Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds was released, and I kept thinking it was Elvis as well. And that it was too bad Elvis didn't record the song.
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Post by sliderocker on Jul 10, 2022 8:42:25 GMT -5
I don't doubt the irony of that. But not many of them were all that memorable, either while he was alive or well after his death. If we get down to it, I'd boil it down to FLAMING STAR; BLUE HAWAII; WILD IN THE COUNTRY; and VIVA LAS VEGAS as the four good ones from the 1960's. But even Elvis himself was embarrassed by a lot of those films, and even more embarrassed by the songs (recall that for 1968's STAY AWAY JOE, he sang a song called "Dominic" to a real-live bull!). Elvis fans have debated the good and bad on his movie and the musical soundtracks. Many of the movies were okay if simply taken for the genre that was created, which of course was the Elvis movie. The four you mentioned are generally regarded as among his best. I think Elvis should've been considered for an Oscar as a lead actor in Flaming Star, along with Steve Forrest for best supporting actor. He and Elvis had very good chemistry as the Burton brothers, and they were both believable in their roles. Wild in the Country wears thin on me, although the scene where Elvis yanks Tuesday Weld into the bathroom and closes the door was one of the most startling scenes in any movie, Elvis or otherwise, at that time. Blue Hawaii was a monster album soundtrack for Elvis. The soundtrack for Viva Las Vegas might have been an even bigger movie soundtrack had it not been for Elvis's manager, Parker. Stay Away Joe wasn't that bad of a movie but Elvis singing to the bull ( Dominic) had to be one of the most cringeworthy scenes and songs ever. Sometimes had to wonder what director Peter Tewksbury was thinking of when he kept that scene and song in the movie. But, one should remember that Doris Day and Rock Hudson were tagged up in lighthearted musical comedies, Jerry Lewis (regarded as a genius by some) made movies in the 60s that were similar to the kind of movies that Elvis was making, and those movies were not considered cinematic masterpieces in the 60s. Even the Frankie and Annette movies so widely panned in the 60s aren't as widely panned today as they were in the 60s. And I recall Henry Fonda's words on his career, which was good advice for any actor to consider with regard to his career. And that was for every good movie he made, he made ten bad ones. And he had to make the bad ones to get to the good movie roles. He said the movies couldn't all be good and actors had to take it with a grain of salt as most would be clunkers, and the good roles would be few and far between. That was good advice, and it's too bad Henry and Elvis never met. I could've seen Henry Fonda being a mentor for Elvis on his movies. Elvis would've made good movies if there had been someone like Henry Fonda in his life, because he would've told him not to worry about the musical comedies. The good roles were there, the Oscar potential roles were there, but the bad would also be there. There was no getting around it.
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Post by Partridge on Jul 10, 2022 13:39:42 GMT -5
Sadly, one of his best soundtracks ( Viva Las Vegas) was never released on an album because Parker didn't want Ann Margret's numerous duets with Elvis and her two solo numbers plus the song The Climb by the Jubilee Four, which was produced by Elvis, who also contributed backing vocals along with the Jordanaires. It probably would've been a huge number one album for Elvis in 1964 because everything about Viva Las Vegas was different, and that included the songs. Were those duets and other songs ever released on any subsequent compilations? Someone was just asking me a few days ago if Elvis ever collaborated with other singers or did any duets? All I could think of was Ann-Margret but I said I didn't think he ever released any duets. Any duets on any Elvis albums?
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Post by erik on Jul 10, 2022 13:57:49 GMT -5
Quote by Partridge:
He did duet with Ann-Margaret on "The Lady Loves Me" for VIVA LAS VEGAS, but it was never released as a single; nor did Elvis ever do any albums of duets...that he knew of. If anything, I think The Colonel was livid that Ann-Margaret had somehow upstaged his client in that film--which wasn't completely accurate. Elvis still held his own there; and if A-M made sparks, it was because The Man let her (IMHO).
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Post by Partridge on Jul 10, 2022 14:22:31 GMT -5
Are there any famous harmony vocalists working with Elvis on any of his records? Other than the Jordanaires, of course.
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Post by erik on Jul 10, 2022 17:47:03 GMT -5
Quote by Partridge:
If there were any, they were never credited--because of the Usual Suspect: The Colonel.
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Post by sliderocker on Jul 10, 2022 22:39:44 GMT -5
Sadly, one of his best soundtracks ( Viva Las Vegas) was never released on an album because Parker didn't want Ann Margret's numerous duets with Elvis and her two solo numbers plus the song The Climb by the Jubilee Four, which was produced by Elvis, who also contributed backing vocals along with the Jordanaires. It probably would've been a huge number one album for Elvis in 1964 because everything about Viva Las Vegas was different, and that included the songs. Were those duets and other songs ever released on any subsequent compilations? Someone was just asking me a few days ago if Elvis ever collaborated with other singers or did any duets? All I could think of was Ann-Margret but I said I didn't think he ever released any duets. Any duets on any Elvis albums? Don't Cry Daddy featured backing vocals by Ronnie Milsap. He also sang on some of the other American Sound studio tracks, though I don't know if his vocals were recorded with Chips Moman at the console producing in Memphis, or Felton Jarvis at the console producing in Nashville. Country-pop singer Sandy Posey, then an artist with several country-pop singles in the 60s, also added backing vocals to the American Sound sessions, with Felton Jarvis adding the overdubs. Ann Margret's backing and lead vocals to the Viva Las Vegas soundtrack, in addition to The Lady Loves Me, included You're the Boss, lead vocals by Elvis and Ann, the performance of which was filmed for Viva Las Vegas but MGM studio executives reportedly had the scene dropped from the final print of the movie, with claims the scenes were too steamy to be included in any movie and would likely cause an outrage. Ann also added lead vocals to a version of Today, Tomorrow and Forever which was released in an Elvis version only in 1964 and on the 1971 budget album C'mon Everybody. Ann also added backing vocals only to the song and to Elvis's version of C'mon Everybody and Santa Lucia, the last two of which were heard in the movie but not on the record. The major duets were released by RCA long after Elvis and Parker had died, which included Today, Tomorrow and Forever. The backing vocals only have not been featured on a release as far as I know, but I could be wrong. And the soundtrack also featured three Wrecking Crew musicians who would be known later by their successes with other or for themselves: Glen Campbell, who played guitar and sang some of the Elvis movie demos - Campbell had a solo career going at the time, but he truly hadn't made much of an impact at the time he played guitar on the sessions. Leon Russell, who played piano and arranged some of the songs. And Larry Knechtel, who also played keyboards, bass and guitar among other instruments, who had been among the session musicians on Elvis's recording sessionsin the early 60s. Not sure why the Wrecking Crew were used instead of Elvis's regular players, unless it was because Elvis's time was so tied up in the mid-60s that it was impossible to get him back to Memphis and/or Nashville for recording sessions there. Singer-songwriter-musician Jerry Reed contributed guitar only to four songs, two of which he wrote: Guitar Man and U.S. Male and two which he did not write, Elvis's version of Jimmy Reed's song Big Boss Man and the acoustic guitar driven version of Chuck Berry's song Too Much Monkey Business. RCA session player and artist in his own right Floyd Cramer contributed piano to many of Elvis's recordings from 1960 to 1968. Following the success of the Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand recording You Don't Bring Me Flowers, RCA had their first idea of having the artists who wrote songs that Elvis recorded record their vocals to Elvis's version. That idea was ultimately scratched but RCA never gave up on the idea for an album of duets. They eventually recorded female artists singing with Elvis for an album of Christmas duets, which was a massive seller, though the recordings themselves were a mixed bag. Olivia Newton-John added backing vocals to O Come All Ye Faithful but her voice was a mismatch to Elvis. Martina McBride added her vocals to Blue Christmas, and RCA horrendously had their duet made into a video, utilizing Elvis's performance from the 1968 Comeback special with Martina inserted into the sitdown segment, despite the fact she was only two years old when the '68 Comeback Speical was produced. The Christmas Duets album is the only album featuring other artists singing with Elvis that was commercially released in album form, up until the Elvis movie soundtrack album. Sadly, the one voice missing from the Christmas Duets album was the only female artist I considered good enough to sing with Elvis, not counting his own daughter. And that of course was Linda. And she is conspicuous by her absence. Again, it's a mixed bag. And again, with Elvis's manager, none of the artists who appeared with Elvis as a vocalist or as a musician were credited on Elvis's albums originally. Parker didn't allow the hired help to be listed on the back cover of the album jacket or the inner sleeve or the label. The exception to this were the Jordanaires, the Mellow Men, the Nashville Edition, the Imperials, Ginger and Mary Holiday, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps, Voice, Sherril Neilsen, Kathy Westmoreland and Myrna Smith. It must've killed Parker for all those background singers to receive credit on the album jacket and label. There were still plenty who did not receive credit at all. Backing vocalist Millie Kirkham never received credit on an Elvis album until after Parker died. And none of the musicians ever received credit until after Parker had died. Parker wanted you to believe he, not Elvis, did it all and that Elvis and the hired help had very little to do with it.
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Post by rick on Sept 30, 2022 23:47:45 GMT -5
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Post by rick on Jan 7, 2023 0:42:25 GMT -5
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