Customer Reviews

Elvis

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was an outstanding (one of the finest) movies about Elvis ever made, and its hard to believe that this movie was made just two years after his untimely death. The cast was great, and Kurt Russell puts in one of his best acting performances,in my humble opinion. I had previously only seen this on television, and on an old VHS copy, so the DVD transfer is most welcome and very well done! The quality of the transfer is excellent, and this version even features some footage that I'd never seen before. This is definately worth picking up, you won't be disappointed. If you are an Elvis fan, you will absolutely love this, and even if you aren't, this film might just make you one.

A bit of trivia here for you Elvis fans out there...this was actually the second (of 3) films that had some kind of Elvis reference to them that Kurt Russell was involved in. Kurt was originally in the Elvis film "It Happened At The World's Fair" (he played the kid who kicked Elvis in the shin in his first ever film appearance), then of course "Elvis The Movie", in which he played Elvis. He then played a thief who was briefly an Elvis impersonator in "3000 Miles To Graceland". The interesting thing is that in that movie (3000 Miles), there is a scene where someone asks his character to autograph an Elvis album in an elevator. The album he signs is the soundtrack to "It Happened At The World's Fair", which Russell was actually in. Pretty interesting stuff....

Wow! Hard to believe that the very youthful-looking Kurt Russell was just two years away from "Escape From New York" and three years away from "The Thing" when he made this TV movie.

I saw this TV movie when it was first broadcast in 1979 but hadn't seen it since. In the intervening years I moved to Memphis (by coincidence, not design), visited Graceland several times as a tourist, met oodles of people who knew or were closely associated with Elvis, spoke several times with some of his then-living family members, spent a couple of years driving fanatical Elvis fans around Memphis in tour buses, and generally have "absorbed" Elvis into my life's orbit about as closely as a non-fanatical non-insider can. In other words, I view Elvis the man and ELVIS the cultural phenomenon with considerable warmth and respect.

So with that pair of eyes I finally got to see the "Elvis" TV movie again, this time with a beautifully cleaned-up DVD print. Five stars! The movie is fun, informative, and covers a lot of ground in its nearly three hour running time. No, it doesn't cover every aspect or event of his life. This isn't a comprehensive documentary as is not meant to be. Rather, it is a loving portrait of a young boy from Mississippi who was devoted to his mom, mournful of his stillborn twin brother, ridiculed and occasionally tormented as a young man for being a little different, simultaneously delighted by and overwhelmed by his rapid success and popularity, lonely after the death of his mother, having great difficulty dealing with the inability to have a "normal" life when he wanted to escape the fishbowl, occasionally paranoid, and quite often scared and insecure.

In other words, we get a complex human portrait of the "spectacularly successful yet still very flawed" Elvis instead of just the "unequaled, unparalleled cultural myth on a pedestal" Elvis.

And Kurt Russell is superb in his performance, no question about it.

Having lived in Memphis long enough to have seen Elvis' old haunts, schools, residences, etc, it gave me a bit of a chuckle to see what substituted for those locations in the movie. Graceland in the movie looks very little like the real Graceland, and the same for Sun Records, Humes High School, Lauderdale Courts housing projects, etc. Not that I expected the film to be shot at the actual locations, mind you. It's just a movie, remember? But for us local folk it was good for a few giggles.

So why was director John Carpenter, known up until then for horror and sci-fi, selected to helm this project? I don't know for sure, but I suspect it was because Carpenter proved with his now-classic 1978 movie "Halloween" and earlier projects that he could deliver a good result on a very low budget, and "Elvis" sure looks like it was shot on a shoestring budget. Others have reported that Carpenter was hired because the producers thought he would be good at handling a TV movie about music given that he had composed his own score for "Halloween".

Watch this movie to see a very young Joe Mantegna and Ed Begley, Jr. Mantegna's name is misspelled in the opening credits as "Mategna".

Some of Elvis' real-life associates play themselves in this film, including Charlie Hodge and some singers and musicians.

The commentary track isn't must-hear but it is worth a listen --- very interesting trivia and anecdotes.

Back in 1979, Kurt Russell was known for Disney flicks and television. While, Elvis didn't make him a star, it did make people aware of his talent. The director of this picture, John Carpenter had just come off the heels of the massive hit, "Halloween". With these great talents involved, one of the great telefilms of all time was created.

It's great to have this film on DVD after so many years of limbo. Now that it's in your hands, put it in the DVD player, sit back and enjoy yourself.

kurt russell played the part of elvis fairly well,i thought some areas of the movie were average, but in fairness overall enjoyable. paul.

The superlative biopic ELVIS has finally made it to DVD courtesy of the nice folks at Shout! Factory (Rhino expatriates). And it almost rates five stars! The picture quality is outstanding, the sound is clean and sharp with full bass and a nice richness. The film, although made for TV, is letterboxed as it was shot by John Carpenter for overseas theatrical release in 1:85 to 1. Not much in the way of bonuses, which lowers this to a four-star release: while we all wished for a commentary track from John Carpenter and Kurt Russell, it's not here. I'm sure that Shout! tried to do one, but sometimes these things just don't come together. What we do have is, first, a vintage promo film called "Bringing a Legend to Life" from 1979; second, clips from the July 4, 1964 edition of "American Bandstand" which pays tribute to Elvis (remember, this TV movie was made by Dick Clark Productions); third, the commentary track is by the man who supplied the vocals for the film, Ronnie McDowell, and writer Edie Hand. Their commentary is interesting, but one definitely does wish for Carpenter and Russell, who have done some wonderful, funny commentaries for some of their other collaborations. Lastly, there is a photo gallery of stills from the film.

So, overall a bit of a disappointment, but, what IS in the release of this long-awaited DVD is very, very good stuff. Definitely a keeper. Put on your cat clothes, slick back your D.A., and enjoy ELVIS!

Less than 2 years after Elvis Presley died on August 16th, 1977, this made-for-television movie was originally presented on the ABC network in the spring of 1979. On that occasion, it went head-to-head against 2 Oscar winning Best Pictures: "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" on NBC and "Gone With The Wind" on CBS. "Elvis" triumphed on that night. And, after viewing thia film, it is easy to see why. Directed by John Carpenter, Kurt Russell turns in one of his finest performances of his stellar career, perfectly capturing the true essence of the king of rock and roll. Season Hubley portrays Priscilla, the woman who would become Mrs. Elvis in 1967. Interestingly, Season Hubley would marry Kurt Russell in real-life, shortly after this film was completed. Kurt's real father, Bing Russell, would play Elvis' father Vernon. Oscar winner Shelley Winters is brilliant as Elvis' mother Gladys. Joe Mantegna as Joe Esposito, Robert Gray as Red West, Pat Hingle as Col. Tom Parker and Charles Cyphers as Sam Phillips round out the supporting cast. Look carefully for Ed Begley, Jr. as original drummer D.J. Fontana. 2 Memphis Mafia members, Charlie Hodge and Larry Gellar, appear briefly as themselves. Country singer Ronnie McDowell, who had scored a huge hit with the song "The King Is Gone" in September 1977, shortly after Elvis passed away, provides the vocals for the songs that were utilised within the film. Among the memorable songs depicted here are "Old Shep", "Blue Moon Of Kentucky", "Tutti Frutti", "Unchained Melody", "How Great Thou Art", "Suspicious Minds" and "Blue Suede Shoes". Russell went on to recieve an Emmy nomination for his unique and excellent portrayl of Elvis, carrying it off with ease. What a great thrill it is to finally have this film available on DVD, after nearly 31 years. The presentation here is nothing short of amazing, combining all of the original elements together. Other actors have also played Elvis on-screen: Don Johnson, Dale Midkiff, Michael St. Gerard, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, David Keith. But, it is this first-time rendition by Kurt Russell that still remains the best one ever. And, with this DVD version, it was well woth the wait.

All I can say is it's about time! I can finally get rid of my heavily edited vhs and enjoy this movie the way it was intended! Kurt is the perfect Elvis, an uncanny resemblance and mannerisms. I can't wait! And the extras just make it all the more anticipated!

This Elvis Biopic is STILL the BEST of the bunch, and is easily Kurt Russell's crowning achievement as an actor. However, I was VERY disappointed that they only offered the expanded, European Theatrical release version, and not the MUCH better and tighter TV version that I saw in 1979.

The sequences featuring the Grandmother are particularly extraneous, and the ending with the extra added number ruins the powerful impact of the "freeze pose" that Kurt Russell does right after "Blue Suede Shoes" in the TV version. A bit of trivia:Season Hubley was Russell's Real-Life Girlfriend(Later Married)at the time.

I have been an Elvis fan since his Ed Sullivan appearance. Making many trips to Graceland over many years, I have seen heard and read so many things. This movie is a must for Elvis fans....considering Kurt Russell played a young lad in It Happened At The World's Fair and kicked Elvis in the shins in the movie, it is wonderful to see what a great job Kurt does playing Elvis. It is tastefully done without a lot of the controversy in it. I was thrilled to be able to purchase it on DVD.

this film is exactly as awesome as i remember it when i first saw it in 1979. some criticize it here as a whitewash because it leaves out some commonly known negatives [drug use, not aging gracefully, early death, etc...].

i don't see what all of that stuff has to do with making a film about what elvis was in life - an inspiring performer and person who faced difficulty and success and had flaws like anyone. i'm thankful that this film was made exactly as it was. and it isn't a whitewash, in my opinion. kurt russell is excellent. ronnie mcdowell's vocals are excellent. music production by elvis' own record producer, felton jarvis, is excellent. john carpenter's direction is excellent.

if you love elvis, or if you love biographies of musicians, get this film and watch it over two nights like it originally ran on tv. you'll be glad you bought it and you'll want to watch it again.