UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Blue Hawaii -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

[mark brown]

My story is somewhat different. I always despised Elvis until late middle age and suddenly discovered his music was good and some of his films were entertaining.

 

[Robin9]

Yes it does, same song that Frank recorded.

Thank you.

 

[Robin9]

For me it always helps to have a good supporting cast and an interesting plot...and some beautiful girls!

Yes, always . . . and not only in Elvis Presley movies!

 

[Nick*Z]

Most of the time I wholeheartedly agree with Robert Harris. But Elvis had the potential to be a great actor and proved it in the aforementioned Jailhouse Rock, Kid Creole and Flaming Star. Blue Hawaii has always been a guilty pleasure of mine - colorful, tune-filled and exotic, it's just gorgeous to watch. And Hal Wallis' participation here ensures that there's more than enough to admire, even if the plot is wafer thin and the acting isn't of the Rex Harrison school of thespianism!

Disappointed to learn Paramount did not try to copy the original artwork in their 'restoration' of the credits. I mean, how hard could that have been to do if you're doing it all digitally?!?!? I know their logic was, they had better source materials for the backgrounds so they were not as grainy and suffering from the horrendous color distortion that has plagued every home video release thus far. So, kudos there. But don't change the font. I mean - what's the point. None at all!

 

[Dick]

Colonel Parker would not let Elvis parody himself.

Well, then...how come he did?

 

[timk1041]

My top 5 Elvis films in no particular order: Loving You, Jailhouse Rock, King Creole, Blue Hawaii and Viva Las Vegas. My next 5, again in no particular order: G.I. Blues, Kid Galahad, Fun In Acapulco, Roustabout and Girl Happy (Shelley Fabares was great in that). Some honourable mentions to It Happened At The World's Fair, Kissin Cousins, Wild In The Country. I actually don't remember ever seeing Flaming Star, at least not in its entirety, so I can't include it in my top 10 list right now, however when I get a chance to see it, I will probably include it as I read Elvis gives one of his top performances. Some of the films I mentioned aren't all terrific, but with some good songs, cast and some attractive gals, despite some silly storylines. they're worth watching.

 

[Lee Sandersen]

I don't watch an Elvis movie for intellectual reasons, I watch them because I don't have to think. They have pretty locations, even prettier girls, and I don't need to strain to understand the plot. Elvis couldn't act, and by some of his expressions in some of these films, he seemed almost annoyed while doing them, mostly for the buck and contractual obligations. Sometimes a simple happy movie is so much better then a complicated one with great social value.

 

[mskaye]

I don't watch an Elvis movie for intellectual reasons, I watch them because I don't have to think. They have pretty locations, even prettier girls, and I don't need to strain to understand the plot. Elvis couldn't act, and by some of his expressions in some of these films, he seemed almost annoyed while doing them, mostly for the buck and contractual obligations. Sometimes a simple happy movie is so much better then a complicated one with great social value.

The best Elvis films = fun eye candy. Some good tunes. Nothing inspired that even comes close to the work of Frank Tashlin for his Jayne Mansfield films. With the exception of Flaming Star (directed by Don Siegel),
Elvis never got close to a good director.

 

[SuperClark]

interesting article.Elvis did a fine job and was very effective in this role.

Flaming Star - an in-depth Spotlight

 

[uncledougie]

The best Elvis films = fun eye candy. Some good tunes. Nothing inspired that even comes close to the work of Frank Tashlin for his Jayne Mansfield films. With the exception of Flaming Star (directed by Don Siegel),
Elvis never got close to a good director.

Well, Michael Curtiz directed King Creole and Don Siegel Flaming Star, but without a script of much interest, the old silk purse from a sow’s ear equation comes into play.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The best Elvis films = fun eye candy. Some good tunes. Nothing inspired that even comes close to the work of Frank Tashlin for his Jayne Mansfield films. With the exception of Flaming Star (directed by Don Siegel),
Elvis never got close to a good director.

Besides Siegel with Flaming Star, Michael Curtiz made a good film with Elvis "King Creole". Also, Elvis had some good directors Viva Las Vegas/George Sidney and Jailhouse Rock/Richard Thorpe.

 

[trajan007]

Just finished watching BLUE HAWAII. WOW what a great transfer. Beautiful.

 

[timk1041]

One of the girls in Blue Hawaii is Darlene Tompkins. One of her few other film roles was in "Beyond The Time Barrier" in 1960.

 

[Indy Guy]

Just finished watching BLUE HAWAII. WOW what a great transfer. Beautiful.

Were you able to view the film via Dolby Vision HDR on your set? My projector doesn't handle the Paramount Dolby Vision specs and as a result the included Blu ray is more of a WOW...very frustrating for me... Saturday Night Fever also was encoded the same way.
Even having a Lumagen processor in the chain doesn't help the 4K to decode properly. These are the first two 4K discs that have stumbled on my projection system.

 

[bobclampett]

Robert, do you know who owns Loving You now and what condition the VistaVision elements are in. This Elvis film seems to be MIA. I have the DVD and the color looks like Technicolor Dye Transfer. This would make a great 4K release. The film captures Elvis at his 1950's rockin' best. Thanks.

 

[Dick]

Elvis couldn't act

Well, then...how come he did?

 

[johnmcmasters]

I hope this perspective will be understood and accepted, but as a gay man ready to turn 70 in a few months, Elvis was at his strongest when I was very young. My Mom loved him, though, and took me to see "Jailhouse Rock" when I was only 4 years old, so I was exposed to his talent at a very early age. She must've taken me to many of his early films, because I have dim memories of all of them up until "It Happened at the World's Fair" which I know I saw alone when I was 10, and I probably saw it 4 or 5 times. One of the first soundtrack albums that I purchased on my own (we already had "King Creole" because my Mom purchased it.)

After I reached a certain age, I did find him incredibly sexy, and his films were also filled not only with bodacious babes but with lots of hunky sidekicks. Not that that is really important, but since others commented on the babe factor, I thought it only fair to offer up a hunk quotient, too! My favorite Elvis films are "Jailhouse Rock" "It Happened at the World's Fair" "Kid Galahad" "Fun in Acapulco" "Viva Las Vegas" "Follow That Dream" and "Blue Hawaii". I tended to lose interest as I grew older, though some of his TV specials were required viewing in my house if my Mom was in control of the TV remote! I did not see many of his later films. "Blue Hawaii" is supposed to be delivered today, and I can't wait!

 

[Tom St Jones]

With few exceptions (which absolutely includes RAH's column), I generally don't care for reviews which include an opinion about the film/show/book itself in addition to the technical stuff/the disc itself --- yes, I realize that's the vast majority of reviews/sites, which is why I (do my best to) resist reading 99% of reviews.. Not that I don't *fully understand the practice of incl. one's thoughts on the material itself, and not that seemingly endless debate over a film's merits/lack-of, such as seen here, would not still be *inevitable* were the review focused only on the technical, ofcourse :>]

 

[timk1041]

I watched the 4K last night. Incredible looking picture, but I had to crank up the audio. The sound levels seemed to be too low. It wasn't even that low on the DVD. I will have to try the blu ray and see how that sounds.