Jenna Does Elvis #2 – Jailhouse Rock (1957) / King Creole (1958)

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Okay, we’ve got the fluff out of the way and now we’re getting into two of what are hailed as Elvis’ greatest films.

When last I saw you, I was young and naïve—I had decided to undertake the project of watching every single film from Elvis’ shockingly large acting career. Now, four movies in, I would call this the blooming flower period for both Elvis and my Elvis enjoyment. We’ve got Jailhouse Rock, probably Elvis’ most visually recognizable and iconic film—if you’ve ever seen Elvis in a striped shirt, or dancing on a set that looks like a prison, it’s from Jailhouse Rock. Then we have King Creole, which is an Elvis movie you’ve probably heard of people having seen.

If you’re anything like me, you expect both of these to be the most Elvis-y Elvis movies imaginable—full of hips, guitar licks, and sneering lips. But you hold some reservation too, since the first two were such let downs.

So what’s the verdict? Well, keep reading and find out:

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Jenna Does Elvis #1 – Love Me Tender (1956) / Loving You (1957)

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You ever just wake up one morning and decide to embark on a journey of watching every Elvis movie that ever came out? Well, that happened to me the other day, and guess what, you’re coming along on this ride.

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Smug Film Podcast Episode #23 – Madeline Blue / Wet Hot American Summer (3/30/15)

Episode 23 44:44 | View on iTunes | Download Mp3

On this episode, Jenna Ipcar and I are joined by actress Madeline Blue, ‘Cure Girl’ from Wet Hot American Summer and the upcoming Wet Hot American Summer series on Netflix. As always, we close the show by answering questions from our mailbag—but not before a review of Kingsman: The Secret Service from Chloe Pelletier!

If you have a movie-related question you’d like answered on the show, send it to Podcast@SmugFilm.com!
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Brad Avery, With An Apropos William Friedkin Story

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During this week’s podcast, in which Cody, John, and Jenna discuss the films of 1977, the conversation turns, of course, to William Friedkin’s masterpiece Sorcerer. I was glad to hear it come up, as just a few months ago I had the pleasure of being able to see it for the first time at the Harvard Film Archive. Not only was the new 4K restoration they screened unbelievably gorgeous, but William Friedkin himself was in attendance, and ended the evening with a Q&A.

William Friedkin is 79 years old, and while he occasionally discussed the craftsmanship involved in filmmaking or his philosophies towards storytelling, he mostly just told old man stories. And my God, if you ever have the opportunity to hear Friedkin talk, do not pass it up. Imagine your grandfather’s old glory day yarns he’s told a million times—now, imagine they’re about making The French Connection and getting innocent men off death row and visiting devil worshippers in Iraq.

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Smug Film Podcast Episode #14 – Green Brothers / Video Game Adaptations / Sequels & Reboots (1/26/15)

Episode 14 1:17:16 | View on iTunes | Download Mp3

On this episode, John D’Amico tells Jenna Ipcar and I about his new feature film, Green Brothers, which he is currently editing for a release later this year. We talk in depth about what it’s like to shoot in the five boroughs of NYC, and then close the show with an extra-long mailbag segment, where we discuss everything from video game adaptations to sequels and reboots. If you have a movie-related question you’d like answered on the show, send it to Podcast@SmugFilm.com!
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