Talkin' Bout A Clambake

It's been a while since I've seen an Elvis movie. And by that I mean sat down and watched one, start to finish. Sure I've clicked through the channels and run across one now and then, but it's been so long since I've become absorbed in one. You know, let it wash over me and just appreciated it for what it was.
   So today I watched 'Clambake.'
   I gotta say, it's not bad, not bad at all. It is an Elvis movie, so he does sing about regular stuff. Like having a clambake, or painting a boat, or being a millionaire trading places with a pauper water ski instructor so he can find true love with Shelley Fabares. You know, what everybody sings about in their own lives.
   Made in 1967, Clambake was the start of Elvis's resurgence, the media storm that resulted in the black-leather Elvis Comeback Special of 1968. He wasn't as young as he was when he made 'Jailhouse Rock' and he wasn't as bloated and jumpsuited as he was towards the end, in the mid-70's. This was Elvis as most people remember him, in his early 30's and vital.
   Since it was made in '67 there is a lot of smoking in 'Clambake,' and themed jazz dinner clubs, and 'dancing' that looks as odd as it must certainly have felt. And the message is about young people trying to find themselves and make their own way in the world. Very much of its time.
   But it was fun. I didn't feel robbed of two hours as I usually do when I watch a more recent movie. And I felt good afterward, like my cares had been released, at least for a time.
   So if you're feeling down don't reach for booze, or food, or cheap sex with strangers. Or cheap sex with someone who owns a themed jazz dinner club, just find an Elvis movie and watch. It'll cure what ails you.