The overall production is well done with an interactive menu easy to navigate into. There are some excellent concert footages of Elvis filmed from 1969 to 1977. Most of them weren't new to my eyes but the producers used here first generation 8 mm films as the quality is near perfect for that type of footage. Yet I think it's very annoying of having all the time something written at the bottom of the screen (mentioning date & location), and such being there all the time. After I know where a particular footage has been filmed and the date then I don't need to have it reminded to me all the time. This is also distracting for the viewer and since the DVD is announcing a second volume then I'd be hoping such details will be took under considerations.
The Aloha press conference of September 4th 1972 looks a bit sharper than the one on "Hot Shots And Cool Clips" DVD. The possible
explanation could be due to the fact it's full screen on the former DVD while here we have it in reduced size on the screen.
Given the above some dating of certain films are incorrect.At one point we have footage supposedly from June 27th 1976 in
Bloomington,In., well it can't be since Elvis wasn't performing in Bloomington that day but in Largo, Maryland (Landover). That
particular footage is definitely from June 1976 but not Bloomington.It looked to me as it being from Providence,RI. on June 26th
1976. Another film is being labelled as "Chicago,IL. October 15th 1976" with Elvis wearing the Inca Gold Leaf jumpsuit,this is
incorrect as Elvis used that jumpsuit in Chicago on the 14th and had the Indian Feather on the 15th.This footage mentioned as being
from October 15th 1976 is actually from Champaign,IL. on the 22nd (I can easily confirm this since I attended the concert of
October 22nd, 1976 in Champaign,IL). Right after we see footage from Champaign,IL. and it turns out to be from the performance in
Chicago,IL. on the 15th. Obviously someone mixed them up here and explaining why those two are wrongly dated. There is equally a
film dated as being from February '72 in Vegas (Blue shirt,White pants) but that particular footage is from August 1972 (most likely
from the opening show of August 4th 1972), yet definitely not from February '72.
As usual I didn't care much for the pictures slide show in the bonus section.I still maintain that photographs belong to books and magazines, not to T.V. screen, besides most of all these pictures were known and in that sense don't have much to offer.
In conclusion I think the overall DVD is interesting and worth having. I'm hoping the producers will take a bit more care next time in dating the 8mm material, and as much as possible to get rid of those annoying writings at the bottom of the screen. They don't have to be that big either. Obviously it's not the type of DVD that I would be watching all the time but still nice to have, and Mr. Bonja happens to be indeed a pretty good storyteller.