Nonureva Really Surprised!

XoWizIama Excellent adaptation.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

MARIO GAUCI The unassailable reputation of this legendary TV special prompted me to acquire it regardless of the fact that I have little more than a passing interest in its subject; actually, a conversation I had on "Facebook" with the top local Elvis fan I know on the day that would have been "The King"'s 76th birthday is what made me watch it immediately! Although the IMDb gives the show a slim 50-minute duration, the copy I acquired ran for around 73 and, indeed, looking up some information on it after the fact, I realized that there are several versions available out there, culminating in the exhaustive 7½-hour "Deluxe Edition" released in 2004 spread over 3 DVDs! Presley's fans must have drawn a great sigh of relief watching their idol get back to his true métier of performing live in front of swooning audiences; what really impresses the 'infidels', however, is the sheer energy and magnetism that a totally black-clad Elvis is able to transmit in this up-close-and-personal/back-to-basics rendition of his decade old classic hits that, surely, must have been the precursor to the "MTV Unplugged" fad that proliferated a quarter-of-a-century later. And so it is that we have Presley belting out full-length or medley versions of "All Shook Up", "Don't Be Cruel", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Jailhouse Rock", "That's All Right" and even a tongue-in-cheek "Love Me Tender"(!) – performed either while barely containing himself in a chair (and accompanied by a handful of seasoned musicians) or standing up with guitar in hand as he interacts with the fans sitting literally at arm's length away from him! In spite of the stripped-down nature of the songs themselves, the show was captured on camera for posterity in as slick and flashy a manner as was possible at the time; in fact, we have here any number of suggestive camera angles and cleverly worked-out shots which, in their evident attempt to highlight the older but perfectly matured figure of its 33-year old star (a far cry from the bloated, all-white image of his later Las Vegas days), are par for the course. However, it was hard for me to accept the incongruity of a couple of truly elaborate musical numbers which, for all their intrinsically enjoyable kitsch elements (not the least of which is seeing Elvis felling his foes with karate chops!), reeked of the blandly exotic Hollywood musical vehicles that one hoped Presley wanted to fully leave behind with this startling image revamp and, basically, only served to stretch the show to feature-length standards. At any rate, his acclaimed album "From Elvis In Memphis" (which I have yet to listen to) was just around the corner...

Tashtago The first time I saw this I was blown away. First I didn't know Elvis could play the guitar! Because on t.v. he always played acoustic and you could never hear him. Here he plays electric in the jam session and has a fantastic blues feel. If you have no idea why Elvis was not a joke but a genuinely great performer this would be a good place to start. What amazes me is how raw the performance is. It was a very very inspired idea to have him just jam in a very loose setting with his friends and fellow musicians. I love the banter and the relaxed feeling. Its as if you've happened to come to a party where Elvis and some friends are playing some music. Unique then and unique (in the era of You Tube and MTV) now.

ccthemovieman-1 This was a famous concert because it marked the fist one Elvis had done in eight years and many thought it was one of his best performances. I think this debuted as a TV special, which is where I first saw it almost 40 years ago. Wow, it sure doesn't seem that long ago. I re-watched it several times on video back in the '90s. The main benefit to having this on VHS - and more so now on DVD - is simply to have a copy of a music legend on tape or disc. How many bigger names in show business history are there than Elvis Presley?There are some good songs on here and his voice, even today, remains distinctive to me. I have never heard anyone who sounds quite like him. My favorites are his fast numbers.What I didn't like here was all the clowning around. Elvis does that way too much here, especially early on - laughing and joking in the middle of some of his songs, instead of just singing them. I bought this to hear him sing, although I'm glad he was having a good time, which is certainly entitled to having. Also, the dance numbers look really dated and stupid now. That's not his fault; that's the way they presented music shows back in the '60s. Something else you don't see much, if at all, nowadays: a secular recording artist doing a bunch of gospel songs. Elvis was into that his whole life and that was nice to see in here.One thing we'll always see that we see in this concert - adoring female fans shrieking as the male star performs. At least they aren't loud in here. I've seen it out of control and ruin concerts for those who actually want to hear the performer sing!Anyway, for Elvis fans, this is a "must."

swinebird In 1968 Elvis wasn't popular. He had made last 8 years movies and poor soundtracks. Now he was going to make a comeback by his own way.Elvis sings greatest rock 'n' roll songs ever on the show. His stage charisma is just something unbelievable, and he looks better than ever before! Black leather suit suits Elvis.Steve Binder had many great ideas, and we can say thanks to him that we see those great camera angles, like the own from the top op stage. He sure did know how to make a good TV special. Also the new version on the Deluxe Edition DVD is perfect! Almost 40 years old show, but it's still new.10/10