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    Movie Review

    Baz Luhrmann's Elvis fails to shake up the myth of music legend

    Alex Bentley
    Jun 22, 2022 | 1:38 pm
    Austin Butler in Elvis.play icon
    Austin Butler in Elvis.
    Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

    Doing a “standard” biopic about Elvis Presley in this day and age would be a fool’s errand; as the biggest selling solo artist of all time, his life and everything in it has already been dissected a million times over. That includes movies and documentaries specifically about him, others that use that use his larger-than-life presence as part of another period story, and still others that use his now-iconic face and voice in ways that have nothing to do with his life.

     

    If anybody can be counted on to not do the typical biopic, it’s writer/director Baz Luhrmann, last seen on the big screen with 2013’s The Great Gatsby. Best known for fantastical films like Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!, his visual style would seem to be a great fit to show the life of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Unfortunately, as the overlong Elvis shows, it’s one thing to have style, but if you don’t have the substance to back it up, you’re in for a bad landing.

     

    The film may be named Elvis, but Luhrmann and co-writers Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner are almost equally interested in the persona of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). As depicted in the film, Parker — then the leader of a traveling carnival — learns about the up-and-coming Presley (Austin Butler) and sets his mind to making him a star. With his guidance, Elvis goes from a singing truck driver in Memphis to the biggest star in the world in a relatively short period of time.

     

    It's a generally accepted fact that there would be no Elvis as we know him today without Colonel Parker, but it still feels strange to make the movie be as much — or, arguably, more — about Parker than it is about Elvis. There’s also a lot — too much — that you have to infer about the relationship between Elvis and Parker, as Luhrmann is not inclined to dig deep into their bond. But he spends plenty of time on Parker’s gambling addiction, as if understanding that would unlock all the secrets in the story.

     

    At 159 minutes, the film is much too long, mostly because Luhrmann uses its long running time in odd ways. He becomes obsessed with individual moments, showing them in great detail from multiple angles and using different techniques to try to enhance them. But then he’ll skip over large periods of time, giving the audience little clue as to what happened in the intervening months or years. Also, if you’re prone to seizures, it’s best not to see the film as the number of edits it contains is mind-boggling.

     

    The biggest disappointment is that it never truly makes modern audiences understand why Elvis was as popular as he was. In a laughable scene the first time we see Elvis perform, girls in the audience are screaming the second that Elvis starts wiggling his hips. But there’s little context as to why they would be reacting in such a manner, especially to someone they don’t know, making it feel like Luhrmann is forcing the issue instead of getting to it organically.

     

    You also never feel why Elvis’ music was so transformative. Most performance scenes are chopped up into small pieces, so the impact of individual songs is lessened. And then Luhrmann makes the stylistic choice to include modern hip-hop reinterpretations of some songs on the soundtrack, seeming to give more import to those versions than the originals.

     

    And you can forget about finding out anything about Elvis’ personal relationships. His wife Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge) is present, but how their relationship started or what it meant in Elvis’ life is absent from the film. He is shown to have a friendship with B.B. King (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) and that he had a reverence for music created by R&B singers, but the filmmakers never interrogate Elvis using Black music as a way to make himself a star.

     

    As for the main performances, there are times when Butler is absolutely electric. Perhaps even a little too handsome to play Elvis, he gives his all to the role, delivering a convincing performance along the way. Hanks’ acting will be polarizing; his choice of accent is downright strange and anything else he does is overshadowed by the heavy prosthetics he has to wear.

     

    It’s unclear who Elvis is supposed to be for, as it services neither the hardcore fans who grew up on his music, a younger generation that might be interested in learning more about the mythical musical figure, or film buffs who have enjoyed Luhrmann’s previous movies. It’s a strange, overstuffed slog of a film in desperate need of better filmmaking decisions.

     

    ---

     

    Elvis opens in theaters on June 24.

    Tom Hanks in Elvis.

    Tom Hanks in Elvis
      
    Photo by Hugh Stewart
    Tom Hanks in Elvis.
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    Media News

    Dallas Morning News is acquired by media company Hearst

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jul 10, 2025 | 8:51 am
    stack of newspapers
    Photo courtesy of VishwaGujarat.com
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    Dallas' daily newspaper The Dallas Morning News has been acquired by New York-based Hearst, where it will join a portfolio of 28 daily and 50 weekly newspapers.

    According to a release, the announcement was made on July 10 by Steven R. Swartz, president and CEO of Hearst, and Grant Moise, CEO of DallasNews Corporation and publisher of The Dallas Morning News.

    Hearst's portfolio includes ownership in cable television networks such as A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime, and ESPN; 35 television stations; newspapers across the U.S., including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, and Times Union (Albany); digital services businesses; and more than 200 magazine editions around the world.

    The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, is expected to close during the third or early fourth quarter. It will also include Medium Giant, DallasNews’ marketing agency.

    Upon closing, The Dallas Morning News will join Hearst Newspapers, the operating group responsible for Hearst’s newspapers, local digital marketing services businesses and directories, which publishes 28 dailies and 50 weeklies across the United States.

    The acquisition of the DMN will give Hearst nearly a complete set of Texas newspapers: In addition to the Houston Chronicle, it also owns the Austin American Statesman and the San Antonio Express News, as well as smaller Texas newspapers such as the Plainview Herald, the Midland Reporter Telegram, the Laredo Morning Times, and the Beaumont Enterprise. The only one missing is the Fort Worth Star Telegram, which is owned by McClatchy.

    Jeff Johnson, president of Hearst Newspapers, stated, “Hearst Newspapers is committed to supporting The Dallas Morning News’ continued success through smart investments in their digital strategy, compelling journalism and expanded audience reach. This move aligns squarely with our strategy of backing trusted, high-impact local media brands in growth markets. We’re looking forward to working with the teams at The News and Medium Giant.”

    Robert W. Decherd, DallasNews Corporation’s former board chairman, president and chief executive officer during a career spanning 50 years, and current owner of a majority of the voting power of DallasNews Corporation stock, said, “The News’ 140-year commitment to distinguished journalism has been extraordinarily important to the evolution of Dallas as one of America’s greatest cities. We have generations of News employees to thank for this. I’m confident that the path forward with Hearst Newspapers assures The News’ ability to continue informing and strengthening North Texas for many years to come.”

    DallasNews shareholders will receive $14 in cash for each share of common stock - a premium of 219% based on the closing price of DallasNews’ common stock of $4.39 per share on July 9, 2025. The deal is valued at $79 million, according to the DMN. Upon closing of the transaction, DallasNews Corporation will become a private company and its shares will no longer trade on Nasdaq.

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