This week I did something I’ve never done before – I watched the same movie twice within three days. When I watched Lonely Street on Monday, my main purpose was to see what kind of job Robert Patrick did playing 70-something Elvis as the character Mr. Aaron. Well, I think he was superb. Not only did he capture Elvis’ look, he captured the nuances of Elvis speech, moves and bearing.
Robert Patrick as Mr. Aaron
To my delight, Showtime repeated the movie on Wednesday night, so I decided to watch it again and get deeper into the plot this time. After two viewings, all I can say is that this movie is way too good to be a direct-to-video release. With some decent marketing, Lonely Street could have drawn in audiences to the theaters.
And these folks would have laughed a lot. This is a funny mystery. Not Oscar material, but you will enjoy it if you watch it. Jay Mohr is perfect as the lead character, bumbling detective Bubba Mabry
Here are a few of my random thoughts on Lonely Street and Robert Patrick as Mr. Aaron.
Making The King
Click on the second image to view a video on how the make-up people transformed Robert Patrick to Mr. Aaron. There is quite a bit of other information about the movie, as well as numerous clips from it.
Mr. Aaron Is Hot
The actress in the photos below is Lindsay Price, and for most of the film her character, Felicia, provides a foil for Bubba Mabry. However, once she is in the presence of Mr. Aaron, he takes control, and she doesn’t fight it at all. Later, when the police lieutenant grills her for more information on the mysterious stranger who looks like old Elvis, she replies in all honesty, “He’s hot.” Bubba argues that a man that old can’t be hot, and she shoots back, “You’re jealous,”… and he is.
Watch a Video of Mr. Aaron Recording the Theme Song
There are three Elvis-like songs used in the movie. A singer named Jimmy “James” Brown provided the vocals and did a good job sounding like Elvis did in the 70s. Click below to see a very believable depiction of an old Elvis recording the song for his comeback, “When the Rebel Comes Home.”
Mr. Aaron Subdues the Bad Guy with Karate
The people who made Lonely Street obviously knew a lot about Elvis, and they incorporated many things from his life into the narrative. You will be pleased to know that Mr. Aaron reacted like a man who had practiced karate for his whole adult life and knocked the bad guy into submission with one kick. That white blur on the left is Mr. Aaron’s foot. Also, notice the background of this picture. Does anything remind you of the ’68 Comeback Special?
What’s With the DVD Cover Design?
As I mentioned last week, I think somebody made a huge mistake with the design of the Lonely Street DVD cover. They obviously didn’t consider the voracious appetite of Elvis fans for anything about The King. If they had put one of their many wonderful shots of Mr. Aaron on the cover, it certainly would have spiked DVD rentals and sales.
They did a bit better on the movie’s website, showing Mr. Aaron’s back.
The fellow in the do-rag is comedian Katt Williams, and he does a fine job in a minor roll. However, as you can see by the picture of the cast below, he is not among the top six lead characters. So, what‘s he doing on the cover? Why not Mr. Aaron? I don’t get it.
Put This Picture on the Cover and Sell Some DVD’s
Robert Patrick / Mr. Aaron / Elvis
Showtime has one more showing of Lonely Street on Thursday night, April 22, at 7:25. Make time to see it. If you can’t make that, Showtime 2 has four additional viewings next week. I’ll bet I end up watching Mr. Aaron in Lonely Street one more time.
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