Elvis Meets Nixon

First off, don't expect anything super authentic. This is an imagining of what Elvis might have done on his way to meet Nixon.

The actor that plays Elvis doesn't do the best imitation that I've seen by any stretch of the imagination, but he captures the narcissism, and swagger of Presley very well. It's fun to watch him interact with normal people without his handlers around. I liked the scenes that stressed how far removed from the reality of the sixties that Elvis was, being that he hated the hippies, the Viet Nam protesters, and the Beatles (who stole his thunder).

A good laugh is also when you get to see Nixon's enemies list. Definitely give it a go if you see it aired, I've seen it twice, and it really has a charm to it.

This film is absolutely terrific!..so good, in fact, that I bought several copies when it came out on VHS. I watch it all the time and recommend it to other Elvis fans. A lot of them haven't even heard of it. Thanks to the Director..who is always the 'Captain of the Ship"..for a wonderful presentation of an amazing story. There are a few moments in the film that I was uneasy with..particularly, when Elvis is alone in his hotel room and becomes morose..we cannot try and imagine what his private moments were and it is unfair to him. Other than that, I was riveted. Rick Peters did an outstanding job..the best of anyone who has tried to portray our hero. I wish Rick had been offered the job in the recent mini-series, "Elvis", because the only flaw in that film was the actor portraying him..(and he won a Golden Globe award?). This film had lots of humor and it truly gives new generations of Elvis fans a glimpse into the man himself..his love of laughter and his generosity and tenderheartedness. Elvis 'took off' a couple of times in his youth. He was only 6 years old when he tried to hitchhike from East Tupelo to Tupelo Proper..he was looking for his hero, Mississippi Slim. Another time, he reached the Fairgrounds..at the tender age of 11 and sang in a contest there..he was quoted as saying that he."came in 5th place, not 2nd as has been said". I believe there was another time, when he entered a contest in Mississippi..country music singing..and actually won!. I think he loved the adventure of doing something totally impulsive and secretive. His adventures in Washington D.C. are just a part of that. Yes, he would have made a great policeman or detective but, I'm glad he chose to entertain us instead. There will never be another like him. Too bad, because we need another Elvis.

This is the best movie no one saw. Based on a true story about Elvis going to Washington, D.C. alone, the acting is terrific.Bob Gunton does a great parody of Nixon, and Rick Peters is a good Elvis.

This movie kicks butt! Believe it or not, it may be the closest thing to portraying a `real' Elvis than has ever been made. And while Peters doesn't strike one as particularly Elvis-ish at first glance, he certainly nails the mannerisms cold and even DOES look creepily like the King in several shots (just check out the sly grin he flashes after handing out Christmas gifts to the Memphis Mob boys).

Let's face it. Elvis was one strange, eccentric dude.I guess that's what makes him so fascinating. To know that about him is to love him. And to be a fan means that you know how blown out of proportion his image has become. The closest representation we have of the actual man existing beneath the cape is the two painstakingly researched Gurlaick (yeah, I think I misspelled it) bios. But this movie, however, comes awfully close I think. And, as an added bonus, it's definitely light-hearted and fun, which was certainly a large part of Elvis' character.

The main drawback is certainly not the MINOR liberties taken with the facts per se (again - unbelievable - this story seems to be mostly true!), but the inclusion of the hippy run-ins on Sunset in LA. The flower kids in the record/head shop are sooooo stereotypical, and the one who has the sit-down with E in coffee shop has nothing but afterschool-special-you're-my-inpiration-type pap to lay on us. The only consolation is that Our Man doesn't fulfill his request to show up at his love-in protest or whatever (my boy, my boy!) These scenes I believe were well intended in their function to demonstrate how out of touch Elvis was with the real world, and could've been a great comedic culture clash but they, alas, are full of corn.

This satiric and somewhat surreal Showtime comedy details Elvis Presley's historic meeting with Richard Nixon not long before Watergate and while the Vietnam War was still raging, and does so in an oddly affectionate manner. Rick Peters portrays the drug-taking, purple cape-wearing, Vegas-playing Elvis who had long ago been eclipsed by the Beatles. Elvis sadly finds out how far over the hill he is when he finds his albums in the oldies section of an L.A. record shop. Nixon of course was the paranoid, vindictive, petty tyrant we knew and hated, particularly bitter about the protests taking place over a war he tells everyone he didn't start. Bob Gunton, a wonderful character actor best known as the chief villain in THE GLIMMER MAN, nails Nixon cold. In fact, the entire cast, right down to the White House security guards, are spot-on. For instance, Richard Beymer playing H.R. Haldemann will give those who remember the real deal absolute chills. And keep a close eye on the very talented Canadian actor Gabriel Hogan as Bobby, Elvis' right-hand man. Some real-life folks, including Wayne Newton and Tony Curtis, whimsically portray themselves as they help narrate the story. In the end, this is a movie about two extraordinary and ill-fated men, each fighting his own particular demons, thrown together under highly unusual circumstances. Director Arkush does an exceptional job.