This dude playing the “ghost” of Elvis Preseley in Jim Jarmusch’s 1989’s Mystery Train? Paula Jones’ husband, apparently. Steve Jones. Or, as he’s credited in the film, Stephen.
I learned this from Ken Gormley’s big book of impeachment, The Death of American Virtue, in which Gormley mentions Jones’ acting aspirations and cites the Train cameo, adding that the picture “had flopped.” “Hold on there, Hoss,” I thought as I read that. “You may know about the law and history and all that kinda stuff, but you might not know that much about the economics of indie film.” I looked into the matter and found, alas, that Mystery Train actually did marginally worse than some of the Jarmusch films that came before and after it. Not quite poorly enough to tag Stephen Jones as box office poison, but…oh, never mind. Anyway, I reckon this tidbit of data could be useful in someone’s “six degrees” game…
The book is quite well done. I see on Facebook that a friend—a real friend as well as an FB one—is looking for a “loose baggy monster” of a novel to read, and while this non-fiction book is actually relatively tight, it is something of a monster, and describes in juicy detail a folly that James, Trollope, Tolstoy, Balzac, Zola, et. al. might have found too improbable to even consider applying prose to. And being reminded that, yes, Rush Limbaugh actually did go on the air and announce that a media source “claim[ed] that Vince Foster was murdered in an apartment owned by Hillary Clinton” makes me fall in love with the big lug all over again.
My favorite writing teacher in college, I recall, claimed that his brother-in-law had come up with the Elvis’ weight bit.
MYSTERY TRAIN was the first Jarmusch film I saw. I wasn’t much of a cineaste back then – an article in SPIN on Jarmusch is what made me want to see it. Thought he had a cool look. My dad took me and my sister, who was pretty young at the time and not patient with anything “arty.” The “Fletch” sequel was more her speed. I remember all of us pissing ourselves with laughter during the Joe Strummer segment. This was the first time I noticed Steve Buscemi, who would go on to bring me so many hours of joy. After seeing MYSTERY TRAIN, I went back and rented STRANGER THAN PARADISE. Twenty minutes into the film I turned it off. Just couldn’t vibe with STP’s rhythms. I have since learned to appreciate STP and its Ozu jokes, but MYSTERY TRAIN seems more immediately accesible to me. Strange it did not do as well as STP.
I am presently imagining Big Rush’s voice replacing that of Tom Waits’ in the film.
That’s funny, I was just thinking about revisiting ‘Mystery Train’ as I’m getting married in two months and we’re honeymooning in Memphis.
Mystery Train = Best Movie of All Time (or at least the best American movie thus far, captures well a nice & weird vibe that the US has). Needs to be added to the LoC film registry, if it isn’t on there already. Need to watch it again, looking forward to the Criterion DVD of it. I thought the Ghost of Elvis actor did a great job.
I am touched, but I am not sure I can relive the Clinton impeachment. For one thing, Joe Lieberman is sure to be in that book. And Ken Starr. A rough crowd in a bad neighborhood, Glenn…
For that matter, Mystery Train, which I have always loved, now may be ruined for me for a good long while as I do not want to be reminded of Paula Jones and her continued existence.
Every now and again I’m tempted to take up smoking just so I can light my Zippo with a snap of my fingers and then toss it into my shirt pocket.
I must share in the heaping of accolades on Mystery Train. One of my first cinematic loves, it’s a beautiful, beautiful movie.
I taught myself that lighter trick because of MT. I still find myself uttering “Y’all got any MAT-CHES??” at completely inappropriate moments.
Great movie from start to finish. I’ve always felt it doesn’t quite get the credit it deserves in the Jarmusch pantheon.
Might as well throw my hat in: MYSTERY was my first favorite Jarmusch film (thought not my first, period, Jarmusch film), and it probably was an early clue to me that there was a hell of a lot more to films than what I was then used to.
I also taught myself the lighter trick, although I’m not sure I ever got it quite right. The lighter never seemed to end up facing the right direction when I did it.
My Mystery Train Story: MGM’s DVD of it is pretty lousy (as most MGM DVD’s are), and for whatever reason the edition I was watching, the English subs weren’t an optionb on the DVD’s menu, and they weren’t properly listed, so I watched it the first time without subs thinking that was an artistic decision. Needless to say, when I discovered the English subs, my appreciation of the movie deepened.
Absolutely love the movie.
The result of that is more career politicians, surely, which is the last thing we need. If politicians are like pigs at the trough, it won’t improve things to insist that only the tax payer provides the swill.