The Elvis Aloha Oe credit music was a nice balance to the Beatle and to the Elvis joke made by the luao host. And who better than Elvis sing a song from the 2nd biggest selling album of the 60's (Blue Hawaii soundtrack) to represent affluent malaise in the 60's? (No that Elvis didn't make lots of great music then,…

Yeah, that's the faux-bluesy, "Hawaiian Beach Boy," and you cited the exact line that keeps me from ever listening to it.  A real a clunker.  Especially for being on a multi platinum album that spent 20 fucking weeks at #1 on Billboard.  It's the second highest selling album of the '60s US Charts (next to West Side…

Whose wiki page, Col. Tom Parker's? I just checked it, and it is suitably insane. That asshole was a real piece of work.

I'm pretty much there.  Though the self-conscious faux-hipness (Christ, enough with Beyonce already) of this marketing is just annoying.

As a kid I was fascinated by the floating island w/ palm tree in the middle of the hotel's pool.  (In one scene, Elvis jumps from one edge of the pool to the island, and to the opposite edge.)   When my family later vacationed in Ft. Lauderdale, I looked up Sea Drift Motel (the name in the movie) in the phone book,…

It actually wasn't the movie studios that stunted Elvis' growth as an actor, it was all Col. Parker's doing.   There were many attempts by others on the outside to suggest Elvis get some training (a month or two with Stella Addler could have done wonders,) and to put Elvis into respectable films (West Side Story and…

Stay Away, Joe.  It was actually one of his final films in the late 60's, and very hippy dippy trippy.  Also basically unwatchable all the way through, except for those more completist than I.

Kindly see my post about Loving You (it's the LONG one,) it should definitely be in any consideration set.

Pro's:  Little Egypt, motorcycle helix, Barbara Stanwyck.

It also features what is to me the funniest and most absurd line of dialogue Elvis would ever utter (and with great passion, no less.)  "Of course, my sister, Mrs. Baby."  Won't even try to explain the context, you just have to see it.

Noel,

Girl Happy has several pretty great songs for this type of movie: Do Not Disturb, Puppet on a String, and I especially like the silly but clever and catchy (and for once, very thematically linked)  Ft. Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.  And Shelley Fabre with Mary Anne-Mobley as love interests?   It's good to be Elvis.…

That World's Fair clip is amazing.  I'm a lifelong fan but certain Elvis movies didn't hold my interest much even as a kid; the first time I noticed how striking this single take shot was during a TCM marathon with the sound off.   I didn't realize he was thinking a song in his head, so I'm thinking "when the hell is…

Kissin' Cousins is a standout as bearing the most Ed Woods-ian ineptitude at all levels.  The country cabin setting is unthinkably cheesy looking.  The bogus Elvis body doubles for the twin shots are hilarious - there seems to be almost no attempt at using deliberate framing and planned editing to smooth over the…

Built for Greed, you hit the nail on the head of what is most affecting about Elvis' final period, citing great examples.   A few other standouts are is It's Midnight and I'm Leavin' - maudlin, but incredibly authentically emotional.  I do wish he'd done more rockers like Promised Land from '73 on, but I think he was…

Sorry to objectify sketch actresses but funny makes a woman twice as sexy to me, so though I've had few celeb crushes, my first was Gilda Radner, and I also admire Kristen Wiig on all levels. Yes Gail Mathius looked great, like a model, but not memorable because of the season/material. Her valley girl was good but…

When she's all cleaned up, she's the most glamourously beautiful SNL member ever (not counting Terry Sweeney). Which makes it amazing she can convincingly play dorky little boys. She's quite good, if I were Mahoney I'd steal her too.

I'm not sure, but it's probably sexist to say that Tig Notaro's improvised cancer monologue album is a bit overrated.   It's definitely cool, and the heart goes out to the very talented Tig.  But one of the greatest stand up sets of all time?  I don't see it.

What if it had been The Spectors instead of The Ramones? Would have made sense and still sounded cool. Surely that's a band somewhere.

I'm a Joel apologist, we're out there. I also have been downloading tracks from remastered versions of some of those classic albums, the upgrades are revelatory, especially Nylon Curtain. Songs in the Attic has a whole new kick to it as well.