ELVIS PRESLEY IS IN THE BUILDING!

The highly anticipated bio-drama about his life and career is here, and so is the Official Trailer on my blog! Presley’s life was epic, so it would take an epic filmmaker, like Baz Luhrmann, to tell the story of the singer with the most dangerous pelvis in America. Fans of the iconic showman have waited years to see a film detailing the legendary life of the King of Rock and Roll. This isn’t just any biographical drama about a boy from Memphis, Tennessee who became famous, it’s about an extremely talented boy from Memphis, Tennessee who broke musical barriers and segregation laws to become one of the most famous performers ever, while changing what the world knew as Rock and Roll and music forever. Elvis Presley didn’t just change the Rock and Roll genre of music forever, Elvis changed what it was to be a musical performer and ultimately affected every facet of music and culture for generations thereafter.

A MUSICAL OR A FILM ABOUT MUSIC ICON…

Films with a musical theme are a gamble in Hollywood, they do not necessarily fill theaters or box office quotas, but how do you tell the story of Elvis without music? You don’t, so you hire visionary director Baz Luhrmann to tell that story. The famed Moulin Rouge director has a film style that has always included a musical component, making him the best director for a film about Elvis. And it all sells with Austin Butler who pulls off the best Elvis impersonation in decades, and there have been a lot of them. Baz knew Butler was the actor to lead this story and you often forget he’s not Elvis, he’s simply playing him in a movie. Austin’s impersonation is uncanny. He becomes Elvis Aaron Presley in this high-profile role, right down to the gyration of his hips. And it works because Butler learned everything he could about the very real person he was going to play, and wanted to respect the legacy of the icon. Butler also worked with a vocal coach and sang the songs himself after a long preparation for the otherworldly encompassing legendary role he was about the play. The film was made with the blessing of Elvis Presley’s ex-wife, and the mother of his daughter, Lisa Marie, Priscilla Presley.

ELVIS PRESLEY HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!

The Featured Film Blog for August is ELVIS! To kick this show off I am providing the Official Trailer for the 2022 film which will be followed by my Critique, Recommendation, and Review of the film! So join me as I take a look back at the history of Elvis Presley and the moments of American History and culture that coincided with his epically short time here on Earth. I will look at the relationship between Elvis and Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks in the film, as well as Elvis’s relationship with B.B. King, Civil Rights, and the Black Community. And I will look at the musical influences Presley took from Beale Street, his growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi around the gospel community, and how he would use them to create his historic music. I will also look at the music of generations that have been influenced and continue to be influenced by Elvis, long after his untimely death on August 16, 1977. And Lastly, I will look at the music itself, because there is no talking about Elvis Presley without talking about his driving force! I hope you enjoy the show!

You can watch the 2022 Official Trailer for ELVIS here: