Elvis
A 50th Anniversary Celebration
(Passport
Video, 70 minutes, NTSC All Region format,
4:3
standard screen)
"Elvis
was a spiritual awakening...he had great music, a great
band and a great voice"
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Since
he advent of DVD technology there has been a steady
flow of Elvis documentary releases on to the market.
In
most cases each release has offered value for money,
and the latest disc, Elvis 50th Anniversary Celebration,
is no exception. I
may be wrong but it appears that the material on Elvis
50th Anniversary Celebration is taken from the 8 disc
boxset The Definitive Elvis.
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Some
of the people appearing on Elvis 50th Anniversary Celebration
are: Tom Jones Barry Gibb Suzi Quatro Steve Binder (director
of The Comeback Special) Jimmie Rodgers Jackie DeShannon Tony
Sheridan Dixie Locke-Emmons (Elvis' first girlfriend).
The
anecdotes provided by the stars are enlightening and while
many are brief they continually engage your attention. Just
some of the intriguing segments include:
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Julia
Baird, sister of John Lennon, provides some particularly
interesting commentary on the impact Elvis had on her
brother
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Neil
Sedaka - "I was mesmerized" [when I first saw Elvis]
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Cliff
Richard offers several insightful comments on the importance
of Elvis
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keen
observations on Elvis' appeal, from the reality versus
image element to Elvis' natural ability as a performer,
and the total package he offered combining sex appeal/looks,
body movement, rhythm, great voice, good song choice and
a burning desire to succeed
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commentary
on political correctness in the music world as rock &
roll exploded on the scene
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film
director, Hal Kanter, recalls what is an iconic element
in the Elvis story - today living on at performances of
Elvis The Concert - the incessant flash of hundreds of
camera lightbulbs in the audience
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Kanter
also reflects on the hero worship that Elvis engenders,
recalling the day he observed a young girl collect dust
off Elvis' car
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Tony
Sheridan viewing Elvis as a "revolution"
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comedian
Shecky Greene recalls the day Bing Crosby astutely told
him that "Elvis Presley will be one of the biggest stars
of show business".
The
DVD also features historic video footage including the first
color film of The King on stage in Texas in the mid 1950s
and other amateur footage of Elvis on stage in both the
1950s and 1970s.
The
DVD extras are Chris Beard on meeting Elvis and a short
chat with Elvira.
Video:
the video quality is excellent.
Audio:
the audio quality is first rate. Dolby digital.
Verdict:
if you haven't the time to watch all 16 hours of The Definitive
Elvis boxset you will appreciate this release. With a mid-range
price tag it is a highly watchable and enjoyable documentary
which represents very good value for money.
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