DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL

Based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen (who wrote classics that Disney has tackled on before such as "The Little Mermaid" and "The Steadfast Tin Soldier") a homeless little girl (who kind of looks like a young Mulan) wanders around the snowy streets during Christmas time trying to sell matches to people who don't need them. As she huddles in an alley trying to warm herself from the brutal cold after having no luck with selling the matches, she decides to keep herself warm by lighting them where she envisions herself in a warm house full of food and toys with her deceased Grandmother. Unlike the last Disney Christmas short I reviewed that was a half hour long, this is under 10 minutes so expect this review to be brief.

Much like how I felt about seeing "The Small One", I was wondering if the short's magic was going to bring that emotional impact that people say was so powerful, and to my surprise it not only did just as solid of a job, but I found it be more emotionally scarring in comparison. The story of a homeless girl shivering on the streets and imagining what it'd be like to not be homeless was a very sad but yet cute tale that keeps bringing you on a roller coaster of emotions. When we're in the real world everything is dark and depressing where it's mostly consumed with the colors black, white, and grey. When we enter her fantasy world after she lights each match, everything looks so magical and pleasant as it's supported by beautiful warm colors that you want to stay in this alternate reality just as badly as the girl does, since everything in the real world is so gloomy. Although the film is mostly done with hand-drawn animation, it still has a few uses of CG that flow with this stylized world fine. The short was originally going to be part of a third "Fantasia" movie before the idea was scrapped, and you can tell that this was meant to be part of a "Fantasia" related project since the story is expressed through the animation flowing to the movement of a classical score without any dialogue or sound. And it works just as perfectly as you would expect from a segment of a "Fantasia" film. As for the ending, well without giving too much away, let's just say that the endings that Disney usually does when adapting a Hans Christian Andersen story is not carried out here.

"The Little Matchgirl" is in my opinion one of Disney's masterpieces in terms of animated shorts. It tells a bittersweet story through gorgeous animation and wonderful music that will have you moved to tears from start to finish. If you haven't seen it, well now's a good time to give it a watch!

G.I. BLUES

I just want to announce that I'm discontinuing my tradition of reviewing Elvis films on the day that he was born and the day that he died due scheduling purposes and time. I still plan to review his films in the future, I just don't have the time to fit two of his movies a year in my schedule, especially with considering the negative reputation that his films received. I know I said in the past that I'd also  documentaries about him, and some of his filmed concerts as well which are far from bad from his formulaic films, and that half of them are under an hour long; but once again, I still feel like putting the series to rest so that I can have time to review other films. I do heavily admire Elvis since he is personally my favorite artist of all-time in spite of what others may think. I even make it a tradition that I would listen to his music and watch one of his concerts or films during my down-time on both his Birthday and the day of his death in memory of this music legend. But that doesn't mean that I have to completely obsess over him. I'm not the type of Elvis fan that feels the need to buy almost every piece of merchandise of his that I can get my hands on; or listen to his music on a day to daily basis. I haven't even seen most of his films either, and while I expect the song portions to be the saving grace for at least half of these movies, I'm not expecting the content or even Elvis' performance itself to be that great either, that will also more than likely lead to criticisms that may not be appropriate to point out on the days that we're supposed to look back and remember him fondly.

But before I put an official cap to this review tradition, I'm going to review one more film of his for his Birthday that just so happens to be an Elvis film that I would find myself re-watching and remembering the most when I was a young Elvis fan, which was...

When Elvis was filming "King Creole", he was drafted into the army, and was originally going to be positioned as an entertainer for the soldiers. Elvis turned down the offer because we wanted to be treated like a regular soldier so that he can serve his country faithfully, and only asked to be given a 60-day extension from his draft board to finish filming the film before his induction. The board accepted his request, and after giving "King Creole" his all before being sent away, Elvis was officially inducted into the army and served for his country for two years. Eight months before being discharged, Producer Hal Wallis visited him in Germany to show him a script for his next film "G.I. Blues", while also managing to film some on location scenes of "Germany" without Elvis' presence, and used a double for Elvis who also served in the army as a First Class Private named Tom Creel. After given a bit of break when Elvis was discharged, it was back to work for him and filming for his scenes began. Though the Elvis film formula didn't exactly pick-up until sometime after "Blue Hawaii" since the success of that film is what lead to Elvis from doing less serious and challenging roles; "G.I. Blues" in the very least was the start of that formula and the first time he collaborated with director Norman Taurog, who would go on to direct 7 Elvis films after this (including "Blue Hawaii"). And despite my nostalgia for it and how this film is the start of the trend that Elvis would become a victim to, is it a good movie; ON WITH THE REVIEW!

Elvis stars as G.I. Tulsa McLean who's stationed in Germany with his two friends and fellow musicians Rick (James Douglas) and Cookie (Robert Ivers) that serve and perform for their troops at Gasthauses and the army base as they flirt with women, and con their sergeant (Arch Johnson) for money in hopes for them to run a club in America when they get out of the service. In order to raise more money, the soldier's bet on Tulsa to hook up with a hard to get German club dancer named Lili (Juliet Prowse) and stay in her apartment alone until morning before the week is out. Things start off rocky for Tulsa to woo her, but she eventually comes around to his charm, and Tulsa begins to start having a legitimate affection towards her as he starts to feel guilty for taking the bet.

So yes, incase if you haven't noticed, the film's plot is as basic, simple, and predictable as a romantic plot can get, with little to no actual surprises. The only real surprise is how the film manages to rush through Lili finding out about the bet and having the two break-up and make-up in about 10 minutes or less at the very same time and place, which could've easily been the entire 3rd act of the film! And that's funny because with a film titled "G.I. Blues" that has Elvis in the army after he served for his country and starred in a dark and gritty musical film, you'd expect this film to have a bit of an edge to it, whether it be Elvis dealing with post-war stress, or in the very least having a few scenes that deal with the harsh realities of war. But this film is as far away from that kind of drama as Germany is far away from Memphis, Tennessee. Honestly, we see very little of Elvis and the other characters part-take in actual military activity. We see Elvis March, wear a uniform along with his fellow troops, and fire a tank (I'm not sure why, since there's no fighting. I guess it was because the people behind the film wanted a scene with army tanks in action since the army actually lent some of their vehicles for the picture); but that's pretty much it. We're mostly just seeing Elvis and the soldiers make bets, goof around, sing at local places, explore the sights of Germany, and hit on the girls. It's highly obvious that the reason why they wanted to make a film with Elvis in the army is to simply bank off the fact that he just came back from the service, and therefore would gain audiences attention to see this film.

However, just because the plot is clichéd and that the film doesn't really take the G.I. part of the film seriously, that doesn't automatically make it a bad film. Much like when I reviewed "Holiday Inn" that wasn't heavy on plot, but is still highly enjoyable for the casting, performances, songs, look, and having plenty of charm and fun to it; this Elvis film falls under that same kind of category of musical film entertainment. Unlike some of Elvis' later films, Elvis doesn't seem to be half-baking his performance, or not having any fun. You can plainly see from start to finish that he enjoys playing up his cool Elvis charm as he flirts with the ladies, and sings and dances. But the scenes that I find to be his best is how he remains cool but funny at the same time when he reacts and handles tough situations. You'll have his moments when he acts playfully cool and suave when he hustles money out of the sergeant who's always nosing into his business, as he makes snarky remarks about his superior behind his back. But scenes when his friend Cookie foolishly interferes with his chances of hooking up with Lili, or when he has to watch over a baby for a friend, where he’s shown holding himself back from losing his chill image are incredibly priceless, which shows that Elvis can play off the comedy surrounding the film extraordinary well. And while Elvis enjoys playing up all the things that we enjoy about him, just like in all his previous films he doesn't lack the emotion that's needed for a scene when he starts to legitimately love the girl. He brings so much subtlety to the character's emotions of being both happy and upset, that you completely buy that he is torn about using such a nice girl for his own selfish needs. 

But it's not Elvis alone who we feel for, because Juliet Prowse comes across as just as charming as he is. Sure she looks beautiful, and speaks in that sexy German accent, but beauty of course isn't everything. You need to have a love interest who is as equally charming and interesting as your protagonist otherwise it doesn’t work, and she most certainly has all of those aspects. She can be tough, tricky, and serious to show that she is a woman who has her limitations, and is not to be toyed with it. But as we get to know her more, and see her relationship with Elvis blossom, she can surprisingly be very kind, sweet, and even giddy. And the chemistry that she shares with Elvis is absolutely adorable. Despite knowing where everything is going to lead up too, I was so attached to the relationship between these two for how they interact with one another that I didn't care. Personally, out of all the love interests that Elvis has encountered in his previous films, this was the relationship that I was totally on board with. Debra Paget in "Love Me Tender" was forgettable. Dolores Hart in "Loving You" and "King Creole" is cute, but not what I'd call special in terms of a relationship. And Judy Tyler in "Jailhouse Rock" was great, but Elvis' character was just a little too unlikable for me to say that they should be together. With Elvis and Prowse on the other hand, with the exception of the rushed climax, everything else regarding Elvis' connection to Lili all comes off as natural as they both bring such glamorous performances to such likable characters. I still stand-by "King Creole" as being Elvis' best film, but so far this is the best Elvis film to carry out its romantic element so beautifully.

Since Prowse is best known for her dancing, she's given two scenes of her showing off her skills where she manages to light up the single stage setting with her moves, costumes, and the beautiful choice of the colors for the stage lights shining on her. However, as grand as her scenes are, they don't hold the same candle for when Elvis starts singing and shaking. The film is as flooded with so many songs as his previous three films were, and while many of them come off as pointless and even out of nowhere, they're all still very enjoyable. Being that the film is army based, it would be more than appropriate to give Elvis an army song to sing, but instead of getting one, we get three. The first of the three is the film's title song where he performs it with his band at a Gasthause, that's has an excellent combination of rock and the type of music that you'd hear at an army base, and carries the same kind of catchy and satirical lyrics that you'd hear in the song "Jailhouse Rock". This is also the first song sequence that Elvis gets in the film which is the perfect way to start out the musical bits. It is however not the first time he sings in the movie since we see him in the shower briefly singing "What's She Really Like", but it doesn't necessarily count as a musical scene since it's sung in less than a minute in a very casual way, and doesn't really have any of the elements that make it become a musical sequence. The second army song is "Frankfort Special", that Elvis sings on the train with his army buddies after accepting the bet. It doesn't quite have that army sound like the song "G.I. Blues" did since its more rock and blues based, but the lyrics revolve around the soldiers heading to a new part of Germany for them to serve and march, so it does count. The song itself is just as catchy as the film's title song, and is highly energizing for its rhythm, choir, and the feeling of riding on a fast train with Elvis thanks to its setting, shots of the train, and the horns in the background mimicking the sound of a train whistle. The final army song that Elvis sings is "Didja' Ever" that's also the last song of the movie where Elvis sings at a show held at the army base that has more of an army tune when compared to the previous song, and is an excellent song to close the film with, despite the bit of Elvis walking and singing to the audience looking a little too similar to the scene in "Loving You" when he sings "Got A Lot Of Livin' To Do" a second time, which also happens to be the last song of that movie.

Outside of the other songs that I've mentioned, the only other rock tune that Elvis sings is "Shopping Around" when he performs it at the club where Lili works at, that's rockin and toe-tapping, but also cute and romantic. Most of the other songs in the film are love ballads. The first one that comes to mind is "Pocketful of Rainbows" that's beautifully chilling and even atmospheric for how sweetly Elvis and Prowse cuddle with each other inside the sky-rail and pass by gorgeous scenery as Elvis sings, and a dubbed Prowse sings the choir of it. And before I tackle on the rest of the songs in this movie, I just to take this moment to point out how gorgeous the film looks. It's nowhere near big or epic, if anything it looks like almost any other average comedy or musical that you'd see from that era, but it's still very appealing to look at. We do get some wonderful on location shots of Germany; and a strong sense of patriotism for when we enter the Military camps, and see tanks and American flags appear on-screen. The film also has some nice costume designs for the uniforms that we see the soldier's wear, and the dresses that Prowse and the girls in the city wear for them to stand-out and mash well with the rest of the film's art direction. But the best scenes that make the film so nice to look at that it helps add to the festive and innocent tone that the film creates are the sets for the musical numbers, such as the Gasthause, the army stage, the clubs and restaurants, and the puppet theater. They look so pretty and colorful from the lighting, and the way that they are painted and designed that as you watch Elvis put on a show as people clap or dine, you yourself wish to be in that particular environment for how fun it looks. And that's not to say that these set-pieces don't look like sets at times, because they do, but that still doesn't ruin the visual interest for those scenes.

Now getting back to the songs. I talked about the song "Pocketful of Rainbows" being both a beautiful love-ballad and scene, but the others in that category, though not bad and are nicely sung, aren't too memorable. "Tonight Is So Right For Love" for when Elvis serenades Lili at a restaurant is the most forgettable tune in the movie, as the scene itself feels a bit redundant given that we just saw Elvis not less than 10 minutes ago perform for Lili at the club and playing a guitar. And the song "Doing The Best I Can" that Elvis performs after "G.I. Blues" at the Gasthause is nothing special, that even gets interrupted by a G.I. (played by the same actor who portrayed the rude old looking teenager that fought Elvis in "Loving You") who plays a newly recorded version "Blue Suede Shoes" on the jukebox (that actually has Elvis' name labeled underneath the song) that breaks into a riot. I guess the film itself got so bored with that number for how bland it was, that they needed something to liven the scene up. The rest of the songs that Elvis performs in the film are songs that he sings for children. He sings a lullaby called "Big Boots" to a baby, which always brings a smile on my face for how sweet and calmly Elvis sings to the baby, that's carried by such a heartwarming melody and tender lyrics that it sends the levels of cuteness in the scene through the roofs. But the most memorable scene and song that involves Elvis singing to children goes to the "Wooden Heart" number, where Elvis takes part in a puppet show and interacts with a sweet little female puppet in front of a crowd of children. Apart from the song itself being one Elvis' most notable hits, the scene itself has just the perfect balance of charm, innocence, and humor for it to be such an endearing scene.

 

When it comes to the cast supporting our two lovers they're in the long run hit and miss. There are some fun characters that are fun to be around for how comical they are such as Cookie who screws things-up, and their strict sergeant who meddles into their business but always gets the short end of the stick when he wants his cut. But then you have the other G.I. Rick who leaves little to no impression on you; and the girl's that Elvis' friends meet who only exist to be an obstacle or a plot device. That’s not to say the love subplots with the G.I.'s isn't cute at times, because Robert Ivers' chemistry with Letícia Román as the Greek woman Tina is nice. It's just that these love subplots overall aren't as interesting or charming as the film's main love story, especially the one regarding Rick and his ex-girlfriend who he's been trying to locate for a long period of time.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

If you're seeking for an Elvis film that's not heavy with plot, but has plenty of entertainment value to it, then "G.I. Blues" is a must see in that category. It doesn't tackle on any of the dark, challenging, and serious stuff that Elvis has done in musical films before this one, but it's still a fun and innocent film, with plenty of charm, humor, eye-appealing visuals, and catchy songs which all in the end comes off as great entertainment!

MY NUMBER 1 FAVORITE DISNEY VILLAIN (PART 1)

A TIE BETWEEN

THE DEVIL



FROM "FANTASIA"

AND

"THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN"



FROM "THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD"

WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!

Now I know what some of you are thinking? "How could you put them as number one over villains like Frollo and Maleficent? The Devil didn't do anything? The Horseman wasn't real, it was just Brom in disguise? Why are they even tied together, they have nothing in common? This is such a let-down!" OKAY, now look, let me make one thing perfectly clear alright? This is MY PERSONAL list! These are the villains that I personally feared and admired when watching these films. And if you don't agree with my rankings and reasons, that's fine! This is all subjective! We're all going to have our own personal rankings of Disney villains. So if you're favorite one isn't higher or even on the list, just remember that this isn't your list. The reason why you've been following this list or glancing at parts of it is either because you're interested in Disney villains just as much as I do and are either curious to hear a different perspective that you haven't considered before, or see if you share something in common with my thoughts.

So with all that said, let's finally get to my reasons of why these two are on the top of my list, and more importantly why they are together? Well the ironic thing about my choosing for these villains is when I started brain-storming for the list back in 2012 during my senior year of High School, these two were originally going to be at the bottom. And it wasn't just for their minim-screen time and having little to no motivation (or least not as big as other villains), but it also was because I was going to count all the sequels and spin-offs that these villains have appeared in. And if you saw the Devil outside of "Fantasia" he was pretty much portrayed as a joke. He makes public appearances, he can be defeated by Sora and pals in "Kingdom Hearts" and Mickey in "Fantasmic”, and is afraid of the dark (as evidenced in "The House of Mouse") and Michael Eisner (in the "50's Years of Magic" TV Special). As for the Horseman, even though he hasn't been made out as a joke like the Devil outside of his film, since it’s possible that Brom could be the Headless Horseman, I felt at the time a bit disappointed that the Horseman may not be real in the film's world.

However, after deciding to not to count the spin-offs that the Disney villains were in (with some exceptions though), and watched their scenes again, these two were cooler and darker than I remember them to be. And the overall reason why they're tied together in my number one spot is that they're both powerful supernatural beings that feed on the forces of evil who can't be destroyed, and both appear towards the end of "Package Disney films" where they manage to leave a huge impression on you for when it’s over and only in a matter of minutes as opposed to the whole film. Let's also not forget how equally scary and demonic that these two are where they manage to spread fear in every single frame they're in without saying a word (apart from a laugh)! I know the Devil is more powerful than the Horseman since he's the lord of evil and the horseman is just a ghost, but I still just couldn't separate the two for how similar they are to each other.

Much like when I tied Shere Khan and Scar together, each of these villains will be talked about in a separate post. And to play things fair since they're tied together, I'm going start the first part by talking about the villain who appeared first. So let's get into the villain who appeared in the first of the "Disney package films"...

THE DEVIL

Now for those of you who are probably complaining at that this point that he's referred to as Chernabog by fans and even the company, I'm sorry to differ with you, but I have my reasons. The first and obvious reason is that he's never referred to as Chernabog in the actual film that he's appeared in at all, not even by the film's MC, Deems Taylor. In fact, he himself says that Bald Mountain is "the gathering place of Satan and his followers". And when you look at his demonic design, giant bat wings, and large horns as he controls the demons and fires around him, how could you mistake him for another creature? IT'S THE DEVIL!

And do you know why else refers to him as the devil?

Well yes, him too, but do you know who else?



That's right! The man who's behind everything, even claims "Chernabog" to be "the devil himself".

So if he is the Devil, then why does Disney refer to him by a different name? My theory is, since the Devil looked so scary and that his sequence is one of the most iconic scenes in Disney history; Disney wanted to market him as one of their Disney villains and sell tons of merchandise based off of him (preferably on Halloween). But to avoid parents and Christians from complaining that they're selling Satan to their kids, they decided to change his name by taking a name from one of the Christian folklore gods of evil, thus why people and Disney referred to him by his marketable name.

And what's amusing about this villain is, even if people (especially kids) haven't seen the film where he first appeared in, everybody recognizes his design (mainly from the marketing) and that he's nothing but pure evil (if you don't count the embarrassing spin-offs that he's appeared in). Much like Frollo, the Horned King, and the villain that he's tied with, nothing about his design comes off as fun or comforting for how frightening and satanic he looks. He's larger than life; has ginormous bat-wings that span out wide; has long sharp pointy horns; a devilish smile with sharp fangs; his whole entire muscular body is consumed by the colors of darkness; and the only bright color that he has on him (when the flames below aren't reflecting on him) is the color yellow for his long demon eyes that express nothing but evil! He just has the word evil written all over every single inch of his design!

And do you know who originally served as a live action model for the Devil? Bela Lugosi.

Yes, Dracula himself actually did demon-like poses for the animators to use as a reference. However, the animator for the Devil (Bill Tytla) somehow wasn't happy with Lugosi's poses, and replaced him by having the director of the sequence Wilfred Jackson to do the posing instead.

It’s needless to say that the person that they got to replace Lugosi did a phenomenal job for the modeling. But a part of me feels like that the animators did keep a few of Lugosi's poses and expressions in if not all.

Or in the very least used some of his expressions and movements from "Dracula".

When the sequence itself begins we gaze at a glowing green ominous looking mountain at night time, where we see the top of the mountain open up to reveal the Devil and that those rocky tops are actually his wings. What I find cool about the devil's first on-screen appearance is before he starts doing anything, he loosens himself up a bit with his body language saying "Alright, let's get ready to spread some evil". And when he does he doesn't just wave up his arms and poof the ghosts and demons start to appear; his claws turn into dark shadows covering the small village below him as he pulls some of the houses and sights to raise the dead. What we then see rise out of the ground are ghosts and evil spirits floating up to the mountain to join their evil master. The ghosts that appear are all eerie for how supernaturally unholy and helpless they look, and I admire the endless creativity for the variety of different designs that we see of these paranormal beings. We pretty much see almost every single scary ghost design possible such as grim reapers, skeletons, devil-like witches, and ghost soldiers riding on skeleton horses; and the places they appear from (given the settings time-frame) are all appropriate places for the dead to be awaken such as the gallows, a ruined castle, and a foreboding old graveyard. Once the ghosts are all joined together and approach the Devil, they swirl around him until he pushes them away and summons the fires of hell from below him!

What then follows is the Devil playing with his demons like toys, as all the others dance and rejoice around the burning flames that constantly changes color. He brings some of these ghosts to life as demonic creatures only just to destroy them again by throwing into the fiery whirlpool of flames down below; creates beauty out of flames to then turning them into hideous animals, to feisty lizard-like demons, to miniature blue devils that almost look like him; and bathes in the flames that rise above and around him! I know that in terms of Disney villains, a villain bringing the dead back to life just for their own amusement isn't much of a motivation, BUT HE'S THE DEVIL, he doesn't need a motivation! He is everything that is wicked and sinful, and watching him create evil in Disney's version of HELL is more than enough for us to feel intimidated by him! You look at his fiendish smile and see his bright yellow eyes light-up and squint as he's creating minions, watching them dance for him, and destroy them all while the colorful flames reflect on him, and you are in constant terror for how much he's having fun with it!

The whole sequence itself as we watch the devil fiddle around with the dead and his followers gives you the feeling that you're trapped in hell, and that this is what's more than likely in-store for you if you don't get to heaven. Come to think of it, I don't think that Disney could ever get away with something like this if it was done today. It involves Satan and hell; we see poor demonic souls being abused and killed left and right; it's full of dark and scary imagery; and it's very suggestive, as well as having some nudity. The last time that Disney was able to get away with something as similar as the Bald-mountain segment is the "Hellfire" sequence in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". And much like the controversy that "Hellfire" got, this was no exception. So many parents complained about how disturbing, adult, and terrifying this sequence was to their children, that the scene was cut when it was first released on video. And believe it or not, parents and people who oppose Disney still complain about it now.  As a kid, I would occasionally fast-forward to the end of the film on my VHS copy once or twice just to watch the Bald-mountain sequence since I've seen and heard so much about this Disney villain, and this was before I would start to fully watch the film after my second experience on "The Great Movie Ride". And when I saw the scene, I wasn't scarred but more amazed by how surreal, colorful, and scary everything looked. To me it was like watching something as surreal as the "paraphernalia wagon" sequence in "Halloween Is Grinch Night" or the "Tunnel Scene" in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", it throws so much scary and creative visuals at you in such a short amount time that it feels like one big exciting ride. And as I contentiously watch the sequence when I started to develop more of an interest in the film, I find more and more things to admire about it, for how gorgeously animated it is, how Modest Mussorgsky's famous piece perfectly fits within the movement of the animation and the world that’s created, and how adult and risqué it is.

When the chaos from the celebration ends, we get a blinding flash of light from below as the Devil gives a mighty poses. But before he's about to create more evil and toy-with his followers and trapped souls some more, he is halted by the sound of a church bell. He ignores the first warning and is about to proceed with his evil, until the church bells ring again, and the heavenly morning light begins to shine on him. Finding the powers of god and all that is holy and good to be too strong for him; the ghosts go back to their graves, his minions retreat, and he closes his wings to protect himself from the sunlight to once more becoming the mountain's peak, and what follows after is one of the most powerful, atmospheric, and beautifully breathtaking pieces of animation with religious themes to ever be brought to the screen. With "Night on Bald-Mountain" being Disney's representation of hell and our fears of eternal damnation, the "Ava Maria" sequence is Disney's best representation of hope and the unknown beauty that lurks in the heavenly clouds above.

For those of you who think that I'm a Satanist for putting the Devil on the number 1 spot on my list for finding him to be cool and awesome, that is not my reason. Granted his design, and the atmosphere and demons that surround him are unique, frightening, and imaginative, but that's not why I find him to be so amusing. It's more of the fact that Disney took a giant risk at creating something that's supposed to resemble the evils of hell and Satan himself for more for an adult crowd. On top of it, apart from my reasons why he's tied with another villain, the truth is no other Disney villain can top him since he is all that is evil who feeds on it and creates it more for his own fun and pleasure, rather than targeting a specific individual to make their life miserable, or trying to rule and conquer something. He rules darkness and the pits and fires of hell, and his victims are everyone! In my eyes no other Disney villain can ever match wits or be more powerful than the Devil, no matter how interesting and different you make him out to be!

Unless they create another supernatural being who is just as equally pure-evil as the Devil is!

TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR PART 2!

KING CREOLE

On Elvis' birthday I reviewed one his popular film that in reality gets more recognition for one famous scene that the film has, as opposed to the actual film itself, which was "Jailhouse Rock". Well his next film is recognized as being Elvis' crowning achievement out of all the film's he's starred in...




Whenever I hear this film being brought up by fans, historians, and critics, they always consider this film to be where Elvis' acting is at his best. But is it really deserving of that title, and even if Elvis' performance was as great as people build it up to be, is the film itself good in terms of story, character, visuals, and music; ON WITH THE REVIEW!

Directed by Michael Curtiz (who's directed classics like "The Adventures Of Robin Hood", "Mildred Pierce", "Angels With Dirty Faces", "Yankee Doodle Dandy", and his crowning achievement "Casablanca"), Elvis stars as teenage rebel Danny Fisher who gets flunked out of High School a second time for his rude and violent behavior, as he tries to support his family by working as a busboy at a nightclub owned by the hot shot gangster of New Orleans Maxie Fields (Walter Matthau). One night at Maxie's club, Danny is forced to perform on stage to prove to Maxie that he was only singing for his girlfriend Ronnie (Carolyn Jones) instead of having some kind of affair with her as he suspects, and he becomes a hit thus proving Maxie that his girlfriend was telling the truth. After saving his skin, he's approached by night club owner Charlie LeGrand (Paul Stewart), who's impressed by his singing and wants him to perform at his, which is the only nightclub that Maxie doesn't have his greasy hands on. Danny accepts the offer and is of course loved by audiences, but his grouchy but caring father (Dean Jagger) disapproves his decision to sing rather than finishing up High School. When Maxie discovers how popular Danny is, he wants Danny to come back and work for him as a singer, which Danny turns him down knowing how ruthless he is. After refusing Maxie's offer, Maxie tries to get Danny to crawl back to him by threatening him with violence and blackmail that mostly involve his father.



Originally the film was going to star James Dean as a boxer during the "Great Depression", but after Dean's tragic death, they got Elvis to fill in his shoes since he played the bad boy so well in "Jailhouse Rock", where they decided to set the story in modern day New Orleans, and make the character a singer to suit the actor playing him. To me, as understandable as the changes are, it almost seemed like they were trading in such an interesting and dramatic concept for another standard film for the era where the only appeal is the actor playing our lead, who can act well but we can never see past his hair, mannerisms, voice, and hips to see him play a totally different character. But after finally seeing this film after hearing the praise that it gets as I was being skeptical about it thinking that it's just going to be another average Elvis film, I surprisingly found it better than his previous film.

The first thing for me to praise about is Elvis' character and performance. My expectations of seeing Elvis playing Elvis with a rebellious personality like in "Jailhouse Rock" were right, but unlike in "Jailhouse Rock" where his character was so selfish and tough that the only appeal to it was watching Elvis playing a bad boy for the first time, the character himself is not only likable but more engaging compared to any of the previous characters that he has ever played in the past, mainly because his motivations and actions aren't done on an act of selfishness. The amount of struggles and perils he gets into are usually because he's trying to defend or help someone else instead of his own. He works at the club to be a singer not because that's his calling, but because the city needs a decent club owned by an honest guy that people can come too without feeling the need to go to a club runned by a gangster where his rich hoodlum friends hang out. He gets involved in a few robberies with a couple of thugs, but he's reluctant about them and only does them to help support his family since his Father can no longer provide like he used too. He's not a perfect character since he still does bad stuff regardless of his purpose, and he does act rude and violent half of the time, but we still sympathize with this character because we feel and understand every single emotion and action he takes, thanks to Elvis' effective performance that perfectly balances out the tough guy approach with the emotionally sensitive charming singer, and of course the writing.

And speaking of writing, another thing that the film out does than what previous Elvis' films have had is the story with a script co-written by Herbert Baker (who co-wrote "Loving You") and play writer and actor (best known for his role as Frank Pentangeli in "The Godfather Part 2") Michael V. Gazzo. I'm not saying  that the story doesn't have its noticeable tropes because it does, like the Father who goes against his son’s dreams, the innocent love interest, and the liar revealed cliche. But what makes this story work better than all the stories in Elvis' previous films was there was always a constant feeling of risk being present. Almost every action that Danny does involves a sacrifice that will effect him greatly, and will effect others if he doesn't give in, which keeps you wondering how Danny will get out of this, or if he is going to get out of this, and if the people and places he tries to protect are going to be safe from harm from this ruthless gangster. The story didn't feel as predictable as something like "Jailhouse Rock" or "Loving You" since something tragic and risque is always happening to the characters, where it in the end seems like that the film did have a story to tell whether Elvis was in it as a singer, or if James Dean was going to be a boxer.




Sure "Love Me Tender" had an intense story line too along with having a sad and ballsy ending for a film staring Elvis, but we didn't have characters that we felt connected too aside from Elvis, who wasn't even the star of that movie. In this film we do. All the actors in this movie play and fit their roles so well that the chemistry and their relations with one another feels real, as their characters and backstories come across as way more interesting compared to any of the other characters in Elvis' previous films, especially the character Ronnie who Carolyn Jones does fantastic job at playing as her character becomes more and more intriguing as well as tragic as the film moves forward, which took me by surprise considering that I wasn't intrigued by the character or the performance when I first met her. Another performance that caught me by surprise was Walter Matthau as Maxie Field's. I know Matthau can do drama, but I've never seen him in any other films outside of comedy until this film, and he plays this black hearted wiseass gangster so brilliantly that you feel intimidated by him and what he's capable of which makes the stakes feel high and challenging when Danny has to try and block him at every turn. Plus you have Vic Morrow playing a stone cold thug working on Maxie's payroll who gives a performance just as badass as Elvis'. Dean Jagger nails it as Danny's loser father, who may come across as stubborn and harsh, but you do get the impression that he only wants what's best for his son, and that he is trying as hard as he can to get back in the working habit so that his son can go back to school without feeling the need to work. Out of all the on-screen interactions that Elvis has, this to me is the most emotionally gripping because how they go off at each other when they get into arguments over their desires and yet have many other scenes of them getting along as father and son are acted out so powerfully that their relationship feels authentic. The only character and performance I didn't find all that intriguing however is Dolores Hart as Nellie who Danny falls in love with. She does give a much better and more memorable performance here than she did in "Loving You", but in terms of character she's just the typical young innocent who is just waiting to be kissed by our lead. And I'd be lying if I said that her dramatic performance didn't get a little too exaggerated at times. Their relationship was cute since you feel that Danny needs someone nice and innocent in his life, but personally I wouldn’t mind if Nellie was scrapped from the film altogether.




Although the acting, story, and characters all play a huge part in making the film so heartbreaking and dramatic, the last major thing that contributes plenty to the film’s emotions is the environment for the film itself. Right from the start of the film as I saw the singing merchants on the empty streets of New Orleans, I was immediately sucked right into the film's New Orleans atmosphere. And as the film continued I still found myself lost in the city of New Orleans, for looking festive while at the same dark and gritty thanks to the cinematography from Russell Hartlan who's perfect for filming Black-&-White films like this (including films such as "Blackboard Jungle" and "To Kill A Mockingbird"). I especially love his use of shadows, lighting, and the different angles he uses to create this dark and ominous tone to make it feel like there's danger around every corner whenever Danny walks the streets of the city, despite it being so sunny and pleasant in so many other scenes of the movie. This whole film definitely plays out like a classic Film-Noir should from the way it’s directed, shot, and acted. The fight scenes are clunky at times but they still feel like something you'd see from that type of film along with the suspense and emotional attachment supporting those scenes to help make you forgive how clumsy they are. The only thing that this film has that other Film-Noirs don't is Elvis and his singing.


 

Which leads me to the last thing for me to talk about (that I usually discuss after describing Elvis' performance in a film) the songs. Rather then feeling out of place for a Film-Noir, they beautifully match with the New Orleans feel that this film brings as the majority of songs he sings are usually sung inside the club "King Creole" that's a jovial but sleazy joint drenched with shadows and cigarette smoke where his singing should be present in the film’s world. And all the songs that Elvis sings for the club scenes are awesome! "Dixieland Rock" is an energetic song and performance that really brings that New Orleans feel with its music. The song "Young Dreams" is a lovely tune that Elvis sings with charm and passion as he sits on the side of the stage leaning on his guitar with his band singing and playing in the shadows. The scene when Elvis and his band performs the song "New Orleans" is the best visual song sequence in the film due to the way its shot at a low angle to make their shadows appear to be larger than life (that is definitely one of the scenes in the movie where the Film-Noir style shines at best) along with the song having a cool and smooth blues and rock rhythm and beat. And the last two songs "Don't Ask Me Why" and "As Long As I Have You" are touching love ballets that fit with the emotion of each scene both subtly and powerfully. Adding to the awesome of factor of the scenes of Elvis performing at the clubs is we get two songs written from the same guys who wrote four of the songs in "Jailhouse Rock" that are just as catchy and fun as the songs they previously wrote. The first song "Trouble" that Danny sings at Maxie's Club with a jazz band goes from being hardcore blues, to ending with that classic New Orleans style jazz, as Elvis gives a tough presence that feels badass while he shakes and sings. And the second song "King Creole" tells an interesting story about a Cajun guitar player that’s carried through a rockin' melody, while we see Elvis play guitar as he does what he's best known for when holding one. The only song in the club scenes that doesn't get a whole song sequence is "Hard Headed Women" since it's only performed in the background as his sister looks for a table, which is sad considering that it's one of Elvis' popular hit singles.




Now while most of Elvis' songs are performed inside the clubs, there are three songs that he does sing when he isn't performing inside one. He gazes out the window singing the song "Crawfish" with a merchant (played by jazz singer Kitty White) as he gets ready for work and school in his first scene in the movie, that helps with the process of sucking you right into the film's world right after the cold opening and opening credits. Is forced to sing an accapella song called "Steadfast, Loyal and True" for a bunch of gangsters, that's nice but nothing special. And he performs the song "Lover Doll" with an acoustic guitar at a store as a means distraction to help a gang of thugs to steal items from the store, that's a cute song and performance, but a little ridiculous considering how almost no one finds it suspicious or questionable that a guy just randomly shows up inside a store playing. Even though I prefer to see Elvis perform his songs only in the clubs where it feels more proper and warranted for a classic Film-Noir, the song scenes outside the club are not only good, but they do connect to the story. Danny singing for the gangsters does lead to him singing on the stage at the club where they hang-out at later on. And Danny performing at the store causes him to meet Nellie, as well as being the first dirty thing that he does in the film to support his family (even if his action is a bit far-fetched). I don't know any classic Black-&-White Film Noirs that are musical based, and if "King Creole" isn't the first musical of that genre, than it’s definitely the most popular one. The film could be great if Elvis didn't sing, but if his profession was boxing instead of singing, well since I know I'm looking at Elvis and that he already establish a music career it'd be hard for me to buy him doing another profession for money, which is what makes the singing scenes work well within the concept of the film's dramatic story and edgy world

I hate to sound like any other critic or Elvis fan who praises this movie, but I'm sorry, I honestly do think that this is by far Elvis' best movie that I don't think can be topped by the others that follow after since his later films uses the predictable Elvis formula that gets old fast. It's not pitch perfect, but the flaws don't at all distract from the overall emotional investment that the film carries. The story and character are endearing. The acting from Elvis and the cast is top notch. The look of the film is stunning. And the music is enjoyable and stays true to the film's atmosphere. If you have to see one Elvis film, then "King Creole" is with no question in my mind thee one to see!

RATING 5/5

JAILHOUSE ROCK

On the anniversary of Elvis' passing I reviewed the second film that he appeared in titled "Loving You", that was better than his debut movie, but nothing too special. And being that it's Elvis birthday today, I'm going to review the third film he starred in...

 

Who isn't familiar with the image of Elvis dancing and singing in front of prison bars wearing his leather jacket and stripped prison uniform, it's practically one of his most iconic images that originated from this movie. His hit song the "Jailhouse Rock" that everybody knows and admires has also originated from this movie during a sequence that many music historians would consider to be the "granddaddy of modern music videos". But as iconic as the film is, I hardly hear anybody actually talk about the film itself, let alone hear praise about it. The only kind of praise I hear about the film is how iconic and groundbreaking the "Jailhouse Rock" sequence is which only lasts for less than 5 minutes. I myself have only seen the film once a few years back, and while I remember the layout of the story, I don't find myself remembering anything from it, except for the scene that the film is famous for. So despite the film's recognition for one scene in the movie, is the rest of the film just as strong, or is it just like any other Elvis movie where the scene that many people hail to as being one of  Elvis' best work could've easily just stood fine on its own as a music video; ON WITH THE REVIEW!

Construction worker Vince Everett (Elvis) gets into a fight at a bar after seeing a drunk bar patron abuse a woman, and Vince accidentally kills him which sends him to the state penitentiary for two years. As he’s serving time, Vince befriends his cellmate Hunk (Mickey Shaughnessy) who was once a great country singer that's now sadly washed-up. After watching Vince sing and fiddle around with his guitar, Hunk teaches Vince how to play the guitar properly, and encourages him to participate in a televised inmate show. Vince obviously becomes the hit of the show, and a jealous Hunk arranges that Vince doesn't get his piles of fan-mail, as he persuades Vince to sign a contract for them to be equal partners in showbiz once they both get out. Two years later, Vince gets released before Hunk does, but he is promised by Hunk a singing job at a nightclub owned by one of his friends. The owner however refuses to give Vince a job as a singer, but he luckily meets a woman named Peggy (Judy Tyler) who just so happens to be a music promoter that helps Vince out with his career. He eventually makes it to the top after so many failures of trying to get there, but he becomes a self-centered jerk who begins to turn against his friend and love interest for his selfish needs.

 

The story is as basic as a "rags to riches" tale can get, that offers little to no surprises or twists. There are obstacles that do feel challenging for Elvis' character, but you still know that everything's eventually going to turn out fine. Even when Vince loses his voice, as well acted as those scenes are where you feel bad for him and feel his pain, you still get the impression that he'll be back singing again in no time. And the sad part about the whole concept of Vince losing his voice is it isn't played out as a constant struggle during the third and final act, but more as a last minute obstacle to just give us a scene or two where we're supposed to pity him before we get to the last scene of the movie. But as predictable and generic as the story is, unlike how I found his previous film "Loving You" (that was also a "rags to riches" story) to be slow and boring at times, here I was thoroughly entertained and invested in it. It was interesting seeing Vince learning his musical talents as he serves time in jail and see him work his way to the top as the film goes on a good pace that feels rushed at times, but in the very least never feels slow.


  
Elvis himself, despite still being Elvis, unlike in the last two films where he plays the good hearted and sensitive pretty boy, here he plays the rebellious bad boy. And I have to admit that unlike the last two films where the character's personality pretty much resembles Elvis' where he only gets a few scenes of drama for him to actually act, here he's definitely acting all the way through the movie where its shocking to see this modest and endearing singer play a James Dean like rebel so naturally. I do think him turning into a blood thirsty cowboy seeking for revenge to kill his Brother in the climax of "Love Me Tender" is way more shocking than his performance here, but it's still impressive to see Elvis pull off the snarky and aggressive personality so flawless, where it doesn't seem like that Elvis is acting tough, despite that we will always see him as Elvis no matter what name, personality, or background they give to his character. And for the time that the film came out, since Elvis was considered to be a controversial performer among audiences, think about viewing this film at the time where he not only dances suggestively on-screen, but also constantly gets into fights, getting in bed with a girl (that was usually a big no at the time), being a jerk to others, and actually using profanity on one occasion. This was pretty shocking stuff for the time. However, as cool as it is to see Elvis slip into a role of a tough rebel so well, in terms of character while we can identify why he acts like a jerk, he's not really all that likable. All throughout the film, even before he lets his ego get to him, he's always seen as being rude, selfish, and violent. I mean I did feel like he did change in some ways by the film's end, and the reason for him to go into jail in the first place was for defending a helpless woman. But in all honesty, if Elvis wasn't playing him and that the character wasn't dancing or singing like Elvis would, he would just be a boring and unlikable cliched character. It's pretty much how I feel about the characters in "Grease". They're awful characters, but it’s the performances from the actors portraying them, and the songs they get to sing and dance to that makes us overlook how bad they are as characters. The same can be said about Elvis' character and performance in this movie.


 

The obvious main attraction to why people went to see this movie is to see Elvis sing and shake, and much like in his previous two movies, he does an outstanding job that reminds us why Elvis is such a talented artist. In his first two films, the first song he would sing on-screen would have a fast tempo, and rockin' beat, but in this film on the other hand, his first song is a slow love ballad called "Young Beautiful" that he sings three times in the film. And as much as I prefer to see Elvis play something as toe-tapping and catchy as songs like "We're Gonna Move" or "I've Got A Lot Of Livin' To Do" for his first musical number on-screen, him singing a love song is still a good change of pace that is as enchanting as hearing him sing "Love Me Tender". Elvis also gets another love to sing in the movie titled "Don't Leave Me Now" that he performs back to back in one scene, where he goes from singing the song just like how any other artist at the time would sing it, to then giving it his Elvis flair.



What helps make the songs that Elvis sings in the movie to be even more special is hiring two song writing legends like Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (who wrote plenty of late 50s and early 60s hits like "Kansas City", "Love Potion Number 9", "Stand By Me", "Yakety Yak", "Searchin'", "Loving You", the list goes on) to write four of the film's songs (including the song that the film's named after) within five hours. And what's even more interesting about the songs they write for the film is, none of them are slow moving love songs, they all fall under the classic rhythm and blues rockabilly category. The only song that they write that's slow in comparisons to the others is the song "I Want To Be Free" that Elvis sings in jail for the talent show, that's a beautiful and touching song with Elvis' vocals and the harmony provided by the band, but still has a good beat to prevent it from being another slow tune. However, I hate that the song is cut short just as you are starting to get chills from it, and sadly the studio version of the song sounds so upbeat that it loses a great piece of the emotion that made the song in the film so haunting. The second out of the four songs written by Leiber and Stroller is the song "Treat Me Nice" which is sadly my least favorite song in the movie. It's not because it isn't enjoyable because it is, especially when you have Elvis singing in a recording studio wearing a flashy outfit as he moves a bit. It's just that there's hardly anything about it that stands-out. It just sounds like any other song made from the 50s, except that Elvis is singing it. It's almost as if time was running out for Leiber and Stroller 5 hour song writing limit, and that they just decided to write this song as quickly as possible after spending most of their time writing three solid songs that have a style of their own, which is why it sounds so generic. The song "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" is my opinion the second best song in the movie. The setting of Elvis standing in front of a Hawaiian shirt wearing band, as he faces a pool full of bathing beauties and shakes it for them is fun and fitting for its party atmosphere. How Elvis' voice deepens for when he sings the lyrics "Baby I Don't Care" is mesmerizing to hear. And aside from the songs beat and tempo being as tuneful as the other songs written by Leiber and Stroller, it’s also cool to hear Elvis play the electric base for the song, especially when it’s the only song where ever he plays that particular instrument even though we never see him play it on-screen.



Obviously the best song and highlight of the movie is the "Jailhouse Rock" dance sequence that Vince performs on TV. Out of all the song and dance numbers that Elvis has ever performed on the big screen, this is hands down his all time best! The song itself is unbelievably catchy with its tongue and cheek lyrics and "Rock & Roll" rhythm and beat that are all brilliantly sung by Elvis that carries so much of the Elvis-ism all over the soundtrack that it can never ever topped, or duplicated as perfectly as the way Elvis sings it. The Blues Brothers came close, but they still couldn't out-do the heart, soul, and energy that Elvis puts into the song with his smooth and iconic vocals! The choreography for the number is very stunning for how fast and energetic it is, not to mention that Elvis himself helped choreograph this sequence. Right from the very start where the inmates are banging cups against the bars in great rhythm, and come dancing out of their cells you immediately get pulled-in by the fun and excitement from watching Elvis and inmates dance and sing together. The energy from Elvis and the prisoners dancing never comes to a halt until the sequence is completely over, every single moment you see them they’re always doing something, whether it’s watching Elvis shaking his hips, or seeing the inmates sliding around and playing with the cardboard cut-out props. And speaking of cheap props, the set-piece we see them dancing in does look like something that could probably be made for a High School stage, but the simplicity of it is part of what makes it so efficient. Mainly because the way Elvis and the dancers interact with the set as they treat it more like a playground than they do as an actual prison. The use of Black-&-White and cinematography also helps make the simplicity of it look cool and stylized, along with the costumes that Elvis and the inmates wear.

  

The scene that the film is famous for is so awesome, that it's sadly the only part of the movie that looks visually interesting. Sure the use of Black-&-White helps suit the film's mood and tone better than it would in color, and that some of the other scenes I've mentioned with Elvis singing looking neat. But they still look and feel like any other film you'd see from that era that doesn't offer anything that interesting or different when it comes to visuals. Plus the scenes of Elvis singing are usually him just standing in one spot shaking it as they’re either shot from a far away distance, or close to his face, where it eventually becomes tedious after awhile in terms of cinematography. With the cinematography for the "Jailhouse Rock" sequence on the other hand, the editing and camera work is always moving and showing something cool to look at, that never feels too fast or too slow. I'm not going to act like that the film's visuals outside of the scene are dull, because they aren't. It's actually quite enjoyable seeing how drenched in the 50s the film is with its use of glorious Black-&-White. I'm just saying that if you're expecting to find any other scenes or visuals in the movie that will wow you the same way as the scene that makes the film so iconic, you're not really going to get much of it.

The last thing for me talk about are the supporting characters, and if there's another thing that the film gets more right than what the other Elvis film's did, it has a cast of characters that I do find myself caring about. The only memorable supporting character that we ever got in any of Elvis' first two movies is Lizabeth Scott as the manager Glenda in "Loving You" since she loved to stir stuff up to make Elvis' character both famous and infamous. All the other characters we've seen in the other two movies are just forgettable for how generic they are. In this film, I found myself attached to them, as well as the ones who serve little purpose to the story, like the disc jockey played by Dean Jones, Jennifer Holden as the stuck-up Hollywood star that Vince is forced to date, and Vaughn Taylor as the attorney that Vince hires. The main reason why I find the characters to be better than majority of the ones we saw in last two films is because we're limited to two, and that they’re given enough time to develop a relationship and interact with each other where the chemistry feels as believable as the chemistry between Elvis and Lizabeth Scott, instead of it all feeling phoned in because that's what the script says. And the performances that each of the two actors gives is excellent. I admire how the late Judy Tyler (who tragically died in a car crash three days after filming was complete) pulls off her character's limitations towards Vince's behaviors and decisions where she comes across as a strong minded and independent woman who still carries a lot of charm rather than just being arm-candy for Elvis, which you don't see too often in film's made in the 50s. I love how Mickey Shaughnessy pulls off the wise guy personality of this has-been musician that's jealous of Vince, where I completely buy that he was once a great country star. And believe it or not, he actually gets to sing the first song in the movie called "One More Day" that's surprisingly good and adds to the believe-ability of the character's back-story for how well Shaughnessy sings it.


The film is nowhere near a cinematic masterpiece outside of the one scene that people constantly praise, for how standard the story and look of the film is, but I do think it’s in many ways better than the first two films that Elvis has starred in. The story is cliched, but it was still more entertaining and investing than the stories in Elvis’ previous films. Elvis’ character is unlikable, but it’s still cool to see Elvis pull-off the tough guy approach so well. The visuals aren’t anything special, but it does make for a good 50s time capsule for how much it’s consumed by the period. The two things in the film that I don’t at all find myself mixed about are the rockin' songs that Elvis sings, and the likable supporting characters played wonderfully by Tyler and Shaughnessy. If you’re expecting this film to amaze you as cinematic gold through its story, visuals, and characters, you’re going to be disappointed. But if you’re looking for an Elvis film where he doesn’t feel like he’s playing himself this time, that’s entertaining, has characters that aren’t boring, and features many scenes of Elvis performing in a film that brings plenty of that classic 50’s nostalgia, then this is the film for you!

RATING 4/5