I was rooting for Austin Butler to win an Oscar for Elvis…but it didn’t happen. Still, Elvis provided a wonderful movie about a rising star and the manipulation–over 20 years–by his manager. Colonel Tom Parker, portrayed by Tom Hanks under a ton of make-up, comes off an an enigmatic figure who both helped and hurt Elvis in so many ways.
For Elvis music lovers, here are the songs on the Blu-ray (and soundtrack CD). Are you an Elvis fan? GRADE: A
TRACK LIST:
| Elvis Presley– | Suspicious Minds (Vocal Intro) | ||
| Stevie Nicks & Chris Isaak– | Cotton Candy Land | ||
| Doja Cat– | Vegas | ||
| Eminem & Ceelo Green*– | The King And I | ||
| Swae Lee & Diplo– | Tupelo Shuffle | ||
| Austin Butler (2)– | Baby, Let’s Play House | ||
| Elvis Presley– | Craw-Fever | ||
| Yola (4)– | Strange Things Are Happening Every Day | ||
| Austin Butler (2)– | Trouble | ||
| Kacey Musgraves– | Can’t Help Falling In Love | ||
| Lenesha Randolph– | I Got A Feelin’ In My Body | ||
| Jazmine Sullivan– | Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child | ||
| Elvis Presley & Tame Impala– | Edge Of Reality (Tame Impala Remix) | ||
| Elvis Presley & Jack White (2)– | Power Of My Love | ||
| Elvis Presley– | Polk Salad Annie (Film Mix) | ||
| Elvis Presley– | Suspicious Minds (Film Edit) | ||
| Elvis Presley– | Burning Love (Film Mix) | ||
| Elvis Presley & Stuart Price– | I Got A Feelin’ In My Body (Stuart Price Remix) | ||
| Elvis Presley & Pnau– | Don’t Fly Away (Pnau Remix) | ||
| Måneskin– | If I Can Dream | ||
| Paravi– | Suspicious Minds | ||
| Elvis Presley Feat. Nardo Wick– | In The Ghetto (World Turns Remix) |
I’m a fan—I even like some of his cheesy movies—but there’s no doubt his career would have gone in a completely different direction if he’d allowed a different management team to buy out Colonel Parker’s contract after his first couple of hits. Ah well, that’s one for the alternate universe file.
Deb, I agree with you: Elvis’s trajectory would have been completely different if Elvis had jettisoned Colonel Tom early in his career.
I was a huge Elvis fan back in the day, although he sorta got pushed away by the British Invasion. But I can still listen to his music with pleasure. I’d never heard of Butler, but thought he was excellent. I can’t think of anyone who could have done a better job. I’m sure I’ve never before uttered the words “loved the movie except for Tom Hanks”, but that’s the case here. It’s not so much Hanks who’s at fault here, it’s the dimwit who decided to cast him as Parker. Perhaps the worst casting decision ever.
Michael, you’re right about Tom Hanks being a weird casting choice. I wonder why Hanks decided to do it…
Haven’t seen the film, and am mildly a fan of Presley, liking some of even the later work (my mother was a stone EP fan). I might’ve missed the highest point in the market spike for selling the Ontario print of the Warhol Elvis I have from my Borders Book Shop days (first or second Gen Mgr bought it for wall decoration, third took it down and tossed it in the garbage, so I picked it up for my late mother).
Well, this is no fun…there was a rather loud explosion down the street just now. We can’t live too comfortably…with Suspicious Minds…
Todd, “Suspicious Minds” is my favorite Elvis song.