The new feature-length documentary 'Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback Special'  made Meteor 17 and will show on Paramount+.

.. When ELVIS the show initially aired on December 3, 1968, the special was the most-watched television event of the year as nearly half of the TV-watching audience tuned in to see Presley. He famously wore a black leather suit, delivered memorable performances and reinvigorated his career.

After the huge success of the recent 'ELVIS' award-winning biopic,director Steve Binder lend '68 Comeback Special' s his firsthand knowledge of how it all came together for the new documentary directed by John Scheinfeld and produced by Spencer Proffer's Meteor 17.

Reinventing Elvis takes a deeper dive into the making of the Comeback Special, featuring interviews from some of the surviving performers and audience members, as well as Presley experts placing it in the context of the times and the singer's career. But as the filmmakers knew, Binder remains the final authority on this particular slice of rock history.

Luckily for keen Elvis fans 'Reinventing Elvis' played as a movie feature on more than 800 cinema screens worldwide from July 30, 2023 for special presentations.

EIN's Nigel Patterson booked his movie-ticket in Canberra to check it out...

The documentary tells the "true" backstory to what is a seminal moment in the Elvis story and offers insight that will impress, inform and challenge (at least some) viewers. 

Written and directed by John Scheinfeld, the documentary is essentially Steve Binder's account of the '68 Comeback and consequently it is no surprise that it is strongly negative about the “villain” of the story, Colonel Tom Parker.

(Right; Producer John Scheinfeld, Emmy and Grammy Award nominee best known for his two critically acclaimed feature documentaries 'The U.S. vs. John Lennon' and 'Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)?'. He has also made documentaries on Sergio Mendes, John Coltrane, Brian Wilson and Bob Hope.)

EIN's good friend Emiel Maier (from 'Elvis Presley News Report') also supplied his detailed review.

'Re-Inventing Elvis: An impression'

Let me start by saying that 'Re-Inventing Elvis' is a documentary aimed at the general public, because the average Elvis fan already knows the story. But having said that: You always discover something new that you didn't know or haven't seen before. There are no new Elvis images in the documentary, but I did see a few photos that were completely new to me.

All material featuring Elvis in the documentary was released in 2004 on the '68 Comeback Special 3DVD deluxe set. The most successful new material included writers Alanna Nash and Gillian Gaar. But also three of the original dancers from the show have their say. And I do have a soft spot for Susan Henning. And she is still a beautiful mature woman. (Susan Henning if you read this: I wanna dance with you! ��.) But the most special thing to see was the woman who sat next to Elvis when he sang 'Memories' who tells her story. It's really incredible all these years later to hear her telling her experiences in person.

The inclusion of quite a lot of ‘talking heads’ made it clear that the documentary was made in collaboration with MTV. Those young people from the music world started to irritate me at some point. On the one hand I understand it since MTV want to interest a younger audience in the story of the '68 Comeback, but on the other hand it just doesn't add much to the documentary.

As a Dutchman I watched with an above average interest for what Alanna Nash said about Andries van Kuijk. However I found the (known) information that Parker was suspected of committing a murder in the Netherlands added no extra value to the story of the making of the Comeback Special. It was portrayed quite sensationally but had nothing to do with Elvis & Steve Binder. It was suggested that Parker was the only one who knew that pepper could trick a sniffer dog. Well, that fact was common knowledge here in the Netherlands, and was done much more often.

The documentary provided a lot of information about the tumultuous year 1968, which brought the context of the Special to life. Baz Luhrmann already did that very well in his ELVIS film, but here they went even deeper into the social backgrounds. We cannot imagine with our 2023 eyes how traumatic that time really was like in America. So now I also better understand the impact of the special when it was finally broadcast at the end of 1968.

Now I also understand Elvis' internal struggle better when he said “I am not doing it…” just before he had to go on stage. Steve Binder notes: 'Elvis had not sung in front of an audience for 10 years'. So I truly understand that you would have serious doubts whether you can still entertain and captivate an audience. There was quite a lot of pressure on Elvis' shoulders. Because no matter how you look at it: He carried the entire production on his shoulders. A lot of money had been put down and now it was time for Elvis to deliver.

Nothing tops the images of Elvis from 1968. Life doesn't get any better than Elvis in his black leather suit. Alanna Nash said it so beautifully: “Every bulge was visible in black leather”. So did I enjoy…? What’d ya think !? Yes of course! Elvis on the big screen and in fine voice. I'd buy a movie ticket for that! And what an excellent idea to leave out all the talking heads when The King sings “If I Can Dream.” at the end of the movie.

I saw the cinema screening of Re-Inventing Elvis which included some extra material to when the documentary comes out on Paramount+. I have no idea what's left out, but this is a nice keepsake that Steve Binder made for us. Better late than never.

EIN's good friend and super-reviewer Geoffrey McDonnell also supplied his review.

Why the new 'Re-Inventing Elvis' special is so good.

Right from the start Steve Binder sets the scene covering the political background during the 60's and his past tv specials achievements.

All the past black v white racial issues are neatly covered, and it is impressive that the documentary includes so many good interviews such as with author Alanna Nash and anyone still alive who was associated with the 'special' such as dancers etc. It's also pretty cool that fans who were present at the sit-down shows were tracked down and interviewed as well.

To make the documentary more relevant for the post-Luhrmann 'ELVIS' era other current artists and musical producers from today also provide relevant interviews too.

Fans will enjoy the featured outtakes, including the bordello scene and a few Elvis goofs.

Many complete songs are featured. Including after an explanation of how Binder was called to an office with ultimatum to make sure a Christmas song was inserted in the special and lucky for Binder he remembered a version of 'Blue Christmas' from a sit-down show and it being added at the last moment.

The Colonel comes out as a particularly nasty character and the "Pepper" incidents, although just circumstantial evidence, are quite frightening.

The two hours whizzed past and put both Steve Binder and Elvis in a new light because the interesting and detailed background on how the '68 special was made is finally and properly established - and that it still stands up TODAY as essential viewing.

A brilliant documentary and even better on the Big Screen.

Australia super-fan Don Hudson also supplied his review.
.. . Don Hudson is a long-term Elvis fan from Melbourne. In the 70s-90s he was known as Australia's 'The Movie Man' going all around the states showing Elvis and rock and roll movies to all the Fan Clubs.

'REINVENTING ELVIS - The 68 COMEBACK - Steve Binder' - at Australian HOYTS cinema.

Don Hudson, July 30, 2023.

This documentary presented by Steve Binder is intended to cover the resurgence of ELVIS in 1968.  

Following the debacle that was the Baz Luhrmann movie, I was a little hesitant and although I enjoyed the show, I felt it was poorly edited, lacked cohesion and is CONFIRMED as another attempt to discredit Col Tom Parker.  

The early part of the movie depicts Steve Binder outlining his experiences on the project intermixed with unwarranted interviews & expressions that is frankly all over the place to finally focus on the USA in the late 60’s citing Vietnam, Bobby Kenndy, Martin Luther King, Mohammad Ali and the ongoing Civil Rights conflicts. Up against that is ELVIS’ decline as a musician predominantly due to his failing movie career and soundtrack recordings.  

HEADLINERS … Steve BINDER (Hero), Col Tom PARKER (Villain) & there we have it with the Col’s career as judged by one man over one month supported by a few unknown cronies.  

The actual story (I came to see … the "behind the scenes") is virtually uncovered until half-way through the documentary.

• The use of 60’s film clips (majority Paramount) with a couple of MGM scenes are out of sync with the related story.
• Continued interviews with Binder plus (2) regular female writers support Binder’s views of Parker as a murderer (pre residing in the US), restrictive, controlling, untrustworthy & out of date.
• Col Parker has NO support NOR any means of comeback to the allegations here.
• The use of actual Elvis 68 footage is somewhat “sparse” with regularly interruptions by other unwanted musical inclusions. # EG, SOME (5) non Elvis cuts of Blue Suede Shoes.
• ALL the Elvis segments namely the Round, the Stand Up, the Sit Down, the Gospel, the Christmas, the Bordello and the Production (Guitar Man) sequences SHOULD have taken “pride of place”.
• Fabulous examples of the show reveal Lawdy Miss Clawdy, One Night, If I can Dream and a sensational 1956 Dorsey Show clip featuring Heartbreak Hotel BUT ALL too short.

 BOTTOM LINE …

• The theme of the documentary is more like BINDER vs PARKER but in reality it is more about ELVIS and the “internal conflicts” of the USA in the middle to late 1960’s where it simply loses any thread of the title's theme.
• CONFUSED, well YOU now get my drift!
• Fantastic to see more ORIGINAL ELVIS on the BIG SCREEN in what was HIS only Television Special and regrettably it is tarnished by Steve Binder's negative views on the Col and too many hangers on.
• I am a supporter of Steve Binder's great work who obviously enjoyed a good working relationship with Elvis himself yet these types of SPECIALS should NOT be used to confuse that.

The '68 Special - 40th Anniversary Celebration: How lucky in life would you be to get to the recording of Elvis' 68 TV Special and also make it to the recent 40th Anniversary screening in L.A? EIN's correspondent Joan Gansky is one of those few very fortunate fans. Joan Gansky not only met Elvis multiple times - but being at the original NBC recording of the 68 Special truly changed her life! Here are her unique recollections of attending the recent 40th Anniversary celebration - as well as her thoughts on being there back in June 1968. This EIN exclusive features comments by Steve Binder, Priscilla, Bones Howe as well as great close-up photos by Paul Gansky.

Click here for the full article.

(Spotlight, Source;EIN/JoanGansky)

The Night Elvis Reclaimed His Crown: In summer 1968, Elvis Presley taped a television special to be broadcast that Christmas. Fifteen years earlier, he had walked into Sun Studios in Memphis to make a record as a present for his mother, or so the story goes, and changed history.The special begins in darkness, to the sound of a whomping, Muddy Waters-ish blues riff, and then a famous face fades in, turning toward the camera, filling the screen, meaning business.... "Singer Presents Elvis" is a great moment in music, in television, and in the narrative of his own life -- a moment of change, when what was lost is found again. He regains his voice -- and in so doing becomes at once who he was and who he'll become. His singing has the lilt of youth but with a mature edge. He is 33 years old, lean and chiselled and -- what he had not seemed in years -- a little dangerous. . . . . .   (Spotlight, Source;LATimes)