Inspired by the inspired casting of cult acting legend Bruce Campbell (The EVIL DEAD MOVIES) as Elvis Presley in BUBBA HO TEP (2002) (to be released on DVD on May 25th) we thought it would be fun to take a look at :
ELVIS IMPERSONATION ON SCREEN
THE FILM BABBLE BLOG PICKS THE TOP TEN
PRETENDERS TO THE CROWN
1. KURT RUSSELL – Starred in the made for TV ELVIS – THE MOVIE in 1978 and also voiced Presley in FORREST GUMP. His uncanny likeness to the King was further utilised when he played an Elvis impersonator in 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND. Also amazingly his first feature film role when he was only a child was in an Elvis movie - IT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD'S FAIR (1963) The best Elvis on this list for sure.
The second would have to be:
2. MICHAEL ST. GERALD – He played Elvis in the unfortunately lame as Hell Jerry Lee Lewis bio-pick GREAT BALLS OF FIRE but he had better material and a more respectful forum in the sinfully short-lived ELVIS TV series (1990).
3. NICHOLAS CAGE – Never played Elvis on film but appeared as Tiny Elvis on Saturday Night Live in 1992, disguised himself as a sky-diving Elvis impersonator in HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, was a curled lipped Elvis fanatic in David Linch’s WILD AT HEART, and he was briefly married to Lisa Marie Presley. Whew!
4. ANDY KAUFMAN – Only on stage and SNL did Kaufman do his full blown Elvis impression but he’s one of a kind on this list because he was approved by the King as his own favorite impersonator. When in MAN ON THE MOON (2000) Jim Carrey did Andy doing Elvis I heard that somewhere in the cosmos John Belushi's caller ID exploded. I have no idea what that means.
5. VAL KILMER – Not content with having nailed the Lizard King Kilmer inhabited the ghost of the real King who counsels Christian Slater in TRUE ROMANCE (1992)
6. DAVID KEITH – Awful unconvincing portrayal in the awful unconvincing HEARTBREAK HOTEL A severely misguided attempt to theorize that Elvis’s last sad years in Vegas could have been turned around by idealistic teenager who kidnaps him as a gift for his depressed mother Tuesday Weld. Weld was actually in a movie with the King – WILD IN THE COUNTRY but I digress.
7. DON JOHNSON – What the…?!!? Yep in the awful 1981 TV movie ELVIS AND THE BEAUTY QUEEN, stubbled, sockless, pink tee shirt wearing Miami Vice superstar was the worst Elvis on this list. I’m still trying to deal.
8. DALE MIDKIFF – Who?!!? I dunno, just a guy who played the King in ELVIS AND ME another bad Elvis made for TV movie based on Priscillia’s book of the same name. Shame shame shame.
9. RICK PETERS – Any Elvis impersonator would be doomed in the lowbrow made for cable ELVIS MEETS NIXON (1997) but this guy doesn’t cut it at all.
10. STEPHEN JONES – Just for a haunting moment in Jim Jarmusch’s MYSTERY TRAIN Elvis’s ghost appears to Nicoletta Braschi giving this execellent movie another layer in it’s depiction of late 80’s Memphis. Also in the same movie the late great Joe Strummer spouts:
“Don't call me Elvis! If you can't use my proper name, why don't you try "Carl Perkins, Jr." or something? I mean, I don't call them "Sam & Dave", do I?”
Well that’s all for film babble for now. Until next time:
ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
is the Green Art Nail
