When Elvis stopped making movies in Hollywood and returned to making music following his triumphant 1968 comeback, he gathered together a group of hot Nashville cats to back him up. THAT'S THE WAY IT IS follows Elvis as he prepares to return to the stage and follows him up to his opening nights. This is a compelling, fascinating, and highly amusing musical documentary where Elvis' overall
No Description Available. Genre: Documentary Rating: NR Release Date: 7-AUG-2007 Media Type: DVD
This 1970 concert documentary captures Elvis Presley midway through a fateful transition, seeking to reclaim his musical primacy after a decade of self-imposed exile from concert stages. Sidelined by his big-screen career, eclipsed by rock's mid-'60s transformations, the King had begun his return two years earlier with the relatively lean attack of his fabled network television appearance, '68 Comeback Special. Now the Memphis legend was poised to reposition his performing profile by pursuing the top rungs of headliner status in Las Vegas, a career choice that seems even more ephemeral in hindsight than it already did at the time.
Elvis: That's the Way It Is follows the show's genesis from rehearsal to stage, with the performance footage that provides its inevitable climax shot over six nights. The rehearsal footage, expanded for this special edition, offers further proof that Presley's band was simply superb: stripped of the orchestrations and lush choral arrangements that would be grafted onto the stage show, the sextet sounds both tough and nimble. In performance, we're treated to a mostly riveting glimpse of Presley in top vocal form, poised at the brink of bombast. This is Elvis before the onset of portentous Richard Strauss overtures, karate kicks, and tossed scarves, kicking off the show with the classic "That's All Right." If he risks undercutting the punch of his early songs with self-deprecating clowning, he attacks two Ray Charles classics with gusto. The special edition also boasts digitally remastered visuals, crisply remixed Dolby audio, alternate versions that replace the original performances of several tracks (including the extended vamp of "Suspicious Minds"), a theatrical trailer, and a new documentary on the restoration of the film. --Sam Sutherland
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
ELVIS: THE WAY HE SHOULD ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED!!:
"Elvis: That's The Way It Is" captures King Presley at an interesting cross-roads in his career. With his true talents largely wasted after too many years in Hollywood, Elvis found himself usurped as the "King Of Rock and Roll" by the likes of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. This documentary, filmed in the summer of 1970 as he prepared for an engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, finds Elvis ready and in prime condition to reclaim his throne! The documentary shows him at age 35, fit and... more info
Elvis Alive:
I'm not the Elvis fan. My wife is. I never "got" him. But this is Elvis in Las Vegas, clowning with his buds, at the peak of his fame. My wife loved, loved, loved it. That's why I bought the DVD. According to my wife, Elvis is at his most gorgeous here. And I have to admit, seeing him in concert, he's a pretty impressive musician & a pretty impressive entertainer. Though it's supposed to be "candid Elvis," he's always aware that the camera's on him, and you never feel that it's really natural. It's no... more info
Elvis!:
If you love Elvis you will just love this DVD. It will bring tears to your eyes.
Great DVD Great Price:
There actually aren't many movies or specials or what have you of Live Elvis performances. You have the 68 comeback, 73 aloha from hawaii and 77 Elvis in Concert and of course the few 56 specials and the sinatra 1960 stint. Thats it. Here we see Elvis in the best shape of his life, and the special edition shows at least 10 straight songs making it concert like. The rest is Elvis speaking and jamming and show his normal side. Appeared to be such a nice man, kind to everyone and unassuming. Too bad... more info
