movie: Lonely Street (what if Elvis never would have died?)

[Elvis.com]

What if... August 16th 1977 never happened? What if Elvis had changed his life and took control of his carreer? How would he look now, and whaty would he do today? That's what the upcoming American movie 'Lonely Street' is all about



In what will be its only theatrical booking prior to its DVD release next week on the Echo Bridge Home Entertainment label, "Lonely Street" opens today (Aug. 7) at the Hollywood 20 Cinema, in an attempt to attract the fans in town for the annual "Elvis Week" celebration.

The movie -- a comic murder mystery that casts Robert Patrick as a healthy, septuagenarian Elvis -- ends its exclusive run on Aug. 16, which marks the 32nd anniversary of Presley's death.

The booking was arranged by John Jerit, whose Bartlett-based American Paper Optics company is one of the nation's largest suppliers of paper 3D glasses. Jerit and his wife, Susan Jerit, are credited as co-executive producers on "Lonely Street" because Jerit was one of the prime investors in the $1.7-million film, which was shot by writer-director Peter Ettinger in New Mexico and on sets in Los Angeles.

[IMGL]http://blogs.commercialappeal.com/the_bloodshot_eye/elvis%20is%20still/lonelystreet5.jpg[/IMGL]The direct-to-DVD route taken by "Lonely Street" seems inevitable: The movie's star (and co-producer) is Jay Mohr, who plays Bubba Mabry, an Albuquerque-by-way-of-Mississippi "two-bit gumshoe" (as he is called in the film) introduced in a series of novels by Steve Brewer. (The movie pays homage to Mabry's creater by having the detective visit the "Brewer Library.")

With its bright lighting (even night scenes feature an attractive neon glow) and cast of familiar-faced non-marquee names (former "Ghostbuster" Ernie Hudson; Joe Mantegna as a sleazy record producer; Mohr's wife, Nikki Cox, as a cleavage-exposing cougar newshound), "Lonely Street" plays sort of like an unsold comedy-mystery TV pilot that was retrofitted with profanity and jokes about vomit, flatulence and genitalia in hopes of attracting theatrical interest. The occasional gross-out humor (complete with sound effects) is the worst thing about the film; it's sometimes accompanied by Mohr's often redundant voiceover narration, much of which seems to have written in post-production, in an attempt to spice up the action.

For example, the scene in which Bubba meets his mysterious client is directed so that moviegoers share the sleuth's shock when "Mr. Aaron" is revealed to be Elvis Presley. The narration almost wrecks the scene, however, by telling the audience what it can see with its own eyes; it's like sitting in front of a guy who says things like "He's got a gun" when a character onscreen draws a gun.


That "Lonely Street" nevertheless emerges as okay sub-Elmore Leonard entertainment is due primarily to Patrick's dignified, respectful interpretation of the 70-something Elvis as a man who's given up drugs and fried foods for wheat grass, Tai Chi and, apparently, inner peace.


An interesting companion piece to an earlier Bubba/Elvis movie, "Bubba Ho-tep," a horror-comedy that cast Bruce Campbell as a mummy-battling senior-citizen Presley, "Lonely Street" finds Elvis contemplating a comeback after faking his death three decades earlier -- a disappearance that enabled him to escape the self-parody of his final years while becoming a bigger star than ever before. "I'm everywhere and nowhere, all at the same time," he says. "People like Elvis again."




Unfortunately, even in "death," Elvis has to cope with intrusive tabloid photographers, so he hires Mabry to watch out for him -- a move that eventually turns both the detective and the King into murder suspects.


Despite being basically unrecognizable in remarkable prosthetic makeup created by Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr., Patrick is able to put across Elvis' thoughtfulness as well as his humor -- and in a convincing Memphis accent, too. "Jesus, it really is you!" a reporter (Lindsay Price) exclaims after meeting the King. Replies Elvis: "I'm not Jesus, but I appreciate the comparison."

source: http://blogs.commercialappeal.com/th...-a-review.html

[jeanelvisgirl]

Love the make up....I think I could fall in love with a rubber prosthetic! LOL

[Jungleroom76]

Hmmm....certainly looks like an interesting movie...

TCB!
Mike

[Nicole Presley]

The thing I really don´t like about it is, that everytime someone makes a picture of how he might look today, he always has white hair on it. I don´t think he would have stopped dying his hair. Or do they think his black hair color would have been his nature hair color?

[GIORGIA]

The thing I really don´t like about it is, that everytime someone makes a picture of how he might look today, he always has white hair on it. I don´t think he would have stopped dying his hair. Or do they think his black hair color would have been his nature hair color?

I think the same thing my friend.
But I also think that Elvis would be like his father,that he was a great lookin man!

[Lisarose]

The thing I really don´t like about it is, that everytime someone makes a picture of how he might look today, he always has white hair on it. I don´t think he would have stopped dying his hair. Or do they think his black hair color would have been his nature hair color?

I do think he would have, there was talk - and it makes a lot of sense - that the constant chemicals on lhis hair was damaging it, and that he was losing his hair because of it, and white hair on men is very attractive!

[GIORGIA]

white hair on men is very attractive!

I think this too!
Infact,as I write before in My Message,I think he would be like his father!
Good lookin man!

[debtdbruno]

I would dearly hope he had stopped dying his hair by the time he was in his 70's.........However, in any mock-up's of him in later years, he always has lots of hair.
Has anyone considered he could have been bald?

[LuckyJackson]

No Elvis would not have ever been bald, he would have Mr Whippy hair like Vernon!

[rickb]

He seemed to have a pretty solid amount of hair on his head at age 42, though I think grey would have come through later

[Genie]

I think this too!
Infact,as I write before in My Message,I think he would be like his father!
Good lookin man!

I have heard Elvis was gray haired by 40, inherited trait I guess?
But the chemicals to darken his eyebrows were the worst. Finally, there was no hair to color there. It took some great cosmetic artwork to cover that problem. Sometimes in some of the clips at concerts, you can almost see his lashes and brows pretty much fade away.
I think he would be handsome with gray hair, or salt and pepper..had he stayed with us all, I truly feel he would have retired at about 50.
Enjoyed his family and his pets and the freedom to enjoy Graceland at it's best. No more MM, and possibly he would have traveled to beautiful parts of the world that he always wanted to see.

[Brian]

The thing I really don´t like about it is, that everytime someone makes a picture of how he might look today, he always has white hair on it. I don´t think he would have stopped dying his hair. Or do they think his black hair color would have been his nature hair color?

I think it's reasonable to assume that by age 75 Elvis would either have grey or white hair.
Seeing as how his father Vernon had white hair it's a good guess that Elvis would've also had white hair in his old age.

[May]

The thing I really don´t like about it is, that everytime someone makes a picture of how he might look today, he always has white hair on it. I don´t think he would have stopped dying his hair. Or do they think his black hair color would have been his nature hair color?

That's exactly what I thought when I first saw these pictures Nicole. If we are to believe what was said by Larry Gellar, Elvis was already way on his way to being grey when he was 42, so yes, he would be grey. But like you, I dont think he would have stopped dying his hair either.

[Albert]

I found the dvd and will watch it tonight. THe story is intriguing. I'm looking forward to it and will post my findings here of course

[Dudcowboy_1]

I heard mix reviews of this DVD...So I rented myself. I went into watching movie thinking I was going hate it by time I finish it was pretty good. One thing I liked is usually movies like this they poke fun of Elvis. Never once did they make fun of Elvis. The had him in shape, and drinking heath drinks. And other thing I liked, like most movies in the past they had a old elvis in a jumpsuit. This movie was different. They had him in a sport jacket and white shirt under it. Which I believe if Elvis was still alive he would be wearing stuff like that and the jumpsuit would be gone.

Now only thing I could do with out was the reporter had a "Breaking wind" problem and when he would be talking "Breaking wind" noise would come out and that got a little boring after a while.

Out of 5 Thumbs up I give this movie 3 to 3 1/2 it is one of better "what if" movies of Elvis in a long time.

[debtdbruno]

Thanks for that, I'll get it now
Can't do with derogatory movies about him

[Genie]

No honey, Elvis' blue/black shade of hair was his blessing given to him by those in the know...he was born blonde and sandy haired for ,many years..which did not suit him at all..normally your natural color is your best color..not everyone can pull off black hair..

[Lisarose]

I heard mix reviews of this DVD...So I rented myself. I went into watching movie thinking I was going hate it by time I finish it was pretty good. One thing I liked is usually movies like this they poke fun of Elvis. Never once did they make fun of Elvis. The had him in shape, and drinking heath drinks. And other thing I liked, like most movies in the past they had a old elvis in a jumpsuit. This movie was different. They had him in a sport jacket and white shirt under it. Which I believe if Elvis was still alive he would be wearing stuff like that and the jumpsuit would be gone.

Now only thing I could do with out was the reporter had a "Breaking wind" problem and when he would be talking "Breaking wind" noise would come out and that got a little boring after a while.

Out of 5 Thumbs up I give this movie 3 to 3 1/2 it is one of better "what if" movies of Elvis in a long time.

My thoughts exactly. I had read the book years ago, and I did like it - not love - the author, IMO, wasn't up on his Elvis-ology and made a few errors, but the movie was just great.

[cibetty]

I've just found the trailer on YouTube:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lJRXTqOMzM"]YouTube - Lonely Street Trailer[/ame]

[debtdbruno]

No honey, Elvis' blue/black shade of hair was his blessing given to him by those in the know...he was born blonde and sandy haired for ,many years..which did not suit him at all..normally your natural color is your best color..not everyone can pull off black hair..

That's very true, it is a 'hard' colour to wear. IMO, he was borderline as to whether he should have still been colouring it from 75 onwards.
Because he didn't get out in the sun, his skin was too pale to carry it so dark.