Elvis Show

Strictly speaking this is of course not a movie, but a documentary and a live recording of Elvis Presley in Vegas.

No, I never was an Elvis fan. In the seventies Elvis was almost history and I went for Uriah Heep and other loud loud bands. I did not buy Elvis records and I hardly watched his movies, saw his concerts etc.

Then this movie appears on the main screens. My curiosity wins...I am older now, my musical taste is much broader. So, I wanted to see it. I wanted to see the movie, to see what kind of guy Elvis was, or at least catch a glimpse of who he was. And I was pleasantly surprised.

Then came the recording of his live concerts in Vegas in 1970. I sat, watched, listened, enjoyed....and almost became an Elvis fan myself...wooohhhh.......

8/10

They cleaned up the print and soundtrack, got ridda interviews with the Velvet Elvis fan-clubs(the types who claim their Cats listen to the King), the array of Sammy Davis Jr. types in attendence, and put in more lost footage of Elvis jamming/rehearsing in LA with the band. There is a version of 'Get Back' that has to be heard-it medleys into 'Little Sister' and works great.

As for the Hotel Casino concert that follows-it's great, of course. He trots out the expected hits-'Heartbreak Hotel', 'Can't Help Falling in Love', 'Suspicious Minds', etc. the last a highlight along with 'In the Ghetto' and 'Polk Salad Annie'.

He is great form, both vocally, in front of the audience and with the band. Enjoyable also is the interplay between Elvis and Hardin, Scheff and Burton, a primo guitarist if there ever was one. You can also see Cissy Houston(Whitney's mom) as one of the Sweet Inspirations backing him up.

Too often Elvis the musician, singer and regular guy-as reg as he could ever be-gets shoved aside by the nightmarish late period stereotype we all know and dread. This goes a good deal towards correcting that.

*** outta ****-good show.

Denis Sanders garnered high honors for directing this somewhat candid view of Elvis Presley at work and play, preparing for his summer 1970 stint in Las Vegas. Elvis at this time was still in his return to splendor. Looking fit and a fine specimen of singing, sex machine. Not yet feeling the passion for the real gaudy, sparkling costumes. Relaxed, but nervous; Presley plays and clowns for the camera. A lot of hard work and rehearsing culminates into a high energy performance on stage. Captured on film is just a portion of what made Elvis one of the world's most admired and beloved entertainers.

Looks to me as if the documentary reflects Elvis searching for a new direction. After all, he can't keep doing his standard R&R year after year. Hound Dog and the others undoubtedly revolutionized pop culture, making Elvis probably the most important musical performer of the last 60-years. But then styles do change. Still, it is almost painful to hear him toy with his signature songs in the Las Vegas stage act. I guess I'm still expecting 1956.

To me, his career was a tragic one, perhaps too much success too soon. Unfortunately, he never found real artistic traction after his army stint. Hollywood and Las Vegas simply sapped his creativity, and except for a couple of invigorating TV specials, his career entered a slow down- spiral, becoming finally a sad parody. Yet he remains one of pop music's great raw talents.

The documentary itself shows Elvis at ease in the jamming sessions, where he can be himself. That segment goes on a little too long, but is more revealing than the lengthy Las Vegas segment where Elvis the talent tries uncomfortably to fit into a casino stage act. To me, the act is something of a shambles, interrupted by his least little whim. Nonetheless, he's handsome as ever, still trim and slim, and looking great. Hard to say, however, what's going on with the inner Elvis since the 100-minutes manages very little of that. And that's likely the documentary's biggest failing. Nonetheless, hardcore fans should enjoy.

Make no mistake this film is compelling.

It is a documentary.

Set in 1970 with Elvis preparing for his forthcoming Los Vegas shows. There can be no doubt that he is one of the most sexually appealing and charismatic performers in history.

Elvis is an Icon and what impresses me is that he had so much talent and that is revealed in this movie.Talented too are the band and backing singers and the others who aided his performances.

The sexual chemistry which connected him to his fans is unparalleled in show business history and this movie shows why.

8/10