Apparently Fritz the Cat was huge in Tupelo in the 40s.
Elvis. 1979.
I didn’t know what to expect. John Carpenter doing a TV documentary about Elvis? Presley? Starring Kurt Russell!?
But John Carpenter is no David Cronenberg. I had somehow gotten them slightly confused in my brain: They’re both people starting in the 70s who’s done their share of horror and sci-fi films. But while Cronenberg is a Canadian film directory with a very particular style and point of view, Carpenter is an American director who just seems enthralled by the very idea of making a movie, any movie.
At least so far in this re-watch blog series.
I’m no Elvis connoisseur, but I don’t think they used Elvis’ vocals much when Kurt Russell is performing? And that’s just plain weird when it comes to a film about Elvis: No Elvis music. Didn’t they have the money to license the original recordings?
Russell is pretty fab as Elvis. I kinda doubt the historical veracity of the film, but it’s fun to watch.
It gets a bit boring around the two hour mark.
In other news, this is Priscilla Presley in 2014.
This post is part of the A Carpenter Winter series.
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