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"Elvis & Nixon" (no spoilers)
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Russell Watson
Apr 23, 2016, 8:37:09 PM4/23/16
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Not sure how this could BE spoiled since it's a "true story" everyone
knows. Amazon made this and did a good job of it in my opinion. It's the
story of two very powerful men who were also both very insecure and
needy of the people with whom they surrounded themselves, with the
latter being as much who this is about as the titular characters whose
meeting it chronicles. The craggy, pockmarked Michael Shannon seems a
poor choice for the almost prettily handsome Elvis, but he grows on you
in the role, and they may have actually been very deliberate about
choosing him. I see it as a similar case of picking George C. Scott to
play Patton: to get a guy who wasn't so much like Patton as the kind of
guy Patton saw himself as being. Shannon doesn't "speak Elvis"
consistently, but that also appears deliberate, like something he can
put on and take off as easily as the silk scarf under his collar when he
wants to use it, and he never overdoes it to the point of parody. That
is left to another character in a very funny scene. Kevin Spacey does
his usual good job as Nixon, nailing his mannerisms and speech patterns
(salted with profanities, of course). The movie contains cut away shots
of views out of car windows etc., some of which are obviously vintage
and others that may or may not be modern but done in the same grainy
style, and the movie overall has a bit of a late '60s/early'70s look and
feel as far as the colors, etc. Probably not for everyone, but if you
like this sort of thing this is very well-done, in my opinion.
knows. Amazon made this and did a good job of it in my opinion. It's the
story of two very powerful men who were also both very insecure and
needy of the people with whom they surrounded themselves, with the
latter being as much who this is about as the titular characters whose
meeting it chronicles. The craggy, pockmarked Michael Shannon seems a
poor choice for the almost prettily handsome Elvis, but he grows on you
in the role, and they may have actually been very deliberate about
choosing him. I see it as a similar case of picking George C. Scott to
play Patton: to get a guy who wasn't so much like Patton as the kind of
guy Patton saw himself as being. Shannon doesn't "speak Elvis"
consistently, but that also appears deliberate, like something he can
put on and take off as easily as the silk scarf under his collar when he
wants to use it, and he never overdoes it to the point of parody. That
is left to another character in a very funny scene. Kevin Spacey does
his usual good job as Nixon, nailing his mannerisms and speech patterns
(salted with profanities, of course). The movie contains cut away shots
of views out of car windows etc., some of which are obviously vintage
and others that may or may not be modern but done in the same grainy
style, and the movie overall has a bit of a late '60s/early'70s look and
feel as far as the colors, etc. Probably not for everyone, but if you
like this sort of thing this is very well-done, in my opinion.
JG Rove
Sep 18, 2021, 7:02:53 PM9/18/21
to
Ed Stasiak
Sep 19, 2021, 8:58:41 AM9/19/21
to
> Russell Watson
Elvis was something of a gun-nut and showed up at the White House with several
of his handguns to show the President (freaking out the Secret Service) and gave
Nixon a custom commemorative Colt M1911 pistol, while Nixon got him registered
as a DEA "agent at large", which was Elvis' reason for the meeting, as he figured
it would allow him to legally travel the world with guns and drugs on him.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1085/4732252286_c02c8af2ab_b.jpg
http://cdn5.upsocl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Rare-Celebrity-Photos-24-58133e17a7a63__605-2.jpg
But IMO the best version of Elvis (albeit, an old Elvis) was played by Bruce Campbell
in "Bubba Ho-Tep", which is a hilarious flick and if you can find the DVD, watch it
again while playing the the voice-over track, where Campbell stays in character the
whole time. It's even funnier then the movie itself.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6a/9a/7c/6a9a7c346e153d4bd2e2af3d63f98005.jpg
>
> Not sure how this could BE spoiled since it's a "true story" everyone knows.
I'll have to check this out if I can find it.
> Not sure how this could BE spoiled since it's a "true story" everyone knows.
Elvis was something of a gun-nut and showed up at the White House with several
of his handguns to show the President (freaking out the Secret Service) and gave
Nixon a custom commemorative Colt M1911 pistol, while Nixon got him registered
as a DEA "agent at large", which was Elvis' reason for the meeting, as he figured
it would allow him to legally travel the world with guns and drugs on him.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1085/4732252286_c02c8af2ab_b.jpg
http://cdn5.upsocl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Rare-Celebrity-Photos-24-58133e17a7a63__605-2.jpg
But IMO the best version of Elvis (albeit, an old Elvis) was played by Bruce Campbell
in "Bubba Ho-Tep", which is a hilarious flick and if you can find the DVD, watch it
again while playing the the voice-over track, where Campbell stays in character the
whole time. It's even funnier then the movie itself.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6a/9a/7c/6a9a7c346e153d4bd2e2af3d63f98005.jpg
JG Rove
Sep 20, 2021, 2:42:17 PM9/20/21
to
The Elvis entourage packed their usual sidearms to the Nixon visit.
Nixon traded a photograph and signed autograph for the DEA badge.
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