Viva Las Vegas

This 1964 feature isn't really any smarter, funnier, or more dramatic than the other silly romps that Elvis Presley made in the '60s, but there's something magic in the pairing of Presley with screen spitfire Ann-Margret, the only female costar to ever make Presley compete for the spotlight (Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis's manager, made sure that Elvis never again acted opposite such a dynamic performer). The disposable script has down-on-his-luck racecar driver Lucky Jackson (Presley) losing his bankroll in a swimming pool stunt and being lured off course to pursue Rusty Martin (Ann-Margret). Director George Sidney, a veteran of classic MGM Technicolor musicals, gives even the silliest numbers an oomph that is sometimes missing from Presley's other song-fests of the era: everything here is colorful, glamorous, and sexy fun. Elvis sings “C'mon, Everybody” and makes Ray Charles' “What'd I Say” all his own, while sex-kitten Ann-Margret whips up a storm with her wild-child go-go moves. This 50th anniversary edition features the same extras as an earlier Blu-ray release—audio commentary by music journalist Steve Pond (author of Elvis in Hollywood), and the featurette “Kingdom: Elvis in Hollywood”—but it's now packaged in a 40-page digi-book featuring stills, art, and film notes. Recommended for those who don't already own the earlier version. (S. Axmaker)