Customer Reviews

Elvis - The Movie [VHS]

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this recently and remember it well from it's many viewings on TV. Kurt Russell is very, very good as Elvis, no-one has ever really bettered this performance. However, it is his performance that has really made this a cult classic. The script seems to be just a collection of Elvis quotes made over the years and a lot of scenes are out of sequence to true events. Elvis's first girlfriend was not Bonnie, he didn't get up on stage and perform in Germany and so on, but I guess it had to be done for dramatic reasons. Season Hubley as Priscilla is terrible, wooden and stilted. Shelley Winters is excellent as Gladys Presley although poor old Vernon only gets about 2 lines in the whole movie. Charlie Hodge makes an appearance as himself and does a good job (how could he go wrong?!). Although Kurt Russell has made many movies since, he has never quite hit the highs promised with this performance.

It's worth buying if you're an Elvis fan, however beware as there are many lengths of the movie ranging from 120 min up to 200 min. It would be worth putting out on DVD as there are many fans out there and this the best of the Elvis bios. DVD would also clean up the picture and the sound would be better. I'm surprised it hasn't been done before now.

Elvis has been played by many different actors since he found his way into the national consciousness as an icon of twentieth century culture, but none have handled the role with the skill that Kurt Russell displays in this 1979 ABC tv movie. While the story does take some artistic license by using composite characters and rearranging some of the chronology of Elvis' life, it still is full of accurate biographical about the singer. John Carpenter's (a frequent collaborator of Russell's) direction is amazing considering the typically limited budget of the average tv movie. Russell does an excellent recreation of Elvis' speaking voice, while country singer Ronnie McDowell provides the vocals on some of Elvis' biggest hits. McDowell sounds so much like Elvis when singing that it's absolutely indistinguishable from the real thing. This movie is the best of the Elvis biographies. If you're an Elvis fan, order ir now. If you're not, well, get it anyway. At the very least, you'll become a Kurt Russell fan.

we would like the dvd, but the original version of this movie the whole thing uncut....looking forward to the dvd..

This is the best movie about Elvis I have ever seen. Kurt Russell is so believable as Elvis and Shelley Winters as Gladys is perfection. Kurt's real father plays Vernon Presley and his first wife, Season Hubley plays Priscilla. This movie needs to be put on DVD as soon as possible. I have been wanting this movie ever since it came out.

What a fabulous movie. I can still recall after all these years how thrilled I was to see this tribute to Elvis by the great Kurt Russell! I would highly recommend that this be put on DVD! And of course, it should be the whole miniseries, not the cut up version. The entire supporting cast was great and this is one of the few film versions of Elvis's life that focuses on his life and music, not the drugs or his death- What a pleasure to see a sweet film like this. Come on, there must be an awful lot of Elvis fans out there... lets get this out on DVD!

This is one of my favorite Elvis bios. Like other reviewers, I also bought this from Amazon (many years ago) and got a "copy". I was surprised to find that apparently someone is still out there making and selling copies! So be careful when purchasing, especially at these prices!
Despite how bad the video "copy" was the music and Kirk Russell's performance were outstanding; he must have studied Elvis in depth to make him so believable in this movie and the talented voice cover was so good, you had to listen really hard to know it wasn't Elvis himself at times.

I truly hope the makers of this movies will re-release in DVD. I would really like to get this movie as a real, clear release.

this was the first and, by far, the best of all elvis portrayals! conceived prior to elvis' death and delivered by an actor who brought absolute credence to the role, having co-starred w/elvis, himself, when still a child actor. kurt russell captured elvis like no other actor ever has, in looks, stage moves, voice, etc. he's outshone all subsequent portrayals by don johnson, dale midkiff(ugh!), jonathan rhy-meyers, and the short-lived series, and single-handedly carries this movie to surreal heights, despite an uneven cast - shelley winters(classic, but just almost over the top), bing russell(fair), season hubley(butt-awful), pat hingle(convincing), and the voice imitator(rodney mcdowell?) doesn't quite capture elvis' vocal textures. regardless, let's finally get this movie on dvd soonest, it so richly deserves the full dvd treatment: modern day interviews, making-of stuff, etc. this movie is a classic!!!

I have always been a Elvis fan since probably since i could walk, and I remember very vividly the day he died. My mother was so heartbroken , u would have thought a acutal family member had died,, we have every elvis movie and other memorabilia, and when i seen Elvis with Kurt for the first time in 79' I just fell in love , not only is he hauntinly so much like him, its odd that he knew Elvis as a child and then ended up portraying him in his life story. Seeing 3000 miles to Graceland brought all those memory's of Kurt as Elvis rushing back to my mind. And how much i loved it. It's hard to believe that this wonderfully crafted movie is so unavailable. This is the first spot i have seen it at, none of the stores have it to rent , which i find odd, and even our local Media Play does not have it , nor can they order it for you. Well anyway I tip my hat off to Kurt the man. The older he gets the better he gets,, and no one other then THE KING HIMSELF, can pull of wearing that studded jumpsuit like Kurt can. Love ya Kurt. p.s remember little kurt in all the disney movies,, i do ,,lol

I have always liked Russell as and actor and singer. He is powerful, dramatic and yet reserved at times. I have seen many Elvis movies, but this one has an uncanny similarity to everything I know and have seen by Elvis. Kurt Russell looks, acts and sings like him in this movie. Although some of the stages in his life are moved around, this is by far the most accurate and exciting Elvis movie yet. Well worth seeing, even with the low production budget. I was astounded by the likelness between the actor and the ghost of graceland.

Kurt Russell has the moves, absolutely, and in every way. He captures the lively and unique, but odd and awkward, moves of a young Elvis as well as the great excitement, expressions, humor, and far more controlled moves of the mature Elvis' Vegas phase. Really an amazing performance by Kurt. The rest of the movie is OK and it's great to see Charlie Hodge as himself doing his always supportive stuff for Elvis. But Russell is just totally superb when doing Elvis performing and this is not to be missed. The singer who does the tracks (to which Russell lip-synchs) is also excellent. I echo all the others who call for a re-issue as a DVD. One warning is that the version I bought as a "rare video" appears to be a video copy and it's fuzzy to view. The seller seems to have made good copy labels for the VHS cassette and the plastic case to make it look authentic. Still, the sound was good and I enjoyed it despite being annoyed at the poor quality video. It validated my memory of this great performance by Kurt Russell.