Honk if You ♥ Elvis

GRACE-LANDED!

2007-08-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

Hello loyal readers. Sorry to be MIA there but it was hot hot hot and we had no internet and were gone all day and all night. We got some amazing footage despite being forbidden to film on or around Graceland. Memphis is amazing and 70,000 Elvis fans cannot be wrong. We met dozens of E.T.A.s (Elvis Tribute Artists) and saw license plates of many loyal fans.

We are especially thankful for Jenny and Glen Parry who put us up in Horn Lake, Mississippi and kept us safe and fed. If you're around there, check out www.gracepines.com and stay at the area's only Elvis themed B&B.

Stay tuned for updates on the actual doc, but for now, enjoy these pictures and many thanks to all the amazing people who helped us all on our amazing journey! We are back in Southern Cal now but hope to return next year! LONG LIVE THE KING!

DAY TEN - Sweet soul food and Graceland Too!

2007-08-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

We left Tupelo this morning and stopped off in tiny little town of Holly Springs, Mississippi where we ate amazing soul food at Annie's Restaurant. IF YOU ARE EVER NEAR HOLLY SPRINGS YOU MUST EAT HERE! Even if you are in Tupelo or Memphis drive down to Annie's. It's the best fried chicken in the world. Check out the proprietress herself:

After that we wandered over to #1 Fan Paul Mcleod's famous Graceland Too, an Elvis Shrine of epic proportions. He gave us a tour, flirted a little, and even asked Kozue to marry him.

DAY TEN - The Fans

2007-08-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

Fans came out in spades today in Tupelo to view the legendary humble birthplace of the King.

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DAY NINE - Mississippi Del...ta-dah!

2007-08-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Another great day on the road next to the river. We talked to a mess of nice people in Vicsburg and then went on up to Leland to eat soul food and hear some real soul singin' by the great owners of Nesia-Rae's diner. We heart smothered chicken.

Tonight we're in Tupelo and tomorrow is fan appreciation day at the birthplace of the King. That's right, after it all we finally made it to where he was born!
Elvis week is going to be quite a ride!

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ELVIS VAN!

DAY 8 - We hit the Hayride

2007-08-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today we drove from East Tex to Shreveport and toured the hallowed halls of the Louisiana Hayride where Elvis made one of his legendary performances on November 7th, 1954. An auditorium with landmark status, you can find the Hayride on Elvis Presley Ave in Shreveport. We took in some local Cajun cuisine and hit the road for Mississippi, where we are tonight. Tomorrow it's off to Tupelo and you all best know what that means by now.

And, oh yeah. We went to a gator farm and hung out with some gators, llamas and a very small zebra. Good times.

WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES thus no vids or pics today. Hope to be back up with the multi-media tomorrow.

DAYS SIX and SEVEN - We mess with Texas

2007-08-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Its been a wild couple of days driving from one end of Texas to the other. Last night in Dallas we saw Doug Olvey as the King at Hott Rods and Hoggs outside of Dallas. Our party frocks were by Goodwill, styled by Ed. Lots of sequins, lace and fun!

And, oh yeah, earlier that afternoon we had our hair done real big at Texas College of Cosmetology and ate some ab fab BBQ at Betty Rose's Briskett in Abeline (many thanks Britney and Briann, Tia Tai and Jennifer, Cherry and Shari!!!). Check them out when you're in West Tex and stop on by Strawberry's, a bar down the street who's owner is a big EP fan.

Today we got off the main drag and drove from Dallas to Marshall, taking the 80 right to the Louisianna border. Didn't find any place quite as friendly and fun as Abilene, but we did tour the too cute Bluebird Capitol of Texas - Willis (or Will's Point, depending on what map or city signage you're looking at...We have yet to figure the name "change" out so please write in if you know) and eat some delish homemade peach ice cream from a roadside stand near Great Saline.

Tomorrow we enter Louisiana! Home of Britney Spears, the Hayride and (fingers crossed) a whole lot more!

TODAY'S (and the day before, we just found internet!) VIDEOS:

DAY FIVE - The Lone Star State

2007-08-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

We made it to Texas and narrowly avoided staying in a really bad hotel. But now we're safe at the Day's Inn in Midland and off to Dallas for a wild night tomorrow!

TODAY'S VIDEOS:

DAY FOUR - Truckin' thru the Southwest

2007-08-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

The team made it out of Phoenix and hit the road towards Dallas in the big van. Stopping in Deming, NM it was a smooth day on the 10-East. A quick trip to THE THING, a roadside "attraction" in Texas Canyon, Arizona, showed us that the thing is...it's a big letdown. You have to see it to not believe it.

TODAY'S VIDEOS:

DAY THREE - A Chance in the desert!

2007-08-05T11:06:00.001-07:00

We made it to Phoenix where we spent the whole evening filming and interviewing Chance Tinder of Metal Elvis Fame. A full time Elvis Tribute Artist and part time rock star, Chance and his buddies at Casino Arizona gave us secuirty badges and free range to film. Stay tuned for more vidoes...internet is slow here in AZ.

TODAY'S VIDEOS:

DAY TWO - We Made it to Tennessee!

2007-08-03T22:49:00.000-07:00

Avenue, that is...in Redlands, Cal. Try as we might, out pink caddy just does not want to make it, so, again, our trusty scout Ed Chalfa will save the day and take us all to the REAL Tennessee. We're going to MEMPHIS come Helen or highwater!

HIGHLIGHTS:

Ed is going to adopt the caddy. PINKIE will not be sent to the glue factory...yet.

Victor, of Victor's Radiators in Ontario was super good to us. He almost named his son Elvis...we got it on tape.

Thrifting in the Inland Empire is a good way to waste six hours.

TODAY'S VIDEOS:

DAY ONE - Pomona mon amour!

2007-08-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

So, according to "schedule" we're in Arizona, BUT...We are actually grounded in the city of Pomona (that's the 9-0-9 for those of you NOT from the Inland Empire). Narry 50 miles outside of LA our dear caddy overheated so we grounded her here...zip code 91764. In the morning we'll have the water pump replaced and move on to Phoenix, so we hope...

Pinkie is ready to roll!

2007-07-31T19:39:00.001-07:00

T-Minus 2 Days

2007-07-31T06:08:00.000-07:00

As it's getting closer to our departure date (that would be Thursday, Aug. 2), we're feeling the time crunch - going over all of the last minute details, packing lists, supply lists, confirming and reconfirming interviews and reservations...But we're also feeling pretty well prepared for this great adventure, thanks in no small part to the friendly strangers we've arranged to meet along the way. People like Bill Kinard in Tupelo.

Bill and his wife, Linda, have not only agreed to spend the entire day of Aug. 11 with us, showing us the Elvis Fans Memorial Wall and Cemetary and introducing us to numerous Elvis relatives and "connections", they also are going to have a mobile mini-Graceland traveling museum at their property the day of our visit!

Granted, the mini-Graceland is not being installed just because we're coming through (Aug. 11 if Fan Appreciation Day in Tupelo), but still! Bill also hinted that we'll be meeting someone who recently discovered he's an "Elvis Son" (Bill's quotes, not mine)...stay tuned for more on that one.

Dallas we love you!

2007-07-30T08:59:00.001-07:00

A special concert has been arranged the evening of August 7th at Hot Rodds and Hogs in Dallas, TX. Many thanks to Doug Olvey for putting the whole thing together and giving us some much needed free publicity. JR would be proud!

San Diego Comicon, the Elvis Bus and a Pink Cadillac

2007-07-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

A Friday night blog post? Think anyone's reading?
WELL! We have had QUITE a last couple of days. First to SD Comicon to hang with our buddy Elvis Trooper (Kenny T. the BMAC, Big Man at Comicon) then onto the Elvis Bus with Kenny and bunch more Elvis'. AND THEN, today we picked up Pinkie, our brand new pink Cadillac (see sexy pix above). We're so proud. We're off in 6 days and my parents just reminded me how much it rains in the south. Better get a car cover!
Anyone who comments gets a quarter!

Just Above Sunset Blog

2007-07-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Alan Pavlik again for putting up details about our project on his blog. Check out the coverage at:
http://www.justabovesunset.com/photography/html/elvis_right_here_.html

what a difference a car made

2007-07-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

Ed Chalfa, our trusty scout and driver of our cargo trailer/getaway car showed up in LA ready to go with his Mercedes Sprinter looking a little different then when he bought it.
Parked on Selma and Laurel in the 3-2-3, Ed's steed got a look from our neighbor and blogger Alan Pavlik, who helms the website www.justabovesunset.com.
He took some pics, perhaps they are up now...
We also took the caddy in to Earl Schieb today to be pained pink and white. Our fingers are crossed...are yours?

I Won!

2007-07-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Honk if You ♥ Elvis team is pleased to announce that Erica, our very own co-producer/director, has been named the winner of Elvis International Fan Club's recent new membership challenge! Erica brought the most new members to Elvis International over the past few weeks and the Fan Club is mailing her a mystery prize in recognition!

The thing is, after all of the kindness we've been shown by the Elvis International family - invitations to parties and tours, happily granted interviews - we don't want the new membership push to stop! This is one cool fan club and it celebrates Elvis in the best way. So family and friends, readers of this blog, if you haven't already followed the link at right to the Elvis International site and joined, please do so now! (It's free, too!)

Many of the things we will be doing and filming during Elvis Week are through Elvis International - check 'em out!

The Windy City comes to Memphis...

2007-07-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yet another Bruin will be joining the crew. MEGAN LARMER, actress, director, waitress, will leave Chicago and meet us down in Memphis for Elvis week. Good times. Lots of chicks. Girls, girls, girls...he'd be proud.

Hey, Hey its Kozue!

2007-07-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

We got sound! Our new gal Kozue is on the job and bringing an Eastern flair to our Western crew. Stay tuned...

We ♥ Broadway Photo NYC!

2007-07-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to the good people of Broadway Photo for their great deals and patience when it comes to me giving them the worng credit card number! Want great deals on pro digital stuff and more? check out http://www.bwayphoto.com/. A deal fit for a king!

Busy Day!

2007-07-16T14:24:00.001-07:00

So, lots of little things have been happening here in Honk if You Heart Elvis land.

Most exciting, perhaps, is the fact that we finally worked out a way to paint the Cadillac pink! Thanks to a hot tip about buying our own car paint, we were able to pick out just the right shade of bubblegum pink from El Monte Auto Paint. The guys at EMAP were very friendly, helpful and enthusiastic about our project and understood we're working this with a tight budget. We picked up the pink today (and white vinyl paint for the top - this is going to be a two-tone job!) and will be taking the car in to Earl Scheib early Monday morning...fingers crossed the guys at Earl Scheib are as professional and considerate at the gang at El Monte!

We also went to pick up our swanky new business cards at Charlie Chan Printers in Hollywood. They had the best price and quickest service for 1000 cards - unfortunately, though, the cards say "Honk if Your Elvis". Undoubtedly that phrase would get a reaction, too, but since we're not looking for those rare birds that think they are Elvis, Bubba-Ho Tep like, we asked Charlie Chan to reprint. They promised to have the right cards ready for us tomorrow afternoon.

Elvis Fans Forever in Tupelo

2007-07-09T18:43:00.001-07:00

We're so excited to announce the latest update to our travel plans en route to Memphis: on Saturday, Aug. 11, we will be spending the day in Tupelo with Bill and Linda Kinard, the masterminds behind the Elvis Fans Memorial Wall and Meditation Gardens! The Kindards live in one of Elvis' boyhood homes and they are true blue fans (just check http://www.elvispresleyfansforever.com/ to see why!).

Jenny Parry, owner of Gracepines (where we are staying during Elvis Week) introduced us to her friends Bill and Linda via email. (And, of course, we were originally introduced to Jenny by a mutual friend in LA.) One of the most amazing things in planning this trip has been the tremendous support we've received from Elvis fans around the country...So many people have reached out to us and helped us and put us in touch with yet more people. As a result, this trip keeps getting better - more details, more behind-the-scenes, more intimate...It's truly touching.

But enough of the gushy-mushiness!

Because the truth is, we're just plain psyched! No doubt we're going to be getting a most special, insiders peek at Tupelo and what must be it's very unique Elvis fan community...

Thank goodness for digital cameras because we could never afford the quantity of film necessary for all of the still photos we're going to be taking on this trip! (Yes, there's going to be a movie camera there, but documentary is all about interweaving images from different media and what's a road trip without snapshots anyway?!?)

Elvis International Fan Club tour of Graceland - We're on it!

2007-07-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

We'd been contemplating whether or not we should take the time to tour Graceland while we're in Memphis...Not that we didn't want to, but we knew it would take at least a couple of hours and we need to be filming fans 24/7. I didn't want to say it, but I was a little bit bummed at the prospect of traveling all the way to Memphis and not going inside The Home.

Lucky for me/us, Jason Edge and Elvis International Fan Club have come to our rescue (or something like that): Jason, as the head of EI, is the president of one of the big EP fan clubs and so we asked him for an interview during Elvis Week...He graciously said yes, then invited us to join his Fan Club on a special group tour of Graceland on August 16. (Full disclosure: Erica is a member of Elvis International.)

Suddenly, visiting Graceland doesn't seem like a personal indulgence! Now it will be another vignette in the documentary - can't wait to see who we meet!

BECOME A MEMBER AT: http://www.elvisinternational.com/

MySpace

2007-07-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

We were previously not big fans of MySpace. Nothing personal. Just not our thing.

However, we've been getting such an awesome, enthusiastic response over the past few days from friends and strangers alike to the "Honk if You Heart Elvis" (see link on right) MySpace site, it's kind of warmed our hearts...

Maybe there is something after all to social networking over the internets!

Where we'll stay when we're not in Memphis...

2007-07-03T14:59:00.001-07:00

Serious trip-planning is in full swing now; Helen and I (Erica) are going over our trip dates again and again, reviewing possible stops and definite stops on the road to Graceland, how many miles we'll drive on average each day, people and places we'd like to visit en route, etc., etc.

So far our definite stops are Phoenix, Austin, Dallas, Tupelo and Memphis. We'll be camping at Gracepines B&B (www.gracepines.com) just outside of Memphis, staying at the funky Austin Motel (www.austinmotel.com) in (duh) Austin, and the blah Travelodge in Tupelo. In Phoenix we'll be staying at a standard hotel near the Casino Arizona, where we'll be seeing Metal Elvis.

Everywhere in between we're planning on camping.

When we first began planning the movie and the trip we considered camping as an affordable back-up option. But then we realized that staying at a campground was much more than a budget-friendly alternative: campgrounds are ideal places to meet and interact with people of all ages and backgrounds from all across the country (and probably beyond) - the exact kind of people we want to interview for the film.

So, now we're planning to camp for at least 50% of our trip, in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. KOA (Kampgrounds of America, www.koa.com) became our first corporate sponsor in April, and that support certainly influenced our decision. We're glad it did!

We'll be posting updates and images from every KOA venue we stay at - if you can recommend any particular locations across the southwest, please do! (We're also looking for advice on tents, bug repellent - do you know anyone who reps Avon Skin So Soft? - and sleeping pads, fyi.) Any suggestions for fun, funky motels in Tupelo, Phoenix-Scottsdale, Dallas or places in between? Pass those along too!

Our Digs on Elvisnews.com....

2007-07-02T22:10:00.001-07:00

We'll be among the first guests at Gracepines this summer, when we stay there during Elvis Week. Owners Jenny and Glen have been so gracious to us, so we were thrilled to see them mentioned on a major Elvis site:

http://www.elvisnews.com/Presentation/Functional/Page/news.aspx?item=9363&command=show

Good Times in San Francisco...

2007-07-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday evening, Helen, Dagmar and Erica were treated to a very special dinner by the one and only Susan Lowe, corporate lawyer and Elvis fan extraordinaire!

We drove up to San Francisco just for this event and the trip was well worth it. Not only did Susan spend a lot of quality time in front of the camera, describing her relationship with Elvis and giving us lots of great clips, she also prepared a full Southern feast: collard greens, mashed potatoes, gravy, black-eyed peas, chicken, cornbread, pie, and the most delicious deviled eggs...We ate a lot and drank a lot and had a marvelous time watching videos and listening to EP with Susan and her niece, Jaime (also a life-long El fan, thanks to her Aunt Sue). There was singing and dancing and gifts exchanged - Thank you Susan for the terrific presents! We can't wait to put them on the car and use them on the trip! - if only every Saturday night were so much fun...

Helen's little sister, Katharine, was also on hand for the dinner and fun, and to help us sort through some legal stuff (ick) the next day. She was a fabulous host during our whirlwind weekend and we wish that she could join us in Memphis this August!

Last but not least, we made friends with an SF cabbie, Manuel Trejo. He gave us a ride, sang some songs and promised to send us (actually, Dagmar) some special Elvis stuff...Wonder what it could be???

Back from the Bay

2007-07-02T08:31:00.001-07:00

And what a weekend it was...an emotional vigil dinner with #1 Fan Susan Lowe in San Fran and then down to Merced to talk with Ken, the Stormtrooper Elvis...more blogging on this to come...I have to go to work and get the pics from the whole thing...
-helen

UPDATE: SEE NEAT PHOTOS BELOW!

Off to San Fran and Merced

2007-06-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

We're going up north to have an Elvis dinner with Susan Lowe and interview Elvis Trooper. Stay tuned...

Pink Cadillac

2007-06-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Think it's easy to paint a car pink? Think again.

Updates to come.

New Digs near Graceland: Grace Pines B&B!

2007-06-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, when Helen and I got serious about making this movie, the first thing we did to make the project "official" was book rooms in Memphis during Elvis Week...the cheapest ones we could find. At $82/night, we knew they weren't going to be posh, that they'd probably be a bit dirty and possibly disgusting. But we're on a budget and we're doing this for the King, so whatever, right?

Well, karma has blessed us. While watching the final episode of THE SOPRANOS we told our new neighbor and friend, Sean Borg, about our documentary-in-the-making and fate stepped in. Sean told us we had to meet his friend Jenny, who moved from their native England to Memphis just to be close to Elvis...and she just opened a Bed and Breakfast there.

It turns out that Jenny is a doll, and she and her husband Glen are giving us a tremendous deal to camp on their 22 acre ranch (which happens to be just over the border from Memphis, in Mississippi, but only 8 miles from Graceland) throughout Elvis Week!

Our time at Grace Pines will be the longest stay anywhere during our trip, and we are so looking forward to it! Not only is this a serious upgrade from the Travelodge, but we'll be surrounded by fellow Elvis fans in a most charming, intimate setting (perfect for cocktail hour interviews! Bourbon! Mint juleps!). Plus, we can't wait to sit down with Jenny and hear all about her Elvis-led journey from the UK to the US, and what does she think of Kool-Aid pickles?

Last we heard, Grace Pines is completely booked for Elvis Week, but check out their site (see link on right) anyway - because anytime's a good time to visit Graceland!

It's all ours!

2007-06-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

The Cadillac is now parked streetside in Hollywood, all old-school glamour in front of a block of vintage '50s apartment buildings.

Papers were signed and money exchanged this afternoon (scary! fun!), and I had the bright idea to cruise home up the very scenic PCH...which was a lot of fun until I got stuck in unbelievable traffic. So much for ideallic LA living. It was good while it lasted.

I'm relaxing with a beer - just one! - until Helen gets back from work. Then we're going to take it for a night spin!

More pics and posts soon, but for now special shout-outs to driver Darren (an all-around good sport!) and Joe and Millie (for deciding to sell their car when they did!).

WE GOT WHEELS!

2007-06-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

WE ARE THE PROUD MOTHERS OF A 1972 CADILLAC DEVILLE!
She passed the test with a clean bill, thanks to our friend Jerry in Santa Monica.
AND THE A/C WORKS! SERENDIPIDY, BABY!

People we like

2007-06-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Jerry, owner of Ed's Airport Service out in Samo (aka Santa Monica). Looks like they know Caddys so we're taking one in tomorrow and hoping she's the one. Stay tuned for more of the Helen and Erica show.

His name is Stormtrooper Elvis

2007-06-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

And he's into the project. We're off to Merced to interview him this end of June. GOOD TIMES!

Impressive

2007-06-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

A little P.S. to this week's used car lot misadventure: I just got a voicemail from the sales guy at Brothers Motors - the people who rudely kicked us out of their junky dealership when we asked for a business card - asking when I was going to pick up my car - they have it detailed and everything and ready to go.

Clearly it was a misdial, but the idiot used my name and everything...Truly bewildering. Rude and stupid is a very unfortunate, crippling combination.

Under 30 and kicked out of a used car dealership

2007-05-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

Sadly, praying to Elvis does not appear to work (if you don't understand that comment, check yesterday's post) - at least not on the first try.

Here's what went down:

We drove out to Santa Ana - about an hour away - and picked up the very cool 72 deVille sedan we test drove yesterday. We took the car down to the super-nice mechanic we met yesterday for the inspection to buy and compression test. Knowing the tests were going to take a few hours, we drove out to Huntington Beach for a casual seaside lunch and some window shopping. 3 hours later we headed back to Santa Ana to get the run down from the mechanic.

Ben, the owner of Tim's Auto Repair (714-554-9500; 1020 N. Harbor Blvd.), was ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. He was very thorough, taking the time to talk us through all the points covered in the tests and giving us a honest opinion of the car and the service we should probably have done on it. His price for both tests plus a few gallons of gas (because the cheap ass dealer keeps the tank empty) was $140. Ben couldn't have been nicer and we felt like he knows his stuff.

Unfortunately, we then had to go back down the street to the ratty used car dealership selling the car - Brothers Motors. THEY SUCK!! We don't like to badmouth anyone, but when you are totally ignored for over 30 min. by all of the employees, who later imply you don't know anything about cars and that your standards are too high, that the mechanic you went to overcharged you and ruins all of their deals, when the owner of the business refuses to acknowledge you then claims to be praying to avoid dealing with you and finally won't even give you his name, all before you say ANYTHING about the car you have just spent money on in the hopes of buying, there is something VERY WRONG.

The whole situation was so ridiculous, I'm losing steam recounting it...We talked about getting kicked out of the dealership all the way back to Hollywood. Because, yes, we, the only two professional, well-dressed people on the premises, were kicked out of Brothers Motors for asking for a business card!

Stay tuned for more of the ridiculous story tomorrow. Right now, it's time for a beer. Suffice to say, Elvis would not have liked the way we were treated. EP was all about the manners...

We asketh, and he delivereth...

2007-05-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we asked El to send us a Cadillac.

Today, we test-drove a pretty sweet '72 deVille sedan.

Is this a sign that he is/was more than a mere mortal?!? Does praying to Elvis really work?!?

You'll have to check in with us tomorrow to find out - we'll be going back to give the car another looksy and get it checked out by a mechanic.

And that's all we're going to say for now because we don't want to jinx it!!!

We're sick of looking at junkers!

Why We Need a Cadillac!

2007-05-29T11:35:00.001-07:00

We need a Caddy because it's the great American car and more than any other, it was Elvis' favorite. More then Ford or Chevy, a Caddy was part of the American dream realized. I know that in light of our current global situation, a car that gets 11 miles to the gallon may not be the best choice for the great American road trip, but Elvis wouldn't want it any other way.
Our Caddy will be a shrine on wheels, a throwback to simpler times, even.
In a few moments we are off to Long Beach to look at a nice Caddy FROM A DEALER! Good times. Hopefully this one won't be covered in mold!
Stay tuned!

Car shopping with El Vez

2007-05-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

We still have not found our dream Cadillac. Or any suitable Cadillac for that matter. Urgh.

However, on a positive note, we have been in touch with the mucho talented El Vez (he's called the Mexican Elvis but he's so much more)! We'll be interviewing him for the film if we can get past a few scheduling hurdles...Which I don't even want to begin sorting out until we have the all-important mobile Elvis shrine (a.k.a. The Cadillac)!

Elvis, give us a Cadillac!

Everyone else, check out El Vez (see link at right)!!

My Daddy Is Elvis

2007-05-25T15:09:00.001-07:00

This is a student film my buddy Kat Shuchter made at UC Berekely. Her medical doctor dad has a not so dark secret...press play to find out!

METAL ELVIS - Burning Love

2007-05-25T15:08:00.001-07:00

The King rocks hard.

Easy Street and Elvis People

2007-05-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

We were back in Simi Valley yesteday, as Erica posted below, and once again found EASY STREET. I mean LITERALLY. Easy Street in Simi Valley leads to a strip mall with a Starbucks and El Pollo Loco, the finest in local coffee and cuisine. Erica took some pictures of Easy Street but me, being an idiot, didn't have the card in the camera so all was lost. It was in my card reader...at home...miles and miles away from easy street. I MEAN COME ONE, THE IRONY!

Elvis People is a new play coming to NYC this summer. Check out the website (linked up on the right) and someone go and tell me about it.

Is it just me, or is there something about this guy?

Metal Elvis rocks our world!

2007-05-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a busy afternoon in Elvis Road Trip Documentary Land...

The best news is that Metal Elvis has graciously agreed to be interviewed for our film! If you're not from the Southwest, you might not have heard about Metal Elvis (until a few days ago we hadn't either), but now is definitely the time to check him out!

Metal Elvis is the tremendously talented Elvis tribute artist Chance Tinder performing the King's hits backed by a band of heavy metal heads (players apparently inspired by Slash, Nikki Sixx and Peter Criss). It's Elvis Presley crossed with metal riffs and heavy attitude...A truly original take on Elvis' music and rock 'n' roll legacy. We love it!!

We can't wait to meet Chance this August in Phoenix and find out all about his very unique perspective on Elvis! But you can learn about and listen to Metal Elvis right now by visiting their site, www.metalelvis.com.

On the Cadillac hunt front, Helen and I spent a good chunk of the afternoon looking at cars again. We came across another stinker in Van Nuys (giant flora of mold growing inside the car can't be good) and one serious possibility in Simi...If the car checks out with the mechanic, it might be The One.

We'll keep you posted, of couse, and in the meantime keep looking, too.

The Cadillac hunt continues...

2007-05-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

Helen and I spent the better part of this afternoon driving to the nether regions of Los Angeles with hopes of purchasing (what appeared to be) a cool, road-ready, bright pink 1975 Cadillac.

Sadly, things did not go as planned. The car that looked great in pictures was much worse for the wear in person - think lots of rust, flaking paint, water spots, a totally torn top and shredded interior. We also learned that it did not have a battery or maintenance records - and it hasn't been registered since 1992. Urgh.

On the roughly hour-long drive back to Hollywood, here's what we determined we learned from this little escapade:

1. A big pink Cadillac is a really cool looking car. We still plan on getting one (yes, we know we'll probably have to paint it ourselves) for the movie!

2. Buying a used car is never easy.

3. We don't know much about Simi Valley. It's sprawling and seems to be packed with C-grade Italian restaurants. (If you live in Simi and can point out its finer attributes to us, please do!).

4. We like it when people are direct and up-front.

So, though we are wiser than we were this morning, we are still unfortunately Cadillac-less. And, as many of you know, getting the right pre-1977 Cadillac for this film is essential!

With that in mind, if you have a hot tip on a pre-1977 Caddie in solid, drivable condition (we don't care too much about body condition) for sale for $3500 or less in the SoCal area, contact us NOW! If we end up buying the car we'll send you an Elvis vigil candle for free!!

King of the City by the Bay

2007-05-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

Serendipity, baby. While up in SF to get testimonial from the lovely Susan Lowe (scroll down) we stayed to catch Elvises running in the world famous Bay to Breakers. Stay tuned for pictures from our trip.

Off to San Fran

2007-05-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

hello. off to san fran today to do our first fan interview.
check out the new links to elvis websites, if you're in dallas, go see a tribute artist!!!

This just in

2007-05-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

The good people of 24 Bros. (Josh and J. Martin, link to the left) will be joining the 3-lady crew in Austin, TX and accompany us up to Dallas, Tupelo and then on to Memphis. Good times.

T minus 3 months

2007-05-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

We are three months out! I invite all of our readers (at the moment there are only 3!) to send me photos of Elvis now to post. Elvis now is anything that represents the King now. Art, folk art...kitsch, whatever you see and take a picture of!
See the photo below of me and some people with an impersonator in San Fran. That is Elvis now. TCB!

60,000 People Going to Graceland?

2007-04-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Usually about 30,000 people gather at Graceland each Aug. 16 to commemorate Elvis's passing, but according to some insiders at Graceland and EPE (Elvis Presley Enterprises) expectations are that the number of visitors will double this year, the 30th Anniversary of his death. Bodes well for our little film, huh?

Apparently, EPE has also just launched a new advertising campaign encouraging the public to get in touch with their inner Elvis (ads - which we have yet to see - supposedly feature "regular" people in white jumpsuits and gold Elvis sunglasses). Their campaign is an interesting companion to the project we're undertaking, as we will be collecting hundreds of stories from all sorts of fans (and non-fans) on our road trip about the lasting power of Elvis...

For more information on Graceland, August events and the EPE ads, check out:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18149512/

Three Cheers for KOA!!!

2007-04-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a big shout out to KOA (Kampgrounds of America) for becoming our first sponsor (special thanks to C.J. Armstrong). KOA's generous donation will help us cover travel costs on the road and (fingers crossed!) also help us score some great interviews with as-yet-unknown-to-us Elvis fans.

For those of you not already familiar with KOA, they are an organization with thousands of camping sites located across the U.S. Anyone planning to road trip the American way should become familiar with KOA asap! For more information, visit www.koa.com.

Thanks to Moira

2007-04-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

very special thanks to moira michiels for her generous donation. way to TCB!

Allow us to introduce ourselves

2007-04-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

the UNTITLED ELVIS ROADTRIP DOCUMENTARY is helmed by ERICA EASLEY, HELEN HARLAN and DAGMAR-WEAVER MADSEN. click on the links on the right to see what we are about. and stay tuned for our proposal, once i figure out how do upload it...

The fun is just begining

2007-04-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

erica and i opened our own free checking account at wamu today. $2250.00 so far...long way to go..stay tuned.