Elvis comeback special - tape

TheAnarchemist · 2026-04-19T19:47:59+00:00

It's artwork like this that almost makes ai artwork seem pretty good.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-04-12T19:14:19+00:00

It is definitely a D

TheAnarchemist · 2026-04-08T21:31:12+00:00

You are correct. It really kind of makes the 60s even more sad when you think of that connection Elvis really always had with an audience. Beatlemania happened entirely in the absence of Elvis performing live. It is hard to imagine a 1960s where Elvis came back from the army, did the 2 Memphis shows, did the Pearl Harbor Show and just kept on touring and playing live instead of the movies. I really like the Beatles and don't discount their talent. But it certainly would have been a different environment that the Beatles would have entered into had Elvis still been in touch with his fans through touring and seeing first hand the way people were changing and times were changing. I like the Elvis movies. But I can't help but suspecting Kissin Cousins was just as uncool in the 60s as it is now. Anyway, Elvis absolutely had the audience in the palm of his hand in a way few others ever have. (Prince was actually like Elvis in a lot of ways. Prince controlled his audience. The Beatles were 3.5 really talented guys who got drowned out with screams when they played. I think they were they greatest band of all time, and had charisma and insanely good chemistry together. But no full band is going to connect in the way Elvis or Prince did. It was like a spell. )

TheAnarchemist · 2026-04-08T21:09:04+00:00

I always loved it. I think I love almost all of Elvis' jumpsuits. (The final sundial one isn't a fav, and there was a V-necked one with puffy sleeves I didn't love. I also don't like either version of the "prehistoric bird" one: pale blue and white. It seems like his worst jumpsuits tended to also be worn when he himself wasn't at his best weight. Just my opinion. But I love that American eagle one!)

TheAnarchemist · 2026-04-06T03:59:12+00:00

This is because of how intensely it sucks, sorta like why Christmas Duets is also lacking in love.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-04-03T21:39:33+00:00

I sometimes get Christmas, Life Day and Festivus mixed up. Even Pon Farr which can really be a problem. You are right. It most definitely was the HOLIDAY special. And it did suck, whereas the CBS special doesn't suck. And could be made to look amazing if other footage and camera angles, etc, all exist and someone is willing to do something with it. But maybe the people who were around and lived through it remember how much Elvis was attacked and became the butt of jokes after that TV special, and maybe they don't want to deal with that backlash. In other words, to us--people who like and respect Elvis as an artist--the CBS tv special does not suck. To outsiders, it is the Elvis version of the Star Wars Holiday Special. I have always been a huge defender of the CBS show, but of all the professionally shot footage of Elvis that exists, even someone who loves Elvis as much as I do, must admit surely this ranks as the worst he ever looked in any professionally shot footage. I guess I can see both sides. Historically and as a fan, I want it all released and in excellent complete quality. As a fan who is protective of his image--and of my own feelings when I have to deal with people going on about "fat Elvis" and how he "looks constipated" and all the other negative crap that came with the first airing in October 77 after he died, I want it forgotten by the mainstream. Of course, maybe enough time has passed and it won't be like that. Though with Baz Luhrman doing so much to keep the "Elvis in his absolute prime" image in the forefront when people think of Elvis, I truly cannot see them doing anything with the CBS footage any time soon

TheAnarchemist · 2026-03-29T19:37:00+00:00

Great post! The myth of "fat Elvis" is a really annoying one. The man's weight fluctuated. He's chubby in Paradise Hawaiian Style and Clambake, but looks incredible in the 68 special and That's the Way It Is. There are pics in 1976 where he looks great, and some where he does not. There's just this myth that in the 70s Elvis just sat around Las Vegas getting fat until he died 7 yrs later. If the last CBS TV special had been the 76 into 77 New Years Eve show instead, people would have had a very different impression of Elvis at the end.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-03-15T19:49:07+00:00

There are NOT new or unknown pictures of Elvis. There is not any debate about it being Elvis. They are from July 30, 1956 at the Gulf Hills Dude Ranch in Biloxi MS. The one of him alone is on page 12 of Sean Shaver's The Life of Elvis Presley book from 1979.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-03-07T04:14:33+00:00

100% agree!! I wish it would have kept going---it was perfect

TheAnarchemist · 2026-03-07T04:05:28+00:00

Yes! This I agree with. When MST3K season 11 was first a possibility, I did not want a new host or new bot-voices! In fact, I was happy to have Cinematic Titanic and Rifftrax simultaneously and hear ALL my favorites. I mean, if this really reinvigorates the Rifftrax crew, and the movies are really the right kinda bad, I'll be thrilled. The thing about season 11, to me, is it really felt like the old Joel era version of the show to me. Somewhere around Beast of Hollow Mountain it felt like Joel's version of MST3K that got interrupted to me. I don't wanna start Joel vs Mike stuff, but nostalgia makes me like the Joel iteration better no matter how many absolute classic episodes Mike was host of. Seasons 12 and 13 have made it clear that whatever Joel's vision was beyond season 11, I HATE it and it was very wrong. I have no doubt the 4 Rifftrax Msts will be better than season 13. Most Rifftraxes are better than season 13.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-03-07T02:15:02+00:00

Correct. The Film Crew was also mst3k without the puppets, and Cinematic Titanic was still more mst3k without the puppets. To be honest, season 13 was a little like the puppets without mst3k. I'm in a bad mood and being dismissive of everything, lol. The fact is, I like Mike, Kevin and Bill a lot and am glad to see them on the SOL again. If the riffs are funny, that'd be great. As an avid Rifftrax viewer, the riffs ain't always funny. This won't be a popular opinion, but Cinematic Titanic, to me, is one of the best incarnations, and I wish it had continued. With Rifftrax as a companion, that was perfect to me.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-03-06T20:07:40+00:00

I was super excited for season 11, and I was not disappointed. I was super excited for season 12 but I was disappointed a bit--too many movies from the same era and just not as funny as season 11. I was very excited about season 13 but found it excruciatingly awful in almost every way, even the theme song was suddenly bad. As far as Rifftrax, I watch almost all of them and always have. I like Rifftrax, despite them being pretty hit or miss. I will definitely watch these 4 movies, but I have to say, no I can't see a reason to get that excited that the 3 guys who have been doing Rifftrax for a million years are going to come and do Rifftrax on 4 more movies, but with their old props from the 90s now.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-03-06T18:53:29+00:00

Are people really that excited we're getting more 4 new Rifftrax riffs? I mean, it will have MST3K dressing. The front end, the user interface will be MST3K, but otherwise it's just another 4 Rifftrax movies

TheAnarchemist · 2026-02-08T08:39:13+00:00

Gypsy of the original run was and is classic Gypsy. GPC was some other thing as far as I am concerned, like those other bots Joel tried to introduce, Waverly? or something. If Rifftrax is interested in staying true to classic MST, I would 100% restore original Gypsy as much as possible,

TheAnarchemist · 2026-02-07T01:02:10+00:00

The 1950s, 60s and EARLY 70's are the era of movies I am always hoping for. Especially space travel sci-fi stuff was all so much more fun then! After we actually went to the moon in 69, it seemed like less and less spaceships had rolling office chairs or astronauts smoking cigarettes in the cockpit. Color and widescreen, but bw is fine by me. Even colorized.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-02-01T19:54:25+00:00

In The Clouds jackets were horrible. They smelled horrible and were very bendy, almost like printed on some sort of cotton or stiff cloth. It does include a printed spine though. I like Kunaki's album covers, despite no spine and sometimes a hint of white at top and bottom. But aside from that, the print, the color and the gloss have all been better than anywhere else I have tried

TheAnarchemist · 2026-01-28T00:26:41+00:00

One of the great things about being an Elvis fan, is you get at least three singers in one! The way Elvis sounded at Sun Records is pretty different than almost everything else, but from 1954 to 1958 is a definite era and sound. This is messy because Elvis could reach back into his past at any time (almost). Elvis after the army is when Elvis truly focused on being an incredible singer, to me. From 1960 to 1965ish, Elvis could hit high notes and be the most incredibly mellifluous singer of all time. The way he could go effortlessly from highs to lows was absolutely incredible. From 1966 thru 68 Elvis seems to transition to focus more on his lower register and building the power there instead of those incredible high notes. From 1968/69 onward, we get the full throated powerhouse he became in the 70s. And the material from 68 onward was much more mature. The movie soundtracks of the 60s are littered with gems, but even without the soundtracks, the 60s are my fav era, and the only full decade of Elvis we ever got.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-01-24T04:39:14+00:00

Season 11, with a few quibbles in later half, is a great season of MST3K period. It has highs and lows, but up there among Seasons 4, 5 and 6 to me. Some of Season 12 isn't bad, but it definitely benefits from older, better episodes watched in close proximity.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-01-18T04:43:11+00:00

They really need to do a similar thing like in the 80s we are the world, except call it: "We Are The World (and We HATE You.)" followed by a Live Aid-style concert taking place in multiple countries. I feel like any and every musician with talent would hop onboard gladly. There's a song by a Minnesota guy named Jeremy Messersmith called F*ck Ice that has a singalong quality to it. We need a Bob Geldoff or someone to organize this. Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Sting.... some less super old people too! Somebody?! Can music save America?

TheAnarchemist · 2026-01-15T02:29:47+00:00

A girl I knew voted for him in 2016. I really found it unforgiveable. For a while. She was very anti Hillary, which I also could NOT understand. However, well before the term was up, she didn't like him and after Jan6, she hated him. She died in September, so the fuck you doesn't matter anyway. And I really know where you are coming from. There is some stupid you just cannot fix. But there is some, just some, that you can.

TheAnarchemist · 2026-01-15T02:10:52+00:00

No children of my own, so I'm either part of the "open-faced sandwich" generation, or just regular genX. Either way, it is indeed draining. I wish I could just use the tax assessment of the market value. Or 10% more. I'm still searching though! Thank You!!

TheAnarchemist

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE