This is Elvis DVD (Extended Version)

#384900

Could they have found a worse performance than "Love Me" from the Omaha train wreck show on 6/19/77? I'm not trying to start another CBS 77 thread, but there were a lot of decent performances from those two shows, espcially the Rapids City show on 6/21/77....Here are a few that would have been tons better:

1) Trying to get to you
2) It's now or Never
3) I really don't want to know
4) How Great Thou Art
6) Hurt

Not to be picky, but the sound is not great on either DVD....In spite of these issues, I'm glad to retire my VHS versions of this otherwise good movie. There are plenty of good performances too.

#384911

My guess (and this is just a theory) is that "Love Me" doesn't have many close up shots so they chose that one so he wouldn't look as "fat"..

#384913

The whole idea of the end this documetary was to tell the story of the decline of a superstar. To do that, you show great performances then you show the worst footage from 1977. So they used "are you lonesome tonight", then because of some music rights problem they replaced with "love me", which was even worse. If they had shown one of the great performances, it would not have made sense within the focus of the documentary.

#384914

joshferrell, you have raised a rather interesting point in relation to Love Me! Sincerely stated! Cheers!

#384916

ekenee wrote:The whole idea of the end this documetary was to tell the story of the decline of a superstar. To do that, you show great performances then you show the worst footage from 1977. So they used "are you lonesome tonight", then because of some music rights problem they replaced with "love me", which was even worse. If they had shown one of the great performances, it would not have made sense within the focus of the documentary.

That's right.

It was a documentary not an Elvis Love Fest!

#384924

Well, they showed My Way and it was a great performance....

#384925

I still remember 1977 pretty well and Elvis was still held in very high regard in 1977. His shows still sold out in less than an hour (usually) and he was one of the top road acts even in 1977. At the time of his death, he had songs on the charts and all over the radio....I think Elvis was moving toward being a "different type of performer" by 1977. I think if he had lived, he would have done more songs like Hurt....His 1977 versions of Fever even sound have a little jazz in them. I don't think he was in serious decline (career wise). He was still very bookable in 1977 and had gigs scheduled for the rest of the year.

#384936

The choice to include My Way is an obvious one as it was a highlight from the CBS shows, but the inclusion of Love Me is quite odd. There were loads of terrible performances to choose from, but if the intention was to show a positive picture of EP's ability to perform at the end, there were a few redeeming tracks such as Unchained Meloday, Trying To Get To You, I Really Don't Want To Know, etc that wouldn't have shown how tragic the EP show had become.

#384963

tsc4280 wrote:I still remember 1977 pretty well and Elvis was still held in very high regard in 1977. His shows still sold out in less than an hour (usually) and he was one of the top road acts even in 1977. At the time of his death, he had songs on the charts and all over the radio....I think Elvis was moving toward being a "different type of performer" by 1977. I think if he had lived, he would have done more songs like Hurt....His 1977 versions of Fever even sound have a little jazz in them. I don't think he was in serious decline (career wise). He was still very bookable in 1977 and had gigs scheduled for the rest of the year.

You may be right.

But how much longer could that have continued ?

Those fans seeing him live in '77 must have been sorely disappointed............

#384966

I bought the DVD but haven't had time to screen it yet for more than a minute or two...

I was sorely disappointed when I got the VHS version and saw that sub-par (and poorly captured) version of "Love Me,"....The original use of "Are Yo Lonesome Tongiht" was far more effective, no matter how one views it.

#384971

TSC 4280 wrote:

I still remember 1977 pretty well and Elvis was still held in very high regard in 1977. His shows still sold out in less than an hour (usually) and he was one of the top road acts even in 1977. At the time of his death, he had songs on the charts and all over the radio....I think Elvis was moving toward being a "different type of performer" by 1977. I think if he had lived, he would have done more songs like Hurt....His 1977 versions of Fever even sound have a little jazz in them. I don't think he was in serious decline (career wise). He was still very bookable in 1977 and had gigs scheduled for the rest of the year.

************************************

I agree with what you say. Elvis was all over the radio and records on the charts. Sold out concerts. I know all of that.
You may have missed my point.
I was speaking thru the mind of a documentary film maker who was trying to make a point by certain song inclusions. You must know that any documetary is slanted by the editing choices that are made.

"my way" for example is about looking back at one's own life.
The first line says it all, "and now the end is near".
And they really didn't show much of the song, but rather segments of his life as it played.

And BTW, with all the hoopla over the DVD I think the Movie is very out-dated at this point. Back then it was all we had for a career retrospective. Something new, better, longer, and more complete should be put together.

#384987

Elvis still hadn't done a world tour, so he could always had done that. That could have lasted for years. There were many parts of the world he hadn't gone to, it would have been huge.

#385124

LonnieBeale wrote:Elvis still hadn't done a world tour, so he could always had done that. That could have lasted for years. There were many parts of the world he hadn't gone to, it would have been huge.

In the condition that he was in during 76/77, it is highly unlikely he could have handled being on the road for months at a time touring international markets. He could barely function while trying to tackle short 2 week tours of secondary U.S. markets.

#385283

WHOEVER BOUGHT THE DVD "THIS IS ELVIS"...I PLAN TO BUY NEXT WEEK. I HAVE THE VHS TAPE THAT I BOUGHT WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT. IT DIDN'T HAVE "ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT", BUT THE TAPE I RECORDED ON TELEVISON HAD THE "ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT".
DOES THE NEW DVD HAVE THE SONG? PLEASE HELP.
ALSO, DOES IT HAVE EXTRA THAT WE NEVER SEEN BEFORE? IS IT WORTH IT TO BUY?

#385286

The Caps Lock please

!

#385287

sheila wrote:WHOEVER BOUGHT THE DVD "THIS IS ELVIS"...DOES IT HAVE EXTRA THAT WE NEVER SEEN BEFORE?
IS IT WORTH IT TO BUY?

And have they replaced the truncated songs with proper full versions ?

Doubt it somehow....................

#385293

Sheila

When you buy This Is Elvis you get 2 versions in the one package, the theatrical version (that is the version only ever shown in the cinema back in 1981...not seen on TV or video ever) and the 'video' version which has been shown on TV in many edited versions.

The theatrical version has Are You Lonesome Tonight, the 'video' version has Love Me (but no Are You Lonesome Tonight), so yes to answer your question you to get both, do you get anything extended....no, but then again if you've never seen the theatrical version you're in for some interesting language/dialogue from Elvis (that was filmed for but never used in Elvis On Tour).

The theatrical version is in 2 channel, the video version is in 1 channel.
Theatrical picture quality of My Way (& all CBS Elvis In Concert footage) is in inferior picture quality to that of the 'video' version. So together over both discs you get the best of both worlds.

#385311

So, after all this time & all the supposition about what they might do with this film...

...like restore the edited songs to full length

...like show more of the Graceland interior footage

...like show more music clips

...like remove the reconstructed dramatic bits

...like remove the cheesy commentary

......in the end they leave everything 'as was'............

Oh, well.......................

JerryNodak · #385313

Wasn't it Andrew Solt who said some time ago that there wouldn't be any "This Is Elvis" SE (for various corporate reasons), but rather just some bare bones reissue? If I'm remembering correctly, then what he said is what we've now got. I'm Okay with it. At least it's on DVD.

#385358

It's a good movie, the long version is even better. But I do not like some of the overdubbed instruments and sound (interviewers voices, fans comments) They really stand out more on dvd. Does anyone know where that bonus feature of the Graceland tour first aired?

#385364

Especially (Stay Away) Joe Esposito' overdubbed "man, can Hawaii get sticky" on to the footage of Presley (in the limo) leaving his (16th April '72) afternoon gig at the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, in Jacksonville, Florida! (A photograph taken from the opening number of this concert made it's way on to the cover of the Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden alblum!)

#385387

Ray wrote:Sheila

When you buy This Is Elvis you get 2 versions in the one package, the theatrical version (that is the version only ever shown in the cinema back in 1981...not seen on TV or video ever) and the 'video' version which has been shown on TV in many edited versions.

I'm sure I saw the theatrical version on TV here in the States in 1982-3. It was not out on video yet as I recall, which is why I made a point of watching it!

Axe

#385464

All TV prints were the theatrical edited or on cable unedited.

#385487

THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT INFORMATIONS!!

I'M PLANNING TO BUY THE DVD NEXT WEEK!! LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!!

Ray wrote:Sheila

When you buy This Is Elvis you get 2 versions in the one package, the theatrical version (that is the version only ever shown in the cinema back in 1981...not seen on TV or video ever) and the 'video' version which has been shown on TV in many edited versions.

The theatrical version has Are You Lonesome Tonight, the 'video' version has Love Me (but no Are You Lonesome Tonight), so yes to answer your question you to get both, do you get anything extended....no, but then again if you've never seen the theatrical version you're in for some interesting language/dialogue from Elvis (that was filmed for but never used in Elvis On Tour).

The theatrical version is in 2 channel, the video version is in 1 channel.
Theatrical picture quality of My Way (& all CBS Elvis In Concert footage) is in inferior picture quality to that of the 'video' version. So together over both discs you get the best of both worlds.

#385489

I recall people cheering in the cinema after Elvis' 77 version of My Way.
The use of Love Me was a disgrace
rick

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