John Paget's Blog

"Buffalo: You'll Eat It Up!" now online!

The short film I directed/shot/edited for the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau went live online today.  You can view it at the Buffalo Convention & Visitors Bureau website here:

http://www.visitbuffaloniagara.com/visitors/dining/EatItUp.asp

Also, check out the short article on Buffalo Rising about the film, and read some viewer reactions in the comments section.

Thanks to my creative collaborators Nelson Starr and Nathan Peracciny, and to the Buffalo Niagara CVB for the opportunity!

So, does it make you hungry or what?

 
 

Route 66 - Niagara Falls connection is a strange coincidence

Interesting story about a lost episode of the old Route 66 TV show that was filmed in Niagara Falls in October 1963, but never aired because the plot of the episode bore an uncanny resemblance to JFK assassination which happened a month later. Click here for the full story.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=71662&provider=gnewsPublish

Route 66 artist's life coming to an end -- chicagotribune.com

Route 66 artist's life coming to an end -- chicagotribune.com

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Which era of Elvis should George Clooney play?

It was recently announced that TNT has greenlighted a new TV series produced by George Clooney.  The show is called "Delta Blues" and centers on a Memphis cop who also impersonates Elvis part time.

Typcially, in the Elvis impersonator industry a performer will specialize in one particular version of Elvis  (the 1950's, the 1968 black leather, or the 1970's jumpsuit), with each era having its appropriate attire and musical catalog.

(For a complete initiation into the world of Elvis impersonators, check out the classic documentary on the topic: Almost Elvis)

So if Clooney himself steps into the lead role on this new TV series, the burning question is: which era of Elvis he should play?

To help give this debate a little focus, I've created some mockups of George Clooney as Elvis Presley in different eras, AND I've created an online poll so that Elvis fans can make their voices heard.

So consider the choices carefully, and get out the vote! 

Poll presented by AlmostElvis.com, creators of Almost Elvis award-winning documentary about Elvis impersonators.

"Buffalo: You'll Eat It Up!" - New short film on Buffalo food premieres Monday night

Since July, I've been working (with Nelson Starr and Nathan Peracciny) on a new short film, produced in conjunction with the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"Buffalo: You'll Eat It Up!" is an entertaining, whirlwind tour of Buffalo's food scene.  Designed to literally whet viewers' appetites and promote cultural tourism to Buffalo, the film will be unveiled at 6:30pm Monday, Nov. 2nd at the Market Arcade Theater in downtown Buffalo (639 Main Street).

It will screen as part of Field & Fork Network's TABLELAND event, which includes a screening of the award-winning feature documentary "Tableland" and a local food showcase.  (Check out the incredible menu!)

If you miss the event, you can still see the film - it will launch on the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau website Tuesday morning, Nov. 3rd.  But don't wait for that - come see the premiere on a big screen in full HD brilliance!

The Ultimate Halloween Decoration

Don't even try to reach me this weekend, as I'll be in the basement furiously building the king of all halloween props:  the animatronic Elvis coffin.  (Get the plans to build your own here).

 

Official product description from website:

• The coffin starts shaking and you hear some groaning sounds from within.
• The lid slowly rises and in amongst the fog you'll see "Elvis".
• With a roar and a scream, Elivs pops up.
• He then turn his head toward the tot'ers and says "thank you, thank you very much" (his mouth moves in sync with the audio track).
• He then lays back down to the music "Return to Sender" playing.
• Once the lid closes, the coffin shakes again and the song "I'm all Shook Up" plays.
• It concludes with a voice saying "Elvis has left the graveyard".

See it in action here.

Meet the King of Crime

Here he is - the one guy who could have appeared in BOTH my documentaries (Almost Elvis and Alcatraz Reunion).

Read the full story here.

The Dude meets The King!

I'll never forgive myself for missing this one.  On October 16th, Indie Memphis Film Festival will screen the ultimate double feature: The Big Lebowski together with Elvis '68 Comeback Special. Far out.

10th Annual Elvis Birthday Bash to screen "Almost Elvis"

Just announced: the 10th Annual Elvis Birthday Bash at the Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia - with a screening of my film Almost Elvis, the classic documentary on the competitive world of Elvis impersonators, AND a live performance by world champion Elvis impersonator Robert Washington.

Don't miss this anniversary screening of Almost Elvis in the same theater where it premiered 10 years ago!

Chicago Olympics = Route 66 Revival

If the Olympics, do land in Chicago in 2012, it could mean another boom for Route 66.  A huge component of Route 66 tourism has always been the foreign travelers, who are lured by the mythic appeal of 66 generated by Steinbeck, Kerouac and the 1960's Route 66 TV show.  A Chicago Olympics would place legions of foreigners right at the doorstep of Route 66's Chicago-to-LA path. 

The Route 66 State Associations should immediately propose a new Olympic event - a Cannonball Run type race along the old route!

LA Times: "Route 66 Fans Rejoice!"

LA Times reports that the National Park Service has dedicated a new microsite to Historic Route 66, with a mother lode of info on the mother road.

The NPS list of Route 66 sites includes many attractions that were featured in my documentary film, Route 66: Return to the Road with Martin Milner.