SOCIÉTÉ DE CINÉMA MAL DU MON JOURNAL POUR JANUARY 27, 2007 MADAME Cinéma Mystique FALBEAUX’S

reetings, Fellow Cinemaphiles! Elvis in the G Welcome to the Elvis’s birthday edition of Cinema Mystique! I am your hostess, because we’ve found that our distinguished Madame Falbeaux, overjoyed to welcome members can’t sit through an all-Elvis Really y’all (yinz, for us Pittsburghers) to our evening. Thus, the traditional Elvis film is annual celebration of all things Elvis. It’s that paired with another film featuring a singing special time of year when good boys and girls movie star or perhaps a rock n’ roll movie in Deep South wait breathlessly for the night when Elvis the Elvian tradition (such as Six String rises from the cotton patch in his gold Samurai). music. However, the original version (attrib- Cadillac, drawn by eight tiny hound dogs – The festivities begin, as always, with our uted to Aesop) ends with the lazy grasshop- per’s terrible but well-deserved death from Elvis gets in touch with starvation and cold. This is also known as the his inner-cucaracha when “Republican Version.” he rocks the hacienda in Russian émigré band The Red Elvises “Fun in Acapulco.” has been a favorite of Salongoers since they were featured in Six-String Samurai, a movie night classic. For your viewing and listening pleasure, tonight we offer a pair of music videos by the Commie rockers. According to their website, www.redelvises.com, their musical influences are Elvis and Priscilla, continued on back

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Expired Music Icons Edition We know Elvis (born January 8, 1935) is cele- brating his birthday in Heaven this month with these fellow deceased rockers… RONNIE VAN ZANT (1/15/1948) - Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist WOLFMAN JACK (1/21/1938) - Real Name: Robert Weston Smith. Somehow “Wolfman “On Travis, on Bubba, on JimBob and Ray- serial. According to the Colonel’s Capsule, in Jack” fit him a lot better. Ray! On Cletis, on Trixie, on Earl and Chapter 8 of The Adventures of WARREN ZEVON (1/24/1947) - Remarking Shenaynay!” – bringing joy to all who follow Captain Marvel, Billy gets gassed by the on his terminal cancer diagnosis, he stated the Elvian Way. It’s a time of togetherness, as Scorpion. If the Scorpion were smarter, he it’s what comes of not seeing a doctor for 20 families gather around the table (unless would have blamed it on the dog. years, “a phobia that didn’t pay off.” Daddy’s in jail again) to feast on peanut but- Colonel Tom’s investment in that Disney JOHN BELUSHI (1/24/1949) - As half of the ter and ’nana samwiches and gather around Silly Symphony Boxed Set continues to pay Blues Brothers, he could have been making the TV to celebrate the season with AMC’s off, as this month’s cartoon carries on our us laugh for all these years, but nooooo. Elvis marathon. By his example, as Mojo musical theme with The Grasshopper DAVID SEVILLE (1/27/1919) - A master of Nixon said, “We are all moving in perfect and the Ants. The Disney version of the marketing, he somehow persuaded millions peace and harmony toward Elvisness.” classic fable ends with the repentant to buy records of pop songs recorded in We call our January theme “Elvis n’ Pals” grasshopper being taken in by the ants in squeaky voices. exchange for providing them with dance Chuck Berry, the Spice Girls, and “speeches QUOTE OF THE MONTH by Comrade Fidel Castro.” SERIAL Featurette #2… defies description. 1. The Adventures of Captain “But I bet ya Donnie Osmond can’t Muscle Rock with Thor is like nothing Marvel (1941) Chapter 8 - do it.” you’ve seen before (unless you were at the “Boomerang” There’s a lot of — Jon Mikl Thor before he inflates a hot water Salon last time the Good Colonel treated us back-and-forth as each side battles bottle to the bursting point using only his to a Thor download). He’s a combination of for the upper hand in this chapter. own lung power. Probably the only rock n roll Conan the Barbarian and Bon Jovi. Or maybe front man to do such a stunt. It’s possible Billy thinks he can prove the iden- Brett Michaels. Just wait and see. Elvis could have seen Thor’s Las Vegas act in tity of the Scorpion. But before he As we continue to work our way through 1976 and if so, we’re sure he too would have can corner him, Billy gets gassed. been suitably amused and impressed. the Elvis oeuvre, this year we’ll enjoy Fun in He gets gassed twice in this Acapulco (1963), a film made at the peak episode as a matter of fact. And as of Elvis’s movie career. In this chapter of the many of you know, it’s hard to say Elvis Around the World series, he’s an unem- SOME ACAPULCO TRIVIA “Shazam” when you’re like, really ployed former circus performer looking for ❉ Interestingly, Elvis never went to gone. CAR/BUG work in the Mexican beach resort. As usual, Mexico for this film, and any wide-angle he’s torn between two hot babes – hotel or long shots with actual Acapulco CARTOON staffer Ursula Andress and lady bullfighter scenery were shot with doubles. Uber- (Elsa Cardenas). Because there has to be a 2. The Grasshopper and the Manager Colonel Tom Parker was con- cute kid in an Elvis film, he acquires a pre- Ants (1934) - The familiar voice of cerned that Acapulco police couldn’t teen street kid “manager” who turns out to the grasshopper in this Disney provide The King with adequate security. be a real shark who demands 50% of Elvis’s “Silly Symphony” belongs to Pinto ❉ During production, Elvis took Spanish income (actually that sounds a lot like Colvig. He also supplied the voices lessons to improve his pronunciation, Colonel Tom, his real-life manager). Elvis for Goofy and Bozo the Clown. while Ursula Andress took English had a natural affinity for the Mexican sound, FEATURETTES lessons for the same reason. so there are some great songs in this film… ❉ Early in her film career, Teri Garr and some not so great ones, unfortunately. 3. The Red Elvises (1998) - Two appeared as a beach babe/dancer in Fun Our Non-Elvis Feature takes us all the scorchi-chornie music videos by in Acapulco, as well as eight other Elvis way to Brazil with Crosby and Hope in Road those Russian rockers in the Salon- films, including Viva Las Vegas, to Rio (1947). Bing Crosby had the same favorite film, Six-String Samurai. Roustabout, and Clambake. effect on World War II era young women that Elvis did 20 years later on girls of the next 4. Muscle Rock with Thor generation. If you ask me, Elvis was way hot- (1976/2003) - Two mpegs show the IT HAPPENED IN JANUARY ter, but there’s no accounting for taste. Canadian bodybuilder/rocker before and after his “big hair” band ☞ The first copyrighted film was made Anyway, Road to Rio is the story of two unem- ployed musicians, Scat Sweeney (Crosby) days in the 1980s. And yes, he does on January 6, 1894, at Thomas Edison’s explode a hot water bottle for you. West Orange, NJ studio. It was 2 sec- and Hot Lips Barton (Hope), who stow away onds long, 47 frames, and showed come- on a ship bound for Rio after getting into FEATURES dian Fred Ott sneezing. some trouble at home. They get involved with damsel in distress Dorothy Lamour, and may- 5. Fun in Acapulco (1963) - Elvis ☞ On January 13, 1979, the YMCA filed hem, as usual, ensues. Directed by Norman goes south of the border to shake, a libel suit against the Village People. Z. McLeod, who also directed two of the rattle and roll in a standard-issue ☞ Jane Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay Marx Brothers’ best films, Horsefeathers Presleyesque travelogue. He gets were married on January 13, 1958. (1932) and Monkey Business (1931), and involved with Ursula Andress (who ☞ Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce other classic comedies including Topper hasn’t) and a lady bullfighter while from Michael Jackson, January 18, 1996. (1937), WC Fields’ It’s a Gift (1934), and The trying to overcome a fear of heights that he suffered while a circus per- ☞ On January 20, 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947). former. Acrophobia in Acapulco. performed for the first (and last) time Are you lonesome tonight? You don’t have to be! Get your white rhinestone jumpsuit at the Grand Old Opry. He was allowed 6. Road to Rio (1947) - The old and cape from the dry cleaner – we’ll be to perform under the condition that he “swooner-crooner” Bing Crosby waiting. Until Saturday… play only country and western music and does his thing with Bob Hope even use no obscenities. Things started out further south than Elvis dared to Au Reservoir! okay, until he played Great Balls of Fire, go. Look for Tor Johnson in a small Good Golly, and Whole Lotta Shakin’, Madame part assisting Bob in a wire-walking Watch your email for information regard- yelling “I am a rock and rollin’, county act. Lots of circus references in ing our annual Chinese New Year Banquet and western, rhythm and blues singin’ our two features. motherfucker!” at Me Lyng Restaurant in West Homestead. A menu should be available within a week.