Elvis movies that aren’t Elvis movies
May 21, 2022 12:52 PM Subscribe
I’m looking for streamable/rentable movies in which Elvis is a character, or credible/well-made documentaries about Elvis. See below for the titles already on my list.
• Narrative movies in which Elvis is a character that are available on streaming: Bye Bye Birdie, Top Secret, True Romance, Bubba Ho-Tep, Hounddog, Elvis Vs. Nixon
• Documentaries: The King (Eugene Jarecki), Elvis Presley: The Searcher
I’m especially interested in documentaries about the fan culture surrounding Elvis after his death. I’m not looking for narrative films about Elvis impersonators or about “Elvis culture” per se (so not Out of the Blue).
Any suggestions?
• Narrative movies in which Elvis is a character that are available on streaming: Bye Bye Birdie, Top Secret, True Romance, Bubba Ho-Tep, Hounddog, Elvis Vs. Nixon
• Documentaries: The King (Eugene Jarecki), Elvis Presley: The Searcher
I’m especially interested in documentaries about the fan culture surrounding Elvis after his death. I’m not looking for narrative films about Elvis impersonators or about “Elvis culture” per se (so not Out of the Blue).
Any suggestions?
Elvis and Nixon, the 2016 movie about their meeting at the White House in 1970.
posted by JonJacky at 1:30 PM on May 21, 2022
posted by JonJacky at 1:30 PM on May 21, 2022
This Is Elvis didn't get much screenings when it first came out, four years after he died; but I saw the documentary then, fascinating. A fuzzy copy of the entire film is available on Vimeo but dubbed in Italian, unfortunately. Dunno if it's available elsewhere.
posted by Rash at 1:54 PM on May 21, 2022
posted by Rash at 1:54 PM on May 21, 2022
Heartbreak Hotel A teenager kidnaps Elvis to cheer up his mom
The Burger & The King It’s a documentary following Elvis’ life through the foods he ate.
posted by chrisulonic at 1:56 PM on May 21, 2022
The Burger & The King It’s a documentary following Elvis’ life through the foods he ate.
posted by chrisulonic at 1:56 PM on May 21, 2022
John Carpenter's Elvis with Kurt Russell from 1979 has largely positive reviews.
posted by rhizome at 3:09 PM on May 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by rhizome at 3:09 PM on May 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
3000 Miles to Graceland (also with Kurt Russell) and Honeymoon in Vegas both deal with people dressing up as Elvis at Elvis conventions, but the King does not personally appear. In spite of this, they're both worth watching.
posted by ubiquity at 3:13 PM on May 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by ubiquity at 3:13 PM on May 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
I just did a quick Google search on Sun Records, and there's a doc on Netflix and a separate documentary called The Legacy of Sun Records. I'm sure both of those will have Elvis in them.
Also, if you have any tangential interest in a biography on E, Last Train the Memphis is a two volume bio of Elvis that is really respectful and interesting. Peter Graulnick is the author.
I would look up artists he sang with as well, like Wanda Jackson or The Everly Brothers or Bill Black or Scotty Moore or Hank Garland.
posted by effluvia at 4:44 PM on May 21, 2022
Also, if you have any tangential interest in a biography on E, Last Train the Memphis is a two volume bio of Elvis that is really respectful and interesting. Peter Graulnick is the author.
I would look up artists he sang with as well, like Wanda Jackson or The Everly Brothers or Bill Black or Scotty Moore or Hank Garland.
posted by effluvia at 4:44 PM on May 21, 2022
Elvis 56 is the greatest documentary ever.
posted by Ideefixe at 5:15 PM on May 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Ideefixe at 5:15 PM on May 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Hey! Thanks for the advice. Two things:
- This is for a story or two that will be timed to the release of the Baz Luhrmann biopic. I do have to keep this focused on the King himself, though I could potentially throw in something about Sun Records if it's especially Elvis-centric. I love the Everly Brothers and Wanda Jackson, but until either of them get a biopic, dot dot dot.
- I really need for these to be streamable, or at least available to rent. I badly wanted to include the John Carpenter/Kurt Russell biopic Elvis as well as Finding Graceland (in which Harvey Keitel plays Elvis) and Heartbreak Hotel, but all of these titles are unavailable even on YouTube. Alas.
I wasn't sure what else was out there, so I figured I'd ask here. Thanks!
posted by pxe2000 at 5:39 PM on May 21, 2022
- This is for a story or two that will be timed to the release of the Baz Luhrmann biopic. I do have to keep this focused on the King himself, though I could potentially throw in something about Sun Records if it's especially Elvis-centric. I love the Everly Brothers and Wanda Jackson, but until either of them get a biopic, dot dot dot.
- I really need for these to be streamable, or at least available to rent. I badly wanted to include the John Carpenter/Kurt Russell biopic Elvis as well as Finding Graceland (in which Harvey Keitel plays Elvis) and Heartbreak Hotel, but all of these titles are unavailable even on YouTube. Alas.
I wasn't sure what else was out there, so I figured I'd ask here. Thanks!
posted by pxe2000 at 5:39 PM on May 21, 2022
vidiots This organization may have obscure titles to rent if you can't find them on stream.
posted by effluvia at 6:31 PM on May 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by effluvia at 6:31 PM on May 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
Elvis briefly appears in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
posted by airplant at 4:26 PM on May 22, 2022
posted by airplant at 4:26 PM on May 22, 2022
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Just Watch lists it as currently streaming on something called Tubi and for rent on other sites.
The Graceland website has a list of documentaries and specials after 1977, but you'd have to check yourself to see if they're streaming.
posted by FencingGal at 1:27 PM on May 21, 2022