Elvis Presley Movie:
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| Movie Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii | |||||||||||||||||||||
Editorial Review:
He may have looked trim, but posthumous accounts (especially Peter Guralnick's Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, the second volume in his definitive biography) confirm what a second look suggests--on this evening, Elvis was alternately overwhelmed and distracted, bravura renditions of signature songs (most triumphantly, the "American Trilogy" medley originated by Mickey Newbury) offset by less-focused readings. Fans may still savor a generous and diverse song list, but viewed beside Presley's earlier, more consistent performances (including a rehearsal the previous night, since released as The Alternate Aloha Concert), this legendary concert anticipates Presley's imminent decline.
In this remastered version, three songs have been deleted due to music clearance issues, while four songs taped after the actual show have been inserted. A fifth bonus track, "No More," makes its first appearance on video. --Sam Sutherland Description of Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii: Five years before he achieved broadcast history with his legendary 1973 global satellite telecast, Aloha from Hawaii, Elvis Presley brought a less grandiose but far more urgent mission to '68 Comeback Special. Isolated from his original audience after a long sojourn on Hollywood soundstages, and threatened by the vibrancy and social gravity of rock, the King sought nothing less than to reclaim his throne. Now this Christmas season network special looms as the Memphis icon's most substantial achievement as a stage performer. If the candy-colored sets and hyperactive choreography of its larger production numbers smack of its network packagers' desperation to be hip, Elvis himself rises to a riveting, assured performance at the peak of his powers. Looking fit and relaxed, and sheathed in black leather, he covers a shrewd song list encompassing early rockabilly hits, gospel (albeit rendered unintentionally hilarious by its florid dance routines), and comparatively restrained ballads. Originally taped for '68 Comeback Special and never seen during his lifetime, the astonishing live performance One Night with You could accurately be described as Elvis unplugged. Taped in a small studio, the session is a no-frills, intimate presentation of the Memphis rocker jamming with four of his earliest band mates, revisiting early favorites in a relaxed and unrehearsed setting. With the musicians seated in a circle, facing one another while surrounded by a small but rapt audience, One Night with You is far removed from the more conventional staging seen elsewhere in his videography. Elvis's warm interaction with his old allies meanwhile refers directly back to his earliest stage and TV work in trio and quartet configurations. For fans, the comeback special itself still looms as an unsurpassed feast of Presley music at the artist's peak. But this 53-minute companion, first aired by HBO, stands on its own as the tenderloin. Fans still remember the ambitious 1973 network TV special Aloha from Hawaii as a zenith in Elvis Presley's performing career, punctuated by its extra-musical achievement as the first global satellite broadcast devoted to a single entertainer. Both the broadcast and its companion album captured the King in his most grandiose persona, fueled by Hollywood scale and Vegas glitz, as a caped pop superhero. He may have looked trim, but posthumous accounts confirm what a second look suggests--on this evening, Elvis was alternately overwhelmed and distracted, bravura renditions of signature songs (most triumphantly, the "American Trilogy" medley originated by Mickey Newbury) offset by less-focused readings. Fans may still savor a generous and diverse song list, but viewed beside Presley's earlier, more consistent performances, this legendary concert anticipates Presley's imminent decline. --Sam Sutherland Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii Reviews: Speaking of wich, you realize that 4 hours worth of this treatment would proabably seem to put ya to sleep and if it does, dont watch it in a moving autombile ok, you have to catch all the hidden things Elvis is sining about, and it's really like the game "clue", we get to see Elvis grow up but still show us that rock is not just about going nuts,although he proabably did right after, you can tell. Yes,the 68 special (delux), thats the way it is special edition Ya he flipped off the old Elvis, but not completely, In the Aloha show (delux) Elvis had alot more talent brewing than his makeshift image and he decided (very focused like)that if the entire world is watching, show them what the world didnt see in him.. his secret side and that is the real reason why some would seem bored and yes (in the 77 special, there was more energy) but in this show in particular, Elvis showed us his contempt for life and what made him really tick and PLUS does anybody realize that this was an enormous release to share his fears with the whole planet with nobody controling him, wow!! to see this in the new edition and witness him coming to grips with himself on national t.v is awesome and watch this with that perspective and see all you faithless Elvis bashers fade! (p.s, American trilogy on the jan 12 performance is hands down the best Elvis performance caught on film period.) | |||||||||||||||||||||