Charro!

Charro!, drama western, som havde dansk premiere 12. januar 1970. En film som handler om en cowboy (Elvis), der uretmæssigt beskyldes for våbentyveri af de mexikanske revolutionsstyrker, og sætter derfor alle kræfter ind på at finde de virkeligt skyldige, som viser sig at være en bande kriminelle.

Historen er papirstynd, filmen er ganske kedelig, og er desuden plaget af et frygligt baggrundslydtæppe/underlægningsmusik på de 'dramatiske scener'. Dette er efter min mening Elvis' ringste film!

Filmen er ikke plaget af en masse soundtraks, musikalske indslag, men det kunne måske havde gjort filmen lidt mere underholdende. Elvis vader søvngængeragtig  rundt ude i Arizonas kedlige tøre landskab, og virker konstant trist/sur.

Der er kun sang/soundtrack til Charro! Titelnummeret Charro!

Jeg kan højst(!) give denne skræklige, kedlige, tøre ørkenvandring en halv cowboyhat.

Bonus info:

Tryk på de understregede film og I kommer næsten direkte til film anmeldelsen.  😀

Speedway

Endnu en Elvis Presley musical, samme lette historie, men udemærket som søndagsmartonee. 

Denne gang spiller Elvis overfor Nancy Sinatra, Frankies' datter. NS er meget kendt for bl.a. sangen These boots are made for walkin':

 https://youtu.be/hQZW1v81jj0 

Som I - forhåbent - kan se/høre er det en ganske hot dame som Elvis spiller overfor her, Alene det gør filmen værd at se. Ligesom da Elvis spilled overfor Ann Margret i Viva Las Vegas. Og som i Viva las Vegas, er der også en duet med, men for første gang er den også med på soundtrack udg. Der er dog desværre ikke den samme gnist mellem de to, som der var mellem Elvis & Ann Margret. Gnisten er der dog, men det kan mest ses på de billeder der er taget på settet.

Det er også værd at nævne, at Bill Bisxby også har en 'vigtig' rolle i filmen. Nogle af de bedste scener er mellem Bill & Elvis, som bringer en masse humor til Speedway. Bill Bixby er nok mest kendt kendt for sin udg. af The Hulk/Bruce Banner! (1978-82.)

Jeg vil give filmen fem støvler af ti mulige: 👢👢👢👢👢 5/10

I 2016 udg. FTD, alb. i en flot opg. vers. Selvom der ikke var nogle outtakes fra filmen.., tilgændgæld var der en række spændende outtakes til bonusnumrene. Desuden har lyden aldrig været bedre! 

Foranmeldelse af Elvis & Nixon

2016

Endnu en komedie om mødet mellem PrÆsident Ricard Nixon & Elvis Presley, d. 21 dec. Jeg kan desværre ikke anmelde den sidste nye film, men for næsten 20 år siden blev den første film lavet på baggrund af mødet. Og som opvarmning til den nye film, som får UK. premiere sidst i april, kan vi jo kigge nærmere på den første film: Elvis meets Nixon. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpbKxI-pfas 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtkXWNcTxWg

To komedier/mockumentary, hvor den oprindelige ser mest fjollet ud. 

Historien er baseret på følgende, se mini dokumentaren: When Elvis met Nixon. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk0dI8-ZxQQ 

Af Karsten Jørgensen

Et af de mest bizarre møder, som har fundet sted i Det Hvide Hus, var i 1970 hvor Elvis Presley fik foretræde for præsident Richard Nixon og beredvilligt tilbød sin assistance som ’undercover’ agent i kampen mod det, han betragtede som et moralsk forfald blandt den amerikanske ungdom.

Nu har internetfirmaet Amazon, der henover årene hele tiden har udvidet sit engagement indenfor andre områder end bøger, købt rettighederne og endvidere været medproducent på en film, ”Elvis & Nixon”, om det legendariske møde, instrueret af Liza Johnson og med Michael Shannon (der bl.a. spillede General Zod i Superman-filmen ”Man Of Steel”) og Kevin Spacey (en tidligere Oscar-vinder) i hovedrollerne som henholdsvis Elvis Presley og Richard Nixon.

Mødet mellem de to personligheder, der begge stod på toppen af deres respektive karrierer, fandt sted den 21. december 1970, og idéen til mødet opstod tilsyneladende spontant, mens Elvis under en flyrejse fra Los Angeles til Washington faldt i snak med en republikansk senator, George Murphy. 

De to diskuterede bl.a. deres syn på den voksende stofkultur, som specielt i musikkredse havde krævet flere dødsofre, herunder Jimi Hendrix og Janis Joplin kun få måneder forinden, og før Elvis landede i Washington, havde han skrevet et fem sider langt brev til præsidenten, hvor han erklærede sin støtte til den republikanske politik og udtrykte sin bekymring for narkotikaen og hvad han betragtede som politiske ekstremister.

Han sluttede brevet med en anmodning om, dels at få et politiskilt (noget han ivrigt samlede på) og dels at blive udnævnt til hemmelig narkotikaagent.

”Jeg har længe studeret misbrug af euforiserende stoffer og kommunistisk indoktrinering”, skrev han, ”og jeg bevæger mig i kredse, hvor jeg kan gøre min indflydelse gældende”.

Netop anmodningen om at blive udnævnt til narkotikaagent er dybt ironisk, for Elvis havde, som det senere er almindelig kendt, et højst ambivalent forhold til stoffer og narkotika. Han foragtede hippierne, som røg marijuana og tog LSD og betragtede dem som samfundsnedbrydende. Men samtidig så han ikke noget forkert i, at han, Elvis, slugte piller som om det var bolsjer – blot de var receptordinerede.

Efter ankomsten til den amerikanske hovedstad, indlogerede Elvis sig på Washington Hotel under dæknavnet Jon Burrows, og om morgenen den 21. december 1970 afleverede han personligt sit brev til vagten i Det Hvide Hus.

Hans ønske om et møde med præsidenten blev imødekommet, og kl. 12:30 mødtes han med Richard Nixon i Det Ovale Værelse, hvor de to bl.a. udvekslede gaver – Elvis’ gave til Nixon var en gammel revolver, en Colt 45 fra 2. verdenskrig, som i dag er udstillet i The Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace-museet i Yorba Linda.

Umiddelbart før mødet sluttede, blev Elvis’ bodyguards Sonny West og Jerry Schilling kaldt ind for at hilse på præsidenten, og senere på eftermiddagen modtog Elvis sit politiskilt.

Optagelserne til filmen ”Elvis & Nixon” begyndte tidligere på året i både Louisiana og Los Angeles, og Amazons ambitioner for deres engagement som både medproducer og distributør er, at præsentere filmen på deres egen streaming-tjeneste Amazon’s Prime Instant Video mellem fire og otte uger efter den har haft biografpremiere, og Amazon går således Netflix i bedene. Biografrettighederne til ”Elvis & Nixon” ejes af selskabet Bleecker Street.

Det er dog ikke første gang, at mødet mellem Elvis og Nixon dramatiseres på film, for allerede i 1997 udsendtes filmen ”Elvis Meets Nixon”. 

Live a little, love a little

Live a little, love a little også kendt som 'Elvis lever livet' i de danske biografer, hvor den have premiere d. 20 oktober 1969. Og det gjorde Elvis vist. For det var et år, hvor der skete meget nyt og spændende for Elvis, han indspillede en af sin sidste film, var i studiet, var tilbage på live scenen med The Comback Speciel og ikke mindst privat, hvor Elvis samme år både blev gift med Pricilla og fik datteren Lisa.

Filmen er ikke nogen stor film på nogen måde, men ok til en weekend eftermiddag, hvor man ikke kan finde på andet at lave. Med denne film vil du komme i godt selvskab med Elvis & Michele Carey. Så er man fint underholdt i selvskab med en meget sprudlende, glad veloplagt Elvis. Der er egentlig ikke så meget at sige om filmen, jævnt underholdende rodet historie og frygtlig forudsigelig.

Plottet: Fotografen Greg (Elvis) arbejder både for en seriøs, konservativ avis og for et frisindet blad med erotiske billeder. Ingen af arbejdsgiverne må kende til den anden, og Greg gør sidste bedste for at skjule sandheden, selvom det til tider stiller seriøse krav til omfattende kreativitet. Undervej forelsker han sig i modellen Bernice (M. Carey).    c. Scope

Så plottet er til at overskue, soundtracket/musikken er der mere at fortælle om.

Det var en af de film som  - heldigvis - ikke var syltet ind i et dusin sange. Der var fire sange:

1. Wonderful World" (Doug Flett, Guy Fletcher)
2. "Edge Of Reality" (Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye)
3. "A Little Less Conversation" (Billy Strange, Mac Davis)
4. "Almost In Love" (Luiz Bonfá, Randy Starr)

Lidt om sangene:

Wonderful world, var oprindeligt skrevet til Cliff Richard, og blev nr. tre ved det Engelsk Melodi Grand Prix i 68! 'Congratulations' gik som bekendt til finalen, hvor den blev nr. to. Men er den absolut mest kendte af sangene fra fianalen.

Efter sigende holdt Elvis meget af denne lille sang; Wonderful world. Og Cliff var meget stolt af Elvis havde taget sangen til sig. Men efter mening er sangen dog temmelig ordinær. Den fungere dog udemærket som åbning til filmen. Wonderful world er en ganske livsglad sang som titelen antyder, tangerende til det naive. Meget 'Cliff-agtig'. Alt i alt metervarer. (**)

Edge Of Reality er den absolut bedste sang fra filmen,  og den skiller sig meget ud fra Elvis´ tidligere soundtracks. Sangen vil jeg betegne som psykedelisk og passer godt til den syrede drømme frekvens i filmen. (*****)

På alb.: Burning Love - Den Danske Hyldest Til Legenden Elvis Presley' fra 1997 giver gruppen 'The Sandmen', deres fortolkning af nummert.                                 

A Little Less Conversation super pop nummer, som passede godt til Elvis, dette blev taget op til revision af JXL, blev remixet i 2001 og blev derefter et nyt verdenshit (2002) for Elvis Presley posthumt! (****/org.), (******/remix).

Almost In Love en enkel danse venlig ballade sent på aftenen. En rar sang, lytte venlig, i bossa-nova stil. Virker meget forfriskende. Oplagt til en sjælere :-)

Bonus info:

• "Albert", den store Grand Danois, som er med i filmen, blev spillet af Elvis Presleys egen hund "Brutus".
• Uvist af hvilken grund har Live a Little, Love a Little aldrig haft premiere i England, men udkom dog på DVD i 2007.
• Live A Little, Love A Little blev optaget så eksotiske steder som Malibu i Califonien, Marineland i Florida samt i Hollywood.
• I rollen som Bernice ses Michele Carey, der bl.a. huskes for en birolle i filmen  El Dorado fra 1966.

The Edge of reality

Fra filmen Live a little, love a little

This is Elvis, alt. anm.  

1981 Film Still the Best About Presley

First released in 1981, just four years after Elvis’s death, This Is Elvis has been called “The definitive film biography of The King” by Dave Marsh of Rolling Stone. Certainly, the people on the production side had good credentials. Executive producer David L. Worper was an experienced documentarian, and producer/directors Andrew Solt and Malcolm Leo had impressive résumés as well.

Colonel Parker took his standard credit of “technical adviser,” and Presley insiders Jerry Schilling and Joe Esposito served as consultants. Obviously the project had complete access to the Presley estate video files. The use of some Elvis home movie footage, much of it now familiar to Presley fans, was used for the first time in This Is Elvis.

After the 1981 theatrical release, an expanded and slightly altered version was made available on video in 1983. It then disappeared from the commercial scene until 2007, when Warner Bros. Entertainment released both versions of the film in a single package.

The goal of both versions was a rather ambitious one—to tell Elvis’s life story through video, music, and the spoken word. Real video of Presley and those who surrounded him was used whenever possible. Gaps were filled with filmed dramatizations. Thankfully, very little still photography was used.

The necessary nuisance of narration was wisely kept to a minimum. Ral Donner, a Presley sound-alike, who had several hit records in the early 1960s, did the bulk of the work providing Elvis’s voice. Gladys, Vernon, and Priscilla Presley all had stand-in voices as well, while Joe Esposito and Linda Thompson spoke for themselves.

Since This Is Elvis never came to a theater in my town, I first saw the film in its 1983 video incarnation. I remember being put off by the staged scenes at that time and never viewed the movie again. So, as I watched the new digital version 24 years later, it was almost like seeing it for the first time.

• Short Version Moves Along Quickly

Since I had never seen the theatrical version, I decided to view that one first, followed by the video version for comparison purposes. At 102 minutes, the original documentary moves quickly along in its lofty effort to tell Elvis’s life story.

It starts with a dramatization of Elvis’s arrival at Graceland on the last night of his life. Then it jumps back to Tupelo in 1946 to begin a straight chronological account of Elvis’s life from age 11 through his funeral in 1977. Out of necessity, staged scenes take Elvis from his youth through his first recording for Sun Records in Memphis. First impressions are always important, and the extended use of staged scenes makes for a weak opening to This Is Elvis.

The real Elvis is first seen 17 minutes into the film in a montage of stage and TV footage. Unfortunately, it is here that the producers first commit what is an ongoing sin throughout the movie. Either through ignorance or design, they get events out of order. Included in a series of clips identified as showing Elvis in 1956, is a snippet of him on stage in September 1957. Aiming the film at a general audience, the producers obviously decided that, when needed, accuracy in the time frame was secondary to moving the narrative along.

This Is Elvis does a good job of moving Presley's story quickly forward by using a mixture of video from Elvis’s movies, interviews, newsreels, and TV shows. Elvis sings periodically, and whether the performance was taken from a Dorsey or Sullivan TV appearance or from one of Elvis’s early movies, generally the producers included the entire song without interruption or voice-over by the narrator. The decision to allow the music to play out was a wise one. It periodically slows down the otherwise shotgun pace of the film, and emphasizes the visual element that was crucial to Presley’s music.

While omissions were obviously necessary in trying to cover Presley’s entire life in 102 minutes, a puzzling one occurs in the film’s segment on Elvis in the 1950s. While emphasis is placed on each of his first three films, not a scene or even a word is included about King Creole, widely considered the best movie of his career.

Elvis’s military stint is passed through rather quickly, but the video clips of his army processing, maneuvers, press conferences, and return from Germany, while nothing new, are nicely spliced together. In the absence of real video, Elvis’s meeting with Priscilla in Germany is staged.

The same is done for later sixties scenes in Memphis—renting movie theaters at night, buying cars, buying clothes at Lansky’s. The filmmakers keep it to a minimum, though, replicating scenes only when necessary to make needed transitions.

• Las Vegas Events Out of Sequence

Viewed under the appropriate lyrics of “Too Much Monkey Business,” a montage of clips characterizes Elvis’s movies of the 1960s. Other video snippets in This Is Elvis show Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding, their life at Graceland, and the birth of Lisa Marie remind viewers of the important events in Presley’s life during that period.

Then This Is Elvis moves on to the ’68 “Comeback Special” and Presley’s triumphant opening in Las Vegas the following year. In this segment, Solt and Leo decided to play loose with some scenes from the Elvis movie That’s the Way It Is, which documents the singer’s Las Vegas engagement in the summer of 1970. In This Is Elvis, rehearsal footage from That’s the Way It Is, is portrayed as Elvis rehearsing for his ’68 TV special, and on stage footage of Elvis from 1970 is said to be from his initial Las Vegas show of 1969.

(It disturbs the historian in me when facts are distorted to fit a filmmaker’s story line. However, the Elvis fan in me would probably have been disturbed even more had more phony staged scenes been used instead to make these screen transitions.)

Footage from the 1972 film Elvis on Tour is sprinkled throughout the rest of This Is Elvis to illustrate Presley’s almost continual concert tours during the 1970s. Interestingly, the only clip from Elvis’s 1973 “Aloha From Hawaii” TV special is one that shows him landing in a helicopter.

A view of Memphis’s Baptist Memorial Hospital signals the start of the documentary’s final segment on Presley’s decline and eventual death. It is followed by a portion of a press conference held by Sonny West and Dave Hebler, two of the three fired Presley bodyguards whose book, Elvis: What Happened? was published shortly before Elvis’s death.

• Sonny West Talked About Elvis’s Drug Use

It’s to the filmmakers’ credit that they did not soften the blow at this critical moment in This Is Elvis. They let Sonny West speak candidly and at length about Elvis’s drug use and resulting strange behavior. It showed that the producers, despite having the cooperation of the Presley estate at the time, were not about to gloss over the tragic events that led to the singer’s death.

The press conference scene is followed immediately by a clip of an overweight Elvis sweating profusely on stage as he fumbles through the lyrics of “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” For an Elvis fan, it’s a painful thing to watch.

Then This Is Elvis goes into its closing tribute. As the overweight Elvis sings “My Way,” a montage of video clips from younger and happier days flashes by. After finishing the song and leaving the stage, the old refrain, “Elvis has left the building,” is heard. As the limousine drives him away from the arena, the scene fades to the funeral procession a mere six months later. Then the scene jumps back to the stage several years before. Fans in the crowd are shown crying as Elvis sings “American Trilogy.” The final scene shows Elvis from behind, as he drops to one knee, raises his head, and spreads out his arms and blue cape in a triumphant pose.

As the credits rolled by to Elvis’s recording of “Memories,” my assessment was that the film was generally well done. Of course, I would have preferred more coverage of certain events, such as King Creole and the Aloha special, but it’s understandable that the producers had to make some tough decisions under the time constraints required of feature films in the early 1980s. In the end, the theatrical release was generally fair to all parts of his life, as well as to both the charitable and dark sides of Presley’s nature.

Then it was time to view the other version of This Is Elvis, the expanded one issued on video in 1983. This one runs 144 minutes, so a whopping 42 minutes had been added to the theatrical release. Personally I was hoping some of that time would go toward a longer clip of the police video taken during Elvis’s 1957 show in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Both versions show only about 10 seconds of that infamous event.

Because the video version of This Is Elvis is longer, it is much richer and does a better job of covering Elvis’s complete life story. For example, it contains certain events that really should be included in any Presley biography. King Creole is given three and a half minutes in the video version (although it is unfortunately portrayed as having been made before Jailhouse Rock!) The Hawaii Aloha special is there too, with nearly six minutes of on-stage footage.

• Elvis’s Sexual Language Censored

In all, the 42 extra minutes are added in 20 different segments, running from one to six minutes each. The opening dramatic scene is expanded to include the discovery of and transportation of Elvis’s body to the hospital. Elvis sings seven more songs, taken from the Dorsey, Sullivan, Allen, and Sinatra TV shows, as well as from his movies and the ’68 “Comeback Special.” There are a couple of extra interviews, one of which the narrator says happened when Elvis arrived in Hollywood. (Actually, it occurred in Portland, Oregon, when Elvis arrived there on a concert tour in 1957.)

On viewing the expanded version, I was surprised to notice that two scenes were altered from the theatrical version. Someone on the production team must have recognized how discomforting the scene of the overweight Elvis trying to sing “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” was to watch. It was replaced in the expanded version with Elvis singing the song “Love Me.” The latter performance is certainly more sympathetic to Elvis. He gets the lyrics right, and it shows him throwing scarves to the crowd while singing.

One scene in the 1981 version of This Is Elvis was edited (read “censored”) for the video release due to strong sexual content. It comes near the film’s end in the segment about Elvis’s concert tours in the 1970s.

Prior to a concert in some unspecified city, Elvis and his entourage walk into a room. Elvis then turns to Jerry Schilling and says, “Remember that girl I was with last night? She gave great head, boy.” Then turning to address someone behind the camera, Elvis continues, “Hey, Joe. That girl last night gave the greatest head I’ve ever had.”

I was both surprised that Elvis would make such a comment when he knew he was being filmed and that the producers would decide to include it in the film. The scene seemed so out of place in what was generally a video study of Presley’s public life. Many books have detailed his sexual appetite, so the scene reveals no big secret. No doubt, many viewers will see nothing but humor in it. For me, though, it was an unneeded reminder of a character flaw in a man I have otherwise come to admire so much over the years.

The producers decided to censor the scene for the extended 1983 video version. After entering the room, we hear Elvis telling Schilling, “Remember that girl I was with last?” Then, in an obvious voice-over, Elvis is made to say, “She could raise the dead.” The second part of the scene, where Elvis addresses “Joe,” is cut off completely.

In the final analysis, most Elvis fans should prefer the 1983 video version of This is Elvis over the 1981 theatrical release. The 42 minutes of additional content provides more Presley music and a more complete look at his life and career. The original version has value for non-Presley fans looking for a quick overview of the man’s life.

Despite the irritating staged scenes, This Is Elvis is clearly the best documentary ever produced about Elvis Presley. Particularly for the current younger generation of Elvis fans, those who did not grow up with him in real time, this video biography will help put their idol’s life in perspective. | Alan Hanson (March 2008)

This is Elvis

Janet Maslin - Udgivet d. 8 maj, 1981:

Sick and tired as anyone may be of the Presley mystique by now, 'This Is Elvis' is fascinating. This isn't a particularly well-made film, or even a truthful one - as a matter of fact, its fraudulence is its one uncompromising aspect. And yet it is mesmerizing, if not as a drama or documentary, then as an artifact. Here is the lavishly embalmed Elvis that Elvis' caretakers would have you see. Here also is the buoyant talent on which the legend was made. And here, most haunting of all, is the process by which the talent deteriorated, by which the man became the relic. There's some fabulous performance footage, too.

First, a word about the spirit in which 'This Is Elvis,' which opens today at the Sutton Theater, was made. With the approval of Elvis' all-powerful manager, Colonel Tom Parker, and with unmistakable intent to hoodwink, the directors, Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt, have faked interviews, dramatic scenes and newsreels and interspersed them with the real thing. They have even created a 'voice of Elvis' to offer posthumous commentary on the niceness of Colonel Parker, the treachery of the Colonel's enemies, Elvis' regrets ('If only I could've seen what was happening to me, I would have done something about it.') and just about everything save life beyond the grave.

After a scene in which Colonel Parker pretends to get the news of Elvis' death, the film cuts to glimpses of the very young Elvis in Tupelo, Miss., strolling down the lane like a latter-day Huck Finn, kneeling at the feet of an ancient bluesman (played, unexpectedly, by the blues great Furry Lewis). Another, older, actor appears to impersonate Elvis singing a song for his schoolmates. They bop and sway and snap their fingers as only amateur actors can. But now the film is ready for film clips and kinescopes of the real Elvis, glimpses that cut through the bogus stuff like so many bolts of lightning. The early performance scenes are simply electrifying, with an Elvis who is utterly confident of his talent, and yet amazed by it, too. He handles audiences expertly, pausing every so often to grin and marvel at their rapture - a rapture the movie's viewers are bound to share.

The film, which is none too frank about Elvis' problems, nonetheless closely chronicles his decline. The polite, bashful fellow who beams with pride when Ed Sullivan pronounces him 'a real decent fine boy' becomes flashy, bloated and crude. The Elvis whose face is so fresh and unguarded, whose expression reveals so much when the press asks him about his sweetheart or his mama, becomes a glassy eyed wreck. At the end of the film, in a scene whose irony is both too broad and too enormous for this film to contain, the pitifully deteriorated Elvis sings 'My Way,' barely remembering the words. He dies six weeks later, and is brought to the grave by a procession of those Cadillacs he loved to buy. 'This Is Elvis' is such a grab bag it offers dozens of memorable moments, some of them exciting, some sad, some bizarre. Mr. Leo and Mr. Solt have unearthed rare home-movie footage of a boyish Elvis entertaining friends at his new mansion, of Elvis and Priscilla Presley clowning for the camera and of an older Elvis surrounded by his obedient rat pack. In contrast to this, there are the newsreels that prove Elvis never more revealing than when he tries to be discreet.

A couple of production numbers from his movies say as much about the climate of the country as they do about this one singer; the same is true of interviews by anti-rock-and-rollers protesting that this music is depravity. Even the television footage is remarkable, from Elvis' thrilling renditions of 'Shake, Rattle and Roll' and 'Hound Dog' to a nervous post-Army appearance with Frank Sinatra, to the Las Vegas comeback special that launched the jeweled-jumpsuit stage of his career. Even the close-up view of Elvis' belt rack speaks volumes, as do the glimpses of Graceland, his mansion. 'This Is Elvis' tells a gaudy, unforgettable story, and it's part of the story it tells.

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Af Elvisanmelderen, 2015:

Jeg vil sige, at dette var en ganske udemærket dokumentar. Som bestemt har sine højdepunkter bl.a. et indblik i Elvis hektiske tourne liv i 70'erne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laszdRd6AJ8

Men filmen virker indimellem også noget sensations hungrende! Hvilket for mig trækker den meget ned.

Jeg vil give den 3 1/2 * (Mere kan det ikke blive til)

Der findes to udg. af filmen, på hhv. 101 min. og en lang video vers. på ikke mindre end 144 min. Jeg hælder til at den lange vers. er bedst, idet den bl.a. er mere fyldstgørende og noget mindre sensationshungrende.

Jeg vil give den lange vers. 4* 🙂

Filmen kan er desuden udgivet på DVD.

Film karriere

De 31 første spillefilm var der ikke mindre end 244 soundtracks, hvilket giver et snit på ikke mindre end 8 sange pr. film!  -

I den lidt 'nørdede afd.' kan jeg desuden fortælle, at hvis vi ikke medregner Charro, hvor der kun var titelsangen (Charro) og Flaming Star, hvor der kun var to sange. Titelsangen (Flaming Star) og en enkelt der blev sunget under filmen. Så er vi nede på 29 film/241 soundtracks, hvilket giver et snit på 8.3 sang pr. film.

Der kan siges rigtig meget om Elvis Hollywood år. Mere end 1/3 af Elvis sang katalog omfatter sange fra hans film, som mange ikke anser for meget... Men det forholder sig heldigvis sådan, at der også blev proudceret en række store hits og klassiker - det ville også være mærkeligt andet med så mange sange!

Lad mig kort nævne nogle af de mest kendte, i kronologisk rækkefølge:

• Love me tender,
• Jailhouse rock,
• King Creole,
• Teddy bear,
• Wooden heart,
• Can't help falling in love,
• Hawaiian wedding song,
• Ku-u-i-po,
• Return to sender,
• Bossa nova baby,
• Viva Las Vegas,
• A little less conversation,
• Clean up your own back yard,

Blandt Elvis fans er der selvfølgelig mange flere. 😀

Nogle eksperter mener at Elvis kunne havde blevet en rigtig stor filmstjerne, hvis han havde fået chancen - de rigtige film. Det tillader jeg mig godtnok at tvivle på. Der var godtnok gode takter i nogen af Elvis' første film. F.eks. i Love me tender, King Creole, Jailhouse rock, hvor han beherskede det dramatiske og underspillede ganske godt.

Efter Elvis' alt for tidlige død, er der blevet lavet flere film, tv-serie, som mere eller mindre har noget med Elvis at gøre.

Film med Elvis i hovedrollen, efter 1977:

• Elvis, 1979, Kurt Rusell som Elvis.
• This is Elvis, 1981, Warner Brothers. (dokumentar)
• Bubba Ho-Tep, 2002, Bruce Campbell som Elvis. (gyser)..!
• Elvis: The early years, 2005, Johnathan Rhys-Meyers som Elvis, tv-film.
• Gladiators, 2009, karate dokumentar. (Elvis' private filmprojekt fra '74). 

Viva Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas, i Danmark også kendt som 'Elvis i det store race', er godtnok en slags formular film, men bestemt en af de bedre af slagsen. Historien er ganske tynd, der er derimod samspillet mellem Elvis og Ann Margret ikke, det er glimrende og det her filmen er bedst. Det gnistre mellem de to stjerner. Musikken er fin, der er en rigtig god humor. Jeg syndes at kunne se/fornemme at skuespillerne har hygget sig med at lave denne film. Alt i alt er det en af de bedste musical komedier Elvis har været med i. 

Synopsis: Lucky Jackson (Elvis) er racerkører og kæmper for at slå igennem. En betingelse for at det sker, er at han kan anskaffe sig en ny og bedre motor til sin vogn. Lucky forsøger at skrabe penge sammen ved at arbejde som tjener på et kasino, hvor han også jævnligt synger en sang eller to. Og minsandten om han ikke også får tid til afprøve sin charme på den dejlige Rusty Martin (Ann-Margret). 

Jeg så den på Blu-Ray, hvilket jeg bestemt kan anbefale. Fantastisk flot billed og lyd. Køb den i luksus udg., hvor der også følger en lille bog med. Samlet koster den ca. 130 Kr., på nettet. 

Viva Las Vegas får 7 piger fra mig: 💃💃💃💃💃💃💃  

Las Vegas er en amerikansk by, beliggende i et ørkenområde i staten Nevada. Byens hovedattraktioner er spillekasinoer og glamourøse shows og den er også en af landets førende byer for kongresser og messer. Byen havde i 2004 37 mio. besøgende. Wikipedia

filmen er instrueret af George Sidney.Selvskab MGM. Optaget i 1963, havde premiere i 64. 

spillelængde 85 min. 

IMDb giver den 6'3 af 10 (4443), 

Girls! Girls! Girls!

En klassisk 'Elvis-film'/formular film kunne jeg også kalde det! Filmen er en musical/komedie. Denne gang er vi på Hawaii*..igen! Masser af sange (12), hvor Return to sender er det absolutte højdepunkt. Vi lærer aldrig rigtigt personerne at kende, historen er papirs tynd, og forudsigelig. Men der er dog 'the walls have ears' scenen som er meget sjov.

Jeg er ikke specielt begejstret for denne film, den er ganske enkelt for tynd og kedelig!

Tre piger, kan det kun blive til herfra 💋💋💋 af 10 mulige piger

* Hawaii (tidligere kaldet Sandwich-øerne), er USAs 50. stat, og omfatter størstedelen af det arkipelag, som sammenfattet kaldes Hawaii-øerne. Beliggende ca. 3.700 km sydvest for USAs vestkyst i Stillehavet, og den sydligst beliggende stat i USA.

Fun in Acapulco

Endnu en klassisk 'Elvis-film'. Denne gang er vi i Acapulco*. En musical/komedie, hvor der 'kun' er ni sange med, hvilket er med til at hæve filmen lidt. Jeg vil dog fremhæve at soundtracket gennerelt er ganske frisk og sprudlende. Sangen 'Bossa nova baby' som et af de bedre numre. Ursula Andress gør det ganske godt og er bestemt et trækplaster for herrene!

Her er en triler til filmen:

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/215529/Fun-in-Acapulco-Original-Trailer-.html

Fire Margaritaer  ud af 10.

* Acapulco er en vigtig havneby i delstaten Guerrero ved Mexicos stillehavskyst, 300 km sydvest for Mexico City. I 2003 var det anslåede indbyggertal 638.000. Wikipedia

Elvis Presley medvirked i 33 spillefilm, hvor han havde hovedrollen i dem alle.  De sidste to var dokumentarfilm. 1981 blev der desuden lavet en en dokumentarfilm, denne gang om Elvis liv/karriere, This is Elvis.

1. Love me tender, 1956, 4st 20th Century Fox Western/Drama s/h  89 min. 
2. Loving You ,1957, 7st, Paramount                                                 101 min.
3. Jailhouse Rock, 1957, 6st,  MGM                                                      96 min.
4. King Creole, 1958, 11st, Paramount                                              116 min.
5. GI. Blues, 1960, 11 st, Paramount                                                  104 min.
6. Flaming Star, 1960, 2 st, 20th Century Fox                                101 min
7. Wild in the country, 1961, 3st, 20th Century Fox                    114 min.
8. Blue Hawaii 1961, 14st, Paramount                                             101 min. 
9. Follow that dream, 1962, 5st, United Artists                            109 min.
10. Kid Galahad 1962, 7st, United Artists                                            95 min.
11. Girls! Girls! Girls! 1962, 13st, Paramount                                  106 min.
12. It happend at the world's fair 1963, 10st, MGM                      105 min.
13. Fun in Acapulco 1963, 11st, Paramount                                        97 min.
14. Kissin' cousins 1964, 7st, MGM                                                         87 min.
15. Viva Las Vegas 1964, 12/15st, MGM                                               86 min.
16. Roustabout 1964, 11st, Paramount                                                 101 min
17. Girl happy 1965, 11st, MGM                                                               96 min.
18. Tickle me 1965, 9st, Allied Artists                                                    90 min.
19. Harum Scarum 1965, 9st, MGM                                                       95 min.
20. Frankie and Johnny 1966, 12st, United Artists                          87 min.
21. Paradise Hawaiian style 1966, 9st, Paramount                        91 min.
22. Spinout, 1966, 9st, MGM                                                                     90 min.
23. Easy come, easy go, 1967, 7st, Paramount                                       ??  
24. Double trouble, 1967, 9st, MGM                                                       90 min.
25. Clambake 1967, 8st, United Artists                                              100 min.
26. Stay away Joe, 1968, 5st, MGM                                                     102 min.
27. Speedway, 1968, 7st, MGM                                                                 94 min.
28. Live a little, love a little, 1968, 4st, MGM                                     90 min.
29. Charro, 1969, 2st, National General          Western/drama   98 min.
30. The trouble with girls, 1969, 5st, MGM                                         97 min.
31. Change of habit, 1969, 4st, Universal                                            93 min.
32. Elvis: That's the way it is, 1970 MGM                 Dok.                  97 min.
33. Elvis on tour, 1972 MGM                                       Dok.                    93 min.
34. This is Elvis, 1981 ?                                                Dok.  ?

1. *) st=soundtrack.