KATY PERRY: PART OF ME: Not Like the Movies

Note: I actually saw this film on July 3rd, the night before the film came out. By the time I was able to reach a viable Wi-Fi connection, too much time had gone by to post the review. So I decided to wait until the Blu-Ray was released, which is today. Give it a watch! Thanks - Zack

A few nights ago, I had the pleasure of attending a screening of Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D. The screening was hosted by one of the film’s executive producers, Craig Brewer (director of Footloose). After the last-minute delay of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, this film became Paramount’s only major release of the summer and they wanted to send it off right by hosting sneak preview screenings all over the country, some attended by Katy Perry herself.

After pre-show live entertainment by a local artist, Craig Brewer introduced the film and said how proud he was of it and how he learned so much about Katy Perry. He concluded by asking the younger viewers of the audience to help the adults sing the Katy Perry songs, but told the adults there would be something special for them at the beginning of the film that they should help the younger viewers sing. As promised, before the film began, a Paramount vault appeared on screen and behind it was a digitally-remastered scene from Randal Kleiser’s Grease: the ever-popular “You’re the One That I Want” number, featuring 3D sing-a-long lyrics. I don’t consider myself a Grease fanatic, but even I have to admit I had never seen or heard the film better.

The movie centers around Katy Perry’s “California Dreams” 2011 tour which spent nearly a year going through the United States and around the world. While the film only features the musical numbers of the concerts, I did some reading and found out that there was a whole multimedia presentation which gave a fantasy world narrative to each concert ala Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. Seeing that, given the 3D aspect, would have been stunning. Yet, I can see from the way the film tries to tell the real story of Katy Perry, adding in the fantasy element would have been somewhat jarring.

The film goes into the history of Katy back when she was still Katy Hudson, Pentecostal Christian gospel singer. While living with her minister parents came restrictions from not being able to eat Lucky Charms cereal and the only mainstream movie she could watch was Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (oddly enough, the original Sister Act was not considered recommend viewing). When she came of age, she moved to LA where she spent her time being the wild child that she hadn’t been before. Inspired by Alanis Morissette, Perry spent time writing angry, edgy songs. Realizing she wasn’t being true to herself, she decided to abandon the dark nature of her earlier work and embrace the fun, pop songs we all know today. You delight in seeing the absolute joy as she hears “I Kissed a Girl” on the radio for the first time.

If there’s one thing I took away from this movie is that Katy Perry is the hardest working woman in music today. She seriously goes out and gives it her all in front of hundreds of people. This is why it is so tragic when her husband, Russell Brand, effectively ended their marriage. You can tell Perry is clearly devastated and yet people are still filing in for a concert. How on Earth could you ask ANYONE to go out and perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people when their most cherished loved one no longer loves them? She manages to pull herself together enough to go out and perform. However, you can see this sadness in her eyes when she helps her sister pick out a wedding dress. Undoubtedly, people will come away with a respect for Miss Perry.

Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D was spectacular. The behind-the-scenes looks at the tour, the look back into Katy’s early career and managing to take a concert tour and find a narrative inside. I have to give a hand to the filmmakers for spending months of going through nearly a year’s worth of footage. That can’t be an easy job for anyone. The end result is a sweet, colorful, fun film led by a beautiful, talented and hard-working songstress.



P.S. My favorite Katy Perry song is “Hot N Cold”. Yes.

A Tribute to the Nostalgia Critic

Note: Some of the videos included here might feature foul language. However, the Critic is a pretty uncensorable personality, and I wouldn't want to, especially for first-time viewers. Enjoy! - Zack

He remembered it so we don't have to. We all grew up with bad movies. Some we all know, some we've never seen. Yet he still braved them all, often descending into madness or furious anger. He was the Nostalgia Critic.

In 2007, Doug Walker posted an energetic review of Michael Bay's Transformers. Out of that video came a new character: the Nostalgia Critic. From there, he began producing videos that examined films and TV shows from the early '80s to the early '00s. After YouTube kept pulling down his videos, Walker started his own website titled "That Guy With The Glasses". Other Internet critics - such as the comic-book reading Linkara; the anime-loving JesuOtaku; and the female movie-targeted Nostalgia Chick - soon joined him.

Often, the Critic would be driven to yelling and screaming about something horrible he had just seen. Most notably, his vitriolic reaction to the "Bat Credit Card" in Batman & Robin soon became a running joke throughout his episodes. At conventions, whenever a fan would purposely drop the "Bat Credit Card" line, Walker would scream, jump off the stage and chase after them. All in fun, of course. He would often be vilified by his most obnoxious Internet troll, Douchey McNitpick (also played by Walker), who would bring the Critic to task about mistakes made in his videos.

Then came his yearly specials celebrating the anniversary of the creation of the site. These were mini-movies featuring most of the critics featured on TGWTG.com. It started with 2009's TGWTG Team Brawl, a mindless "Peter vs. the Chicken"-style fight between the Critics of TGWTG and the Angry Video Game Nerd and his crew; 2010's Kickassia, where the Critics took over a small country and 2011's Suburban Knights, where the Critic lead the TGWTG gang on a fantastical journey to find an ancient device that, in the wrong hands, could wreak havoc.

Then came 2012's To Boldly Flee. This was a take on the sci-fi movies we all love. Among the referenced movies were Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Flight of the Navigator and the Star Wars films. A week before the first video was posted, the Nostalgia Critic released an interesting review of the 2002 live-action Scooby-Doo film. He seemed so destitute and flat-out angry that it actually took him five minutes to start the actual review and he was even joined with his past and future selves. This was something far beyond him just hating a bad movie.

"Is this really life? No! This isn't life! This isn't anything even representing life! But it's life for me! It's pretty pathetic, but it's all I got! I know what you're saying, 'Oh, well, that's pretty sad.' Well, yeah, it is fucking sad! I don't get to go out and hang with friends, I don't even have any friends! I have nobody to contribute anything to, I have nobody to talk to, or bounce things off of, or say, 'Hey, what'd ya think of that?' 'Well, I'll tell ya what I think of that'. No, it's just me. Bitching and moaning like I always do."

The video ended with a nod to the final episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation". We didn't think much at it at the time. We assume everything would be back to normal after To Boldly Flee. Right? He'd always be back. In the final part of To Boldly Flee, the Critic finds himself in our world and meets his creator, Doug Walker. Walker tells him that he's "...literally leapt off the page and taken on a life of [his] own. It became less of me writing [him] what to do and [him] telling me what to write". In the end, the Critic sacrifices himself to save not only his fellow critics but also his reality. Walker announced in a video released the next day that the weekly "Nostalgia Critic" show was finished. He hinted that the character was not dead and would return in one form or another someday.

Of course, I was heartbroken when I heard this. The Nostalgia Critic was something I looked forward to weekly, even if I hadn't seen the movie he was reviewing. The movies that he did get me to watch after seeing his reviews include Howard the Duck (alright, it was Hunter Duesing that finally got me to watch it), Godzilla, Last Action Hero, Suburban Commando ("I WAS FROZEN TODAY!"), The Room, The Thief and the Cobbler and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. In honor of his memory, today I'm gonna run down my Top 11 Favorite Reviews of his. Why Top 11? "Because I like to go one step beyond."

11. Super Mario Bros.


This was a 1993 live-action feature film that had practically nothing to do with the video game it was named after. And boy, did the Critic not let us forget it! He memorably misinterprets the true nature of the Mario brothers. He discusses the "implosion" of Dennis Hopper's career (which, technically, isn't true considering Hopper was still acting up to the point of his death). But it's true that Hopper is clearly not giving any kind of good performance. It is highly disappointing that this film failed at the box office. Nintendo has characters that could so easily work in movies; preferably in animation. Hopefully, Wreck-It Ralph will be Nintendo's wake-up call to join into making animated movies. It's shocking to see the Critic so calm here compared to his later videos (up until the "Mario Mario" sequence).

Favorite line: "Well, for starters, the graphics in the game are actually better than the graphics in the opening; that's strike one. Koopa as a human being instead of a dragon; that's strike two. And two Italian plumbers are played by a British man and a Latino. And that's strike three... Five minutes into this movie and it already has three strikes against it!"

10. Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue


If all your favorite cartoon characters got together, what would you imagine they'd take about? Odds are, whatever you may answer won't be what they do talk about: drugs. We're a long way away from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The Critic delves into this 1990 half-hour PSA against drugs with great relish... until he finds out what they're really there for. He notes at how the special itself is almost like the product of a drug-fevered dream. He does admire the puff of smoke voiced by George C. Scott. This also marks the first time that the Critic has attempted suicide, to no avail. Note: the Critic's trademark tie has yet to be added to his attire.

Favorite line: "Why does Bugs Bunny know what a joint is? Bugs Bunny shouldn't know what a joint is! If Bugs Bunny knows what a joint is, that means he knows what drugs are! If Bugs Bunny knows what drugs are, that means the rest of the Looney Tunes know what drugs are! If the rest of the Looney Tunes know what drugs are, then that explains too... much!"

Honorable mention: "Corey thinks about telling her father, but he's too busy being an alcoholic. And gay. And the Brawny man."

9. Judge Dredd


In the weeks before the highly-anticipated Dredd reboot, we mustn't forget why it exists in the first place: because the first shot from 1995 was chock-full of problems. This is one of the rare movies that the Critic just has fun making jokes about rather than getting upset with. Sylvester Stallone and Rob Schneider may be the most implausible hero/comic relief in cinema history. I gotta say though, I love that gun that Dredd uses that can essentially do anything (which the Critic gleefully exploits). He points out the decent production design that hardly gets used in the film. It's good to see the Critic NOT hate a film once in a while. Even though Dredd might turn out to be an infinitely better movie than Judge Dredd, it's not worth passing by without seeing at least once.

Favorite line: "(as Dredd) 'I smell desperate comedy.'"

8. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace


This was the first crossover with Linkara, another critic on the site TGWTG.com. He and the Critic have a great banter together, and they're gonna need it to review the absolute worst Superman movie from 1987. Personally, I feel the only two good things worth watching the movie for are the performances of Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman. Though they're in a terrible movie, it's just good to see them together again. If the annoying Jon Cryer could shut up for a few minutes in the background. I think Reeve misinterpreted what Superman CAN do and not what he SHOULD do. Superman SHOULDN'T be trying to do what only humans should do: rid the world of nuclear weapons (or not). I like the "International Politics" game show they have in the middle of the review. This is probably my favorite crossover that the Critic ever did (and they would later rejoin again to talk about Star Trek Insurrection).

Favorite line: "(as Clark Kent) 'I'd just like to kill you now, Lois.'"

7. Santa Claus: The Movie


From the producers of the Superman films, the origin story of Santa Claus. Featuring the Big Lebowski as Father Christmas, Arthur Bach as his Head Elf and Reverend Shaw Moore as Dr. Evil. It may be bad, but it's real interesting. This 1985 movie has a tad of a depressing opening, but soon it moves out into modern times where we meet our scenery-gnawing villain, B.Z. (John Lithgow). Acting just doesn't describe it. He simply went mad on set and they were fortunate enough to use it within the context of their narrative. It's certainly no an unorthodox movie, but Lithgow's evil laugh kills me every time. I can not watch him with a straight face. The Critic does a fine job of pointing out what's wrong with the film, but also pointing out the dramatic moments he likes.

Favorite line: "'(as Santa) Alaka-child abduction!'"

Honorable mention: "But Lithgow heard that incredibly forced sneeze..."

6. Blank Check


This is one of the movies I did watch growing up, when it was released in 1994. Back then, I didn't know it was a Disney ripoff of Home Alone, and now I can't watch the movie without that in the back of my mind. The Critic points the horribly douchey father (James Rebhorn) of Preston Waters. He also seems to have trouble controlling... himself... whenever Shay (Karen Duffy) is onscreen. The Critic bravely explains why he makes the first posthumous Michael Jackson joke. While I can still enjoy the movie, the Critic makes a few good observations under the guise of teaching a class on how to make a bad, studio-pleasing movie.

Favorite line: "Did the film score just gasp?"

5. The Thief and the Cobbler


The Critic is less angry about this film in particular and more angry about the the great animator, Richard Williams (most famous for his work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit) who was essentially thrown off the very project he was in charge of. He reviews the most-hated version of the film, the 1993 edition altered by Miramax Pictures and which involves the voices of Matthew Broderick and Jonathan Winters. The Critic even gets posthumous phone calls from the voice of the villain of the film, the great Vincent Price (actually voiced by Doug's brother, Rob). Price proves to be a bit of a jerk, toying with the Critic's mind. While I can agree that Broderick's performance is a tad bland, I actually can enjoy Winters' pop culture referencing Thief. The Critic despises this version of the film, but points viewers to the fan-made "Recobbled Cut" which they believe is closer to Williams' version than what we eventually got.

Favorite line: "('Vincent Price') 'One, two, skip a few, fifty!' (BOOM) 'Oh, I love it when I'm nasty.'"

4. The Top 11 F-Ups Trilogy


Alright, I'm aware this is a tad of a cheat, but the Critic has done it himself every once in a while. These are the episodes of the series where Douchey McNitpick (Walker himself) confronts the Critic and his numerous mistakes featured in his videos. Among them are "The secret passageway in Bebe's Kids isn't impossible", "How DARE you make fun of Mako", "That wasn't a Victorian dress in Superman IV", "9+9+9=27", "Don't review the movie if you haven't seen the show", "Soran couldn't fly into the Nexus" and "Let's Play Bart's Nightmare". I'm glad Doug was able to jokingly acknowledge his detractors in a non-offensive way and have some fun in the process.

Favorite line: "Yeah, this is about as embarrassing as it gets. Even simple first-grade math seems to slip my radar sometimes."
3. Good Burger


I can't be too judgmental about this movie, considering its writer actually comes from Memphis, TN (my birthplace). Still, out of all the Nickelodeon shows to get a movie, why a 5-minute sketch from "All That"? Who knows? Anyhow, the Critic despises this film by taking apart the dull main character, Ed (Kel Mitchell) and his unlikely friend Dexter (Kenan Thompson), wondering why Godfather actor Abe Vigoda is in the film and the ridiculous dictatorial nature of the rival burger store manager, Kurt (Jan Schweiterman). Is it bad? Sure, but as a kid raised on '90s Nickelodeon, it's always good to see Kenan & Kel together.

Favorite line: "But how's a frail old man like Abe Vigoda gonna get out of there -- (Vigoda jumps out a window) And that's the last we ever saw of him. (THUMP) (as Vigoda) 'It's ok, I landed on the fat kid!'"

2. Godzilla


What happened to the Critic's beard? In another review, the Critic explains that he lost a bet regarding the 2008 Presidential election with Ask That Guy and Chester A. Bum (both characters played by Walker). In reality, Walker had played the Joker for Halloween and necessity involved a razor. Here, he discusses how the 1998 Roland Emmerich film which placed the world's most well-known movie monster in a new setting. How well could a German director tackle an American feature featuring a Japanese monster? Answer: not well enough. I must admit, the more times I see this movie, I actually don't mind it. Yeah, I know, blasphemy. I just like its mindless action scenes. As a Godzilla movie, yeah it's pretty bad. But so much around it is terribly enjoyable. The Critic does defend his favorite critics, Siskel and Ebert, as they unfairly spoofed within the movie as a sleazy mayor and his dirtbag yes-man. One of the great running gags of the series involved Matthew Broderick saying the line, "That's a lot of fish." The Critic ends by warning viewers not to watch Emmerich's then-current 2012. 

Favorite line: "Okay, wait a minute. Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Hank Azaria -- Is this just a 'Simpsons' reunion?"

1. The Commercials Trilogy


Alright, alright, I know. This is a huge cheat. But it's my list, go make your own! I love seeing these old commercials (even if I only grew up with a few of them). The first part follows-up on the depression the Critic faced after getting a phone call from the "director" of My Pet Monster and re-examines his life by watching nostalgic commercials; the other two parts are just a return to form. Notable commercials include "Crossfire", "Connect 4", "Transformers", "Hi-C Ecto Cooler", different "Fruity Pebbles", "NERF Arrow Storm" and the "Wunder Boner".

Favorite line: "(regarding the laughable Giggles commercial) Turn the gas off! Turn the gas off!"

Well, that was my Top 11 Favorite Nostalgia Critic Reviews! I hope you enjoyed them and feel free to leave your favorites in the comments below. In conclusion, I again say that I am heartbroken that the Nostalgia Critic is no more, but he left us with a great list of episodes we can look back on. For what is it to critique something nostalgic? That in itself means different things to different people. And perhaps that's why he endured for so long. Doug, if you're reading this, thanks so much for your time and effort and I can't wait to see what you do next.

FLETCH VS. FLETCH LIVES

“Is everything a joke to you, Fletch?” “Everything, Sam.”

- Fletch (Chevy Chase) and Sam (George Wendt), Fletch (1985)

Oh, Chevy Chase. You used to be so funny (granted I haven’t seen “Community” all that much; if you like him there, more power to you). Still, this guy used to be one of the biggest names in comedy – “Saturday Night Live”, Caddyshack, the National Lampoon’s Vacation movies (except the one in Vegas; come to think of it, I don’t much care for the European one either), Spies Like Us, ¡Three Amigos! and Funny Farm. Then somewhere along the lines, he wound up playing roles like voicing The Karate Dog and a Train in Doogal. Why can’t he make more funny films like… Fletch?

There were two Fletch films made with Chevy Chase in the lead role: Fletch (1985) and Fletch Lives (1989). They’re both films I like and enjoy, but most people seem to prefer the original over the sequel. Today, I’ll be seeing why this is the case by looking through both films “bit by bit”.

In Fletch, Irwin M. Fletcher is an investigative reporter undercover as a “middle-class junkie” for a story on drug trafficking on a local beach. He is soon approached by a millionaire named Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) who tells him he is dying of cancer and, rather than live through months of pain through chemotherapy, asks Fletch to murder him at his house, so his family can receive the riches he has. In exchange, Stanwyk promises that Fletch can flee the country safely with $50,000 in tow. Stanwyk doesn’t realize that Fletch is not really a bum, having been tricked into thinking his name is “Ted Nugent”. Reluctantly agreeing, Fletch decides to look into Stanwyk’s case. Moving to a hospital, Fletch discovers that Stanwyk is, in fact, not dying from cancer. He eventually uncovers the corrupt police Chief Karlin (Joe Don Baker) who threatens Fletch off the beach and away from his men. Chased after by police, Fletch follows Stanwyk’s assets to Utah where he finds out that he is married to two different women. Gail Stanwyk (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), the more faithful of the two brides, is devastated and finds comfort (and much more) in Fletch’s arms. Fletch confronts Stanwyk and Karlin who hold him and Gail at gunpoint until its safe for Fletch to fight back. Karlin eventually kills Stanwyk and Fletch manages to knock out Karlan. Safe to continue their relationship, Gail and Fletch go walking on the beach, while Fletch explains the joys of basketball.

Fletch Lives picks up on Fletch quitting his job at the newspaper in order to live at a Louisiana mansion that a great aunt he didn’t know he had has left him after her death. Imagining living the slow and leisure life down South, Fletch is shocked to discover the mansion in complete disrepair. Meeting with a local attorney, Amanda Ross (Patricia Kalember) who wants to buy his property, Fletch works his natural charm well enough to sleep with her. Unfortunately, he wakes up in the morning alone – she’s been murdered. Of course, nobody in town believes Fletch wasn’t the killer except the mansion’s caretaker Calculus (Cleavon Little) and another local attorney, Hamilton Johnson (Hal Holbrook). Investigating who keeps offering money to buy the house, Fletch falls back into his old investigation instincts by disguising himself as a faith healer to follow a charismatic charlatan of a preacher, Rev. Jimmy Lee Farnsworth (R. Lee Ermey) who wants Fletch’s land to put up a Bible-themed theme park. Fletch discovers although the preacher is obviously a loud-mouthed fraud, he’s not responsible for framing him for Patricia’s death. Fletch trails the money back to a mysterious organization “Everest Development”. Everest wants to purchase Fletch’s land to dump its excess toxic waste. The owner of Everest turns out to be none other than Hamilton Johnson, out for revenge against Rev. Farnsworth. Chasing Fletch onto Farnsworth’s live show, Hamilton is shot by Calculus who is revealed to be an FBI agent. Although the incident doesn’t change Farnsworth’s low-down behavior, Fletch decides it’s time for him to return home. Back at the newspaper, Fletch gleefully gives the now worthless toxic dump property to his ex-wife.

What sets apart both films is its use of humor and tone. Whereas Fletch’s humor came out of the situations Fletch found himself in because of a serious mystery he was investigating, Fletch Lives’ humor is somewhat reversed – the humor comes out of the disguises Fletch uses to solve the mystery. It starts out as a joke to solve a crime, rather than solving a crime and then finding the jokes within. Both films have a great supporting cast. It’s especially humorous to see Joe Don Baker play a police chief in Fletch after seeing his slovenly performance in Mitchell on an episode of “Mystery Science Theater 3000”. Fletch Lives has Blazing Saddles’ immensely talented comedic star Cleavon Little and the unforgettable R. Lee Ermey playing against type as a Jimmy Swaggart-esque preacher.

A third Fletch film has been talked about for years without any serious development. In 2000, Kevin Smith, a fan of the Fletch films, wrote a script titled “Son of Fletch” which would have cast Jason Lee as, of course, Fletch’s son. It was written in a way that could vary on Chevy Chase’s involvement – if he committed to it, they could co-star in the film together, if he only wanted in certain scenes, they could explore more of Lee’s character. Disagreements between Chase and Smith led to a second attempt at a third Fletch film called “Fletch Won”. “Fletch Won” would be a prequel involving a young Fletch on his first assignment. The film would have potentially still involved Chase as either reprising his role in bookends or simply narrating the film. 5 years went by without any further involvement and Smith left the project. The project is currently supposedly to be held by Hot Tub Time Machine director Steve Pink, but since Pink has just been hired to direct Bad Santa 2 and the upcoming remake of The Toxic Avenger, there’s no telling when audiences might see Fletch back on the big screen.

At the end of the day, I would agree with those who say Fletch is superior to Fletch Lives, if only because it has a more compelling mystery. The fact that it’s a comedy is mere icing on the cake and Chase’s performance is completely top-notch. Fletch Lives still has nice moments and a good supporting cast but ultimately loses because of its increased focus on the disguises Fletch wears rather than the mystery he’s trying to solve. Above all, Chevy Chase was at his very best with this character.

“Meet the guy who changes his identity more often than his underwear.”

- Tagline for Fletch (1985)

TUPELOVE and NATIVE SON: Mike McCarthy, Thank You Very Much

What does your hometown mean to you? Do you find things in your community that you find in yourself? I myself was born in Memphis, TN, but I don’t get to spend much time there when I’m not going to school. It’s heartbreaking, in a way, to be so disconnected from it – 40 miles to drive from my home out in the middle of nowhere. However, I recently had the good fortune to watch two films from a local Memphis filmmaker, Mike McCarthy. He wasn’t born in Memphis; he was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. My parents and their families are from Mississippi as well, though I have few distant relatives who actually live in Tupelo. However, Tupelo runs in McCarthy’s blood. His first major film Teenage Tupelo – a rough and tumble comedy/drama – centers on the idea that he was born as an illegitimate child of Elvis Presley. McCarthy calls Elvis, “the king of American pop culture”. His latest two films, Tupelove and Native Son celebrate Elvis and his birthplace, Tupelo, Mississippi.

Tupelove is a short film about a young businessman named Norton (Corey Parker) stuck in a small town in Mississippi outside of Tupelo. This “man in a hurry” meets a mysterious woman named Vee (Amy LaVere) who takes him on a tour of Elvis’ hometown from his birthplace to the local fairgrounds where he played his ’56 concert. She seems a bit out-of-time: drinking vintage Pepsi, reading old issues of Captain Marvel (Elvis’ favorite superhero), and inexplicably changing into fashionable ‘50s-style dresses. Eventually, Norton realizes she was simply a ghost, but has learned never to underestimate a town without learning its valuable history. This 15-minute short film was made by McCarthy as a tourism video for Tupelo.  It’s a great, well-written look at the place where Elvis grew up. The two actors in the film are fun to watch, especially the very lovely Miss LaVere who is just stunning to begin with.

Native Son is a documentary that picks up where Tupelove leaves off. The short film ends with Vee and Norton imagining feeling Elvis’ fingers as he stood on stage during the ’56 concert at the fairgrounds. McCarthy felt that such an important event in Tupelo’s history had not been properly represented. That famous photograph featuring Elvis reaching out to the screaming girls in front of the stage means a lot to McCarthy: he found out his biological mother was one of those girls. He initially believed she was the one who literally touched Elvis’ fingers. He later learned this was not the case, that she was back-a-ways from the stage. McCarthy successfully convinced the town to fund construction for a statue of Elvis posing as he did in the famous photograph. The documentary shows the impressive creation of the statue by Bill Beckwith, who uses only photographs to sculpt with from scratch (without the use of computers). Beckwith talks about how his artist influences shaped him just as he shapes clay. The statue was completed and installed just a few weeks ago. It’s amazing to find out how much a photograph can inspire in people: a film, a statue and a family coming together.

I first met Mike McCarthy at a screening of The Tree of Life with my good friend, Hunter Duesing (who has recently moved back home to Texas, where I wish him the best). In the time since, I’ve noticed he has a great sense of humor, an unique way of telling a story and an immense collection of comic books that confounds and depresses me. Yet the screening I saw of Tupelove and Native Son also showed me a side I didn’t realize before: a man searching for his past in the town where the King of Rock ‘n Roll was born. That, in itself, is a story worth telling and I can’t but feel privileged to have seen it.