Are you planning to see Elvis?

Nope. I was never a fan of Elvis, the guy playing him looks like CGI, and the movie itself looks like the usual tacky Baz Luhrmann crap.

Yeah, because Baz Luhrman, but not in theaters.

I can wait for streaming on a slow evening.

No.

I'll give it a go.

He's dead, Jim.

Will they be serving deep-fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches to lure people back to the movie theater?

Only to see Austin Butler in a fat suit having a fart attack on the toilet.

Hey spazzy OP, why didn't you attach a poll to this?

No, it looks like the live action dumbo movie. The family approved it which means it’s probably tame like the Aretha movie. I prefer drama in biopics

But it's all about one of your fellow Dutchies, r3.

Do the family make any money from this? I think Lisa Marie sold her stake in the estate didn't she? Their presence in the publicity over the past few weeks makes me suspect there's money in it for them. Having said that their endorsements do seem sincere.

I'm undecided.

No. I don't think I could stand listening to Tom Hanks horrible accent for 2 hours. He sounds like Foghorn Leghorn.

The 1995 Jonathan Rhys Meyers TV miniseries was enough for me. I also read "Elvis and Me" when I was in high school.

Yes.

Friday morning.

Are you asking me out, OP?

No, because of Baz Lurhmann, and Tom Hanks' accent.

I'm more excited to see The Black Phone.

Oooh, R18, me too! It sounds like a promising horror movie.

I’d like to take my mom to see Elvis. She was a huge fan, and since ‘cilia said this movie is pretty accurate, I thought she might appreciate it.

I’m going on Friday with the rest of the local chapter of the Hunka Hunka Burning Love Fan Club

DL will have a meltdown, but I predict Elvis will be a hit.

Lots of hype, big stars, legendary subject, it's hot as hell and there's little else in the theater to compete with it.

I agree, likely a hit. The only question is if enough kids know who he was and care enough to go to the movie. Also worth considering that Moulin Rouge was a very long time ago. I note the publicity is referencing that film a lot, and not Gatsby or his other work. Which is interesting because that film was a hit.

"The only question is if enough kids know who he was and care enough to go to the movie."

There's been enough hype imho that kids may want to buy tickets precisely because they DON'T know who he is. They'll wonder what all the fuss is about and they'll think the only way to find out is to buy a ticket.

Elvis is lame

Oh, R23, I think you give today’s “kids” waaayyy too much credit.

Only old white people care about Elvis. He has very little caché with the under-50 set.

I'll be watching it while sitting on a toilet.

Last call? Death tour? Elvis who? He’s no longer the draw he once was. Why would anyone fork over 20$ To see this story that has been told over and over again? Sorry, even Tom Hanks can’t save this.

Yes but I don’t have high hopes for it

Yes% looks like a good movie.

I love a good campy spectacle, was really into Moulin Rouge 20 years ago, but I remain unconvinced about Elvis.

I like Elvis, so, on the basis of the trailer, I won't be watching this movie.

Not another frickin elvis movie ! Noooooooo

No, no, no.. what was the differance, Elvis bringing a 14 year old girl to live in his home and Jerry Lee Lewis marring a 13 year old girl? The press didn't go after Elvis.

^^ Elvis kept his relationship hidden until they married at a decent age. Jerry Lee was convinced he was doing nothing wrong and paraded his young bride in front of the press.

Day after day, new bits of information kept making that story more scandalous and explosive and it stayed in the headlines. She was younger than he originally said. They were related. He was already married to someone else. The press loved it.

I just googled Elvis he was actually unattractive. It’s like if mama June was a teenage boy

My elderly mother and her church pals will, because there’s nothing else in the theaters for old people.

Yes, r36. Such a tragedy about those looks!

(Most people who met him in real life say he was the most handsome man they'd ever seen btw. I think your googling skills could use a little work).

R38 those are edited

Hell yes. Elvis fans are raving about it.

No. Most hardcore Elvis fans are trash.

No trashier than any other fan base.

50's Elvis was the best.

What are you on about, r29, with "those are edited"? There is one photo at the link.

He was one of the most photographed and filmed people of all time. A record of what he looked like, or what others thought of his looks, isn't hard to come by for those of us who know how to use google

Try this all again when you sober up, hon.

^^Excuse me, r29, I was speaking with the execrable r39.

"No. Most hardcore Elvis fans are trash."

Spoken like true trash.

Yes!

R22 this 16-year old singer has taken some inspiration from Elvis. And Priscilla, too!

I'll see it. In the meantime, I think I'll listen to, "Return to Sender".

No! So much already out there about him

People are still misinformed about Elvis so if this movie sets the record straight I will be happy.

Could they just combine this with the Barbie movie?

I like some of Elvis' movies, but there have been so many Elvis movies in the past. How will this one be any different? If Priscilla and Lisa support it, you know it won't go deep or show an unflattering side to Elvis.

Elvis simply hasn't picked up new fans over the years. For about 10 years or so after his death, Elvis' legacy benefitted from Elvis dying at 42. Too much resentment of Elvis and Colonel Parker cheating songrwriters out of royalties, cultural appropriation and Elvis being seen as uncool for the jump suit and weight gain. He's not like Johnny Cash or The Beatles or Dolly Parton who amass new fans each year, and are respected for their music talent.

Baz should have remade Clam Bake.

I saw Elvis in a UFO.

Elvis was a junkie, pedo and lard lord.

He wouldn't screw Priscilla after she gave birth.

No. He and his music do nothing for me. It’s the musical equivalent of The Shawshank Redemption — a movie only straights love.

I'm going to see it. I'm not an Elvis fan but it looks fun.

I did, years ago in Vegas.

Checked off my list. No need to see him again.

Apparently when he died his colon was massively impacted with fried food. Is that examined in the film?

When it’s on Netflix events, yes

Does the movie address his binge-eating disorder?

Of course not, OP. Nor is anyone else.

The bigger question is is Elvis planning on seeing me?

Not a super Elvis fan but looking forward to seeing it today, should be fun.

I can't get past Butler's Christy Turlington nose job.

I’m definitely going to see that Barbie movie

Just got back from watching Elvis. I liked it for the most part and had fun with it, just like with most Baz movies. My audience was clapping at the end and I suspect it’ll do well at the box office. I know everyone is annoyed by Austin Butker right now but he did a great job and should be good for an Oscar nomination.

Butler*

I don’t know why they aren’t release this in the December splurge of awards fodder movies, that seems like something that would be important for this film?

If you can't see him, at least you can smell like him.

The rate of Covid infections and deaths in my area right now is higher than it was a year ago and I’m just not up for sitting through a movie in an N95 mask.

I('m not going to see it because it stupidly makes his sleazy, corrupt manager the narrator of the story. What a dumb idea.

No. And no one I know plans to either. Not because of Covid, but because it's...well...Elvis.

I don’t have strong feelings about Elvis one way or another but I enjoyed the movie.

Will they leave a little bouquet of quaaludes, bacon and pb sandwiches, disposable handi-wipes, and a tiny plastic sparkling blue comb under every movie theater seat?

[QUOTE] Apparently when he died his colon was massively impacted with fried food.

Yep. He was on vast quantities of opiates which cause chronic constipation.

Well this movie produced SOMETHING.

Even at the end of his career, he was for old people. He turned into Liberace.

I think to my generation, he looks silly or goofy.

I will see it if it turns up on T0rr3nt.

Yes, I'm eager to see a Baz Luhrmann take on Elvis. Not sure if I'll brave the theater or wait and stream.

So this is the movie that almost killed Chet’s parents?

He looks like he’s wearing make up,

The movie is fantastic!

And Austin Butler is charismatic! Could have watched more scenes of him!

Elvis was beautiful and unique.

Exhilarating. Depressing. Riveting. Tedious. Gorgeous. Painful. Cartoony. Too long. Too short.

"I'm outta dreams to have" - Elvis, in a quiet, tired, depressed voice to Priscilla post-divorce when she's trying to persuade him to go to a "health" place - residential rehab.

That small snippet of dialog opened the floodgates of my tears.

"Elvis" is fantastic.

One quibble. Luhrmann , of course, isn't capable of restraint. He should, have, however, exercised just a bit of discipline and trimmed the film by 10 to 15 minutes.

I'm still processing Hanks performance.

Butler is amazing.

I'm almost positive I saw him the other day at the Krispy Kreme.

R87, my sentiments exactly. Butler was great and it was a heartbreaking story.

I thought the film did a pretty good job showing the influence black artists and black music had on Elvis. Although some people have criticized the film for not doing enough in that regard. With regards to Priscilla, the film did mention she was a teenager when they met and briefly alluded to Elvis not sleeping with her anymore after she gave birth but it was pretty sanitized for the most part. Their romance just doesn’t fly well in today’s climate, so I can understand why they wanted to avoid it.

The film also alluded to some incestuous stuff between Elvis and his mom.

I'll probably watch it next Monday or Tuesday when there are less people at the theaters.

The ending where they show footage of one of Elvis’s last performances really moved me.

So sad and so touching.

is that for real, the stuff with his mom??

No, r95. He was simply the quintessential over-protective Mama's Boy, feeling guilty all his life for surviving his twin at birth.

Things good old Tom Parker did to fuck up Elvis's career:

Would not have allowed him to tour abroad. Can you imagine how wild the audiences in Europe would have been over Elvis? And how much money he could have made doing that? But since Parker was an Illegal alien he didn't want to get arrested. So he was denied that experience of performing in other countries.

Had Elvis go into the army. There was no good reason for that, except that Parker thought it would be good for Elvis's image to enlist. But it derailed his career and when he came back Parker had him do things like sing with Frank Sinatra. Elvis was not the rock and roll rebel anymore. His career was damaged.

Had him do all those stupid movies. Elvis wanted to be a film star and he had talent enough to be one. But he got stuck playing in godawful movies that were by and large ridiculous. It made him a joke.

Made him get married. Elvis was enamored of his teen girlfriend Pricilla but without Parker's prompting he probably never would have married her. It would have been better for him not to have married her; when she left him for the creep karate instructor Mike Stone it crushed him and sent on a downward spiral that he never got out of.

R88, You laugh!

But I saw the movie this afternoon. Later this evening I was exiting our local casino, when in walked past me a tall slim drink of water, all in black, cowboy-hatted head face down, longish hair showing---and DAMN if he didn't give me an Austin-as-Elvis impression!

One other point, about Elvis and his desire to play overseas. I was in Europe when he died. The newspaper front pages I saw used HUGE black print to announce his death. They would have loved him in concert.

I'm planning on seeing the movie again tomorrow night, different theatre, to feel a "primetime" audience vibe.

All the Black actors/singers are extraordinary! Alton Mason as Little Richard deserves major critical accolades; he is spectacular! And the pre-opening negative comments here and On SM about how Elvis "stole" from Black musicians, who hated him? PURE TWADDLE! The truth is shown.

The Australian youth who plays Boy Elvis, shaking, rattling, and rolling in his cardboard "lightning bolt" superhero pendant inside the Gospel music tent? Totally underappreciated in reviews, but is absolutely wonderful and fearless in his emotions!

Helen Thompson simply IS Mama Gladys. Perfection. And the scene of Elvis crying in her clothes closet? Austin was only 23 when his mother died, same age as with Elvis. Those tears were real.

I rather liked Tom Hanks as Col. Parker! I can imagine a Dutch-Southern-American-English accent sounding weird! I also thought Hanks conveyed the "showman as snow man" and the conniving manager-rip-off artist really well, particularly by using his eyes. I don't think I'd care to have Tom Hanks look at me with those narrowed evil con-man eyes!

Too bad the Priscilla actress is nowhere near as beautiful as the real Priscilla Presley was!

But Austin. Ahhhh, Austin! That young man has "IT," baby! Go on and "Mary" me, but ya gotta trust me on this one. Every scene, he is your focus. Every unfinished song (that would be every song), you wish Baz would have let Austin sing more. And sakes alive, that first kiss with 'Cilla? SWOON! Get me my fainting couch!

Austin also succeeds in depicting pill-popping, out-of-it, untethered Vegas Elvis, who was "caught in a trap" of the Colonel's self-interested making.

And we even get television-shooting Elvis!

In short, Austin Butler deserves not only critical acclaim, but also awards.

I'm sure I'll think of more to say after another viewing, but right now I have great respect and admiration for all involved. I highly recommend going to see "Elvis"!

If only I could go with you, R87/Della!

I will be going next week. A friend saw it 2 days ago and he said it was very well done. He's an elvis fan and he cried like a baby at the ending...we all know Elvis died but he said it was the way it was filmed. really good! He said the last time he cried like that was when he was 7.

I am an elvis fan. He sang with so much emotion and a natural born talent! He will always be the King of rock and roll!

no one compares! his 68 come back special is soooooo good! so sexy!

I saw Baz being interviewed on TV and he was wearing a pearl necklace with a TCB pendent. I want that necklace! TCB ---taking care of business

R100, Your sentiments are precisely what the movie embodies. I hope you are not implying that such a conveyance should not be attempted, because "no one compares".

Smoooches, Doll at r98.

Your review is right-on, word for word.

I thought it was good.

Austin was excellent.

Baz was excessive at some points (like the first 5 minutes) but generally the direction is pretty good.

I don't understand the criticism of Hanks or his accent.

I thought it was better than Bohemian Rhapsody.

It'll do well and likely build through word of mouth.

SPOILER . . . . We are cheated out of an emotional death scene because everyone knows he died on the can.

This did better than I expected. Thought the audience for a Elvis movie would’ve diminished.

Are the fraus going gaga for Butler?

The movie will be a godsend to the estate if it's a success, R106.

As a tourist attraction, Graceland is said to on the ropes thanks to the pandemic. Royalty earnings from his films and music have dropped precipitously and of course L-M's incredibly stupid "sell the trademarks for $100 million" deal cost millions in taxes. His fans are dead or dying - unsurprising given that he's been dead for forty-five years.

Along with Luhrmann, Elvis could use another hit.

Yes, r107. He is beyond beautiful and scorching hot, and we ain't dead yet!

Grow up, r105. Did you also crave to see Sir Thomas More beheaded?

Just saw "Elvis" again. Austin (humorous bit: BB King gently mocks Elvis for a stage outfit "like a butler") will be nominated for a "Best Actor" award. He will definitely win the Golden Globe version (you heard it here first, my little chickadees). Also, costuming and cinematography (Yes, I'm aware of "Top Gun").

I've pre-ordered the amazing soundtrack and the DVD, plus an Elvis "30 #1 Hits" CD. Yeah, baby!

Baz is utterly brilliant in his scene-splicing and juxtapositions to give us the major motif of music as both sensual and spiritual. Bril-liant.

Likewise with the motif of identity and one's place in the world. The carnival fun-house is the symbol of seeing one's self but askew, even getting lost. Then the scene at the "HOLLYWOOD" sign: "I want to get back to who I really am." "Who are you, Elvis?" And of course, the Colonel, whose fake identity ("not a Colonel, not a Tom, not even a Parker") with authorities and with Elvis were betrayals of the worst kind, not only keeping Elvis from even more achievements but also, arguably, causing the deaths of both Gladys and her son with the "God-given talent."

From his naive swaying hands to his knowing swiveling hips, Elvis felt the power of music. All his career he tried to fend off its and his own exploitation, to remain true to his calling (if not to his wife).

At movie's end, where once I was completely indifferent to both the living and the deceased Elvis (my being of the Beatles generation), I have come to appreciate this artist. I think I can safely say that, through the performance of Austin Butler plus, it must be said, the final scene of the real Elvis singing "Unchained Melody," audiences will feel sorrow for how the promising career and life of Elvis ended.

IMO it's a rare movie that both exhilarates and saddens to the extent of "Elvis."

It is, as when we see the Col. asking the young and raw Elvis if he's "ready to fly," a thrill ride. Buy a ticket!

Does it benefit the elvis estate if you buy the soundtrack?

I already have all of elvis's CDs etc.

Was Chris Issak in the movie or just the soundtrack?

No I’ve never been a big fan of his and although he’s was insane later in life he always seemed dull. I’m into music from that era but Elvis doesn’t need his story told again.

I’d like another Jerry Lee Lewis film. The guys a bastard but entertaining.

Elvis’s story represents the good, the bad, and the ugly of America. It’s worth telling.

Bit of movie trivia:

In the trailer's "Hayride" scene, the heckler yells out, "Get a haircut, Buttercup!" In the movie, however, it's "Get a haircut, Fairy!"

For both rhyme and reason, Baz should have gone with the trailer version.

R112, Sez you.

I never was a big Elvis fan, he was more if my Mom’s generation but the movie made me revisit his music. He was a groundbreaking artist and rightly deserves his cultural icon status. Amazing voice, the boy knew how to move and his music deserves another look. I loved the movie and Butler will get an Oscar nom for sure, if not an Oscar win. I think the movie is getting good word of mouth and will be a hit.

But wait; there's more!

Forgot to mention explicitly the movie's framing: Taking flight.

"I'm ready, ready to fly.," as the ferris wheel jolts him skyward.

Thereafter Elvis indeed soars, higher than most mortals.

Buys his own plane, to be literal.

And the last we see of Movie Elvis is him waving from that plane, the "Lisa Marie" (his having just bid farewell to the real LMP), as it flies off to.....

Elvis's childhood imaginary haven/heaven, the Rock (and Roll) of Eternity.

Are you ready to fly?

Elvis is lamé.

Austin Butler's mouth, with its pronounced Cupid's Bow upper lip and lush lower, is THE most sensuous male mouth ever committed to celluloid. Bar none, not of The King himself, nor of Newman, Clift, Brando, Dean, Mineo, zero! There are some amazing close-ups.

Don't even get me started on his eyelashes!

I think I've finally (haha) realized what is it really, besides looks and talent, about Austin that makes this portrayal and this movie so darn watchable: He is endearing.

Yes, Elvis, we still love you!

I loved it and I am not an Elvis fan at all.

The editing is extremely frenetic which is typical of Baz Luhrmann, but it helped make the 2 1/2 hour run time fly by.

Butler was incredible.

Elvis skewed heavily female at 58% with a massive 30% over 55 years old. While critics have waned to 79% certified fresh on Elvis, audience exits are great enough with an A- CinemaScore (higher than Luhrmann’s last big feature, 2013’s Great Gatsby which did a B) and a great 89% positive and 72% definite recommend in PostTrak exits. Elvis pulled in a crowd that was close to 80% over 25, 61% over 35 and close to half over 45. Both those over 50 (43%) and the 35+ crowd (60%) on CinemaScore gave Elvis a solid A. Diversity demos were 62% Caucasian, 20% Latino and Hispanic, 7% Black, and 11% Asian/other. Elvis triumphed in the South, where the movie notched five out of its ten runs.

Will definitely pick up with positive word of mouth, especially among the 50-pluses who are hungry for good movies in a market that rarely caters to them. It remains to be seen if kids start coming to it.

The "kids" will, r123.

I've just watched a few episodes of "The Chronicles of Shanarra," to me an execrable sci-fi dystopian series, but which co-stars a blond and lithe young Austin Butler.

He is a natural actor, in that he speaks scripted dialogue in a disarmingly conversational way, where too many others sound stilted. It helps that his character Wil (sic) is self-effacing and funny. And beautiful.

But I think I'll switch today to see how Austin is in "The Carrie Diaries."

As for his "Elvis," critics are using terms like "phenomenal," "transcendent," "dazzling," "wows," "star-making turn."

At nearly 3 hours long? Nope

I thought it flew by. I only got a bit restless in the TV special sequence with seemed to go on a bit. That should have been cut down.

;;;;;

I haven't decided, OP. We'll see...

R26, But the "Comeback" showed Austin at his zenith as Elvis, IMO. His smiles!!

To add more actual critical praise: "magnetic," "seductive."

I am definitely going again.

r126, I too thought that's one of the moments where Lurhmann could have trimmed the film.

I think Lyndon Baines Johnson is an inherently interesting figure, both in real life and portrayals, but still, that LBJ speech moment, while I understand it set up the conflict between Parker v. Binder and, iirc, Hewitt? about whether Elvis will sing a Christmas song or "If I Can Dream", the point could have been made with more brevity.

I loved the scene at the "Hollywood" sign, though, when Elvis is told his career is in the toilet by the upstart, ambitious directors of his 68 special.

r118, great comment. I didn't absorb that until you pointed it out.

I saw "Elvis" a second time yesterday and I love it just as much, if not more.

But, I found myself wishing, during non-performance scenes, especially in the Vegas years, where Elvis and Parker or Elvis and his Dad are in especially fraught, tension-filled conversation, that Lurhmann would have eliminated the corny, dramatic background score I hear throughout those moments.

Yes, Mr. Lurhmann, I get it. The stakes are high.

I didn't need the 60's TV, Adam West "Batman" ominous, cartoony score to reinforce the point. I think those conversational moments would've been better conveyed with no score at all, I trusted the actors to get the conflict across with their spoken lines.

Especially when we've been treated, in a good way, with so much audial and visual sensory experience in the other moments.

"Brevity" R130? This is Baz Luhrman - brevity has no meaning for him.

Remember "Australia" and how you thought it was over, and it should have been over, then you watched in horror he segued into an entirely new movie and you were stuck there?

It's BAZ. He's completely insane.

Let's pretend he was writing songs to cope with the deaths of RFK and MLK (he didn't write that song and he was a right-winger)

Let's conveniently not mention how old Priscilla was when they started dating

I'm afraid of the Baz-ness of it but I'm interested in Tom Hanks playing that old scumbag "Colonel" Parker. That could be so much fun but the Baz-ness... it's keeping me away.

I kind of want to, but 2-1/2 hours is off-putting to me. At the very least, I'll end up getting a second order of movie nachos.

R133 There’s no defending his relationship with Priscilla but some black artists were staunch defenders of him.

Baz Luhrmann interviews Elvis Presley’s childhood friend Sam Bell

R136, other black artists criticized him

R138 I know that. But not all black people hated him like some would lead you to believe.

I wasn't familiar with Austin Butler, even though I saw OUATIH but caught him on Jimmy Fallon. He's a real cutie.

I will have to wait to see it when I am back in the states.

Thank you, Della r131!

In my former life as an English teacher, I read a pot-load of literary criticism. I note this because that is how I am now perceiving and analyzing "Elvis"--- as a "literary" movie, with theme, motifs, parallel structures, symbolism, the whole shebang.

It seems to me that, rather than just being called "kaleidoscopic" or, worse, "frenetic," what real critics, like from back in the day when

I think things were very innocent back then, in that era. He had permission from her parents. I don't think he was fucking her. He was a god fearing good christian. Many ex-gfs have said that elvis liked to read the bible with them a lot.

Okay, so yes, I went today to see it a 4th time. Trust me; there is A LOT to miss in one viewing!

Carny dancing girls to "snow " people; "Patriotic red, white, and blue" dancing girls later---also to "snow" the marks?

The carnival ferris wheel and merry-go-round, a record spinning, and the ultimate Fortune's Wheel. 'Round and 'round she goes,.....

Gladys at the Hayride pleading with a screaming fangirl: "You'll kill him!" As Col. Parker makes explicit at the end, that that fan adoration and the demands of OWNERSHIP did indeed kill Elvis. 'Twas the Beast that killed the Beauty.

Col. Parker's cane that is prominent in his finding Elvis "lost" at the carnival when the Col. asked, "Are you ready to fly?" vs. Elvis and his own cane, needed to get up his plane's steps to fly away, like the "bird with no legs that must keep flying, resting on the wind when tired, but for one time: when it dies."

One scene that apparently has many confused because of the wording of various reviews: ELVIS AT THE END, AT THE PIANO, SINGING "UNCHAINED MELODY" is AUSTIN BUTLER in a "fat suit."

What gives it away? FOUR things:

1. Those are Austin's eyes;

2. Those are Austin's bright white front teeth;

3. The guy holding the mic is in the movie;

4. In the credits, right below the one for "Tom Hanks prosthetics" is one for "Austin Butler prosthetics"---prosthetics which AB neither needs nor wears in any prior scene (not even a "good" one, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, PG-13).

I think the B&W footage of the real Elvis during that scene, plus that it is totally unexpected of the actor, has confused audiences.

Unless someone has Baz explicitly saying otherwise, that's my observation!

It is the voice of Elvis, however. If you want to know more of whose voice is in which song(s), you can check the soundtrack listing (or see the movie and stay for the credits!).

This article says it is Austin in the "Unchained Melody" final scene.

The two and a half hours fly by.

Did any of you see Nightmare Alley? We streamed it a few weeks ago and what jumped out at me, that I probably would have missed otherwise, is the “see the geek” sign when Colonel Parker exits the tent after the discussion with the country singer where he chooses Elvis over the rest of the carnival. Elvis becomes the ultimate geek.

The Little Richard performance was the high point of the movie for me. Give that man a supporting actor Oscar.

And I am shocked (shocked!) that no gay man on this forum has mentioned the son of the segregationist politician watching Elvis on television.

R146, I totally agree about the "Little Richard" actor getting the BSA Oscar!

But not to the "high point " For me, that is the '68 Comeback performance. The article I linked to in r145 mentions that this big moment, for both Elvis and Austin, was filmed first, to get that scared-anticipation monkey off Austin's back. Elvis's glances, the smiles, the body movements, Austin studied and brings it all to life in a mesmerizing series of scenes.

Rami didn't do 1/4 of the acting, of portraying the entire range of emotions, that Austin does. J/S.

R1, So you're saying you haven't actually seen the movie?

[quote] Elvis becomes the ultimate geek.

So true, poignant, heartbreaking, ElderLez, r146

"The Colonel...Barbra".

I did get a chuckle at the allusion to Streisand.

Part of me hates that I was denied seeing two of my favorite superstars together in "ASIB", but, another part of me believes that it's probably best those two didn't try it.

Elvis wanted to do it, but Parker talked him out of it saying Streisand would take top billing and make herself the focus.

Elvis was simple. His family was simple. Parker unerringly knew how to play the Elvis and Vernon, but in that one instance, he was right about Streisand.

R146, It hit me the third viewing: said son is gay! His face when watching Elvis on the television.....

ooops. knew how to play Elvis and Vernon.

I haven't seen the film yet but can we please give Kelvin Harrison Jr. credit instead of "referring to him as the B.B. King actor"?

I think Kelvin is one of the finest young actors out there. He was exceptional in Waves. He gave such an exceptional and complex performance in that film.

PR says Austin Butler did "most" of his singing. I wonder how much he really did....

i watched a few videos on youtube of him and some cast members promoting the movie. his voice is so deep for 30 years old. and he has really good hair!

I ended up seeing it and I didn't mind it.

I thought Hanks was pure camp in the first half hour. Butler was great. Baz didn't bother me as much as I thought he would.

Elvis groomed Priscilla and he’s trash for that but idk, I can’t really muster up outrage about it. Priscilla still supports him and the film. He’s also no longer here and died in the most embarrassing way possible, so I guess he got his comeuppance in the end. Do people honestly expect a biopic to mention all the seedy details about their relationship, especially in today’s climate? When they make the inevitable Michael Jackson biopic I doubt the filmmakers will address the sleepovers and allegations against him, it is what it is.

IMHO, Priscilla's parents basically sold their daughter to Elvis.

I just find it ironic that so many Michael Jackson fans are pissed about this movie glossing over the Priscilla stuff yet they totally dismiss Michael’s inappropriate friendships with young boys and the allegations against him.

There are two gay moments in the film. Baz likes to subtly slot them in as he did in Gatsby.

1: The politician's son leering at the TV

2: When Elvis jokingly tries to swallow the mic on stage in Vegas there's a reaction shot of a guy in the audience.

Is the actor VGL?

I don't think the firing on stage ever happened. Dramatic licence from drama queen Baz

I think the film did a great job of humanising Elvis' physical decline, which has been the subject of jokes for years. Like the final scene where he was so ill he had to sit down on stage, that was tragic. Very sad. We were cheated out of a very emotional death scene because everyone knows he died straining on the toilet trying to shift a massive impaction.

Austin and Baz did a great job humanizing Elvis in general. He’s always felt like a caricature to me thanks to pop culture, but this film made me realize he was actually a real (flawed) person.

He died on the schitter, juscht like Mama. Schow shad.

"There’s no defending his relationship with Priscilla"

Is Priscilla herself so bothered by her past association with Elvis? Haunted by it? Was she utterly destroyed?

Uh-huh.

His liver would have resembled Judy Garland's vomit.

I liked this movie but it should’ve came out when Walk The Line did.

Doing well in Australia

"WB’s Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic strutted to $20M in 50 markets. The movie had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and this past week played for European exhibitors at the CineEurope conference in Barcelona. The IMAX total was $560K. In like for like markets, using today’s exchange rates, Elvis is pacing 8% above Rocketman and 24% ahead of both Moulin Rouge and House Of Gucci. There are a number of markets to come with Japan this week, followed by Korea on July 13th and all of Latin America on July 14th.

Australia and the UK led with No.1 starts of $4.7M each. In Oz, this is Luhrmann’s 2nd highest opening behind The Great Gatsby while the UK debut is roughly on par with Rocketman, 12% above Great Gatsby and 25% above Warner’s A Star Is Born.

France also had a good start at $2M, roughly on par with Star Is Born, 13% over House Of Gucci and 18% above Rocketman. The film received a strong Allociné score of 4.3 out of 5. In comparison Bohemian Rhapsody received 4.4, Star Is Born 4.1 and Rocketman a 4.

Germany grossed $1M, with a very strong customer rating at UCI Odeon of 8.3 out of 10 which is above Tenet and Joker. Italy rocked a No. 1 start with $915K, 22% ahead of Rocketman.

Holland ($802K) and New Zealand ($667K) had the biggest opening ever for a Luhrmann film."

R153, Austin sings pre-Vegas Elvis. Vegas and forward is supposed to be a mixture of his and Elvis's voice.

As for teen-age Priscilla, yeah, well, whattaya gonna do? Twenty-four-year-old Elvis had "never met a girl like" 14-year-old 'Cilla before, and simply fell irretrievably hard---ironically, for HIS "Forbidden Fruit." Assumptions will be and have been made. Ya pays yer money,.....

BTW, Baz shows us throughout what year it is, and in particular when Elvis was born (1935).

Thus, though the scene in Priscilla's bedroom and kiss omits mentions of ages, LATER, FOR THOSE PAYING ATTENTION, WHEN PRISCILLA LEAVES HIM, Elvis says poignantly, "When I'm 50 you'll be 40, and we'll get back together."

Bas is telling us then that, hey, if you're that curious, DO THE MATH!

For the bathroom-obsessed, you'd better hope you die differently, since right now you have no idea.....

Plus, since you already know, how exactly would that scene enhance either the film or our understanding of the man? The sight of drug-addled Elvis collapsed on the venue corridor, getting injected by a quack instead of being taken to a hospital, should be sufficiently humiliating and sad.

The drugs were the proximate cause of Elvis's death; the when matters more than the where.

Baz.

You know you're watching a Baz film when the custom wallpaper budget exceeds one million dollars.

I dont think it was ever a secret that Priss was 14 when she was with him. and lived with the Presley's. I saw it yesterday. It was very long and some people walked out. There was a young couple sitting next to us that looked early 20’s...they walked out about 45 minutes before it ended...probably wondered what the fuss over him was. If Elvis in real life was as naive as portrayed ,it’s no surprised how easily manipulated, first by his mother, then from Parker. “Elvis” looked strange, looking at him from the side from the side just like the RE and many times more like Ray Liotta........bizarre.

All in all it was decent enough for a Sunday afternoon.

Question: If Elvis supposedly "stole black music," how come his music sounds so little like the black music of the day?

I've played some early Elvis and some popular R&B songs by the likes of CHuck Berry, BB KIng etc. You can discern "influence," but they're plainly a lot more disilimar than alike.

Moreover: Has there ever been a white singer since Elvis who WASN'T influenced by black music? Who? Can you name them? Why all the paranoia about this heaped on Elvis? (I think that line of criticism comes far more from whites trying to check off some imaginary progressive virtue box far, far more than it does from black people btw).

I guess some people have a hard time believing that people around the world like him because of the way he sang.

R175 I agree with you, except for the part about black people. Most black people don’t like Elvis. I understand why they resent him, but I don’t really get the vitriol they have for Elvis. His legacy hasn’t really endured while the legacies of the black artists from that time have endured, so it seems pointless bitching about him. Elvis also never claimed to be the king of rock n roll or that he invented the genre. He admitted he was greatly influenced by black music and black culture, both of which he grew up around.

And that quote supposedly made by Elvis about how black people were only good for shining his shoes and buying his records or whatever has been debunked, but many black people still repeat that quote as a fact.

"Most black people don’t like Elvis. I understand why they resent him."

Not sure if I agree about "most black people." Opinions vary., and I suspect the majority opinion probably leans towards indifference, not knowing or caring much about the whole thing, rather than resentment. I usually hear this from virtue signalling whites, but who knows... Your mileage may vary...

Anyway, I have a hard time understanding why someone would resent him. It seems a bit knee-jerk and symbolic, rather than built on an understanding of the person and artist, the time period etc.

Have you ever seen any of these reaction videos btw? People actually sit down and listen to the songs they've been told they're supposed to hate. There are hundreds upon hundreds of them online. They are interesting.

If Butler wins an Oscar, Chalamet will implode.

"His legacy hasn’t really endured while the legacies of the black artists from that time have endured"

Not sure I agree with you here. Elvis continues to sell more records and loom larger culturally than BB King, Ike Turner, Big Mama Thronton, Chuck Berry, Little Richard. One can like that or dislike it, but as far as I'm aware, that's pretty much just a fact.

I feel like Suspicious Minds in the film was purely Presley's voice. If it was a mix, that's somewhat impressive.

Dopey comment, r167. "Walk the Line" was a 2005 film. So all the cast and crew should have made this film 17 years ago? Calling Rod Taylor, Mr. Rod Taylor!

R176, I agree with several points, but strongly disagree about how Elvis's "legacy hasn't really endured...."

You do realize what movie you just viewed? Its title?

BB King's legacy? Some clubs with his name. Little Richard's? The scene in the movie is amazing to many because they have NO CLUE anymore as to the dynamic brilliance and originality of Little Richard. Big Mama Thornton? Mahalia Jackson? Towering talents, but please do not try to argue that their legacies have outlived The King's. (And by "The King's" I don't mean that of Fats Domino and "Blueberry Hill.")

That dog won't hunt.

R181, "Suspicious Minds" was Austin/Elvis at the International in Las Vegas, so yes, that was the real Elvis singing.

But that's another point to be made: With all his moves, from his fingertips to his toes; with his every spot-on micro-expression and head-turn; with his brain engaged to the max; the lip-synching of Austin Butler is simply the absolute best.

I'm kicking myself here in PA for not going to see "The Iceman Cometh" on Broadway. First of all, Denzel! I saw him as Brutus in "Julius Caesar" at the Belasco, and have the autograph to prove it! Secondly, classic drama!

But then to have met Austin Butler at the Stage Door?! Oh Mary, don't ask! Alas, I'll be long gone before he returns!

Austin is ready, ready to fly!

I saw Elvis in June 1977 at one of his last concerts. I was 13 years old and still remember the insane response he got from the women on the floor in the front section…it was like the films of Beatlemania….he was sweaty, fat and probably high as a kite but he sounded great.

I saw the movie yesterday and it was much better than I expected…Luhrman kept the movie pretty grounded…it didn’t go into musical fantasy like Rocket Man and it kept me emotionally invested in a story that I remember so well as part of my childhood. Butler was terrific….

oh my, lucky you R186! and those lucky ladies. He kissed females around the stage and gave them silk scarfs!

Elvis's "if I can dream" that song is sung with such emotion....very, very good!

R176, I also agree that the resentment seems to come from black people, but not about Elvis’ legacy not enduring. Completely lost the plot there. He is way more enduring and bigger than any black artist from that time.

I blame Chuck D for calling Elvis a racist without ANY evidence.

^^ Me, too, r189. And the man was long dead and couldn't even speak up to defend himself against that kind of attack!

If I'm not mistaken, Chuck D has since backtracked, but the damage has been done . People often sniff the name and image of EP with suspiscion, thinking there MUST be something wrong/racist there, even though any supposed "facts" or "quotes" showing this are usually mistaken/rumors/unsubstantiated when you examine them.

Some people just seem attached to thinking Elvis = racist, but they'd be hard-pressed to say exactly why that is.. They just "know" it must be true and won't be convinced otherwise.

Meant to link to this video

More than a few of Austin's moves and expressions in "Elvis" can be plainly observed in his character Sebastian Kydd in "The Carrie Diaries."

For example, Austin (in RL, too?) has a particular kissing technique, with its seductive "hesitancy" moves. Works for me!

Elvis beat Maverick.

R182 I wish it came out in 2005 so we wouldn’t have to read all the discourse about it.

You mean after I die? Assuming we end up in the same place, yes.

I just feel like the SJW’s are trying to make people feel guilty for enjoying a movie about Elvis and it’s annoying. I love Baz Luhrman, sorry about it.

"The SJWs" shouldn't be factoring into your enjoyment of a movie. No one else can do that. It's just you and the film.

R197 Social media has made that kind of difficult.

It's true. Someone posts they love the film and they get all these messages about how awful Elvis was.

A friend posted about Broadcast News when Bill Hurt died and a friend of his kept posting about Hurt abusing Marlee Matlin. He wasn't talking about Hurt, he was talking about the film.

Exhausting.

So don’t post on social media about it - problem solved.

I saw it yesterday and really enjoyed it as the big spectacle that it was meant to be, just like The King himself. It was tragic, though. I was in tears leaving the theatre, trying not to trip over the octogenarians walkers in the aisles. One little old lady was wearing a poodle skirt.

You need to understand that social media is its own universe and doesn't hold as much sway in the real world as many people (especially those in the media) think it does.

I learnt this with the reaction to the last Tarantino film, where Twitter universally decided he was over, a relic, a sexist dinosaur and irrelervant. The film was a critical and commercial hit.

The social media economy runs on people posting about how virtuous they are, with their various social and political views. Just like way people used to posture at church on Sunday, it doesn't necessarily reflect how they act in their daily lives.

I believe Mr. Tom Hanks is going to get a Best Supporting Actor nomination for this performance. It will be his third Oscar. And if that hideous Rami Malek can win one, Austin Butler can definitely win one!

Seeing it tomorrow - I expect to be dazzled. Will let you know -

Where is he performing?

On the Rock of Eternity, Mr. Punctuation at r204.

[quote] Social media has made that kind of difficult.

What a whiney little bitch you are. How do you function?

The origin of Elvis's trademark lightning bolt, seen in the movie worn like a necktie by Boy Elvis:

Um, yeah, r206. Because complaining about social media chatter really identifies r198 as an oddball outlier, outrageously sensitive to something no one else has ever noted or commented on. How does he even function?!

Since that chatter seems to keep him from doing things he wants to, it seems hopeless.

[quote]Elvis beat Maverick.

Glad it (albeit narrowly) won the top spot. I loved it. I hope word of mouth keeps propelling its box office

I think it'll continue to do well as older viewers tells their friends to go see it, plus some repeat business.

Whether it similarly catches on with younger demos remains to be seen.

Elvis made $31 million in three days Steven Spielberg's West Side Story made $39 million in three months

I know they somewhat blamed WSS on the film climate, but I think the success of EIvis and TGM proves it was the movie itself. Don’t think that movie was needed and how it was so switched up wasn’t going to fly.

Austin Butler is so good in this. I just wish the first half of the movie wasn’t so frenetic, so we could spend more time with him as early Elvis.

I'm assuming no nudity?

Given the movie's length, I'm just imagining all the Eldergays and pensioners in the South quietly piddling into their Depends.

SPOILER:

Did the Colonel really sell I HATE ELVIS merch? That's hilarious.

R216 don't movie theaters in the South have bathrooms?

Not even a hint, r215. 😔

R212 More people are now comfortable about returning to the cinema, especially older people who have been hold outs until the last few weeks. That was definitely not the case when WSS came out.

No one needed nor wanted a remake of WSS.

R220, it only came out 6 months ago. If it came out Dec 2020 I’d agree. I sort of think the Covid excuse is overplayed. All it takes is a movie people of any age want to see to get them out. TGM has been a success across all age groups.

[quote] Elvis groomed Priscilla and he’s trash for that but idk, I can’t really muster up outrage about it.

What about her parents? They let her, at the age of 16, go to Memphis and LIVE with Elvis Presley. Supposedly Elvis told them that it would all very proper and that she would be leading a good life with him, getting an education, and that when she was old enough he'd marry her. And that fell for that line? But supposedly they knew what the situation was and approved of it because having their daughter become involved with Elvis Presley represented "the opportunity of a lifetime." And it did! Who would ever have heard of Pricilla Beaulieu if she hadn't been married to Elvis Presley? She became rich and famous because of him.

I saw it this afternoon and it is FABULOUS. It is not as "Baz-y" as I expected it might be; he takes an almost impressionistic approach to the story, with small scenes leading into each other, often linked by news reports, video clips, newspaper headlines, and small snips of Elvis songs often in a minor key. It flows along easily and I did not find it too long at all. Best of all, in my opinion, is that it does not ridicule Elvis in any way, even in the Las Vegas sequences. Elvis is portrayed as a performer driven by his immense talent, but who literally becomes "caught in a trap" laid by a wily old carny who sees nothing but an endless flow of cash. He sinks his tentacles deeply into Elvis' psyche, capitalizing on the loss of his mother, and making a long series of poor management decisions, many born of ignorance, racism, and his own secrets.

The two performances are stellar: Tom Hanks is astounding as the slick old "Colonel", often seen stalking Elvis like prey, peering around corners and behind curtains at his "boy", his little eyes sparkling with greed as he hawks cheesy merchandise, always there to murmur some little assurance to Elvis to keep him yoked to him. It's a very well crafted performance, and I hope it earns him a third Oscar.

But the revelation is Austin Butler's staggeringly good performance as Elvis. The resemblance-in every detail-is almost eerie, however, he somehow manages to portray Elvis as a deeply emotional performer, struggling at every turn in his mismanaged career, desperate to become "the real Elvis" despite his apparent mega fame and fortune - but, in a very spooky scene, (set to "Suspicious Minds") is shown to be "caught in a trap" of frustration, loneliness, overwork and unbridled substance abuse which kills him at 42. It is a meticulously crafted, star making performance, and I hope it brings Butler a well deserved Oscar. It has Best Picture written all over it - also great art direction, editing, script, and of course, direction. It is a remarkable achievement, a classic American story; I can understand why it got a 12 minute standing ovation at Cannes.

The Suspicious Minds sequence was STUNNING. The stage performance alone was brilliant but the weaving in of Hanks at the table blew my mind.

Why yes. Elvis passed way too soon. He could have serenaded me and became a spectacular gentleman caller.

Two more tidbits about the film:

1. Jimmie Rodgers SNOW is NOT, as some reviewers have written, "Jimmie Rodgers." The latter recorded "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," among other Pop hits.

2. When disagreeing about Parker, who wants to take Elvis on a 4-day Florida tour, Gladys says to Elvis, "Satnin knows."

Later, in a different era, Elvis is sitting, sorrowful, watching yet another Black American's funeral (I think Mahalia Jackson's). Priscilla enters the area and asks, "[Are you thinking about] Satnin?"

"Satnin" was the nickname Elvis had given to his mother for her skin, "smooth as satin." None of this is explained in the movie!

I saw "Elvis" and it is a Woke movie filled with fabrications, period. Elvis did not hang out with all the black singers in the movie nor did he copy their style. Elvis was a law unto himself. The Woke Effect in this movie and other films is becoming toxic beyond sanity and belief. The really only good thing about the movie was the performances by Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. If you're looking for the definitive Elvis film this ain't it!!!

R228, In the immortal words of Deputy US Marshall Gerard: "I. Don't. Care." You think other bio-pics are totally factual? I've got a bridge.....

I'm going to bell my particular and SFAIK unique cat:

Baz Luhrmann wanted to make---and might very well succeed in making---Austin Butler a heart-throb movie star. Like, as a main reason for hiring him, all that "2-year work ethic" yada yada notwithstanding.

Like, "Death in Venice" reason. 😉 (Yes, I know. Married With Children. Whatever.)

The close-ups of Austin's beautiful face---fuhgeddabout the body (for a second!)---are stunning. Even in the latter part of the movie, when Elvis lies down and a towel-mask is placed on his eyes, the focus on his perfect lips is no accident.

They draw me back to the movie, not the story. I'm just sayin.'

R229 here, to amend: Austin in the (first scene filmed!**) '68 Comeback Special (nee' "Christmas with Elvis") and the first International Hotel show is SPECTACULAR.

Moreover, he mastered Elvis's head turns, half-smiles, and knowing glances. I mean, down pat.

I mean, looking at how many scenes he must have filmed, seen only in split-second split-screens, the energy he must have expended could probably keep Australia's lights on for a year!

Oh, to see what landed on the cutting-room floor!

**As Austin noted in an interview, both he and Elvis had a lot riding on their respective performances.

Oh, and kudos to Austin's manager. Austin has recently been on the cover of and featured in quite a few International (UK, Germany, Italy, Japan) fashion and/or media magazines (e.g., Vogue UK).

Plus, Baz made sure the core cast---Butler, Hanks, and DeJonge---attended the premieres in NYC, London, Australia, and Japan.

Powerful for the international long haul.

After all, next up for Austin is "Dune 2."

THIS is the definitive review of Austin Butler’s performance.

It's a lengthy post, but the Austin parts are worth reading in toto and in context.

You will not have read such a review of any other actor this century.

Sorry, I forgot the link!

Good for you r229, but for some of us complete fabrications and total lies in a biopic are off-putting.

R231, when that review repeats the tired, tedious lie that Elvis basically stole black music, especially the blues, how can I trust anything it says? It's completely ignorant on Elvis's era and the musical culture in which he lived, so how can I trust "Sarah" to have a good grip on who Elvis was?

Does the film acknowledge the influence country and bluegrass had on Elvis?

R234, I referred only to the accolades for Austin Butler. They are, by definition, opinions; "trust" doesn't enter into it. See the movie if you want to know if you see the actor the same way.

As for your point about the "tired, tedious lie....," I totally agree with you.

Baz, and this is to r233 as well, uses imagery and intimations much like a poem: to illuminate an essential truth.

In your case, the "influence country and bluegrass had on Elvis" is expressed via showing him on the "Louisiana Hayride" talent show and going on tour with Hank Snow and other major C-W stars. Not sure what else you would want the movie to show. Baz decided to emphasize the Blues "A" side, "That's All Right" and its Black origin, rather than the "B" side, "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and its Bluegrass origin.

Can't include everything, or instead of 2 hours and 39 minutes, the movie's running time would be 42 years.

This video will answer some questions about Elvis and black people.

Just curious, r228, do you also point out that Hollywood John Wayne westerns that depicted Native Americans as "savages" are inaccurate, too?

I'm Native American and I've felt the sting of inaccuracy set forth by Hollywood. I'm grateful that the "wokeness" thing you complain about has invited in a more nuanced depiction of US History.

But even with that acknowledgment, I learned a long time ago that if I'm looking for documented facts about an actual person or US history, a Hollywood movie is the last place I'd look for it.

R236 I was under the impression that a cultural appropriator was an outsider who borrowed elements of a culture without giving credit to that culture and claiming it as their own. But it sounds like Elvis grew up listening to black music and acknowledged that black people invented rock n’ roll, not him. I also heard he rejected being called the king of rock n’ roll.

I see a case for songs like Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock, but how do songs like Love Me Tender and Can’t Help Falling In Love appropriate black music?

All music builds on other music. The idea that the music itself has a color is ridiculous.

Appropriation works in one of two ways, malicious appropriation supported by institutional racism (outright stealing with legal remedies not pursued or available for cultural reasons) and structural racism (same type of music and equivalent talent rewarded differently based on race because of Jim Crow type conditions). Elvis benefitted from structural racism and I think the movie shows it well while making it clear that it wasn’t malicious on his part. (Something for all of us to keep in mind in our own lives)

R239, It's a pointless discussion. People have their own reasons to understand, distort, represent accurately, or any point in-between. I'm at the point of "Whatever."

But I feel compelled to say that if anyone in 2022 thinks they know what Elvis "coulda and shoulda" done in 1956 is NUTS. And furthermore, why should this poor young singer from Tupelo have been, in retrospect, a Civil Rights pioneer??

Beam. One's own eye.

"All music builds on other music."

Amen. Just as all cuisine builds on other cuisine.

And all life builds on other life.

There hasn't been a village, a culture, or a society since the beginning of time that hasn't borrowed or exchanged ideas with another. It promoted understanding and tolerance and, most important of all, ensured survival ("What's this thing called fire everyone is talking about in the next village? Let's go ask them!"). I defy anyone to tell me what ethnicity the C-major scale or water and wheat are. The notion that any group can claim first rights to anything on earth is an absurd notion that could only be propagated in this Dumbed-Down Age of Narcissism.

Modern racial obsessions neglect other elements at play here, like class (remember socio-economic class? It's what we knew was important before identitarianism became the be all and end all). Elvis came from poverty. And then there's talent. Elvis was extremely and unusually talented as an entertainer. Both factors should be considered when assessing him and not just one aspect of the story.

Are you planning to eat my ass?

And for the record, CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE is a direct lift from the 18th century French classical song, PLAISIR D'AMOUR.

R209 I haven’t been to the movies in awhile and Elvis reminded me why I love movies. I really wasn’t expecting to like this movie as much as I did. So it is kind of bummer for me that you can hardly read anything about this movie that isn’t steeped in discourse. If that makes me a whiny bitch, so be it.

My God, Elvis stole from the Blacks and the French! Are we sure that song wasn’t originally Chaussures en daim bleu?

Well, Disney's "Cinderella" to YOU, R245.

I've read several bios, so I'm not expecting any detailed biopic. Entertainment is fine with me.

Evidently, Lisa Marie is hoping to merch herself out of her millions in debt with this.

The family see dollar signs and renewed relevance from this film. Elvis has been fading as his fanbase dies of old age. But I do believe their endorsements and praise are sincere.

Alison Martino has her trip to Graceland planned for October. Her dad was friends with Elvis, and after one of his shows Elvis invited him up. Bobbie Gentry was there. Unfortunately, no pics- damn.

Elvis could sing and was hot. That is all.

Elvis has been replaced by a new White Trash God.

Small uncut dick. Verificatia.

Colonel Parker destroyed his life . Fucker

R237, the Elvis movie claims to be a biopic based on the truth. I'm not sure Hollywood John Wayne westerns claimed to be based on the truth. The Elvis movie is not simply a biopic but also purports to "correct" history, yet by doing so distorts history.

There has never been a biopic in history that hasn't made stuff up, selectively edited out stuff, and placed undue emphasis on other stuff, in order to maintain a narrative. Not a single one, ever.

Mature adults know they are looking at entertainment inspired by real people, and not a documentary, when they go see a biopic.

Without knowing much about Elvis at all I was able to identify things in the movie that I was fairly sure never happened, like the firing of the Colonel on stage. That was pure Hollywood. It didn't bother me. I was there for a good time and perhaps a larger truth.

Absolutely true, r257, but there's still a difference between biopics (fact-based) and westerns (fictional).

tweet

What r257 said.

[quote] I'm not sure Hollywood John Wayne westerns claimed to be based on the truth.

r256, my point is they were taken by many, many Americans as the truth. I offer my own statistical sampling to support that statement because so many of my school classmates would ask me, seriously, if I knew anybody who killed cowboys and if lived in a tee-pee.

Yes, some Americans are that stupid and lack critical thinking skills. These days, the same are known as Trumpers.

[quote] the Elvis movie claims to be a biopic based on the truth.

[quote] The Elvis movie is not simply a biopic but also purports to "correct" history, yet by doing so distorts history.

Both are assertions that I'd be interested in seeing you support with info from "Elvis" marketing.

Lurhmann and his "Elvis" doesn't need me, an anonymous fan from Flyoverstan, to shill for it. It's a hit.

I find myself, however, thrilled watching Butler's performance as Elvis. To see this kid, Butler, make that starring debut, before my eyes and ears, is, to me, truly phenomenal; the kind of cinema experience movies were made for,

I do also enjoy the conversations "Elvis" has generated, including this one.

Two things are demonstrably, objectively, true about Elvis, the actual man and his impact - the economic injustice that so many African Americans, who Elvis DID copy, er, excuse me, I mean who he was "influenced" by, died in obscurity. That should always be acknowledged.

And, Elvis was a rare human being, imho, the sexiest, most appealing pop star ever.

[R260] do you mind sharing what tribe your family is? Did you grow up on a reservation? I’m just curious, there aren’t many native DLers , not many natives in general. I have relatives in Oklahoma though so I’m familiar with Osage territory around Bartlesville. And am looking forward to the Scorsese movie “killers of the flower moon”.

r261, thank you for asking. I'm an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe. I'm not at all uncomfortable with your question, it's just that I'm not comfortable posting more than that.

I grew up an "Urban Indian", but my family always maintained strong ties to our land and family, always traveling home to "the Res" and that's where I now have reside, and have, off and on, for many years.

I've read it stated that Elvis' maternal Great-Grandfather was a member of an Oklahoma Tribe. There are pix of him on the internet thingy. The Great-Grandfather does, indeed, look like he may have Native ancestry.

Elvis (and his mom) looked like they had some mixed heritage of some sort.

I am pretty sure his lips are a Presley trait. Elvis is a distant cousin and I also have full lips. We aren't the only members of the Presley family with them.

[quote]Elvis' great-great-great-grandmother, Morning White Dove (1800-1835), was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian. She married William Mansell, a settler in western Tennessee, in 1818. William's father, Richard Mansell, had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Mansell is a French name--its literal translation is the man from Le Mans. The Mansells migrated from Norman France to Scotland, and then later to Ireland. In the 18th century the family came to the American Colonies. The appellation 'white' in Morning Dove's name refers to her status as a friendly Indian. Early American settlers called peaceable Indians 'white', while 'red' was the designation for warring Indians or those who sided with the British in the Revolutionary War. It was common for male settlers in the West to marry 'white' Indians as there was a scarcity of females on the American frontier.

There was also inbreeding and first cousin marriage in the Presley family.

The name Presley is an Anglicised form of the German name Bressler, after Elvis's German ancestor Johannes Valentin Bressler.

This is a great thread! After reading all the replies, my answer to OP’s question is, “Yes, I definitely want to see it.”

Why wasn't Liza tapped for the role?

It would have been an enrichening gender neutralising experience.

Did Elvis have a relationship with his mother or something? His relationships with women were very weird. Besides the teenage girlfriends, I remember reading Rita Moreno’s memoir and she said when she hooked up with Elvis all they would do is grind against each other’s bodies on the floor. She said he was very much like a boy.

Also I’m surprised Ann Margaret wasn’t included in this movie at all.

Natalie Wood also said Elvis was square and that his relationship with his mother came in between them.

Didn't Natalie imply he was lousy in bed?

R271 Not sure but in Rita’s memoir she said Natalie stormed out on Elvis when he refused “to do it”

It was Elvis grandparents on his mother's side who were first cousins, not any of the Presleys.

We are all, and I mean ALL, descended from cousin marriages. It was at one time very widely practiced by pretty much most major cultures. It's now taboo for good reasons. But let's not lose our minds over it.

I didn’t know Natalie dated Elvis ?

Well allegedly he refused to fuck her?

Hell NO, couldn't stand him

Baz has a large movie poster of "Viva Las Vegas," featuring photos of EP and A-M, behind Elvis and Priscilla in the scene where Elvis tells off Jerry for cracking wise about Elvis being an "appliance salesman."

Then there's the 1969 scene where Col. Parker is lamenting the violent time, what with the TV's mentioning Altamont and his newspaper's front page about the Tate murders. Austin, of course, had played Tex Watson in "OUATIH."

BB King saying to Elvis, re: the latter's restrictive formal outfit on "The Steve Allen Show": "Nobody wants to see Elvis as a butler." Correct! We want to see a Butler as Elvis!

Vegas Elvis sotto voce slipping into "Suspicious Minds" the "lyric" "Shove it up your nose..." The real Elvis did such silly things to lessen the monotony.

Elvis singing "Trouble" (the arrest melee scene). Austin Butler in interviews has named "King Creole" as his favorite EP movie. In that film, Elvis sings "Trouble." That version is exactly, and I do mean exactly, the version Austin (himself for real) sings in this scene.

To visually and aurally give us how Black musicians influenced Elvis, Baz showcases Black singers before or intertwined with several major Elvis singing scenes.

I think Della pointed out the carnival's "Geek" sign. Allow me to point out the sign behind Young Elvis with his comic (I know it's the name of the oil company): "HUMBLE."

My last Baz-ism for now: The electric company that the future King drives truck for is....Crown.

On another note (PI): Personally, though I really enjoyed all the Little Richard, Big Mama Thornton, etc. performances, I would MUCH RATHER HAVE HAD MORE ELVIS! His "15/15" US tour is a seasickness-inducing rapid-fire collage, not even fit for the movie's trailer!

Imagine all the Austin singing, moving, thrusting, and sweating video Baz shot over and over from all angles and left unused! Whew!

If this was 5-7 years ago, this role probably would have catapulted Austin Butler into superstardom.

Why 5-7 years?

"My last Baz-ism for now: The electric company that the future King drives truck for is....Crown."

Interesting post, r278, but this one is actually just factual. Elvis drove for Memphis power company Crown Electric.

R280, I think actors were still able to become names then, like Jennifer Lawrence. Maybe it is even longer, might be 10-15 yrs. Now it’s so hard to become a breakout name unless you do Marvel.

I just saw this movie. it was packed. mostly women in the audience and they were young. I was surprised at that.

I enjoyed the movie. I thought Austin did a good job but nobody compares to Elvis esp when you see him on youtube in the 68 special. Austin is like a elvis impersonator really...he looked most like him in the vegas years. I thought he did ok there. His eyes are too close together and those are fake eyelashes right?

I wonder how Austin's nosejob will weather the years.

I suspect it will need readjustments.

No thank you, I had sufficient.

Gurl no he died on the toilet eating KFC

He was reading, not eating when he died, yes he was in the restroom.

Not surprised you saw young women in the audience. Butler is a cutie and has been heavily promoting this.

I wasn't sobbing at the end but I did shed a few tears. The real footage got me.

I'm not so sure about Elvis refusing to do it with Nathalie wood. From what joe Esposito said, Elvis fucked all his leading ladies.

His voice was like no other. A gift.

I haven't been to a theater since Covid, but this is tempting me. A friend went to see Top Gun at the 10 am showing and was the only one in the theater.

Definitely go early. I think it's cheaper before 12pm too!

Do they dub Elvis' singing?

Who plays Cissy Houston in the movie?

R279 I think he’s more deserving of the superstardom status than JLaw was in 2012. I’m usually not passionate about these biopic performances but Austin is a goddam star in this movie.

R295 near the end yes.

So Austin Butler does his own singing as the young Elvis, but they dub him as the old Elvis is singing?

This movie also made me appreciate Elvis’s talent more. It’s cool to hate on him in this generation but he had a great voice and was a charismatic entertainer.

R299 Apparently so.

R165 People are more upset about Priscilla’s relationship with Elvis than she is. It’s been 45 years since he’s died, she’s clearly made peace with what happened and has moved on. Since Natalie Wood was mentioned in this thread, her mother pimped her out to Frank Sinatra when she was 15 years old. Yet no one on Twitter is boycotting Frank Sinatra music.

[quote]So Austin Butler does his own singing as the young Elvis, but they dub him as the old Elvis is singing?

Yes. The early Elvis recordings weren't of great quality so Butler sang those. His voice is blended with some of the older Elvis songs.

Elvis idolized James Dean and this was mentioned in the movie a few times. I would like to see a biopic about him next.

Does the film show that Elvis fashioned himself after Conway Twitty? The very same persona. Mississippi boys.

It was Natalie's sister Lana who said that about Elvis and his mother r271. Natalie was 18 and Elvis was 21 when they dated, most people don't have serious relationships at that age. Big deal.

He was obsessed with Rebel Without A Cause and wanted anything or anyone who had been associated with James Dean.

Rita Moreno apparently only dated Elvis as revenge against Marlon Brando, who'd cheated on her non-stop during the 8-year relationship. They only dated a few times. According to Rita, Elvis was sweet and boring, a country boy, but she loved it when Brando found out about her dates with Elvis and started throwing chairs about. That kind of passionate macho man was what she really wanted.

[quote]Moreno said that she "dated [Elvis] several times" and that she found him to be "sweet but boring."

[quote]"He was sweet, but he was a country boy. So anyway, when [Brando] found out, it didn't take long. He started to throw chairs. He was so angry. It was wonderful. And I just sat there as he threw chairs and carried on," Moreno said, crossing her arms and pretending to look at her nails as she mimicked being unfazed by Brando's reaction.

Marlon wasn’t a fan of Elvis. From his memoir Songs My Mother Taught Me:

“It seems to me hilarious that our government put the face of Elvis Presley on a postage stamp after he died from an overdose of drugs. His fans don't mention that because they don't want to give up their myths. They ignore the fact that he was a drug addict and claim he invented rock 'n' roll when in fact he took it from black culture; they had been singing that way for years before he came along, copied them and became a star.”

And Marlon Brando was a closet bisexual who had racist sex obsessions with "exotic" Polynesian and asian women.

Marlon was obviously still angry that Rita Moreno went out on a few dates with Elvis, r309. Imagine all the chairs he broke.

Just by sitting on them.

R281, Yep, I know! But Baz CHOSE to focus on the ad on the truck's door TWICE. He didn't have to, YKWIM?

R279, And now it won't because....?

R283, No. Real eyelashes; real mascara.

R284, It seems to have managed. But your comment is well-taken by me, for, knowing about his rhinoplasty, I noticed Austin's nose-touching throughout, so much that I still wonder if Baz was hinting that Elvis also did cocaine!

However, the nose of Austin's youth wouldn't have gotten him this role.

In any case, the real Elvis seems to have had a very similar nose job to Austin's!

See article at link for surgeries besides eyelift.

R309, Fatty McFat says what?

Myths gotta myth; egos gotta ego; fans gotta fan. BFD. Brando's fans act like he invented naturalistic acting.

No wonder, then, that Sly Baz has Col. Parker narrating about Elvis, "He was as good as Brando. But the public didn't want to see him when he wasn't singing."

Meeting the "Comeback Special" producers: Austin, born and raised in Anaheim, has said way before this movie was imagined, that he always admired James Dean, that he often visited the "RWAC" observatory and Hollywood sign---just as Elvis says and does in the film.

Motif of cars to show Elvis's career and life trajectory: First we see a line of Hank Snow's cars on the way to the seminal Louisiana Hayride show. At the carnival later, Elvis and CTP mention and then laugh about how many Cadillacs Elvis will buy ("A thousand. A million!") when they work together. Then we see the Elvis/Snow auto entourage on the road, literally.

Next up, Graceland, the Presleys arriving in Elvis's promised pink Cadillac, it to be joined in his front yard eventually by others, many others, but we see Elvis drive a Cadillac again only to escape his mansion and his changing career to get back to Beale Street.

Set to a dramatic song the next line of cars takes the Comeback Special execs up the hills to meet with Elvis. Another fateful moment, driving his career forward.

The car scene at the airport. Inside his limo, with "no dreams left," Elvis says his Last Good-Byes with Priscilla and Lisa Marie (director's license here, people, okay?).

Finally, the funeral procession. No music. White vehicles only.

Now, the use of automobiles as a symbol and/or motif is hardly new in modern art, literature, and music, but THIS time it was "suggested" by the subject, Elvis himself, with that first promise to his "Satnin."

Baz just ran with it.

I adore you, r316.

Smooooches, Doll.

I think one major remarkable aspect to Austin as Elvis is that the actor and the subject are both similar and different in appearance. I mean, look at AB on any recent Red Carpet for this film and TRY to picture the slim dirty-blond as Elvis!

Of course, Gary Oldman doesn't resemble Churchill. And Rami has normal teeth. Tom Hanks isn't fat. But they all needed prosthetics added, sometimes for hours daily.

Austin Butler, up until his very last "fat-suit" Elvis, needed only mascara, hair dye, and (he acknowledged) a hairpiece. Yet there simply is no way you can see Austin in Vegas Elvis, the actor's transformation is so utterly complete, his acting so...not acting.

Baz's use of a split-screen to show us Young Rockabilly Elvis and Vegas Elvis singing the same song ("That's all Right") serves not only to show us Elvis's aging but still with the voice, but also Austin's---not aging in RL---tour de force.

Y'all have indulged me so much (Sidenote: I read film criticism for fun, my favorites' being about Hitchcock, my current of Mamet, but next up Baz Luhrmann!) that I would like to add this review of "The Iceman Cometh" with Denzel (of the by now famous "unsolicited recommendation of Austin to Baz" legend) and Austin, written in 2018.

The praise for Austin IN HIS DEBUT and with this ensemble of heavyweights is extraordinary.

P.S. Don't bother reading the review of the movie in that same link in my post at r318.

Any critic who can write that he "didn't believe the tears" of Austin's Elvis at his mother's death simply has no clue. That loss was THE connection the actor had with his character, as both men were 23 when they lost their mothers. Gee, ya think Austin might really have been crying, thinking about his own Mom? Maybe?

Back atcha, Della r317! 😙

I'm going to add one more bit of vehicle imagery: The Crown Electric Co. truck. We see Elvis park and exit it thrice, twice on Beale Street where he is comfortable and welcomed; once at the Lauderdale Apartments complex, where he is uncomfortable and mocked ("Hey, Squirrel") (though the girls like him).

He hurriedly gets out of the truck (with his guitar) back home (Eminem providing the foreshadowing), but on Beale Steet, he takes his time, putting down one spiffy two-toned B&W shoe after the other---we see ONLY the shoes---as he then gazes upon the scene, his scene. (Eventually he will exchange those zoot-suit shoes for all-black "television-friendly" ones ["It's the 'Milton Berle Show'"]).

Right now it hit me where in movies I'd seen that type of shoe-centric car exit before: Bruno, wearing---wait for it----B&W shoes in "Strangers on a Train."

FWIW! Haven't thought it quite through yet! But I could just chalk it up to one director's homage to anothe!

I viewed the extended trailer again. At 2:58 there's a split-second view of White Jumpsuit Vegas Elvis, clearly drug-addled, falling (pushed?) into the back seat of his limo (it immediately follows the arrest scene for "Trouble").

To my recollection of the 10 times I've now watched this movie, there is no such scene in it.

But since I'm going again tonight, I'll be on the lookout!

In my area, "Elvis" is leaving the building soon. Last theater showings are July 7. 😕

Saw this tonight and loved it.

I'm an Elvis fan so I was skeptical whether Baz and Butler could pull it off and they did. It helps that you can tell Baz is a fan of Elvis. You need someone who appreciates his music and charisma to capture that on-screen. And Butler was simply excellent. He wasn't a caricature of Elvis and there were times when he almost embodied Elvis.

The sound editing in this film is incredible.

I’ve been watching Elvis’s cheesy movies and enjoying them. Viva Las Vegas and Blue Hawaii.

Does he fuck anyone in those old films? Or is it all clambakes and drag racing?

In Blue Hawaii a 17 year old tries to kiss Elvis and he stops her and tells her he doesn’t rob cradles. LOL

How awkward.

Ann Margaret and Elvis have a lot of chemistry in Viva Las Vegas. I’m not surprised they had an affair.

AM loved to talk about their affair. It was apparently great publicity for her. She's one of his few alleged lovers not to slag off his sexual performance. Which makes me wonder what really happened.

R329 It sounded like an intense affair the way she spoke about it on Charlie Rose.

Maybe if they married he wouldn't be dead.

but she would be R331

I saw him at the Diary Queen just the other day.

The film is doing well:

"Swiveling its hips into a third-place finish was Warner Bros.’ Elvis, which took in $19 million over the weekend. Director Baz Luhrmann’s PG-13-rated musical biopic of the King of Rock N’ Roll slipped -39.1% from the previous frame. The film, which stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and Tom Hanks as his Svengali manager Colonel Tom Parker, earned a $4,832 per-screen average at 3,932 locations. That haul and its relatively modest week-over-week drop-off was especially impressive considering that the film appeals to an older demographic that has been less inclined to return to movie theaters during the pandemic. Elvis’ two-week domestic take now stands at $67.3 million. Overseas, the title has added $46.2 million in ticket sales to date, putting its worldwide cume at $113.2 million."

Which page was he on, r333?

So, maybe an unpopular opinion coming up, but after seeing "Elvis" a dozen times, here goes: Baz bent over backwards to convey his, the director's, opinion of the influence Blacks had on Elvis.

For one thing, Little Richard and "Tutti-Frutti" are accorded something Elvis is not: a full and focused performance with no multiple angles or screens.

"Baby Let's Play House" is truncated and interrupted by the screaming voracious fans. "That's All Right" cuts back and forth to Arthur Crudup. "Trouble" is ended by an arrest. The '68 CS comprises mostly a medley. The triumphant Vegas "Suspicious Minds" is, albeit cleverly, interspersed with the Col. and a hotel exec.

"If I Can Dream" showcases only the last two stanzas, omitting the first two which contain Elvis's main point of brotherhood and peace (although Elvis is shown practicing a bit of the beginning).

Okay, I digressed. Back to my point:

Every song, ever performance by Elvis is connected to something in the Black community.

From the "That's All Right" Boy Elvis peeks at to his Black Gospel Revival Tentvshakes interspersed with Young Man Elvis preparing to go onstage at the Hayride.

From his "love of all things Beale Street" and his (beyond beautiful face) wide-eyed glimpse of BB King through a clothing store window to later in life quoting the words of BB about "going where you want" to play music.

From hanging out at Club Handy to expressing a wish to sing "Tutti-Frutti" to deferring to Fats Domino as the "real King of Rick and Roll."

From having his career and emotional state severely affected by the deaths of not only his mother but also Dr. MLK, Jr. and Mahalia Jackson (along with Bobby Kennedy but hey---Baz couldn't really overlook him, given it was 1968. Anyway, he shows Bobby calming the citizens of Indianapolis after the assassination of MLK, so still...Black-connected [Note: Indianapolis was the only major city not to erupt in protest.]).

Baz, in short, frames the career of Elvis not only through the Colonel's Unreliable (and Overbearing) Narrator's eyes, but also through the Black Experience.

Black Blues and Gospel segue directly to Elvis at the Louisiana Hayride. Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right" returns prominently for Las Vegas Elvis.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Strange Things Happening (Every day)" leads directly, beats never stopping, to the field of Elvis's "Trouble."

Big Mama Thornton is shown singing "Hound Dog," her lyric of "Stop snoopin' 'round my door" later being sung by the movie's '68 CS Elvis, though that line is not in the actual recorded version.

Beale Street Blacks are shown admiring Elvis, asking for autographs or handshakes, surrounding him---but not tearing off his jacket (he is shown, in fact, putting one on), not throwing "intimates," not roughing him up. On Beale Street, Elvis can "let it all hang out," in BB King's advice. The Colonel and Elvis's White peers don't get it.

His music, moves, fashion, advice, friendship, a social conscience, success---Elvis According to Baz gained it all from Black America.

The movie should, and seems to have, shut down the "Racist Thief" accusations.

I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere, so I must say it:

Olivia Dejonge as Priscilla is AWFUL. LOUSY BAD. EXECRABLE.

She cannot project her voice, as in, you cannot hear her! She also swallows her words! In the first scene with Elvis in Germany, just TRY to figure out WTH she's saying as she mimics her parents' weak admonitions! And I STILL (recall: 12 viewings) have zero idea of what she says to Elvis, especially right before he kisses** her. No. Clue.

Plus, she ain't that good-looking. 'Cilla was a knock-out.

So, weak choice by Baz.

And here's a Covid-19 Silver Lining: The two brilliant actors as Elvis's parents, Richard Roxburgh and Helen Thomson, were picked after the intended Rufus Sewell and Maggie Gyllenhaal opted out to avoid Australia's quarantine.

Thank goodness! Because they, as established stars, would have been major interview subjects, and who needed that?

Oops! At r335 I meant Elvis called Fats the King of ROCK and Roll"! Haha! Inadvertent Rick Roll!

And I didn't complete my "kisses**": Mmm-MMMM! Man, that Austin guy has it going on (anyone who watched "The Carrie Diaries" knew this already)! Oh, to be young, Australian, and an extra in that Vegas audience, with all the post-show Elvis-smooching!

The Elvis estate tightly controls his image. This film had to have their blessing or it would not exist.

Clearly the estate wanted to achieve two things with this film: demonize Parker beyond redemption and kill the belief that Elvis “stole black music”.

It’s a good film, but it’s a great bit of propaganda

"The Elvis estate tightly controls his image. This film had to have their blessing or it would not exist."

Bullshit. Anyone can==and has--say almost anything they want to say about Elvis. His image is like Marilyn's, up for grabs.

" kill the belief that Elvis “stole black music”."

I'm doubtful that could ever be killed, but if so: good. Correcting a lie is a good thing.

R338, yeah, Priscilla and Lisa Marie totally endorsed the movie. Here they are with Baz and the cast.

I read somewhere that they were backing the movie because they were hoping it would introduce Elvis to a younger audience and keep him relevant. I wonder if there would have been such an emphasis on Elvis's alleged total influence from black music and nothing else if the film had been made a couple of years earlier, before the George Floyd events.

"such an emphasis on Elvis's alleged total influence from black music"

Um, Elvis either stole black music OR the film is an overly woke fiction about the debt Elvis owes to black artists. Haters can't actually have it both ways. Pick one.

" they were hoping it would introduce Elvis to a younger audience"

What a dreadful thing for his family and descendants to think!!! I'm horrified, I tell you!!!

Ultimately, for me personally, I keep returning for Austin Butler, with his stunningly beautiful face (Baz gives it some fabulous close-ups), his searingly sexual stage moves (far sexier than when Elvis is shown with a groupie or Priscilla, which was maybe Baz's intention), and his singing!

More Austin Butler in concert, please!

What are you talking about, r341?

Elvis. You?

[quote] Bullshit. Anyone can==and has--say almost anything they want to say about Elvis. His image is like Marilyn's, up for grabs.

And there you are mistaken. Both their images (plus James Dean) are being tightly controlled by the estate. You can say anything you want about him, but you cannot represent him physically in a commercial venture without the estate’s permission anymore than you could use the image of Mickey Mouse in a film without Disney’s permission.

By the estates that is. As in, three different estates.

R343, r341 is being broadly sarcastic.

To whoever said that Austin/Elvis wears false eyelashes and I disagreed, I stand corrected.

I fucking knew it was fake eyelashes! Austin is blonde in real life, there is no way those were his lashes. but they looked very real

Transitions: The Movie. I lasted ten minutes and I felt scammed.

And whatever the hell Tom Hanks was doing... how did no one at any point stop him?

Well, r345, considering the thousands upon thousands of commercial ventures like books, films, tv shows and documentaries delving into every possible aspect of Elvis’ story–-good, bad, ugly, sordid– either the estate doesn’t have the iron grip you describe or they’ve had to make peace with the fact that all the unsavory aspects of his life have long been public knowledge, written about and depicted countless times. There isn’t anything negative about the Elvis story that hasn’t been said or shown before.

Elvis’ story is like Dean’s or Marilyn’s, up for interpretation and much depends on the teller. Norman Mailer’s book on Marilyn is very different in its level of sympathy than Gloria Steinham’s, and I imagine the different biopics are just as diverse in their perspectives, even if her image is controlled by an estate. I just got done with a bunch of biographies, documentaries and biopics about James Dean, and trust me: there are wildly different perspectives, some of them not flattering at all.

I don’t believe the estate could sit there and dictate the film’s perspective, but meh, what do I know. I’ll just point out that even if the estate DID secretly mastermind everything: Luhrmann still managed to make a thoughtful, fair, nuanced and moving picture that depicts both good and bad in the subject's life. That is truly an impressive feat, especially if he was under Lisa Marie’s strict thumb and watchful eye the whole time!

Lisa Marie and Cilla want visitors to Graceland, sell merch and more music. This movie will do it.

^^ Great. I'd like Americans to take trips to Graceland, wear Elvis t-shirts and listen to good music, too.

It will make a nice break from their shooting at each other, r352.

I don’t think the estate micromanaged the film, because that would have resulted in a crappy film. And it’s definitely not a bad film. It’s a very good film that only Baz could make.

I do believe, however, that they wanted to ensure that those two points (Parker’s a villain, Elvis didn’t steal black music) were hammered home. And they got what they wanted

And downplay Priscilla's age.

Yeah, that too, r355

Actually, I don't think Priscila contends that Parker was a villain. Just the opposite. She's more or less defended him publicly, so that's puzzling the estate didn't go after her.

And Elvis didn't steal black music. The film delves into Elvis' complicated relationship and debt to black music pretty elaborately and in great detail. It wouldn't have been as good if it stuck to that facile and untrue perspective that Elvis 'stole black music.'

If Priscilla doesn’t want all the seedy details of her relationship shown onscreen then I think that’s fair. The film still shows him cheating on her.

And being a poor husband/father the worse his drug use got.

[quote] It wouldn't have been as good if it stuck to that facile and untrue perspective that Elvis 'stole black music.'

Agreed, and nobody said otherwise

Interesting that Pat Boone was right behind Elvis in popularity, and covered black music for white audiences. He was before my time but I never paid attention to his legacy, if there is one.

I think what separates Elvis from modern day culture vultures like say Miley Cyrus is that he stayed playing the kind of music that was associated with black culture. Whereas Miley only did it for one era.

I am planning to go this week and am mildly excited there's something I wouldn't mind seeing in a real live movie theater.

R355, She is referred to by Col. P. as "the pretty teen-aged daughter...." We are also shown that it's 1959, so Elvis is 24.

Later, when she's leaving him, Elvis says, "When you're 40 and I'm 50, we'll be back together."

The arithmetic is there for the curious.

Baz hugged Austin tightly at the Cannes premiere (first time Butler had seen the finished film). But that 12-minute SO was misleading, re: Luhrmann, Hanks, and the movie in general in terms of future reviews. For the most part, like 95%, critics praised unreservedly only Austin Butler.

Baz shows up on red carpets wearing a gaudy "ELVIS" belt buckle. Austin gets on the cover of the UK GQ and wears classy minimalist B&W outfits, including a tux, to the same premieres.

I recently saw an interview on YouTube where a commenter notes how Baz is giving Austin, spinning out an anecdote about himself and Hanks writing to each other in character, a "look" that makes Austin shut up immediately.

Personally, I think there's some love lost now because Baz "the Snowman" is being outshone by his star, Austin "the Showman." After all, Baz doesn't HAVE to keep mentioning that he "could've hired Harry Styles, but he's an icon"---implied "and Austin, you aren't."

IOW, and IMO, 60-year-old Baz is angry about the reviews for the movie and is jealous of his young, cool, and sexy new star.

" he stayed playing the kind of music that was associated with black culture. "

He did not. He sang all kinds of music, including country and western, which is not typically associated with black musicians. In addition to being a famous rock artist, he is also a bestselling country artist and is in the country music hall of fame. He and Dolly are the only two artists to ever have a song simultaneously hit number one on both the country and the pop charts. (Hers was 9 to 5. I'm guessing you don't much care what his was).

Interestingly, Elvis also broke another record recently by being on the classical music charts. The London Philharmonic with Elvis album that was released in the UK a few years ago hit the classical charts in several countries.

Do they show Butler's cock?

Thank you, r364. ITA. And can you even dramatize an age difference? ZZzzzzz. But apparently, there's a huge audience for it.

Moreover, if I understand correctly, Priscilla wrote a frank book about her relationship with Elvis and then later starred in a frigging TV movie mini-series about it!

Why would the estate, which to my understanding is controlled by Priscilla, now try to cover this all up and bury it? HOW would they?

Who says they are covering up anything? You just have to do the math, which half movie goers are too stupid to do.

"Who says they are covering up anything?"

Several posters on this thread said that the Presley estate controlled the film and insisted on several aspects, including no mention, or at least a backgrounding, of the age difference between Elvis and Priscilla. They called the film "propoganda" for the estate of Elvis Presley.

It's right up there on this very thread if you're genuinely interested.

"60-year-old Baz is angry about the reviews"

Angry all the way to the bank, and then he suddenly feels better imho, but who knows.

[quote] propoganda

“Propaganda”

And if you actually read the posts, the phrase used was “downplay Priscilla’s age”. Which the movie does.

They don’t cover it up, but they do downplay it.

Elvis had no swag according to Twitter.

Perhaps they didn't downplay the age thing and reflected how the people involved experienced it in their actual lives, i.e. it wasn't a big issue for them.

I hadn’t been planning to see it because I’ve never been a fan of his, but I ended up going out to see it with ten family members on an unusual family outing a week ago and really liked it.

Also, the new Minions movie is funny and has some great 70’s music.

R367, To use the thread's term, it's "downplayed."

During the song "Trouble," there is one very brief moment** when Austin is leaning back on his haunches, forcing his crotch to the forefront, That's it; one bulge shot in 159 minutes.

I expected something from that Louisiana Hayride pink outfit, I gotta tell ya, but nothin'!

** Baz edited this movie into a quick-shot quilt. Try not to blink. In my last two viewings I did and totally missed seeing Elvis laugh while watching Little Richard. Since Elvis is shown laughing only three times throughout (lots of sadness and death, actually), one doesn't want to miss any!

I amsaw the movie yesterday. Oscar worthy performance by Austin.

R367, In this collage (not the actual way the movie goes), see :26 second mark, immediately after which is a cut to the face of the shocked Vice Squad guy.

I get Elvis was problematic but to act like he had no stage presence or star power is a blatant lie. Why is this generation so obsessed with hating him?

R373 The full performance is better than the clip suggests.

One more mention: That is Austin Butler singing "Trouble," which version is on the official soundtrack (available for pre-order, 😎).

"the phrase used was “downplay Priscilla’s age”. Which the movie does."

You didn't JUST say the film downplayed their age difference, hon. Quit lying. You're missing the most important part. You said the film downplayed her age AT THE BEHEST OF THE PRESLEY ESTATE.

As others have said, that is obviously utter bullshit. Priscilla, who controls the estate, wrote a frank book about her and Elvis' relationship and starred in the tv movie. It's not something the estate would or even could turn around now and insist be buried.

Their age difference just isn't THAT interesting in the end, and moreover, age difference doesn't make for compelling drama.. As another poster put it: Perhaps the filmmakers wanted to reflect how the people involved experienced it in their actual lives, i.e. it wasn't a big issue for them. It was an era when girls married right out of high school, and in ELvis' culture, they often married earlier. I believe his dad was a teenager when he married the slightly older Gladys.

Either way, please stop lying. Quit moving goal posts. Quit making shit up. Thanks.

Elvis adored country star Conway Twitty. He even adopted Twitty's look so the black music BS in this thread is just that.

Is he singing Elvis like Elvis? Because the commercials make it sound like it could be some kind of interpretive venture. I'm no Elvis fan but you don't go from bad to worse by making him not sound like Elvis.

^^ There is only so much you can expect someone to look and sound like Elvis, but AB does a fantastic job. That's pretty much the consensus from audiences and reviewers; even those who don't much care for the movie still say AB's performance is impressive.

Other singers do cover and interpret Elvis songs on the soundtrack for some of the incidental music, so that may be what you heard in the preview. Overall, the music in the film sounds great, and most of AB's songs are straightforward covers sung in Elvis' style.

Thanks, R386. As I say, if you're going to do it, you don't make Elvis sound like Johnny Rotten. I never got the Elvis thing but I remember bloated Elvis not the revolutionary.

yeah, those people are blind. Elvis was an amazing performer...much better than AB. Elvis was so much hotter looking. AB's eyes are too close together...

Madonna's in her late Elvis stage.

^^ Elvis still pulled out some incredible performances even towards the end, so she's got some work to do if she wants to be late Elvis.

I think I’m officially done with Twitter. Seen so many tweets like this and I’m over it.

Predictable, r391. People like that can only watch a movie looking for something to object to that will make them sound virtuous.

At least he's being honest and admitting he liked it.

"centering of whiteness" How is a movie about Elvis supposed to tell Elvis' story and center on a black character? Dumb.

R310 Why would those be reasons not to put Brondo on a postage stamp? Is there something un-American about liking non-white women, or being bisexual?

He said Elvis was a drug addict, so he probably broke the law in various ways, drug possession and purchase, etc. that's why it's ironic the government would honor him with a stamp

Why did they choose an actor who has pouty lips and seems so baby-faced? Elvis had a sort of mocking sneer and he didn't look boyish or feminine.

R393 Marlon’s daughter accused him of molesting her and later committed suicide. There’s also the Last Tango in Paris incident.

Just watched it. I like Tom Hanks but he brought the whole thing down. Terrible German accent, terrible prosethetics. The only good performance was by the woman who played Elvis's mother.

"Elvis had a sort of mocking sneer and he didn't look boyish or feminine."

I disagree. He could look very boyish and very feminine, especially when he wore make-up, pink silk, lacy tops and the like, as he often did. The mocking sneer became famous, but his face did actually move and could take on a number of expressions.

My Daddy was born (Jan 23) less than 3 wks after and just a few miles away from Elvis' birthplace in Tupelo. My middle name is Marie. I've been to Graceland. That's all.

Neat, r398. But please don't make that all! DId your dad ever cross paths with the Presleys? DId he and his family experience the infamous Tupelo tornado of 1936 that nearly killed Gladys and Elvis and flattened the entire town?

No Ann-Margret! They were a beautiful couple. The movie wasn' bad but not good either probably because it had to pass Pricilla and Lisa Marie's authorization. The costuming of Elvis was great; Tom Hanks was a disaster.

R399 I wish I could say they were childhood buddies but no, although being born weeks apart and living within a few miles of each other it would seem probable they could have gone to school together. My Dad and Elvis would have been barely over a year old when that tornado hit and I doubt my Dad remembered the event BUT he did not like severe weather events (snow, hurricanes, tornadoes) and I am the same. We moved from NY to CA when I was 5yo and lived here since. Fun fact tho, my Daddy went in the Air Force and later became a truck driver. Elvis was a truck driver who later went in the Army.

Good stuff, r401. Thank you! Did your dad still live in Tupelo for Elvis' famous homecoming concerts in 56 and 57? The price of a ticket was, like, 75 cents or something. You still meet people from Tupelo who recall it wasn't hard to convince their parents to take the whole family because it was so cheap to go see Elvis! Even the dads came along and were into it. lol.

Here's Elvis with his class in school, r401. Anyone there look like your dad? Elvis attended East Tupelo Consolidated School and later Milam junior high in Tupelo.

R403 How interesting, thank you! No, what a remarkable moment it would have been if I had been able to recognize him tho. My Daddy didn't have a very good childhood and he really spoke very little about those years, his father was abusive to him and his Mother and we had little contact with his side of the family and they both died before I was 7yo. Is that Elvis on the 2nd row end in the denim overalls? Thank you for sharing that!

Thanks for sharing, r404, and I'm sorry to hear about your dad's rough childhood. I can't imagine that was an easy time or place to grow up, and his situation sounds especially difficult.

Yes, you have a good eye. That is Elvis in the overalls.

Absolutely yes. I’m 67 years old so maybe that has something to do with it. Oh he was so exciting. handsome, and new.

R405 That's kind of you, thank you. My Dad didn't talk much, especially about his childhood but was very sweet and loving to me in mine. Yes, even then Elvis was good looking, even with the lighter color hair. Thanks again for sharing!

R385, I know Austin's "Trouble" is a perfect rendition of how Elvis sings it in "King Creole." YouTube exists.

R391 This person exists within a social media economy where these kind of takes are currency. Does anyone seriously believe he went to see the film hoping to enjoy it or expecting to come away with any other take?

Well it looks like the film is a bona fide hit.

So the initial DL reaction that it was doomed to flop was wrong, and as usual, the race-obsessed ideological trolls on Twitter didn't reflect the marketplace.

Lessons learned? I doubt it!

I don't understand the criticism of Tom Hanks' performance; I think he did a masterful job. The accent is Dutch, and I did not find it overdone. And for an actor who is so well known as a "good guy" and so beloved to portray such a thoroughly ugly and unlikable character - and do it so well - was remarkable. He does a great job of showing the Colonel's progression from a greedy huckster, hawking buttons and signs and teddy bears, to a desperate, greedy, Machiavellian figure. He has no appreciation or even understanding of Elvis' talent, much less his career as a whole. He careens through Elvis' life, making one ill advised decision after another. I think the scene in the closet where a distraught Elvis is weeping into his dead mother's clothes is chilling, as is the "Suspicious Minds" sequence when he literally scribbles Elvis' death warrant on a paper napkin.

I think people may be reacting negatively to the performance because the Colonel was such an odious piece of work, and you keep hoping that Elvis will scrape him off, but of course that never happens. It's very good work from Tom Hanks, and I think it will net him an Oscar nom for Best Supporting Actor, and I hope he wins it.

R411, I totally agree with your entire post!

To the critics I'd ask: Exactly what accent SHOULD a Dutch immigrant to the American Deep South have?!

Furthermore, Hanks's prosthetics---fat suit, jowls, gradual hair loss---are no worse than those of Oscar-winning Gary Oldman's as Churchill!

His facial expressions show nuance. The one that always gets me shows Parker's tears at his sudden realization of how he just deeply hurt Elvis, personally and professionally, looking at a triumphant Elvis right after the debut Vegas show.

Speaking of that performance: Baz uses a triptych screen to show us Early Elvis, Blues singer Crudup, and Vegas Elvis all singing "That's All Right" simultaneously. Besides their obvious links in the film's story, Baz cleverly gives us a reminder of how Austin Butler the actor transforms and "ages."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I haven't seen yet in all the positive reviews for Austin, any praise for how well he does Drug-Addled But Functioning Elvis. There are three key scenes:

When he's on the phone with Priscilla, asking her to give LM a hug for him. We see that Cilla knows, in order to make sure WE do, because Austin's voice change is very subtle. (This segues into his paranoia---fed all these years by CTP and his "security!"---and crazed TV-shooting.)

When Elvis is hospitalized, and he takes "pills," after which he gives his head a slight, almost unnoticeable shake to "clear" it before mentioning his desire to tour Europe. Slightly more obvious voice change.

When right before collapsing in a hallway to go on the International's** stage yet again, as he's being informed of Parker's false identity, Now we can really hear Elvis slur his words with "What are you talking about, Jerry?"

And finally when, after Dr. Nick's Quick Fix and another great performance, Elvis is ready to quit, to "out" CTP. Austin shows a mind that's not quite right when he pauses between " my plane, named for......my beautiful daughter."

Simply brilliant acting.

**How terribly ironic, more so because it is true, that the "golden cage" Elvis is "caught in" to crush his dream of performing overseas is named the INTERNATIONAL.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The International. The movie (essentially) opens and closes with its sign advertising "Star Trek."

STAR TREK. This entire 159 minutes is the TREK of a STAR named Elvis Presley, who chose to "boldly go where no one has gone before."

This point is emphasized by the photos of the TV "Star Trek" cast on the wall outside the room from which the '68 Comeback Special is being directed.

I'm not saying people need to see "Elvis" as many times as I will have before it exits the theatres to make room for comic-book heroes (but not Captain Marvel Junior!), but more than once would, I think, enhance one's appreciation for what Baz, Butler, Hanks, the cinematographer, the costumer, and the rest of the cast and crew have produced.

For one last example: In an interview Austin revealed that the movie's entire "Beale Street"---street, buildings, interiors---was a constructed 6-block set with exquisite attention to detail. Something to look more closely at now!

NEW very brief "Behind the Scenes" bits.

They PROVE that "Unchained Melody Elvis" in the post-mortem scene IS AUSTIN, because the way his head and face were made up is shown.

Trying again.

"What accent should a Dutch immigrant to the American Deep South have"

The Colonel didn't have an accent like Hanks does in the movie. The accent should be something like the real person had, I should say. Plenty of recordings of the Colonel. Maybe Hanks should have studied and emulated them in the way Butler studied recordings of Elvis. Opinions will differ, but I think that would have been an improvement.

I just saw the movie. I was really looking forward to it, but I was disappointed. I didn’t think Austin Butler was very convincing, especially as young Elvis. But my main complaint is how relentlessly grim it was. It failed to show us any happiness or fun in Elvis’ life and I know there were some. It just made him a sad victim his whole life.

Hooray for Hollywood! That screwy ballyhooey Hollywood!

Unfortunately, Hollywood has to cast Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep in every older role, it seems. Whether they're suited to it or not. And it's often the latter.

I didn't think Tom Hanks was that grea either. I just kept thinking, it's tom in a fat suit. and his voice.accent was distracting.

I think the first portion of unchained melody (fat elvis) is Austin. then they showed the funeral footage, the real elvis pictures etc...then after that, it was the real elvis singing unchained melody. that was what I remember.

It's only another month until it's on HBO, I'll wait.

R416, I support your opinion, even though I'm obsessed---but that's ONLY with the main performances by Austin---Louisiana Hayride; "Trouble"; '68 Comeback Special; and the debut International show. I don't care about the coda of "Unchained Melody" because I don't really care to see Austin in a fat face and suit, nor do I care about Elvis singing.

There are exactly, in a movie covering TWENTY YEARS, THREE times Elvis laughs. Three! With CTP on the Ferris wheel; watching Little Richard; and at the Hollywood sign in response to being told that his career "is in the toilet." Too bad for both Elvis and Austin, who (now) has beautiful teeth.

Plus now I'm wondering if Austin has/had either a coke problem or a rhinoplasty issue, because his nose drips more times than called for! (Garret Clayton had this in the live "Hairspray.")

It was already a long movie and, in the theatre where I saw it, the sound went out around the time he fired Col. Tom so they had to rewind about 5 mins of the movie and show it again! Killed the mood.

This is depressing. I noted that the movie left out a lot of fun times in his life, mentioning his affair with Ann Margret during Viva Las Vega. My younger companion asked, “Who’s Ann Margret?

Esquire review. One of the most thoughtful and erudite.

Tom Hanks didn't have the guts, the courage, the cajones, to play TCP as anything less than exaggerated.

"Tom Hanks - The Brand" has to be preserved. He's playing a villain. So, Hanks made a deliberate choice to Ham-it-to-the-Heavens accompanied by a full on, would-be camp, accent.

See? it's still me, Hanks the "good guy".

And speaking of guts, the usually relentless Lurhmann lacked the same to reign him in.

And I write that as one who adores "Elvis" and Lurhmann's vision.

R419, I think the real Elvis is at the very end of the song, but I'm basing this on the fact that the guy holding the Mic isn't shown. When it's Austin, he is, as they are both in the cast.

R420, HBO Max.

Last night I decided that Hanks, as well as being the narrator, on-screen gets WAAAY too much dialogue/monologue time!! MUCH more than Austin, who barely gets two, never mind three, sentences in a row, ever. And those are rare.

Baz should have figured out by looking at all of his hours and hours of Austin singing, "wiggling," and pelvic-thrusting that audiences wouldn't return for the story, the cinematography, and for sure not for Tom Hanks.

People are seeing this movie more than once ONLY to see Austin Butler "on stage." His Vegas "That's All Right" and "Suspicious Minds" moves are as overwhelmingly sexy as the original he's replicating.

Baz obviously filmed Austin to a fare thee well, putting the actor through grueling paces as performing Elvis, but unwisely decided too often to show us split-second split-screens of him. One critic said it feels like a long trailer. Hard to disagree.

Austin will be nominated for Best Actor (along with some heavy-hitters as Brad Pitt, maybe Tom Cruise, Idris Elba, maybe Ralph Fiennes) and will win.

In various interviews and "Behind the Scenes" bits on YouTube, Tom Hanks makes clear that he is a fan of Austin Butler, to the extent of hiring him as a main character in the upcoming cable series "Masters of the Air" ("Elvis" no doubt also made Austin the choice for Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in "Dune 2," but I digress).

Hanks has said that even when he himself wasn't on call, he would go to the set anyway to watch Austin's music scenes.

In a brief BTS bit where Elvis is at the edge of the International stage listening once again to the promises of CTP, Hanks can't keep his hand off Austin's thigh!

IOW, when in the movie CTP affectionately calls Elvis "My boy" (Elvis crying in his mother's closet; Elvis visiting him in the hospital) or praises him (immediately after the first Vegas "triumph," e.g.), I believe that wasn't acting.

I'm just going to put this out here, FWIW.

Baz knows what he has in Austin's beautiful face, offering it in full-screen close-ups throughout.

There's one time, though, where I think Baz wanted to emphasize, with Austin's face, the androgynous element of Elvis, which was made initially made explicit in the Louisiana Hayride scene when CTP noted Elvis's girly eye makeup.

Prior to the frenetic 15/15 US tour, we see a close-up of Elvis's face, looking up, as a cold compress is placed on his eyes, such that only his "shell-pink" lips (Austin's own exquisite) are seen. Then Baz rotates the lips sideways.

I'm just sayin.'

Elvis's "That's All Right." Compare to Austin's. Almost identical. Austin got the "easy" tone, the glide, if you know what I'm trying to describe.

yes but are you sure they didn't blend some kind of latest tech or a.i, blending his voice and elvis's or whatever the latest magic is. they would never tell us anyways...

I saw it in the theater once, my friend saw it 4 times lol.

I will wait for the HBO max.

where does priscilla presley live these day? near graceland?

I am puzzled as to why he never had more kids, he fucked so many women...surely someone got pregnant at least once?

"where does priscilla presley live these day? near graceland?"

I believe she lives in LA and has for a long time. It's where she moved after the divorce. Graceland itself is still a functioning home where the family can--and sometimes does--entertain and even spend the night when tours aren't happening.

It is outselling Tammy's movie!

R430, As sure as one can be, r430.

Also for r430:

I think all of CTP's "My boy!"exclamations were rehearsals for, or at least harbingers of, his role as Gepetto in the upcoming (2022) movie "Pinocchio" (Robert Zemeckis, Director).

Rival to Austin for Best Actor??

This movie is beyond brilliant.

"Star Trek" hotel signs and cast photos? "Thus Spake Zarathustra" (aka, "2001: A Space Odyssey")? Sheer genius!

Another example of Baz's knowledge and attention to detail: His judicious use of the color purple. It is present ONLY in times of great loss and/or tribulation for Elvis:

The satin lining of his mother's casket;

The Cadillac in which he furiously drives away from Graceland to Beale Street, seeking refuge from his bickering family;

His robe when Priscilla leaves him; and

His outfit when he collapses from (prescription) drug addiction in a hallway.

Purple can connote many things; royalty, e g. "The King."

But it can also connote deep sorrow, which is why many churches use purple as part of a Good Friday service.

An amazing story. Butler is FINE.

Notice how they left out Priscilla's numerous affairs.

Probably, eventually. I'm glad it's doing well. Butler seems to have worked his ass off for his big break so the acclaim seems deserved instead of the usual PR machine heaping undeserved praise upon the two or three 20-something stars who get all of the attention. Maybe Butler can even takes some of their roles.

He's got great cock sucking lips.

typo correction: "can even take" not "takes"

Austin’s performance in Elvis is better than anything Timothee has done.

Priscilla once allegedly sad she and Elvis only had full sex once.

Certainly she has said on the record their sex life was 100% over after the baby because he would not touch her.

That's not a marriage. So to snidely reference her affairs like she's some gutter whore worthy of scorn is very unfair.

I read parts of her book and Priscilla did say a few months after the baby Elvis and her did have sex again. But he had a serious Madonna/Whore complex.

She was probably thrilled not to suck that 3 inch doggy dick.

"I am puzzled as to why he never had more kids, he fucked so many women...surely someone got pregnant at least once?"

Many women have come forward claiming Elvis fathered their child. None have taken a DNA test.

The Roman soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus to make fun of him as having pretensions to kingship, hence purple as the Good Friday liturgical color. It isn’t sorrowful in and of itself R439 as much as I like your analysis otherwise.

Another recurring thing - Elvis tips his head way back to gaze skyward ("I'm ready. Ready to fly") at least 5 times.

1. As boy Elvis feeling the spirit in the revival tent.

2. On the ferris wheel with CTP, when the screenplay has Elvis say "I'm ready. Ready to fly".

3. In the squad car, as he rests his head on the back rest and stares at the fireworks.

4. When gun fire is heard when RFK is killed.

5. When he's high off his ass, onstage, slurring his words about getting away from the International, and right before he fires CTP.

Other than the "I'm ready to fly" theme, I can't think of any other meaning to Lurhmann's directing Butler to do that.

It's deliberate, though; I'm convinced of that.

Damn, it's so much fun to deconstruct this movie.

R451/Della, Might Elvis be looking heavenward to Jesse, as in the pre-Hayride gathering?

R439, I would posit that it's Christ's being mocked and crucified that led to the connection of purple with sorrow, but I'll admit to not knowing about the mockery part. Mea culpa!

The following is not as coherent as I'd like ...

I don't see how any other actor, and especially Harry Styles because his main career is not acting, could have pulled off what Austin Butler has (still love BB's line: "[Kids] don't want to see Elvis the butler."). His preparation, dedication, and total immersion (apparently a mark of all his work, hence the recommendation from Denzel) are beyond the priorities of many.

What Baz and Austin have given us and have given Elvis might not be definitive enough for the purists or the prurient, but it is the Elvis that anyone else's will be compared to. And found wanting.

Try to think of an emotion that Austin doesn't only convey, but conveys in its quintessence. Joy, rage, love, lust, sorrow, hopefulness, fear, anger, and more.

The story of Elvis appeals to us because it is a Classical Tragedy: A man of great stature is brought to ruin from an internal "fatal flaw." Elvis may have lamented not leaving a legacy of a great classic movie like James Dean [Read: Worry, Austin Butler’s Own], but we are shown that he equally values making money and showing love through money:

He "upsets his Mama" by saying how he doesn't want his Daddy in financial trouble ever again;

he offers to buy his mother a pink Cadillac, which notion she rejects (but he buys it and more, nonetheless);

he points out the grandeur of Graceland, again rejected by Mama, to which Elvis replies that she isn't satisfied with anything he gives her;

he's admiring of the Colonel's plans to sell Elvis "merchandise"; and

finally, to stop Priscilla from leaving, he tells her, "I've given you everything you could want," still not understanding why "merchandise" isn't the be-all.

Art vs. Commerce.

"Getting back to who I really am." "Who are you, Elvis?" He doesn't actually answer that question, only replying with one example of who he is not.

In the Colonel's words in another context: "It is a conundrum."

Baz engages us to hope along with Elvis the same way we can't help but hope that the ship won't really sink at the end, by giving us the wide-eyed boy with the super-hero lightning bolt, running to the Gospel Revival tent after witnessing some "forbidden fruit"; the young man of hope who is "all geared up" and "ready, ready to fly"; the traveling man who is seduced, enchanted, and ultimately guilt-ridden by life on the road; and the incredible talent and charisma of Elvis the Artist.

"I Love Elvis." "I Hate Elvis." Baz is trusting that we will "buy" the former at movie's end. Austin Butler's performance 5G the decision easy.

"it is the Elvis that anyone else's will be compared to. And found wanting."

R453, the Elvis that anyone else's will be compared to is the actual Elvis.

R454, To paraphrase President Clinton: "It depends on what the meaning of 'actual' is."

As the movie emphasizes with "Who are you, Elvis?" and pointedly exemplifies when Elvis enters his plane, sadly waving farewell to Priscilla and Lisa Marie yet swiftly switching to a smile for his fans, the stage persona---i.e., the one professional impersonators take on---is not (entirely) the "actual" Elvis.

So my point was that the movie offers a closer and deeper look at EP that leaves impersonators in the dust. I include the stage performances.

R453 here: Last line should be "...makes the decision easy."

I can't resist: How real is Austin as Elvis?

P.S. In case anyone doesn't know, that's Austin Butler as Tex Watson.

The movie portrays Elvis sympathetically, but it makes him into tragic victim with a relentlessly miserable life. While some of that is true, the real live Elvis also had a lot of fun that the movie completely left out. It would have been nice to get a few glimpses of those times, too.

Totally agree, r459.

The smiles, never mind Elvis's delighted laughs, are way too infrequent.

He WAS a tragic victim. a creative artist who was used, abused and manipulated. Sonetimes it's gold digging wives/husbands who break them, and sometimes it's business assholes, to the point the artist has no agency left.

Not that I'm obsessed or anything....

Though Elvis died on an August 16, we are shown the announcement of his death on a newspaper's front page from the next morning, August 17.

Austin Butler’s birthday is August 17.

I was born August 16th, the day Elvis died.

Has Madonna ever made a thing out of that?

Baz Luhrmann uses another image often, to wit: He understands the sexual power of a man's back and shoulders.

Thus, we see, in all performance scenes, Elvis from the rear, striding towards his stage, sometimes from right off-stage (Hayride pink suit; Vegas white jumpsuit;); sometimes down a hall ('68 CS black leather jacket and trou); sometimes through a crowd after emerging majestically from his car ("Trouble" black and red).

We also are shown Elvis's back when, grief-stricken, he hugs CTP; and for a nanosecond we glimpse his bare back when he "entertains" the groupie [Digression: Inspired use of "Fever" in this scene ].

Now, I understand that movies aren't static dioramas like the Christmas one beloved of the Colonel, and that humans turn every which way. Nonetheless, I think Baz chose these views for more than just variety.

As I was writing a criticism (that I just deleted here), the reason for what Baz did hit me. I refer to the two EXACTLY DUPLICATED scenes of Elvis getting out of the Crown Electric truck, two-toned shoes first. Initially this repetition struck me as lazy editing, but then I thought---Baz deliberately shows us here how those shoes symbolize EVERYTHING about Elvis!

On Beale Street, Elvis fits in, for his black-and-white (get it?!) shoes are "Beale Steet style." He walks confidently, he interacts with people, he is welcomed. This is the scene and the music he "loves, that makes [him] happy."

Contrast with back at his apartment complex, where Elvis is mocked ("Hey, Squirrel. Nice shoes."), he and his shoes clearly not fitting in with the baseball-tossing White guys. He keeps his head down, walks softly and carries a big guitar.

I still have a question, one about continuity: Mama Presley dies when Elvis is in Basic Training, for which enlistment he got a newsworthy haircut. But in his mother's closet during her viewing, his hair isn't G.I. Standard. And we see it from the back, so....

Elvis laughing

Not at this point.

R388, Oh, I think Austin is pretty hot in the '68 Comeback Special. But we know wherein is beauty, so....

Besides, Elvis is dead. Freddie is dead. Churchill is dead. Do you want actors or resurrections?

And, r445, we will be able to compare directly soon, as Austin has just signed to be in "Dune 2" as villainous Feyd-Rautha.

I really don't care for this "weird creatures in Dystopia" subset of Sci-Fi, but I'll make the sacrifice to see Austin v. Timothee.

Does anybody else get a "cruising" vibe when Elvis is alone, dressed in those high-waist white pants and black lace short sleeve shirt, leaning on his arm, his back to CTP, and for a brief moment, Elvis turns to look at CTP?

And, in fact, while the objective may not be sex between them, Elvis and CTP certainly have mutually beneficial objectives.

Elvis’s first movie King Creole is pretty good. His part was intended for James Dean and Elvis does his best to ape him but his performance is good overall.

R303, Austin's lip-synching perfection hasn't received the praise it should. I'm guessing he actually sang during filming and then his voice was removed, because even Austin's breathing fits the singing in Las Vegas and in the "Unchained Melody" coda.

This scene looks like something out of a movie. No wonder it was included in Elvis.

I’ve always found him annoying and unappealing. I know from speaking to elderly people it was a big deal when he came on the scene but I’ll never get it.

I can see why girls found Elvis appealing after watching some of his early performances.

R470/Della, I didn't, but the idea merits another watch! 😁 Because yes, we see Elvis alone, seemingly deep in thought. But in the next frame, inside the Funhouse, he's got his arm around a girl.

Was Elvis on the prowl for someone Not Dixie? IDK. When the dark-haired groupie waltzes into his room, Elvis glances back in a kind of "Hmmm. Well. Okay, then." way.

Or was he cruising in the DL sense? I don't think so, because, unlike with "BR" when Freddie answers the come-hither signal of the trucker, there is no follow-up of any kind.

However, Elvis wouldn't go for the "toad"! The other way around, though? Would be one of a long line of music impresarios and young male singers. 😔

But I think it was as Elvis says at his mother's viewing, "You're like a father to me." And as CTP calls Elvis "My boy," until the showdown.

OTOH, we never are told from his viewpoint why Elvis wears "girly makeup"! Perhaps he simply was intuitive and sensual enough to know that Glam as Sexy goes over big with girls [See: Bolan, Marc]!

I'm sure he's cut out to be a famous actor, but at his present age, Austin Butler just looks like a squirrel. A SLUTTY squirrel. There, I said it.

I need to write a book, heh.

Because dammit, SOMEBODY needs to point out how great Austin Butler was in the fury scene with his father, upon learning of their being broke and in $8M debt to CTP!

After Vernon tells Elvis he must take the Colonel back, Austin's build-up to the physical release in a roaring rage back to a soft, stone-cold voice, after which he leaves his father's room (there's that majestic broad-shouldered back, which we know is containing a seething emotion.

Quite excellently done!

Oh, r477, you're just being silly. He's 31 next month, if you're suggesting he's but a callow youth.

And I'll cover my driveway in walnuts if they will attract squirrels like this!

In three weeks, Elvis has made more money than the total BO intake of West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen and In the Heights combined. Who said the musical was dead?

Oh please. The Elvis phenomenon is a once in a century story.

I was one of the few that saw West Side Story in theaters and it left me cold. I really wanted to like it considering the rave reviews but I preferred the original version.

"Elvis also had a lot of fun that the movie completely left out"

The beginnning of the Hollywood sequence captured the fun of the early Hollywood years. We also see football games and golfcarts at Graceland, there's Elvis watching a young Little Richard in a tiny club on Beale Street, shopping at Lansky's, buying Gladys a Cadillac. These are quick scenes, sure, but in the end, fun and happiness just aren't that dramatic.

I'd like to interview AB with questions he hasn't been asked, so no answers at the ready.**

What were his thoughts of his performance when, in Cannes, he saw the movie for the first time?

When performing on stage did he, Austin, feel sexy when he moved, wiggled, and, in later Vegas's "Polk Salad Annie," thrust his pelvis? Or was it all subsumed in trying to get everything right?

What did his scene mates---band members, audience extras---and on-set crew tell him about his singing and performing, if anything?

We know about his "Elvis" preparation. We hear he's learning knife-fighting skills for "Dune: Part Two." What is he doing to prepare for "Masters of the Air" (producer Tom Hanks)?

How did he audition for both the above productions?

Has Denzel spoken lately to Austin about "Elvis"?

Would he consider recording a CD?

R482, Thank you for pointing these moments out! I LOVE the "real Elvis" football bit, with Elvis jumping the fence to catch a pass from Grandma!

Elvis's unadulterated happiness and laughter in Club Handy!

I deleted my ** thought.

Plus, Elvis wasn't safe. He wasn't anodyne. He elicited visceral, primal responses, just as he himself felt the same.

Vernon got it ("Hurt him? Those girls look like they want to...."). The Colonel got it (" He was Forbidden Fruit."). The male authorities sure understood!

But for modern audiences who might not get it, like some posters here, Baz pointedly contrasts Elvis with Hank Snow and his bored audience. And to show us Elvis was sui generis, we see "hapless" JR Snow trying "to be like" Elvis and failing miserably.

Elvis brought the secret thrill and overt sensuality of Sugar Shack R&B music to White girls, and they shook, rattled, and rolled like Boy Elvis in the Revival tent!

Lord have mercy!

^Lots to be said for that. The entire 1960s was so rebellious for young people and it really became a world-wide movement with the Beatles, but I think it's right to see that Elvis is the one who unleashed all of that, starting around 1954. This was a very short while after the end of WWII, which had seriously constrained people's behavior all over the world. The Beatles themselves were certainly in awe of him, even at the height of their fame when they met him. I think Lennon or McCartney described being scared to go see him. It's an interesting idea and I think it's reasonable to conclude that Elvis set off the whole thing. I had never considered that or paid his music very much attention until more recent years.

And I say this with all due respect for and acknowledgment of Frank Sinatra and his screaming Bobby Soxers.

But Frankie the Crooner stayed within the boundaries. The only unbridled moments of his career was when he was backed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra with wildman Gene Krupa!

Not to digress.

Direct vocal comparison, "Trouble."

Was Elvis ever big with gays? I know straight people adore him especially people from the South. I understand the impact he had and what a big cultural force he was that cannot be replicated today. But he ended up becoming associated with white conservative types often racists too. Hopefully this movie will emphasize Elvis' defiance of "respectability" and how reviled he was by moral guardians initially. He did heavily influence on rock and punk music and opened the doors for white audiences to embrace black musicians in a segregated time. I'm not a huge fan (I only really like his very early stuff from 1956 Memphis that was raw) but his impact was undeniable. As for this movie, I'm not that interested honestly as most biopics are just 2-hour glorifications but maybe once it's streaming I'll watch it.

I’d rather watch an Elvis documentary. Elvis had an “It Factor” that no actor can be match

Oh, r489, that "defiance of 'respectability' and how reviled he was by moral guardians initially" is most decidedly shown! Like, emphasized in the entire first third of the movie, with newspaper headlines calling for his arrest, which finally happens; racist legislators wanting him off their televisions; made into a joke on "The Steve Allen Show"; and Elvis's being given the ultimatum: Jail or the Army.

These reactions to him are mentioned later by Elvis to his new 1968 team prior to his mini-rebellion against CTP to do his "Comeback Special."

The movie is, in fact, a story of how a young Elvis broke social and therefore, to many, moral barriers, from sneaking into the Black Gospel meeting to associating with Beale Street musicians to moving on stage in a sexual way like no other**, but who returned from Germany only to be neutered professionally by the Colonel for "snow, lots of snow."

**The Little Richard scene is a show-stopper for sure, but even though Elvis himself muses aloud if "The Steve Allen Show" could handle Little Richard's moves, THOSE MOVES HAVE NO HEAT, BABY.

The moves of Elvis are what got all kinds of temperatures rising.

"But he ended up becoming associated with white conservative types often racists too."

Associated with conservatives and racists?! Are you trying to say that the majority perception is: If someone likes Elvis, they must be racist? I'm sure some people think that, but I don't agree that it's a majority or that it's where he "ended up."

At least I hope not! I know people can be dumb and facile in their preconceptions, but that seems REALLY dumb and facile. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at what some people think anymore....

"Was Elvis ever big with gays?"

He was big with everyone at the time, which would include gay people, but he found his greatest success pre-Stonewall, so there wouldn't have really been a "gay fan club" or groups of gay fans or the like, if that's what you're asking. I'm sure you could find some sort of group or message board now.

He defied sex and gender norms and broke new ground in that realm as a performer, so he should be big with gays imho!

I have a gay friend who grew up during the era who (somewhat jokingly) says that Elvis turned everyone gay, ie he was so good-looking and such a sexual performer, he made a LOT of gay boys come to a realization about what they wanted when they saw him on Ed Sullivan or the like.

I'm watching the documentary "Elvis '56."

It's eminently clear that, whatever either Baz or Austin has said about their preparations, THIS video is their main source--for chronology; his musical influences; song and performance choices to include in the movie; high- and low-lights to emphasize; dialogue; adoration of his mother (here we even see her closet, a pivotal location in "Elvis"!); dating Natalie Wood (asked about by Priscilla in the movie); the group photo when the family signs with Col. Parker---and I'm not even finished with watching!

Baz took this documentary and Bazzed it up, imaginatively, brilliantly, stunningly, with his most successful decision's being to hire Austin Butler.

But as the real Elvis had his influences, Baz had his.

I mean, right down to showing Elvis in Russwood Stadium saying (although it's narrated here), "Those people in New York aren't gonna change me none."

The "Steve Allen" "Hound Dog" stunt is shown (with performance. Prior to that, both documentary and movie show Elvis at the piano before being shown his "butler" tux.

Also like this documentary, the 2022 movie shows the "Milton Berle" "Hound Dog," albeit on a small television screen in the racist politician's house. Austin replicates Elvis's moves perfectly, including his fixing the mic stand.

Okay, so "Elvis '56" goes only so far, ending with the fact that after his 3rd "Ed Sullivan" appearance, Elvis was seen on TV only three more times. But as in the movie, his "highest-paid actor" feat and new "millionaire" status are noted.

One fact from the documentary that Baz doesn't use, though he has Elvis mention James Dean as his acting idol a couple times, is that "Love Me Tender" and Dean's "Giant" topped movie box-office sales TOGETHER in 1956.

Another performance ably done by Austin (including "What are you looking at back there?"), but in a sexier manner than Elvis's below!

The original of yet another superb AB replication.

r486-r487: not only were Lennon/McCartney in awe of him, everyone else was as well. Members of Led Zeppelin were called to meet him at his suite in Vegas in '74 after one of their shows there; both Robert Plant and Jimmy Page can detail every moment of that meeting and have called it 'amazing'. Plant especially revered Elvis and copied parts of his performing and singing style from him.

Bob Dylan was quoted as saying his "world stopped" the day he heard Elvis had died. He was rehearsing for a new album that day, he said his childhood flashed before his eyes and he was so broken up he barely could speak to anyone for a week.

Another small continuity issue: when Elvis and his entourage are watching news reports of the violence at Altamont Speedway on television, it would have been Dec 1969. In the same scene, CTP (or another character) holds up a newspaper with a huge headline: "Actress Sharon Tate and friends killed at home in LA" (paraphrasing) - Tate was killed in August of '69, so the filmmakers artificially conflated the timing of those events.

Time for

a new thread

"THIS video is their main source"

Elvis '56 was a good doc, r493, but every aspect of Elvis' life and career that you mention has been covered by dozens, if not hundreds, of sources.

Totally unrelated, but sort of related: Joanna "Patsy" Lumley made a documentary about Elvis. It's really charming. And interestingly, she says Patsy's famous sneer is actually a tribute to Elvis:

OMG, Of course! Why I didn't add those things up, I do not know, especially as I lived through 1968 and 1969! Ah, well; all part of how Baz made Elvis a social touchstone (was it the Tom "Forrest Gump" Hanks Effect?!).

Speaking of whom, as CTP: He convinces Gladys to sign her son's contract by quoting what he had overheard her say in the Team Elvis gathering before the Hayride Show: "I believe family is the most important thing in the world" (as he sweetens the pot by naming Vernon as Business Manager); and "[Elvis] has the strength of two men inside him." Jesse always loomed large to her and thus to Elvis.

I had no idea Joanna Lumley had done that film. It's all on Youtube.

^ We know. We saw the movie.

Should I see it???

Updated Box Office (with South Korea, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil openings 7/13).

So, it will never beat Bohemian Rhapsody, but maybe Elton?

R504 sorry Gran but it's news to me!

R501, Yes, yes, myriad sources. Nonetheless, the one I cite aligns exquisitely perfectly with Baz's choices for significant moments, dialogue/monologue, showcased songs, "moves" when performing (the "Milton Berle" "Hound Dog," e.g.), and more, up to and including 1956.

I tells ya, it's practically plagiarism!

The "Bird With No Legs" monologue at the end, as Elvis's plane flies away?

Directly taken from this 1990 movie!

P.S. In the linked article above, scroll down a bit. The quotation about the "bird with no legs" is emphasized in dark black, that's how key it is.

The idea of a mythical bird without legs that never lands is a common one, and it's appeared often in literature and stories.

It's possible the filmmakers lifted from that source, but it's also possible they're both just referencing the same idea which has been recycled countless times.

More accolades for Austin as Elvis:

R512, Maybe there a thousand "legless bird" myths.

But try to find another source using the EXACT SAME words and syntax as my source---which is, I remind, a MOVIE, one that Baz probably saw, and which quotation he saved for the best moment to use.

Does it show him croaking on the 'commode'?

He never washed his wee-wee!

Behind the Scenes bit:

Soundtrack is Billboard #1.

Yes, r515, so please hurry to see it! You won't be disappointed! Of course, they had to put a prosthetic butt on skinny Austin, but hey---suspension of disbelief, right?!

The funniest part is when Elvis is shown not knowing which to clutch first, his heart or his rear! A serious laff-riot!

So, did his death "fix" his opioid-induced constipation? No Spoilers here, baby! Just remember how OTT Baz can be, wink, wink!

You won't believe what Baz has Elvis say as his last word! (No, not "Rosebud," silly!)

Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush!

I don’t find the jokes about Elvis’s death funny anymore after feeling like I was going to die on the toilet earlier this year.

I'll get the soundtrack, but wait until streaming in a few weeks. Too much of a Covid spike for me.

Scared, it's worth seeing the theater. We will lose much of the impact watching at home. Go at morning screening.

R520, FTR, I was mocking r515. I find queries of his type repulsive.

As you say, There but for the Grace of God....

Does it seem like a campy Baz Luhrman gayish movie or not?

What if Spielberg did the Elvis movie and Luhrmann did the WSS remake?

I saw it twice and was even more devastated during “unchained melody” than the first time. I was slobbering all over the place.

Spielberg is executive- producing Austin's next work, r525: "Masters of the Air." Apple + TV.

Unlike Marilyn and James Dean, Elvis didn’t die when he was still young and beautiful. It’s impressive he still managed to become an icon after death like they did.

R528: Elvis had more talent than both Marilyn and Dean.

529 Elvis would disagree

Elvis was well-known for being generous, r530.

Elvis was humble, r530.

James Dean was, is, also an acting idol of Austin Butler, who could look like him easy-peasy. Not that he should try.

[Digression: There's a brief clip of Austin as Elvis singing "Blue Suede Shoes" in close-up, where he looks remarkably like Ricky Nelson!]

[quote]Elvis had more talent than both Marilyn and Dean.

R529 He didn't have more acting talent.

Elvis, Dean and Ricky Nelson were all better looking than Austin Butler.

Ricky Nelson, yes, because Ricky was better looking than everybody! Elvis is debatable, because even EP got a nose job, and there is "Elvis" and Austin in the '68 CS where he looks fiiiine. James Dean and his myopic squint? Nah.

I think AB is a chameleon type. Look at his Tex Watson compared to his Hayride Era Elvis, where he is without prosthetics.

Austin Butler reminds me of Aidan Alexander.

Ricky Nelson needed no surgery. He was perfect.

Cut too, no doggy dick.

Pretty sure by most standards this is a good-looking man.

Dean:

And r533, James Dean couldn't sing. What's your point?

Austin is "cute," not handsome. He looks like a rodent. And as a fully licensed pervert, professional, and a connoisseur of these things with decades of close experience, I can ASSURE you that Austin's face is very soon going to become a squarish, nondescript, puffy thing, kind of like what happened to poor L. DeCaprio when HE grew up. I can JUST TELL, already. He's not going to make it to "GOOD LOOKING." Too bad.

R540 Elvis was in movies. He attempted to act. James Dean didn't try to be a singer.

Elvis was not a very good actor. And he never got better.

What's my point? You said Elvis was "more talented than" other people whose talents were different talents from his. It's comparing apples and oranges. Like saying Fred Astaire was more talented than Laurence Olivier.

But their skills did overlap in one area - acting - and Elvis was the worst actor. So I mentioned that.

Elvis probably could have been a good actor, with a better manager.

He always seemed too aware of the camera, or something. He couldn't relax the way he did when he sang and danced.

Also, Elvis was probably gay, some of the beautiful or sexy women he was with said he didn't want to have sex with them. Saying he was a "country boy" makes no sense. Okay, he may have been shy, but after all, he avoided sex with hot women and he wore makeup. And when he finally got married, it was to a child bride who wouldn't question his manliness because she was naive, and a mega-fan. And then he avoided sex with her also.

"Elvis was the worst actor."

He most certainly was not, although people--many of whom have never seen any of his films--often take this as a given and even repeat it. He was actually very good, and he was an innately talented actor. In early films, he was compared to Brando and Dean.

His movie and acting career went south for reasons detailed in the new movie. But even in crap films, he could stil be pretty electrifying on screen and he remained the biggest box office draw of the 1960s, even as the quality of the films declined.

Blue Hawaii was a bigger hit than either Judgment at Nuremberg or Breafast at Tiffany's, which came out the same year. Images from his films---such as the Jailhouse Rock number or cavorting with Ann Margaret in Viva Las Vegas--are some of the most iconic cinema images of all time.

Not bad for "the worst actor ever," I'd say. I love James Dean, but he did not have a comparable singing career.

Presley conquered recording, live performance, television and movies. Dean is great, but they don't compare.

And he was *very* attached to his mother.

"Elvis was probably gay"

Little Elvis says otherwise, r544.

R545 I meant he was the worst actor out of the three people mentioned. That's just my opinion. You seem more invested in Elvis than I do, it's no big deal to me.

R547 I've gotten erections with women, too.

Were you also married for six years? Have you also had multiple girlfriends and countless affairs and one-night stands with women throughout your life?

"more invested "

More invested in facts.

R541 Leo was still attractive in The Great Gatsby and The Wolf of Wall Street. A lot of men let themselves go when they turn 40.

ITA, r552.

Well, I've seen people on DL claim someone was gay with less evidence than what I just gave. (And in some cases, they do turn out to be gay.) Married for six years? That PROVES a man is stright, as we all know.

*straight

I read parts of Ann Margaret’s book and in her chapter about Elvis she said they talked about her marriage. However they both knew they couldn’t be together because he had a commitment, I’m assuming to Priscilla. I’ve heard Elvis was basically blackmailed into marrying her because he first pursued her when she was a minor.

" I’ve heard Elvis was basically blackmailed into marrying her"

Where did you hear this? And who was supposedly blackmailing him? It doesn't really fit the way events played out.

"Married for six years? That PROVES a man is stright, as we all know."

And also a notorious pussyhound throughout his life? With multiple affairs with famous and not-so-famous women? And NO reliable record or reports of sexual contact with someone of the same sex, when every detail of his life down to the day, to the hour, every relationship and encounter, has been poured over and recounted again and again?

Who knows what anyone's inner desires or experience are in the end. He's just not someone who can convincingly be labeled as "probably gay" imho.

James Dean on the other hand....

Lisa is the gay/bi one in that family.

I can't find the post #, but someone said that the news stories in the movie of Sharon Tate and Altamont were depicted wrongly as being in 1968.

No. I saw it again today and expressly looked for that scene. It is set after the '68 CS, thus we can surmise it is 1969, given the headlines shown.

Moreover, in the "TV shooting" scene, Elvis is explicitly depicted as drugged up (Priscilla, on the phone with him, is visibly upset) and paranoid; hence our finding out about EP's gun stash (when he karate-kicks the Peruvian stage-jumper, he also bends down to get his ankle gun).

Therefore, though the three television screens conflate the famous murders of 1968 and 1969, we are supposed to realize that they are nothing more than hallucinations of Elvis's fevered brain.

In interviews Baz likes to mention that he did what Shakespeare did with the history plays: emphasize or even revise this, that, or the other to make a larger point.

R557 I believe it’s asserted in Suzanne Finstad’s book about Priscilla.

R534 A lot of people on Twitter and other places are saying Elvis wasn’t attractive and that Austin made him more attractive than he was. I didn’t really see it for Elvis myself until I watched King Creole. He was quite attractive and acted well in it. I think he was good looking until the drugs ruined his appearance in the last years of his life.

R562 Since Elvis was 100 times better looking than Austin, I don't get that.

R563, "100 times"? How about a thousand?! A million! I mean, if one is going to quantify the unquantifiable, go for it!

And get real. If the topic were strictly Elvis and there were no Austin Butler or this movie in the mix, y'all would be criticizing EP's original wide nose and his black hair dye.

And besides, who cares? See the movie, or don't. Austin is done with it and on to his next acting gig, filming now in the UK.

I'm looking forward to posters here complaining how the real Major Gale Cleven was "100 times better looking" than Austin!

Austin as Maj. Cleven:

R563 I chalk it down to the younger generation not liking Elvis and thus not wanting to compliment him for anything.

"y'all would be criticizing EP's original wide nose and his black hair dye."

Speak for yourself, not for me, thnx.

As a gayling, I saw many of his movies with my grandmother. He never did a thing for me either. Tab Hunter was more my type

I thought Elvis was hot here.

I didn’t expect him to look that good considering it was the 70’s.

I would describe Elvis as ugly hot. Similar to Joaquin Phoenix when he was younger.

It’s hard being a casual Elvis fan in 2022.

Priscilla's parents blackmailed Elvis into marriage. He promised that if they let Priscilla move in he would marry her when she was 18. Elvis kept dragging his feet so the Beaulieus threatened to go to the press about their relationship.

For heavens sake Elvis married Priscilla because he loved her and he felt it was time to get married and have kids. He was already in his early 30s and it was time. Even if there was some pressure to go through with it, he certainly didn't regret it, she was one of the real touchstones he had during that time and was devastated when she left, he was never the same.

And thank god he did marry her, and not some airheaded groupie or follower. She's done nothing but solidly protect his legacy and boldly rebuild his estate after his death, when it was in shambles.

R538 decent looking but also dumb looking going by the pic

I just saw him in Rite Aid last Saturday. He was picking up a boatload of "prescriptions."

R574 I agree but it would’ve been better for Elvis’s legacy if he married Ann Margaret. Priscilla may not view herself as a victim of grooming but most people do.

Frank Sinatra slept with underage Natalie Wood and it hasn’t negatively impacted him at all, but Elvis marrying Priscilla when he met her at 14 and first started dating her just doesn’t fly well in today’s climate.

Although I do think a lot of the outrage at Elvis specifically is hypocritical. People have no qualms stanning Michael Jackson so why is Elvis where people draw the line? Priscilla still supports him and the film.

Well duh, that's how she makes a living and pays for that hideous plastic surgery. She kooks like Eric Stoltz in Mask.

R574, Wouldn't EP have been only 28 when he married Priscilla, not "early 30s"? I mean, if he married her when she turned 18 after her being 14 and his being 24 when they met....

R574 Their chemistry in Viva Las Vegas was off the charts.

And way upthread someone requests a Jerry Lee Lewis** biopic.

I remember the newspaper stories of his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin, when he was 23. Puts Elvis in the shade!

** Saw him in concert in 1985!

Priscilla was 23 when they married.

She was 21, not 23.

R571 They weren't "ugly handsome." Do you even understand the term?

*Or ugly hot, or ugly at all.

The night before the wedding Elvis confided in his cousin Billy that he didn't love Priscilla. He was being forced to marry her.

In her book Priscilla said that Elvis had forbidden her to use birth control because he didn't think it was safe. So Priscilla became pregnant on their wedding night. Maybe pregnancy was a convenient excuse for Elvis to stop sleeping with her.

"Williams then pressed Moreno to reveal who was the better lover of the two. “That’s like a 2-year-old and the king,” Moreno saucily admitted, acknowledging that Presley wasn’t so good between the sheets, even if he was handsome and sweet. “You know, Elvis Presley and Marlon Brando? Come on. Amateur night.”

"Elvis’s sex secrets are disclosed in a riveting new book, Elvis Presley: A Southern Life, by Joel Williamson published by Oxford University Press. He concocted a variety of stories to get women to agree to spend the night with him – which sometimes was no more than just being motherly and comforting him because he didn't want to be alone. But his skills as a lover were often demeaned by his conquests. Actress Cybill Shepard confessed that she had a brief affair with him in Memphis in the summer of 1972 and the sex was highly overrated."

Williamson, a Lineberger Professor Emeritus of the Humanities at the University of North Carolina, is the author of a number of landmark works on Southern culture and a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

‘His sexual appetite was very, very strong’, said Lamar Fike, who lived in several of Elvis’s houses.‘The touching and the feeling and the patting and everything else meant more to Elvis than the actual act. I guess Elvis was the King of Foreplay.’

Natalie Wood, meanwhile, found Elvis’ close relationship with Gladys troubling. “His mother said something like, ‘Come and sit on Mama’s lap,’” Lana Wood recalled. “They were very affectionate, and it bothered Natalie. She called and asked our mom to make up a story about why she had to come home.”

Their brief romance ended with no regrets. Natalie put the trip behind her. “There were people that she idolized,” Lana said, “Elvis was not one of them.”

Sounds like a real "pussy hound" lol.

Does that Lana ever shut the fuck up? It should have been her in Catalina- although with those mammoth areolas glistening in the moonlight she would have been found in minutes.

Baz did a great job of showing how Elvis's moves developed organically. The tryptich of Elvis growing up, attending Black churches, being swept into the showmanship of the preachers and parishioners. Then he finally explodes on stage with that great first performance in front of the crowd. He was letting loose with all he learned and saw at church. Beautiful!

R592 Was it accurate?

Yes.

"In her book Priscilla said that Elvis had forbidden her to use birth control because he didn't think it was safe."

Fair enough. The pill has side effects, and there's no reason a couple trying to have a baby should use it. (Though warnings about prescription drugs coming from Elvis? Are you sure?!?! lol.)

"So Priscilla became pregnant on their wedding night."

Shocking, I tell you! Shocking!!

"Maybe pregnancy was a convenient excuse for Elvis to stop sleeping with her."

Priscilla SAYS they rarely had sex after she gave birth. I've heard differently. ONe story goes that she occasionally participated in three ways with Elvis and other girls. Late 60s, early 70s. Lots of couples were similarly experimenting, their married life was cooling off, they're looking for ways to heat things back up, etc etc.

Apparently, Elvis liked to take a few pictures with his new-fangled Polaroid camera for his private stash. Word is, on the night Elvis died, Priscilla demanded the jet be sent to LA to pick her up. She rushed to Graceland, brushed past the COlonel, Vernon and other mourners, - marched upstairs to the bedroom, reached for a certain box on a high shelf in a closet and left with it tightly clutched in her arms before returning to take care of the business at hand.

Anyway: rumor has it that things weren't quite so cold in that marriage as Priscilla would have readers of her book believe.

I guess no one will ever know for certain now besides Priscilla.

Cissy Houston (aka Whitney Houston’s mom) had nothing but nice things to say about Elvis in her book. She said he loved gospel music and was raised on it. Didn’t he win his only Grammys for gospel music?

When CTP asks Elvis on the Ferris wheel, "Are you ready to fly?" we the audience are as charmed, in the snake-charmer mesmerizing definition, as is Elvis. Indeed, we are further charmed by young Elvis's reply: "I'm ready, ready to fly." We root for him to become Captain Marvel Jr.

Twice-charmed is to be twice-tricked, proving the Colonel's carny adage of "The Showman and the Snowman are both tricksters," Elvis's mild protest about himself notwithstanding.

But at the end, Elvis fully realizes that he is, like the sideshow chickens (of which we are reminded when we see Gladys shooing chickens out of Graceland), not flying, but is the Bird in a Gilded Cage, "caught in a trap," a trap set and signed onto almost 20 years prior. And so he curses his circumstances and vows to leave them, venue and city, forever.

Yet Elvis, though "all out of dreams," is shown performing one last time, in his life and in the movie, still lonely, still needing our love.

A deep need too dangerous to say, so he sang.

I’m South Asian so I understand the concerns of cultural appropriation. It’s problematic Elvis was crowned the king of rock n roll while his black peers were under recognized, and that he benefitted from making black music more than actual black artists did. But I feel like the topic is more nuanced than the common take on Twitter/TikTok which is that he stole black music. Idk, maybe I’m wrong.

New

Thread

R590, Natalie was "used goods," so not Elvis's type.