Ten Favourite Films of 2016

Title: Ten Favourite Films of 2016

This year my "favourite films" list is very late. The reason being is that I had to see Martin Scorsese's Silence. It looked like a film I would love and likely put on the list. I waited until the end of May 2017 to view the picture and I was very impressed. It will certainly make the list, as will Academy Award "Best Picture" winner Moonlight. 

2016 was a fairly good year for film. My year started with with going to the cinema and seeing The Coen Brothers' Hail Caesar!, a movie about faith (or lack thereof) in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Pictures that centered on faith were actually pretty damn good in 2016. Sure, we may have got the ludicrous kiddie propaganda film God's Not Dead 2, but serious pictures about crisis' of faith like Hacksaw Ridge and Birth of a Nation hit me like a ton of bricks. 

Speaking of Birth of a Nation, it's very unfortunate that Nate Turner's near masterpiece was not nominated for any Academy Awards due to political issues at the time. 2015's #Oscarsowhite controversy should have easily made this a contender. They did right by giving Moonlight some glory by the end of the night (albeit not without controversy) however. 

A very overrated film that you will not see on my list is La La Land. I know there are many people who love it, but I just found it dull dribble that loved to reference Old Hollywood and its musicals but didn't have any of the charm. Damien Chazelle is no Vincente Minelli. Albeit I will give credit to the picture's unique set design and cinematography. It is technically well made, despite having 0 charisma.

Anyways, on with the show! The following are my ten favourite films of 2016. Please note that while some of the pictures may have been released internationally in 2015, I am only counting the general North American release date.

10. Rams (Iceland, Grimur Hokanarson)

Two isolated brothers unite to save their sheep

9. Aferim! (Romania, Radu Jude)

In 19th Century Romania, a policeman is hired to find an escaped gypsy slave

8. Remember (Canada, Anton Egoyam)

An elderly survivor of Auschwitz seeks revenge against the nazi who killed his family

7. Shin Godzilla (Japan, Hideaki Anno) 

Toho Godzilla is back and better than ever!

6. I, Daniel Blake (UK, Ken Loach)

A man must fight bureaucracy to get his employment allowance

5. Silence (US, Martin Scorsese) 

A priest has a crisis of faith in 17th Century Japan where Christians are murdered for their beliefs.

4. Hacksaw Ridge (US, Mel Gibson)

A religious man fights in WWII without a weapon at his side

3. Birth of a Nation (US, Nate Parker)

A priest must teach his own people that God approves slavery, but he has a great crisis of faith in doing so.

2. Embrace of the Serpent (Columbia, Ciro Guerra)

The story of an amazonian shaman, the last survivor of his people

1. Moonlight (US, Barry Jenkins)

The life of a poor, gay black man

 

Ten Favourite Elvis Presley Films

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) changed the music industry forever and because of his contributions has the title of "King of Rock and Roll". In addition to his music career, The King also has a notable Hollywood career where he was featured in a staggering 31 pictures in just over 13 years. During the late 60's he made 3 films/yr, which is more than a lot of trained actors will make in a year. 

In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. In 1957 he made his most notable film Jailhouse Rock (1957) which has one of the best selling soundtracks in the history of Cinema. In 1958 he sadly had to stall his career as he was drafted into the military joining the 3rd Armoured Division in Germany. His mother also sadly passed away that year. 

Elvis returned to the United States in March and was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant.  His first film back was GI Blues, which had made considerable headway as a soundtrack. His manager Colonel Tom Parker started pushing Elvis far more heavily into Hollywood. Parker pressured Paramount's Hal Wallis into paying the man $175,000 per film and in doing so got other studios to offer Elvis even greater contracts. 

Parker's approach to filmmaking was very "hands-off", accepting pretty much any script that the Studio gave him. In an interview Parker said "What’s Elvis need? A couple of songs, a little story and some nice people with him."  He instructed his lead actor to not question the studio's decisions and thus they made a series of very formulaic films. The typical Elvis picture would be a light comedy, very little plot,  with nice gals and at least 10 musical numbers. 

By the early 60's Elvis abandoned his dream of being a serious actor. He realized he was just a tool in the machine and as film after film went by he seemed to be losing great passion. It was quite noticeable in his many lackluster acting performances. The mid 60's brought about competition with The Beatles and The British Invasion. The late 60's saw Elvis' popularity fade with the rise of New Hollywood and 1967's Summer of Love. 

Elvis' comeback tour of 1968 reached 42% of all American homes and made him a celebrity once more. His passion for the film was dead, and thankfully he had only one more film in his contract to make. Change of Habit (1969) ended his seemingly long film career. Elvis would go on to make tours and concert shows for the remainder of his life. 

The following are my ten favourite Elvis Presley pictures. Although I have not been kind to some (Paradise, Hawaiian Style is atroctious) I must admit there were quite a few films that had me in shock and awe.

10. Bye Bye Birdie (1963)

Not an Elvis picture, but the plot of the film does center on Elvis' departure to the military and how it affects the lives of these characters so I'm keeping it in. Putting it at #10 despite being one of my favourite musicals.due to lack of actual Elvis

9. Love Me Tender (1956)

8. Loving You (1957)

7. GI Blues (1960) 

6. Blue Hawaii (1961)

5. Viva Las Vegas (1964) 

4. The Trouble with Girls (1968)

3. King Creole (1958)

2. Elvis (1968)

1. Jailhouse Rock (1957)

Review #957: Elvis (1968)

Title: Elvis
Year: 1968
Director:  Steve Binder
Country: US
Language: English

By 1968 Elvis Aaron Presley's career had hit an all-time low. For years he had been outdone by Beatlemania, The Rolling Stones, and the rest of the British invasion. In addition Hollywood's drastic change to more sexual, violent and racial pictures meant the typical Elvis picture wouldn't fly. The world had changed and Elvis would have to adapt or die.

Elvis Presley has been out making movies for many years, now he makes a comeback in 1968. 

Despite the man's considerable lack of popularity, 42% of the television viewing audience of America did watch the show, making it the most watched television program in America in 1968. It  is generally credited as the special that pulled Elvis Presley's career out of the crapper and started the so-called "third act" of his career. 

It took a lot of convincing, but Elvis agreed to put on his black leather outfit and play his greatest hits. On the stage he is still simultaneously very cool and very comical. No doubt this nostalgic act did a tremendous job at getting into the hearts of America. This film, more so than any of Elvis' films or other filmed concerts, presents a full view of the artist and his capabilities, which were great indeed.

Elvis (1968) was THE comeback for his career. It helped the artist getting into the good graces of the public moreso than any other publicity stunt in the history of music. In retrospect Elvis may have had an easier time fading into the background, but you can't blame the man for striving to greatness. 

Review #956: The Trouble With Girls (1969)

Title: The Trouble With Girls
Year: 1969
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Country: US
Language: English

We are nearing the end of Elvis' filmography and frankly I'm flabbergasted at how many pictures The King made in such a short period of time. He made 31 in a period of just over 13 years. In the mid-late 60's he made 3 films a year! I can imagine that at once time Elvis was thrilled to be in Hollywood, but once he realized his formula and understood that he would not be a serious player he became disenfranchised. By the end of his film career he didn't seem to care if his career was a hit or miss, he just wanted out. 

Chautauqua manager Walter Hale (Elvis Presley) and his loyal business manager struggle to keep their traveling troupe together in small town America.

While overshadowed by Elvis’s return to the stage, The Trouble With Girls was polarizing among major newspapers. Variety, which had given fairly positive reviews of Elvis' pictures, felt the film was poor. New York Times, which had given fairly negative reviews, felt the film was great. In this Elvis sings only three songs and overall it has a far more serious tone. It is a very un-Elvis like picture. 

Elvis himself would not appear in the picture until about the 30 minute mark. Presley never looked more handsome in his big screen career. His acting work is steady, confident, and convincing throughout. The film's realistic 1920's setting is remarkable. The set design is exceptionally detailed and the costuming is quite unique. This picture, though even a relic at the time, is well made.

The Trouble With Girls is an overlooked Elvis picture that ought to get far more praise. Despite the man already being sick of his film career, I thought this showed a glimmer of genius. It's an entertaining film that needs to be rated more highly. 

Review #955: Charro! (1969)

Title: Charro!
Year: 1969
Director: Charles Warren
Country: US
Language: English

Charro! is Elvis Aaron Presley's 29th picture! Despite having had a Hollywood career that spanned over a decade by now, this film had several "firsts" for The King. It was his first and only movie produced by National General Pictures, which became the sixth Hollywood studio to turn out at least one Elvis movie. It was the first to open in the Southern United States, before the rest. It was also the first in which Elvis sported facial hair. 

Jess Wade (Elvis Presley) is falsely accused of having stolen a cannon from the Mexican revolutionary forces. He tries to find the real culprits, a gang of criminals.

Elvis himself had been very keen on making this picture, realizing that it would get him out of the rut that was the formulaic cheap musical numbers he had been churning out. This was his opportunity to be seen as a serious actor but he was hugely disappointed when he showed up on the first day of filming to find that the script had been completely rewritten. It was less a Shane-level Western and more of a tedious chore due to a slow and sluggish script that would have driven any actor up the wall. 

Presley’s impassive portrayal of gunslinger Jess Wade was the actor’s own interpretation or the director’s. Elvis shows little emotion in the role, when he does it's just a long menacing stare that would have taken little to no acting ability. When the script does allow Elvis to speak, his dialogue is riddled with such hackneyed lines that even Tommy Wiseau would have blushed. 

Elvis does not sing in the film, other than the title song, however Hugo Montenegro’s score gives a “spaghetti western” feel to the movie. The score adds great tension to the flick, even when there is no tension to be had. Overall it's a very flawed picture that has little to keep it from being one of the worst Elvis films. 

Review #954: Live a Little, Love a Little (1968)

Title: Live a Little, Love a Little 
Year: 1968
Director: Norman Taurog
Country: US
Language: English

Live a Little, Love a Little continued Stay Away, Joe's trend away from the long-established Elvis movie format. Director Norman Taurog was back for his ninth project with Presley, but this one would be quite different from the earlier, song-filled, romantic romps on which the two had collaborated before. This would be far more dramatic. 

Photographer Greg Nolan (Elvis Presley) moonlights in two full-time jobs to pay the rent, but has trouble finding time to do them both without his bosses finding out. 

Usually audiences understood early on what motivated each character in an Elvis picture, whether it be babes, money or fame. This picture is a little different as the character's motives are fairly unpredictable. We're not entirely sold on who is a protagonist and who is an antagonist. The beginning of the film seems like a comedy, but then the dramatic seeds start rising. 

Unlike most Presley pictures, this one has no title song or end number. The passable “Wonderful World” is played over the opening credits. It represents a time when Hollywood tried more avant-garde elements and pulled back on the music. Did it work? Well...no. The plot often drags, the acting is forgettable and ultimately it did very poorly at the box office. 

I see what this picture was trying to go for; an unpredictable Elvis vehicle that would have audiences guessing, but too little is resolved and too many questions remain. Also the tone of the film is a little unbalanced and, if not for the mindless action scenes, the pacing would make a snail jealous. Entertaining at moments, but not satisfying enough for me to recommend. 

Review #953: Stay Away, Joe (1968)

Title: Stay Away, Joe
Year: 1968
Director: Peter Tewksbury
Country: US
Language: English

Starting with 1965’s Girl Happy and ending with Speedway in 1968, Elvis’s movies were all song-filled, light musical comedies. It was a three year long stretch of about 10 pictures that gradually diminished Elvis Aaron Presley's reputation among film critics, cinema-goers and Hollywood studio execs. Everyone knew it was time for a change, but could Stay Away, Joe be that change?

Half-breed rodeo champ (Elvis Presley) returns to the reservation to help his people prove they can be responsible.

Clearly departing from the tattered Elvis we've come to know, this picture contains only four throwaway Elvis vocals, including the title tune. Refreshingly, all songs fit the story and don't hinder its pacing. As the prodigal son of an American Indian family, Elvis stepped out of his standard role as a singing car racer/pilot/scuba diver/cowboy/gambler/speed boat driver.

Though Elvis stepped outside his character comfort zone, he did so in a way that was rather controversial. Produced at a time when Native American activists were fighting for rights and respect for their people, the movie offered an unfortunate stereotype of Indians. Due to much of the film being physical comedy, the Natives were portrayed as incompetent at out of touch. Elvis' childish portrayal of native Americans would have had some place in John Wayne 1940's Westerns, but not so much in the society of the late 60's. 

Elvis does try hard to make a more serious picture with some light comedy mixed in and we should give him credit for going outside his comfort zone, but unfortunately this new venture comes at the expense of America's indigenous groups and thus did a bit more harm than good for the industry. 

Review #952: Clambake (1967)

Title: Clambake
Year: 1967
Director: Arthur H. Nidel
Country: US
Language: English

As difficult of a time Elvis Aaron Presley had in 1964, with competition in "Beatlemania" and the rest of the British Invasion, Elvis would also have a difficult time in 1967. This year was known as the "Summer of Love" when a younger generation felt the urge to abandon the values of their parents, of Elvis' generation. Hollywood itself had become more brash, violent, sexual and political. Would an Elvis film mean anything in the era of The Graduate?

The heir to an oil fortune (Elvis Presley) trades places with a water-ski instructor at a Florida hotel to see if girls will like him for himself, rather than his father's money.

Clambake was the last movie The King would make as a single man. He got married in Las Vegas on May, 1967. A seemingly changed man, Elvis was not enthusiastic about the making of this picture.  His lack of interest caused delays in the production schedule. Elvis' physical appearance was the worst in his film career. His inability to keep his weight down combined with his disinterest proved to make a dull Elvis performance. 

His films were slowly falling from grace at the box office and his recordings quickly fell off the charts. Clambake's soundtrack had a mixed bag of material; some of the tunes are catchy and pleasant, whereas some can be considered irritating. The beautiful Miami beach scenery is never really utilized in this picture due to sloppy editing and an unholy amount of stock footage. 

Clambake, with its plentiful sight gags and gorgeous women, can be quite entertaining at times. It does not transcend the usual Elvis Hollywood film and as such is a little disappointing. I'd rank this in the middle of his filmography; not bad, but not good either. 

Review #951: Frankie and Johnny (1966)

Title: Frankie and Johnny
Year: 1966
Director: Frederick De Cordova
Country: US
Language: English

In standard reviews of Elvis Presley's pictures at the time it was obligatory to lead in with a prediction of how well this particular film being reviewed would do at the box office. In the late 60's the studio was changing, adhering to the style of New Hollywood and thus most tamer pictures would not be financially successful. It was important to note that Elvis was still a box office draw during these times of change so execs would pour even more money into his ventures. 

A riverboat singer (Elvis Presley) with a weakness for gambling wants to find his lucky red head, but his girlfriend Frankie is not amused. 

Frankie and Johnny was the first major motion picture starring role for Donna Douglas, who played Elvis’s love interest in the film. It was the last movie directed by Frederick de Cordova, who was previously best known for directing Ronald Reagan in the 1952 feature Bedtime for Bonzo. By this period most of Elvis' fans had gone over to The Beatles. Unfortunate as it was, no old-school picture starring Elvis would ever bring them back.

The film was not an answer to A Hard Day's Night, even Elvis seemed disinterested in singing his usual ballads. While the first half of this film has great momentum it loses a tremendous amount of steam and can't keep up with its promising beginning. This, like other Elvis pictures before it, becomes a tedious waste of time that can't be saved by star power alone.

A victim of the tumultuous times of the mid-late 60's, Elvis' picture never stood a chance amongst the more serious box office contenders. News media at the time predicted a flop and they would certainly be right. It's a good thing these movies were cheap to make. 

Review #950: Harum Scarum (1965)

Title: Harum Scarum
Year: 1965
Director: Gene Nelson
Country: US
Language: English

At age 30, Elvis Aaron Presley had hit a low point in his Hollywood film career with Harum Scarum no thanks to interference by his money hungry manager Col.Tom Parker. In addition, MGM put Harum Scarum in the hands of producer Sam Katzman, director Gene Nelson, and writer Gerald Drayson Adams. This grand trio was responsible for the flop that was Kissin' Cousins a year earlier.

American singer Johnny Tyrone (Elvis Presley) is enlisted by sinister forces to assassinate an Arab king whose daughter he has fallen in love with.

Elvis' nineteenth picture had an unfortunately predictable outcome. Elvis was actually enthusiastic when he arrived at the studios to start filming, but once he saw what he was in for he felt a blow of instant regret. This was partly due to the comedic script, as The King would have loved to be seen as a mature actor. In addition the studio execs felt this was a paint by the numbers picture. One exec quipped "Elvis' movies don't need titles; they could just be numbered!" 

At first the Sheik character seemed like a Rudolph Valentino role, but as the film progressed Elvis seemed to be more of a joke. If you want to know how seriously this was taken, note that Harum Scarum was double billed with Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster. Elvis himself was prettier than the monster, but even his signature ballads couldn't help the frightening box office numbers.

A spoof of the arabic-adventure genre, perhaps much of the film's failure was that the "spoof" part was not immediately obvious. The script was pretty damn poor and the attempt at humour was a joke in itself. Overall this is certainly one of Elvis' worst. 

Review #949: Tickle Me (1965)

Title: Tickle Me 
Year: 1965
Director: Norman Taurog
Country: US
Language: English

Considering this picture was made well into Elvis' Hollywood career, it might be surprising that Tickle Me (1965) marked several firsts for The King of Rock. It was the only Presley movie produced by Allied Artists, a studio best known at the time for making “B” comedies and exploitation films.
Second, Tickle Me was Elvis’s first straight comedy featuring nothing even close to resembling drama. Finally, it was the first and only Presley film without at least one original song.

Elvis is a singing rodeo rider who drifts into an expensive dude ranch patronized by wealthy glamour girls. The owner, Vera Radford, hires Elvis as a stable man.

Tickle Me has nine musical numbers, all taken from soundtracks of earlier films. Thus the songs themselves are wonderful, although very few fit into the actual picture. Much of the tunes come out of nowhere. Elvis inexplicably bursts into song a number of times while working as a ranch hand. Course it helps that a great number of scantily clad women join in for the dancing.

The film was released just six weeks after Elvis' previous picture. It was also made on a really small budget wherein the majority of the money went to The King himself. Needless to say, Tickle Me wasn't a critical hit with even the biggest Elvis supporters. New York Times writer Howard Thompson was clearly loosing patience with his icon's lack of logical direction.

Jocelyn Lane plays Elvis' love interest and, as with almost every Elvis girl, she has great chemistry with her star and has a tremendous amount of sex appeal. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about this film is that there is a fine amount of gorgeous babes onscreen. 

 

Review #948: Kissin' Cousins (1963)

Title: Kissin' Cousins
Year: 1963
Director: Gene Nelson
Country: US
Language: English

Although at this period in time I have not reviewed every Elvis Aaron Presley Hollywood venture, I must say that Kissin' Cousins is the last of his 30+ films I had seen. Why? Well it doesn't seem to be as available on home video or streaming as his other pictures. In addition the title of the film made me want to steer away. Is this something George Michael of Arrested Development would be into? Is this an incest picture? Lets find out!

An Army officer (Elvis Presley) returns to the Smoky Mountains tries to convince his kinfolk to allow the Army to build a missile site on their land. Once he gets there, he discovers he has a lookalike cousin.

Kissin' Cousins represents the halfway point of Elvis' Hollywood career. It also represents a turning point in how his films would be made. In terms of budget, production time and promotion, all of Presley’s first 14 movies were fairly standard for Hollywood film. However Kissin' Cousins was made in a mere 3 weeks with a very small budget and featured a "WHO?" of actors. This was due to his manager's insistence that Elvis’s next film be shot much faster and with strict budget controls.

The basic Elvis formula was used for this film; a hot love interest, a few songs, very little plot and some light comedy. It was clear that MGM and director Katzman had given up entirely on drawing a general audience and aimed this production solely at Elvis’s core crowd. Overall it feels like an amateur-ish production that didn't try to reshoot poorly acted scenes at that would have cost time and money. 

Thank GOD this film isn't about incest, but it's not exactly the cream of the crop either. Much could have been done to make this picture better and it seems nobody really gave a damn. Too bad, as the music itself was decent even though they were clearly randomly inserted into the film. 

 

Review #947: Fun in Acapulco (1963)

Title: Fun in Acapulco
Year: 1963
Director: Richard Thorpe
Country: US
Language: English

In late 1963 Elvis Aaron Presley faced an adversary in regards to his "King of Rock" title with the four fabulous members of The Beatles (Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr & George Harrison) This team had just come across the pond from Liverpool and had been appearing everywhere in the US media. In a few months they would appear on the Ed Sullivan show and "Beatlemania" would be in full swing. It was a tough period of time for Elvis. 

Mike (Elvis Presley) works on a boat in Acapulco. When the bratty daughter of the boat owner gets him fired, Mike must find new work. Little boy Rauol helps him get a job as a lifeguard and singer at a local hotel.

Fun in Acapulco marks Elvis' second collaboration with Director Richard Thorpe, their first being the critically and commercially acclaimed Jailhouse Rock (1957). This appearance under the Hal Wallis-Paramound banner proved to be a fun thrill for audiences flocking to see Elvis at the time. He delivers a total of 11 songs; all of which are quite catchy and are performed remarkably. 

By 1963 Producers had given up on dramatic narratives for Presley movies. Instead, Fun in Acapulco is a light romantic comedy with a focus on its more exotic setting. Scattered throughout the picture are scenes of Elvis acting against moving backgrounds that obviously had been previously filmed in Mexico. The illusion of being in Acapulco is maintained effectively through the use of landscape photography, background music, costumes, and local ceremonies.

The screen play is so-so. Though the plot is not necessarily strong, the picture overall is entertaining enough and full of good music that we'll let a flimsy narrative slide.  Ursula Andress is a fine Elvis lady. She's no Ann-Margaret, but she still oozes of charisma and sex appeal. 

 

Review #946: It Happened at the World's Fair (1963)

Title: It Happened at the World's Fair
Year: 1963
Director: Norman Taurog
Country: US
Language: English

It Happened at the World's Fair features iconic actor Kurt Russell (The Thing) in his silver screen debut. He plays the boy who kicks Elvis Presley's shins. Many years later in an interview Russell recalls that he really didn't want to hurt The King, as he was such a big fan, but he was paid $5 by Elvis himself to do it. Russell would go on to play Elvis twice; in Forrest Gump (1994) and the TV movie Elvis (1979). 

Mike (Elvis Presley) and Danny (Gary Lockwood) fly a crop duster, but because of Danny's gambling debts, a local sheriff seizes it. Trying to earn money, they hitch-hike to the World's Fair in Seattle. While Danny tries to earn money playing poker, Mike takes care of a small girl, Sue-Lin, whose Uncle Walter has disappeared.

The Pacific Northwest provided a different kind of scenic backdrop from previous Presley films. The rural shots featured Mount Rainier, a peak in the Cascades south of Seattle. At the time setting a film in Seattle's World Fair was dubious as the fair had been long gone; it certainly would not have helped at the box office. Overall the picture made a decent amount, perhaps because Elvis at the movies was still a little bit of a novelty. 

The story for this film is a bit thin, but the runtime is helped greatly by Elvis' TEN musical numbers. This many songs became the standard for later pictures of his, but here there is no attempt to tie Presley's songs with the story. Rather, they interrupt a nice flow and have the King burst into song for no apparent reason just a few minutes after his previous burst. 

It Happened at the World's Fair is pretty nauseating even for hardcore fans of movie musicals and/or Elvis pictures. I would recommending skipping this one and listening to an hour of his better songs instead. There isn't much to see here; ultimately it's bland and forgettable. 

Review #945: Follow that Dream (1962)

Title: Follow that Dream
Year: 1962
Director: Gordon Douglas
Country: US
Language: English

Follow That Dream didn’t approach the commercial success of many of Elvis' previous pictures.
It spent only two weeks on Variety’s National Box Office weekly survey, peaking at number five, while the others went on to be the highest grossing films of their respective years. Part of the reason could be the lack of musical numbers in this picture. If that is true then it certainly says much of how audiences flocked to the silver screen to see the King's musical chops rather than his acting ability.

 When the Kwimper family car runs out of gas on a new Florida highway and an officous state supervisor tries to run them off, Pop Kwimper (Elvis Presley) digs in his heels and decides to do a little homesteading. He and his son Toby and their "adopted" children - Holly, Ariadne and the twins - start their own little community along a strip of the roadside.

Audiences may have also been turned off by this new Elvis. In previous pictures our hero played a young brash rebellious character who was very anti-authoritarian, while in Follow that Dream Elvis  portrayed a slow-taking, calm country boy, with a mix of innocence and down home intuition. His performance was calm and believable; even critics at the time were swoon by his newfound charm.

I believe Follow that Dream holds Elvis' best foray into acting. His unexpected, natural comedic talent helped carry the film through its first 90 minutes. Unfortunately the music, although there is little of it, is greatly disruptive to the story and hampers what could have been a great drama w/ spliced bits of comedy. 

The cast, message, script and comedic moments all join together to create an entertaining picture that rivals Elvis' best. Follow that Dream certainly isn't perfect, but as far as an Elvis picture goes it's quite memorable. 

 

Review #944: Double Trouble (1967)

Title: Double Trouble
Year: 1967
Director: Norman Taurog
Country: US
Language: English

Some have considered Double Trouble to be Elvis Presley's James Bond picture, Elvis would later comment on this by saying "I wasn't exactly a James Bond in this movie. But then, no one ever asked Sean Connery to sing a song while dodging bullets". It was a notable first, and only, film for Annette Day, who producer Judd Bernard first encountered while visiting London in an antique shop. 

A rock singer (Elvis Presley) touring England gets involved with a wealthy teenage heiress in London. Turns out the girl's uncle is trying to steal her money, putting her life in danger, and is also involved in a jewel smuggling operation.

On the musical side, Elvis performs eight songs in the film. In his role as a traveling discotheque singer, five of the tunes fit well into the picture’s structure. Three others exist just to have Elvis burst into song for no particular reason; they don't even fit the mood of the scene. Almost every song is adequate, except for "Old Macdonald", that one in particular is horrendous. 

English newcomer Annette Day gives a good performance as Elvis' love interest. The two have a good chemistry that keeps us spellbound throughout the film. Elvis' performance is a bit unique in Double Trouble as it's far more physical than the King of Rock is used to. The script calls for plenty of fight scenes, ranging from Elvis getting punched out to him using his kick-ass karate moves on the enemy. 

The box office receipt on this film was a bit of a disappointment. By 1967 audiences demanded more from the King and it was clear that his star power alone couldn't push ticket sales. Overall the film is adequate, though an ultimately forgettable blip in his career.