Better Than Friday - 19 - Elvis (Patreon)

I never thought I'd have enough Elvis related material to construct an entire Better Than Friday entry but...Here we are. 

Showing some appreciation this Holiday Season for the darker side of The King. 

1 Next Book Review: The Largesse of the Sea Maiden by Denis Johnson 

This is the first of the American author Denis Johnson I've read. 

He completed it just a few weeks before he died. It's a collection of 5 short stories, all of them dealing with mortality in some way, all of them with a humor seasoned by a life lived close to death. 

It features a brilliant short story about a brilliant poet who also happens to be obsessed with an Elvis Presley conspiracy theory. 

Which leads us to...

2  Jailhouse Rock 

That guy could dance. 

3 Black Christmas 

Legitimately one of the most terrifying films you'll ever see. 

Slasher horror that predates Carpenter's 'Halloween'. 

You never get to see the killer - only his POV. Brilliant. 

According to legend it was Elvis Presley's favorite horror film. 

4 Amazing Song about Elvis by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 

The first track is called Tupelo, the town where Elvis was born, and the name of the album, The Firstborn is Dead, it can be assumed is referring to Elvis' twin brother. 

And it so happens that Nick Cave told a friend of mine, I believe, that Denis Johnson was his favorite author.

5 That time Nicholas Cage, wearing a Snakeskin jacket, sings Elvis to Laura Dern at a thrash metal show.  

Wild at Heart by David Lynch is one of the greatest films in cinematic history.

It's a Southern Gothic road film with outstanding performances by Nicholas Cage, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe and Harry Dean Stanton. 

There is no other film that manages to capture this kind of tone and atmosphere. 

Lynch is masterful. 

An image from St. Pete a few years back.