My Guilty Pleasure: Awful, Cheesy, Elvis Movies

In honor of the 35th anniversary of Elvis's death I have compiled a list of my favorite Presley movies. Now, if you have never seen an Elvis Presley film then I must warn you-- most of them are bad. Like REALLY bad. His films followed a specific formula. Elvis is always the dashing hero in some way shape or form, who happens to sing (crow baring at least several songs), surround himself with half naked girls gyrating around, and in the end saves the day. Top this with a paper thin plot and you have a typical Presley movie. These films are the equivalent of our Step Up movies. No one really cares about the story, they just want to see the dancing (or in this case, Elvis's singing.) Since, Elvis was under contract with MGM at the time, he had no real say on the type of films he was given (mix that with a slew of other things that were going on in his life and you have a reluctant Elvis practically sleep walking through half  his films.)  Elvis hated the roles he was being offered and around the end of the 60's it showed. However, the man was extremely good looking and believe it or not was a good actor when given the right material. If he had, had the chance to take on roles that would've strengthen his creativity (he was offered the role of Tony in West Side Story and opposite Barbra Streisand in A Star is Born) who knows what he could've done.

However it wasn't all bad films. Presley made some solid films in his career. Here is the list of my top Elvis films (cheese and all.)

Love Me Tender (1956)

Jailhouse Rock (1957)

Follow That Dream ( 1962)

It Happened at the World's Fair (1963)

Viva Las Vegas (1964)

Double Trouble (1967)

Change of Habit (1969)