Product Details

• Actors: Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley, Priscilla Presley, Danielle Riley Keough, Ed Parker
• Directors: Rob Klug
• Writers: David Saltz, Bill Flanagan
• Producers: Anisha Kansal, David Saltz, Elisabeth Harris, Osmond J. Kilkenny III, Scott Floyd Lochmus
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, German, French, Japanese
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Bmg Marketing
• DVD Release Date: May 17, 2005
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00094ASEK
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,031 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Music Video & Concerts > Artists > Presley, Elvis

• For more information about "Elvis by the Presleys" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The King of Rock and Roll would have turned 70 in 2005, the same year Elvis by the Presleys was released. An impressive number, but it's a pea in the ocean compared to the amount of posthumous products bearing his name; and the really amazing part is that some of them actually manage to shed new light on this much-studied icon. Assuming one has the time, stamina, and interest to wade through the enormous amount of material presented on Elvis by the Presleys, this ambitious, well-made documentary-reminiscence certainly falls into that category.

The presence and participation of Presley's ex-wife, Priscilla, and daughter Lisa Marie, as well as Priscilla's parents and sister, Elvis' first cousin, and "Memphis Mafia" member Jerry Schilling, lend an air of authenticity to the project. There isn't a lot here about Elvis' music, although the interpolation of many clips from his TV appearances, movies, concert performances, and recordings more than adequately convey the singer's ineffable (and apparently eternal) appeal. Elvis by the Presleys is more specifically designed to provide an inside look at the day-to-day life of Presley, his family, and those in his immediate orbit, and on that level it succeeds rather well.

There is a lot of talk here--nearly four and half hours' worth (including bonus material), spread out over two discs. Some of the territory covered is yawn-inducingly familiar: Elvis was well-mannered but moody, he was exceedingly generous, he loved Christmas, he appreciated his fans, and on and on. But there are more surprising (at least to the casual fan) revelations as well: Presley was an accomplished horseman; he was not only a good Christian but a voracious reader with an interest in spiritual as well as purely religious matters (he even joined the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles); and he suffered mightily from insomnia. Moreover, while this is a loving tribute, it's not hagiography. Priscilla makes it clear that she and everyone else around Elvis were expected to surrender their own lives to suit his needs and whims, a demand she eventually found unendurable. Nor do they gloss over Elvis' final years, when he was fat, drug-ridden, and disillusioned. Little matter that Elvis Presley is dead. Long live the King! --Sam Graham

Product Description

ELVIS BY THE PRESLEYS, a new entertainment special that will feature a collection of new, intimate interviews with his former wife, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, and their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, includes exclusive, never-before-seen television performances, photographs from the Presley Estate archives and Presley family home movies.

In the special, Priscilla and Lisa Marie speak with unguarded candor about their lives with the legendary Elvis Presley and offer an intimate look at their family and private life. Rare interviews with Elvis's first cousin, Patsy Presley Geranen, and Priscilla's parents, Ann and Paul Beaulieu, are also featured.

Vintage, never-before-seen performance footage will be interwoven with photographs from the Presley Estate archives and press coverage of Elvis over the years. Private home movies of the Presley family illustrate and illuminate his story with vivid detail, honest insight and great warmth. Different aspects of Elvis's life, including his tours, his time in Hollywood and his home life, are depicted with the insight that only his family can bring. His career ups and downs, his kindness and generosity and his human frailties are all brought to light as well as a reflection on his place in entertainment history and his enduring legacy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, Touching -- a MUST for All Fans, May 14, 2005

By	Dorothy Rosa "flyawayhome" (Hill Country, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

First thought: What a stunning contrast to that tacky made-for-TV movie.

Second thought: Wow, I sure hope they'll make this one available on DVD.

Third thought: Gotta buy this!

I was especially moved by the outtakes, shown in this production, that had been dropped from the original specials. Priscilla's warm, intelligent, and engaging, as usual; both she and Lisa Marie are forthright about the darker side of life with Elvis without stooping to talk-show sensationalism.

We've waited a long, long time for a documentary like this.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great time with the Presley's!!!!!, August 15, 2005

By	Bosko Chumbucket "Bosko" (LA, CA) - See all my reviews

after reading many of the reviews of the documentary, and especially the dvd set, i'm amazed at the negative comments. what will make these people happy? here, i give you my thoughts on what i saw in it. keep in mind, i just finished watching it and some of this is the wine talkin!

Priscilla (who is amazingly beautiful and seems to be aging at a rate of one year to every seven of our years!) is engaging and very forthcoming about her obvious affection for ol' 'E'. this portrait is more honest, and filled with less bias than any documentary so far. after Albert Goldman's turd of a book and everyone else who attacked, mocked and caricatured Elvis after his death, it's nice to find an intimate, mainly cheese-free study of who he was by the people who really loved him.

i liked him before this documentary and i like him even more now.

in no way, does the family portray Elvis as perfect, nor do they crucify him as an indulgent brat. he comes off as someone who became caught up in something bigger than himself and did the best he could to exist in that wild place without complaining. sure, Elvis could probably be an ass at times, but who isn't? sure, he was fairly incapable of personal intimacy...but i didn't see any hatred from Priscilla. in fact, with time, it seems she understands why he was this way and accepts him for it. i don't feel she was self-serving in any way. i also felt honored to hear things from HER personal perspective. I read, 'Elvis and Me' when it came out and i believe the wounds were still fresh back then. i didn't get the impression that there was any Presley propaganda or dirty laundry in what Cilla had to say here.

Elvis had control over Elvis' life and no one else. Pricilla did a damn fine job with herself and she must be a pretty good egg to be standing by Elvis the way she has. the Presley estate belongs to Lisa, not Pricilla. i really don't get the impression that money is her motivating factor with this show.

Pricilla's parents btw, are some of the coolest people i've ever seen. i'm certain they had a large impact on Elvis' life and it's obvious they felt for him as a son. i was glad to spend time with them as well as Cilla's sister. i'm sure you will too. these are people who experienced the crazyness from a distance and if they had something negative to say, i believe they would've said it.

through the eyes of the documentary subjects (granted everyone under the Elvis sun wasn't included), i feel i understand Elvis a little better. frankly, i don't want to hear every filthy detail of his life. this show does a wonderful job in breaking down the many facets of Elvis' life and giving you some insight into how they made up who he was.

sure it's a cliche to describe Elvis as a respectful, humble southern boy. after watching this you believe it. in fact, much of this is what i believe led to his downfall. you get the impression that Elvis' career decisions were not necessarily his own and he didn't speak up out of respect, trust and loyalty for the Colonel and the companies to which he was contracted. as horrible as the 60s movies and soundtracks were, you get the impression that Elvis did what he was told as a professional and did his complaining at home...and he suffered for it.

it's easy today, to laugh at Elvis and say he should have taken more control of his career. i believe the documentary shows that Elvis was incapable of disloyalty and i like him for it. i just read that Russell Crowe is making a settlement for 11 million dollars with a room service attendant in a New York hotel. apparently, the phone didn't work well enough for Crowe and this poor, minimum wage schmuck had the phone tossed at his head. the only reason Crowe is settling the case is due to US work permits being pulled. wot an ass. now, Elvis may have been a primadonna, but i sincerely doubt he would have engaged in such behaviour with people less fortunate than him. in fact, the one's he may have tortured are the one's he loved...and that's something Elvis didn't invent.

from the documentary, you get the impression that Elvis was a good guy that tortured himself as much as he delighted in his life's gifts. you see that these extreme emotions are what may have led to his early death. his talent was his savior and his downfall. all that remains is the record of his talent. i tend to rate Elvis on his highs rather than his lows.

finally, it's the crafting of the documentary itself. its just damn fun...period. yes, there's a great deal of footage that you've seen before as other reviewers have mentioned. however, they fail to see the pure craft in which the filmmakers use that footage. most of the edits are absolutely tounge-in-cheek. that's the point! example: the shot of Elvis leaving the Lisa Marie and "I Believe in the Man in the Sky" song clip...it's fun! that's the point! Elvis + Flying Machine = Man/Sky...get it? i like that the film is light and not pretentious or in corny glorification of Elvis. i feel it's more akin to home movie night with the Presley's and you're invited. i work in television myself, and from that point of view, these filmmakers did a consciously good job.

in the end, it's up to the individual viewer to decide. if you're thinking about picking this DVD up, in this reviewer's opinion, get it! it's fun, it's honest and it's sitting down with people you like sharing stories about a good guy who happened to be one of the most influential people of the twentieth century. the DVD did it's job for me!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, May 16, 2005

By	S. T. KLOS - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have never been a fan of Elvis. Not that I didn't like him, I was just neutral and didn't grow up with his music. I happened to be home the night this special aired on tv...there was not much else on, so I tuned in. WOW. I was very impressed with him as a person - particularly the spiritual side and his devotion to family and friends: the gifts for people who were with him from the get-go, his knowledge of all gospel music...and then, the performances!!! I have always been a fan of rock music, and John Lennon in particular. He revered Elvis and now I see why. Even the "fat Elvis" segments, which I thought might be eliminated by the family, showed a powerful musician, with a great big SOUL. I thought that Priscilla Presley was the perfect narrator...she knew him over many of the years, with a close relationship continuing after their marriage dissolved. After I saw this documentary, I was anxious to rave about it to all my friends, be they Elvis fans or not...It was a perfect portrait of an artist, who may have or may not have known he had a gift for the world.