I don't expect I would enjoy this a lot, even if I were a big Elvis fan. I find something very annoying about Baz Luhrmann's films.
In regard to Steve Allen: While I agree that putting Elvis thru the stuff he did on Steve's show was pretty stupid, and you could tell Steve wasn't exactly a Rock 'n Roll fan, especially with his famous ''poetry reading" of the lyrics to 'Be-Bop-A-Lula', he *was* the man who gave Jerry Lee Lewis his first real nation wide exposure when he had JLL on in July 1957, and then again two weeks later while 'Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On' was heading up the charts... JLL and company paid Steve back by debuting 'Great Balls of Fire' on Steve's show (and JLL named one of his sons after Steve as well)... Steve wasn't all bad in regard to Rock 'n Roll and people from the South.
Well, he didn't care for Elvis. Jerry Lee came after Elvis and by that time in 57, rock and roll had forced you to have to have performers on your show for ratings. You see by that point, Jerry Lee got to be himself on Steve"s show, unlike Elvis. I can respect that it took time to convince Steve that it R&R wasn't a fad, but at least Dorsey Stage Show, Milton Berle and Ed Sullivan let Elvis be Elvis, even if by the third performance on Sullivan he was only shown from the waist up. Steve also didn't need to basically insult Elvis after he died about not being a very good singer. At least when Sinatra hated R&R he mellowed out and accepted it being the mainstream music and became friends with Elvis.
I guess I can see maybe not going to a movie if you didn't care for the director's other films... But, I myself am more interested in what the story of the film itself is rather than who directed it. For example, I really like a a lot of Clint Eastwood's films: However, I would be more interested in the story of the film he was in and/or directed rather than going to see a film he only directed and was not acting in the movie...
Best film show ever: Kermode and Mayo's Take dropped this evening (my time) Features a terrific interview with Tom Hanks and self-described Elvis nut Kermode's verdict on Elvis (the movie) ... "It was ace" Full review next week. This is the only review I will care about... apart from my own! (and the good folks here of course!)
This was excellent, and I appreciate you sharing it with me, butI think you're misunderstanding me. I'm not positing that Elvis was a racist or even that he had anything but good intentions where race was concerned. My only qualm in this thread is the linguistic difference between "appropriation" and "absorption". Any time an artist absorbs musical influence (I do believe that Elvis, with good intentions and a kind heart, absorbed the music of Mississippi African Americans) from a group of people who don't have the same access to money-making structures, it becomes appropriation. Also, like the narrator stated in the clip you shared, this is okay. It is okay to appropriate. But when we don't identify economic inequities for what they are, we become blind to them.
Regardless, the claims of appropriation in reference to Elvis today, are not made in such context. But rather, with no background knowledge. They act like he was from Vermont, had one black, unsuccessful musician friend, and said, now let me do that as a white for whites and claim ownership
I agree with this statement, for the most part, but I also think it is important to listen to the nuance of someone's argument without dismissing it out of hand. Your use of the word "regardless" here is symptomatic of just that.
As @Price.pittsburgh already noted, that Steve Allen felt he had to put what he saw as this stupid fad on TV to get ratings didn’t mean he personally approved of this stupid fad. Do you think Johnny Carson was a personal fan of every guest who ever appeared on his show?
I have a feeling this film isn't going to be honest to Elvis country roots and by not doing so, may attempt to oversell the other
If I Can Dream (From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ELVIS) · Måneskin Full version of Måneskin's cover as heard in a short trailer a couple weeks back. Guitar on the intro reminded me of Hallelujah, which is interesting. Again, this sounds like end credits material, but we'll see. Great vocal!
Director Guillermo del Toro retweeted film critic Scott Menzel: Austin Butler delivers a performance for the ages in Elvis. A true tour-de-force in which the viewer never sees Butler, only Elvis. This is a bold statement but Butler’s transformation as Elvis Presley is arguably one of the best that I’ve ever seen on the big screen.
NME special(see avatar kiddos). BAZ reveals his 7 songs “soundtrack of my life” Song that changed my life “ David Bowie Changes. The Song I wish I’d written “? Harry Styles - Watermelon Sugar. other 5 Prince John Farnham Doja Cat Madonna first gig - The Police ( Sidney,1980).
Huge JL quote second page in the NME freebie film promotion magazine. Also mentioned .. Paul McCartney showing Elvis how to play bass.
It only applies to white people. Ray Charles could put out an acclaimed album of country classics and it was Genius Ray Charles putting his soulful spin on country music. Elvis puts out a RnR record and it's Elvis Presley stealing balck music for his personal gain.
Exactly. They act like Elvis was a show tunes singer who suddenly started singing rock and roll when it got popular. Kind of like Pat Boone (don't want to start that again).
