Recently LA2DAY was invited to a sneak-peak movie event, one quite different to the average Hollywood release. Sitting inside the nostalgic and quaint Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills, a charismatic and energized middle aged man stepped onto the stage to welcome us all. He was David Stanley, the writer and director of the recently completed movie The Headhunter, which we were about to watch. His opening words, “I was four years old when I moved into Graceland…,” had us all listening intently.

David was 16 years old when he was plucked from high school to begin touring with his older step brother, The King, his new boss, Elvis Presley himself. David watched Elvis through both his music and movie careers and essentially lived through the ups & downs of his step brother’s turbulent and eccentric life. Elvis immediately accepted David as his new family when he moved into Graceland at the age of four and ultimately let him be his confidant and personal bodyguard. To Elvis, David was known as The Headhunter.

The Headhunter is an insightful reflection of what it was like for a young man to be thrown into a surreal and almost chaotic lifestyle in order to serve his famous boss. It was compelling to see how honest David Stanley was, in not only sharing his glorious moments, where his ego soared high because of having just protected his boss from an assassination attempt, but more so in sharing with us the self destructive consequences of living a life that offered everything but stability and self control.

All one can say is that this movie is an unbiased and honest depiction of what it was like to live in the proximity of rock and roll royalty. For any Elvis fan around the world, this will be a movie worth watching. There are some revealing moments, accompanied by the expected struggles. Ones not far different than the problems of the common man, except in Elvis’ case, illuminated by a thousand spotlights and nourished by his trustees against their own will. Shedding light on the vivid inner struggles of those that cared for him, as they involuntarily partook in their boss’ spiraling downwards. Those who dare say anything were shunned and even David, being family and possibly the last line of defense between Elvis and everyone else, The Headhunter wasn’t able to protect The King from himself.