Viva Pod Vegas: The Elvis Presley Film Podcast
Joey Lewandowski and Mike Manzi
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Elvis Presley is one of the most famous musicians ever. What happens when you take the music out of the equation and choose to focus solely on his movies? Enter Viva Pod Vegas: The Elvis Presley Film Podcast! Hosted by Joey Lewandowski and Mike Manzi, Viva Pod Vegas is a deep dive into the 31 films that Elvis Presley starred in, plus specials and some surprises. Uh, thank you very much for listening. Presented by the CageClub Podcast Network.
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Nov 8, 2023
Sofia Coppola's Priscilla (2023)
We’re taking another brief detour on Viva Pod Vegas to cover Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, now playing in theaters! We talk about Priscilla as a complement to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, its focus on Elvis’s film career (rather than his music career), and how it compared to what we expected the movie to be. We explore the “controversies” behind the scenes, talk about our favorite music moments, and imagine how close this final product was to Sofia Coppola’s original vision. We also talk about Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla — and the movie’s incredible ability to capture her growth in this movie — and Jacob Elordi as Elvis — and how his portrayal compares to last year’s performance by Austin Butler. We also come to the realization that after last year’s film centering on Col. Tom Parker’s point of view, and this film centering on Priscilla’s point of view… we haven’t gotten an Elvis biopic from his own perspective.
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Oct 10, 2023
Harum Scarum (1965)
Viva Pod Vegas returns with Harum Scarum, which seems (unfortunately) to be Elvis's cinematic career low. But if this is the low point... things really aren't so bad overall? It's one of the shortest movies we've had so far -- and still filled with padding -- and its backstory is filled with tonal confusion and creative burnout. We discuss all that as well as its incredible opening scene, its seeming refusal to explain its plot, and its cultural insensitivities. We wonder if they could have leaned into a full parody of Elvis movies, discuss how much James Bond influence can be found in Harum Scarum, and why Elvis keeps falling asleep to be awoken by a kiss. We talk about Elvis's sultry song to an 8-year-old girl and his singing via reflecting pool. Joey's hair blindness rears its ugly head. We look ahead to Frankie and Johnny (and other upcoming episodes).
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Aug 23, 2023
Tickle Me (1965)
The time has come, at last, for Viva Pod Vegas to get to (perhaps) Elvis Presley's weirdest movie title yet: Tickle Me. We talk about the misleading title (and the original [bad] title, too), read some emails, and make some Scooby Doo connections. We describe Tickle Me's almost inexplicable plot, explore its six (!) taglines and largely unknown cast, and wonder why *this* was the movie that Elvis won an award for. We talk about Elvis continually disrupting everything by singing songs, his duet with a horse, and his many (many) fights. We break down Elvis as a rodeo rider, a Deadwood-era performer, and a mind reader (?). Joey shares his issues with the way this movie plays out, while Mike has ideas on how to easily make it better. We explore the concept of "movie says so," discuss restarting Viva Pod Vegas after we wrap up its initial run, and predict Harum Scarum -- which we had way, way wrong.
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Aug 11, 2023
War Pony (2022) (dir. Riley Keough and Gina Gammell)
We're taking a quick pit stop from our regularly scheduled Elvis programming to cover his granddaughter Riley Keough's directorial debut: War Pony! After catching up on Riley Keough News (and one email from a concerned listener seeking our Tickle Me episode), we dive into War Pony to talk about the story behind the movie, the many types of stories that are ready to be told (and are finally getting a chance to be told), and Keough's confidence as a first-time director (alongside her directorial partner and best friend Gina Gammell). We talk about the similarities we find to American Honey, the nearly overwhelming sense of looming dread throughout the film, and how the film seems to have some Zola vibes. We discuss our favorite scenes and moments, the cozy sense of community on display, and how naturally the film uses music.
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Jun 26, 2023
Girl Happy (1965)
Viva Pod Vegas is back, and we've made it to 1965 to talk about Elvis Presley and Shelley Fabares in Girl Happy! Before we dive into the movie, we talk about the teaser trailer for Sofia Coppola's Priscilla, we share some exciting news about Elvis movies on the Criterion Channel, and we read a few more very kind notes from listeners.
Then, we pack up and head for Fort Lauderdale to talk about Shelley Fabares filling the Ann-Margret void, the world's oldest college kids, and why the "Do the Clam" dance never caught on. We talk about Girl Happy as a response to Beatlemania, its comparison between the women of Florida and the women of Chicago, and Elvis pulling a Magic Mike and setting off an entire chain of events he has to reckon with.
We talk about the greatest Elvis song name in history ("Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce"), Girl Happy becoming a "women in prison" movie, and how to simplify the movie and solve its story issues. We admire Elvis's incredible guessing game, laugh about him pulling a Superman IV, and find ourselves thinking about the Kittyhawks again.
We re-adjust how we do the "best song in an Elvis movie" game. We get very, very excited for Tickle Me after we read its plot description.
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Apr 17, 2023
Roustabout (1964)
We're closing out Elvis Presley's three-picture 1964 year in film strong (?) with a real "snow job" in Roustabout! After defining what a roustabout is, we talk about Elvis being differently creepy (and more of a bastard) than we expected, the fact that a movie finally caves and says "sure, fine, he's a singer, whatever," and how this movie seems to have come directly from within the Colonel's brain (and was produced by Big Carnival?). We discuss some wild Elvis karate lore that we're not fact-checking, the quality/caliber of songs in this movie seeming higher than normal, and yet another instance of needless conflict. Joey laments that Roustabout fails his test and makes a plea to 60-year-old movies. Mike is amazed his hope came true before comparing Elvis to Vanilla Ice and Pee-wee Herman. We compare Roustabout to 30 Rock and Fast & Furious, guess what Girl Happy is about, and explore the history of baseball as a euphemism for sex.
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Apr 3, 2023
Viva Las Vegas (1964)
We've made it to Elvis's "big movie" (biggest ever? biggest so far? who can say?!), as he teams up with Ann-Margret for our namesake, Viva Las Vegas! After opening the mailbag (and finding more kindred Elvis spirits), we talk about the disorienting ADR in this movie, explore more bad taglines, and officially enter "the Ann-Margret era." (This lasts exactly one film.) We find out how Col. Tom Parker rears his ugly head once again, talk about the heavy "Toretto vibes" in this movie, and try to make sense of Ann-Margret's dancing style. We reflect back on Fun in Acapulco, wonder if we've uncovered a unifying Elvis character theory, and break down the inconsistent music reality of Viva Las Vegas. We talk about the movie forgetting (then remembering in the last moments) how it's about a racecar driver. We make our guesses for Roustabout, then peek ahead to see how far off we were.
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Mar 7, 2023
Kissin' Cousins (1964)
We're back with a brand new episode of Viva Pod Vegas, and we're talking all about Kissin' Cousins! (Hoo boy.) After briefly discussing how the movie passes Joey's one ask of Elvis movies, we share lots of Elvis news before Mike vamps about Joey's cats and then reads between the lines of the movie's taglines. We try to make sense of Kittyhawks, discuss why Elvis hated this movie, and wonder why it decides to begin in such a misleading way. We talk about the Elvis movie charm NOT working (for once!), what "kissin' cousins" means, and why this movie seems more pro-polygamy (and hornier) than his other movies. We look ahead to Harum Scarum, learn lessons from the titular song "Kissin' Cousins," and plan for the (long distant) future of the podcast. Also: Batgirl is back, girl.
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Jan 23, 2023
Fun in Acapulco (1963)
We're headed down to Mexico -- without Elvis, though, and we'll explain why he isn't allowed to join us -- to talk about Fun in Acapulco! We're talking about *another* Elvis character named Mike, love triangles on (and off?!) screen, and Col. Tom Parker's soundtrack mandate (and how that will become the "new normal" for Elvis movies). Joey shares the craziest bit of Elvis movie trivia we've found so far (to which Mike wonders, "Why even make this movie?). We talk about Elvis's ability to sing in Spanish, him having fun again on screen, and the craziest Elvis character backstory so far. We discuss remaking Elvis movies, his first on-screen appearance with a cape, and an on-screen Col. Tom Parker stand-in. We also talk about how Fun in Acapulco gives us another huge Elvis song ("Bossa Nova Baby") and a Top Gun-esque ending and reconciliation. We try to make sense of our "forced songs" game scale and peek ahead to our next episode to brace ourselves for Kissin' Cousins.
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Dec 5, 2022
It Happened at the World's Fair (1963)
We're entering 1963 and headed (via plane!) to Seattle for this episode about It Happened at the World's Fair! In this episode, Mike gets a crash course on various World's Fairs (and Diane Warren) while also playing a couple guessing games and coming up with some merch ideas. (He also caught "hair blindness" from Joey, but finds himself able to revel in the fact that Elvis's character is named Mike.) We talk about Norman Taurog's continue (literal) reign of terror, how nice the print for this movie looks, and how It Happened at the World's Fair is (unexpectedly) "the Kurt Russell movie"! We compare Elvis to Pepe Le Pew and Michael Jackson, praise his fight choreography, and urge filmmakers (long since dead/retired) to get Elvis into space. We discuss the caliber of music in the movie, admire Elvis's ability to act on screen with children, and discover some really exciting new ways to incorporate music into his movies. We wonder what the titular "it" that happened at the World's Fair is, why there are so many clowns, and what a particular Elvis joke means. Plus, we share some wild Baz/Elvis news!
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Sep 24, 2022
Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962)
Viva Pod Vegas returns as we hit the open sea for Girls! Girls! Girls!, a movie that should probably instead be called Boats! Boats! Boats! After comparing Elvis's character of Ross Carpenter to Vin Diesel (again) and past Elvis characters, we call on Brian Rodriguez (High School Slumber Party, Uncle Francis's Wine Cellar) for an expert opinion on which Friends character E would play. Then, we dive into the Golden Globe-nominated (!) film to talk about passing the focus to other singers, behind the scenes drama, and whether or not the cast was in genuine danger while making this movie. We wonder what Laurel's backstory is (and explain why the movie should be about her), debate whether or not Elvis singing in Chinese is good or bad, and find ourselves in disbelief at the times the movie decides to cut away from the action. Joey's favorite Elvis song pops up, we talk about "The Implication" from Always Sunny, and we look ahead to Sofia Coppola's Priscilla. But, most importantly, we spend…
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Aug 22, 2022
Kid Galahad (1962)
Two episodes of Viva Pod Vegas in one month? Unprecedented! We're back with another one of Elvis Presley's 1962 films, and this time we're talking about his stint as a boxer in Kid Galahad! In this episode, we compare Elvis to Nicolas Cage (or vice versa) and Dom Toretto before we wonder, what exactly *is* a musical, anyway? Joey's brain actually works (for a change), allowing him to make a deep cut connection. We talk about Elvis as a boxer (who can sing, too?!), on-set tensions between Elvis and Charles Bronson, and whether or not Kid Galahad hints at the same kind of seediness other Elvis movies have hinted at before. We compliment the boxing cinematography, debate how hard it is to write movie-specific songs, and look ahead to (possibly) our first dud in Girls! Girls! Girls, the next movie we're set to cover.
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Aug 1, 2022
Follow That Dream (1962)
After our recent time warp to cover Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, we're back on the original timeline and talking about Elvis Presley in Follow That Dream! But... is homesteading a dream? We have questions! We talk about how we've been duped (yet again) into thinking every remaining movie is a musical, how weird this movie is in particular, and how terrible Elvis's character's name is. We discuss how Follow That Dream shows Elvis (once again) falling in love with a familial relation -- even though he isn't girl crazy -- and why this movie is so horny. We also share a Tom Petty connection, talk about toilets for a while, and lament the lack of a real EP being available for this movie. Plus, we begin to look at these original Elvis movies through the lens and lessons learned by watching Baz Luhrmann's Elvis. Is Pops in this movie a stand-in for the Colonel? Maybe!
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Jun 25, 2022
Baz Luhrmann's Elvis (2022)
It's a Viva Pod Vegas / #HANX for the Memories special crossover event as we talk about Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, the Elvis Presley biopic! We discuss Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis (and how he is the movie), Tom Hanks's portrayal of Colonel Tom Parker (and why he took the role), and Baz Lurhmann's novel take on the biopic via a new POV. We talk about Hanks's makeover and his level of "going for it," the movie's frenetic pacing and structure, and how it navigates around some controversy. We also wonder if Riley Keough would have fit in the movie and try to picture Tom Cruise as Colonel Tom.
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Mar 17, 2022
Blue Hawaii (1961)
It's (basically) (or literally) musicals from now until the end of Elvis Presley's filmography, and today's is a pretty good one: Blue Hawaii! Art imitates life, and Elvis's Chadwick "Chad" Gates is back from two years of service. He was (mostly) faithful, but his relationship will (once again?) be put to the test as he's tasked with leading a group of young girls on a tour of the island(s). In this episode, we talk about songs we're surprised to find on the Blue Hawaii soundtrack, Elvis's island pals, and Angela Landsbury as Elvis's worst mom yet. Whether you "Can't Help Falling in Love," find yourself "Slicin' Sand," want to sail away to an "Island of Love," get stricken with the "Beach Boy Blues," want to take a "Midnight Swim," or hope there are "No More" of these phrases, grab a mixed drink and join us on island time for Blue Hawaii!
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Sep 20, 2021
Wild in the Country (1961)
The Viva Pod Vegas train is back on the tracks with another (surprise?!) dramatic Elvis Presley performance in Wild in the Country! After talking about the (not great) title (and a better alternative), we dive deep into the unbelievability of the plot in Wild in the Country, and the absolutely crazy way that the movie begins. We also talk about parallels to The Godfather: Part III, the many (many, many…) characters in the movie, and what this movie made us hope we see in future Elvis movies. We also review our guesses for this movie (including Mike’s shockingly accurate ideas) and see what Riley Keough has coming out in the next few months. We also sort of preview our next movie, Blue Hawaii, even though one of us may have accidentally watched it before we recorded this episode. (You’ll have to listen to find out who that was!)
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Jul 19, 2021
Flaming Star (1960)
Elvis continues to surprise! Flaming Star, his sixth film, is far more violent (and far less musical) than we ever thought it would be. In this episode, we head back to the mid-1800s in Texas to find Elvis trapped between two worlds: that of his white father and that of his Kiowa mother. Given the premise (and the era in which this came out), we've got to say: it's far less problematic than we thought it would be! We talk about the (very, very few) songs in Flaming Star, Elvis Presley's turn as a more serious actor (which earned him some well-deserved praise), and the surprising (and frequent) bouts of hyper-violence found in the film. Plus, we look ahead to the next episode (after we figure out what's *actually* coming next) and check in on Riley Keough, now that Zola is out in theaters.
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May 24, 2021
G.I. Blues (1960)
Much like Elvis took two years off between movies (albeit to go to war), we're back after an extended (pandemic-fueled) hiatus with Elvis's return to Hollywood: G.I. Blues! We talk about how this movie is likely to set the tone and pace and plotting for most of Elvis's future movies, what this movie really should have been called, and the two (absolutely insane) things that this movie will/should be remembered for. We also compare G.I. Blues to Fury (even though there's really very little in common), compare this to other Pygmalion/She's All That-esque stories, wonder why a baby seems to fix this narrative's conflicts, and find ourselves confused as to how this movie wasn't able to land the most obvious ending in cinematic history. Plus: what's Riley Keough up to? We check in on Zola.
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Mar 10, 2020
King Creole (1958)
We're headed down to New Orleans for King Creole, which many (including Elvis himself) consider to be The King's best movie of all-time. Are we peaking too early, or are we lucky just to get a movie this good? In this episode, we talk about the most natural use of Elvis songs in a movie so far, the differences between a hoodlum and a hustler, and the connections that King Creole shares with both King Kong and Furious 7. We admire the stacked cast (Walter Matthau! Vic Morrow!), the fine directing (Michael Curtiz!), and great noir vibe. We also note that if Elvis's characters only realized they loved Dolores Hart sooner, they could inevitably avoid a whole lot of trouble.
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Dec 23, 2019
Jailhouse Rock (1957)
Jailhouse Rock continues our Viva Pod Vegas journey from black-and-white to color (and now, again, to black-and-white!), as well as Elvis’s journey from "movies about country boys" to "movies NOT about country boys." Joining us to talk about Elvis's least likable character so far is Cara Gael O'Regan of the Wistful Thinking Podcast. After starting the episode by getting a gauge of Cara’s history with The King, we talk about whether or not the "Jailhouse Rock" set piece will be Elvis's greatest moment ever captured on film, the many (many) ballads in this movie, and the movie's many similarities to its predecessors. We look ahead to King Creole, which is a secret and surprise potential crossover for another podcast on this network! We also do our episodic check-in on Riley Keough's career, revealing her royal lineage to Cara in the process.
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Dec 9, 2019
Loving You (1957)
We're back at it with another episode of Viva Pod Vegas! Loving You is not only our first colorized movie, but also our first to truly star and showcase Elvis Presley! That focus on our main man means that Loving You is a totally different type of movie than Love Me Tender, in both good and bad ways. In this episode, we talk about Elvis's filmography transitioning out of the western genre (and into the... musical genre?) and striking a balance between showcasing his music and creating a movie with an actual narrative. We also talk about Loving You's confusing love square (and whether or not there actually are any romantic entanglements), the first (of many?) run-ins between Elvis and a jealous boyfriend, and the difficulties of being Elvis's on-screen friend. We also create a few new games, see what's going on in Riley Keough's career, and look ahead to Jailhouse Rock!
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Nov 8, 2019
Love Me Tender (1956)
We're kicking off Viva Pod Vegas (earlier than anticipated!) with Elvis Presley's first feature film: Love Me Tender! In this episode, we get up to speed with Elvis's movie career trajectory from birth to the time of making this movie, talk about the way Love Me Tender changed once Elvis was on board, and wonder if this was truly the role he was "born to play." We discuss all four songs from this movie (including our collective favorite, "Poor Boy"), ache for Elvis's character stuck between worlds, and explore the symmetry of the Clint and Vance Reno characters. We also talk about the recent news that they're making a new James Dean movie, wonder if that could happen with Elvis, and wonder whether Riley Keough would get to act alongside her grandfather. This movie "introduces" Elvis Presley (heard of him???), so let's get to know him.
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Oct 23, 2019
Introducing Viva Pod Vegas!
Elvis Presley is one of the most famous musicians ever. What happens when you take the music out of the equation and choose to focus solely on his movies? Enter Viva Pod Vegas: The Elvis Presley Film Podcast! Hosted by Joey Lewandowski and Mike Manzi, Viva Pod Vegas is a deep dive into the 31 films that Elvis Presley starred in, plus specials and some surprises. Uh, thank you very much for listening.
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