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Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic

Started by Ballad of Ballard Berkley, February 17, 2022, 07:15:56 PM

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Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Trailer...


Looks like Luhrmann hasn't held back in presenting Elvis' saga as a mythical American tragedy in which a God-fearing country boy makes a pact with the Devil, while being utterly in thrall to the Devil's music itself. A stylised rock and roll fantasia; the tumult of the mid 20th century shot through the prism of a cultural icon.

I'm all for that in theory, it looks quite entertaining.

Dr Rock


Ballad of Ballard Berkley

There's something wrong with my lip... you remember that, dontcha?

Bad Ambassador

Hanks looks like he walked out of Royston Vasey.

Blumf

Odd that there hasn't been a big budget film about his life until now. Would have thought there would have been one in the '90s at least.

Goldentony

Quote from: Blumf on February 17, 2022, 10:32:39 PMOdd that there hasn't been a big budget film about his life until now. Would have thought there would have been one in the '90s at least.

theres John Carpenter's version and Bubba Ho Tep which IMO is a good middleground. If you watch Dragon - The Bruce Lee Story aswell because Elvis was such a good martial arts practitioner you'd have an accurate look at him.

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: Blumf on February 17, 2022, 10:32:39 PMOdd that there hasn't been a big budget film about his life until now. Would have thought there would have been one in the '90s at least.

My completely uninformed guess would be that the Graceland estate is incredibly protective of his legacy. A modern biopic means only one thing - the final act will involve an increasingly obese and drug-addicted Elvis dying on the toilet.

dead-ced-dead

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on February 18, 2022, 08:18:31 AMMy completely uninformed guess would be that the Graceland estate is incredibly protective of his legacy. A modern biopic means only one thing - the final act will involve an increasingly obese and drug-addicted Elvis dying on the toilet.

My guess is they'll end on a moment of triumph and then leave ol' bloaty toilet for the end credits text. I'm going to bet £10 that the film on the '68 Comeback Special.

phantom_power

He is such an icon as well, possibly the most iconic figure of the 20th century. Casting must have been a nightmare, and trying to get a performance that hits the point between realism and Stars-in-Their-Eyes must be hard as well.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: dead-ced-dead on February 18, 2022, 08:43:25 AMMy guess is they'll end on a moment of triumph and then leave ol' bloaty toilet for the end credits text. I'm going to bet £10 that the film on the '68 Comeback Special.

There are quite a few shots of Vegas-era Elvis in that trailer, but it's not too late to rescind your wager.


Goldentony

really hope there's a montage of him blowing money before he's earned it on full price aeroplanes for his mates

dissolute ocelot

Thing with Baz Luhrmann is all this films sound utterly generic in terms of plot/subject, and then some turn out to be brilliant and some are a little bit dull.

I guess the advantage of an Elvis biopic over someone like Bowie is that Elvis's songs were written by other people, so there's no issue with having "his" songs in the film, and we don't get the absurdity of a Dylan biopic with no Dylan songs.

It would be nice if it didn't end with him dying on the toilet, but if anyone can ignore history, it's Baz. Maybe he could ride to heaven on a golden toilet instead.

PlanktonSideburns

Looks like Brian ferry action figure

Also why in his origin gig does the music turn to generic Ladbrokes manfuzz guitar rock music? I know very tangentially Elvis is responsible for that sound but seems a bit harsh. Also it all somehow looks as but steam punk?

PlanktonSideburns

What's the Kurt russtle Elvis Film like? He looks a great Elvis in the gig scenes

Dr Rock

Quote from: PlanktonSideburns on February 18, 2022, 11:46:00 AMWhat's the Kurt russtle Elvis Film like? He looks a great Elvis in the gig scenes
V

Far more than decent.

Dr Rock

They better not make him too fat. He was never that fat.

Rizla


idunnosomename

Quote from: Dr Rock on February 18, 2022, 12:40:43 PMThey better not make him too fat. He was never that fat.
he was 25 stone when he died. But yeah he was never very fat on stage. More bloated particularly from the awful medication they had him on

JamesTC

James Cordon plays Elvis for the last act.

chveik


poodlefaker

Quote from: PlanktonSideburns on February 18, 2022, 11:43:45 AMAlso it all somehow looks as but steam punk?
Baz Luhrmann innit? there has to be a carnival - with a fire-breather - in all his films

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

To be fair though, you can't make a film about Elvis and the Colonel without setting some scenes at a carnival. Well you could, but it would be a bit weird.

Menu


PlanktonSideburns

Wish they'd got Daniel Craig in to do colonel Parker


Bad Ambassador


kalowski

It can fuck off the minute it did that uncomfortable silence in front of a crowd moment. Mic feedback and everything.
Fuck right off.
Where's the film cliché thread?

beanheadmcginty

I was baffled as to why Hanks was speaking with a dodgy Euro accent in that, only to Google and discover that Colonel Tom Parker was Dutch. I had no idea. And I've been to Graceland twice.

13 schoolyards

The trouble with an Elvis biopic is that while he's an icon and the King of Rock'n Roll and all that, once he actually becomes successful there's not much story there - joins the army, makes a lot of bad movies, the '68 comeback special (which would be a great movie in its own right) and then he just slides back downhill again until the classic "dies on the toilet" scene.

Presumably there's at least five big name directors just waiting for Jerry Lee Lewis to finally join the two wives he (allegedly) murdered - if anyone adapts Nick Tosches' biography Hellfire they'll have the greatest rock'n roll movie ever.

idunnosomename

I mean surely there's a good character-based story to tell in the fall of the King and how he burnt himself out performing live. A biopic doesnt need to be literal, it should ideally be touching on themes that go above and beyond just informing you of a person's life story. It also doesnt need to end with his corpse

So could be good. Could be bobbins too

dissolute ocelot

They should get Gus Van Sant to do a film about Elvis's last 24 hours. Preferably in real-time.