Nearly four years after the release of his Elvis biopic, director Baz Luhrman returns with EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, a dazzling, unconventional concert film and documentary, using never-before-seen concert and archival footage, found in the vaults of Warner Bros., and the Graceland archives while Luhrman was working on ELVIS. For those who grew up with his music but never saw Elvis in the flesh, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert offers an opportunity to witness his energetic performances, and his unique ability to connect to his fans.
After a brief prologue highlighting Elvis’ career, including his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, his military service, and his time making movies in Hollywood, the scene switches to his 1970’s Las Vegas residency, where he performed up to three shows a day. With only Elvis’ voice as commentary, we learn of his career regrets: a desire to make better films, and tour Europe, neither of which he would get the chance to do.
His energy never lags, as he runs through a marathon of his hits, including: “That’s All Right,” “Hound Dog,” “Suspicious Minds,” “Little Sister,” “In the Ghetto,” and popular songs of the era, “Get Back,” by the Beatles, and Simon & Garfunkel’s, “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Elvis has fun in between songs, joking with the audience, his band, and backup singers. Even offstage in the recording studio, Elvis is loose, and ready with a joke for those around him.
Enlightening and entertaining, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is a can’t miss for fans. Even if it provides information we already know about Elvis, the film humanizes the King in a way rarely seen, with his words, and his words only. It avoids anything controversial, though it makes clear that Colonel Tom Parker saw Elvis as a cash cow, and didn’t care about the quality of the product the King produced, if it made money.
Presented in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, the image is solid, making me wish I’d had the opportunity to see it in IMAX. Well preserved, things look surprisingly natural. The concert footage pops, putting you in the middle of the audience. Details are excellent, allowing you to see every bead of sweat on Elvis’ face, and the intricate ornamentation on his jumpsuits. There’s a nice sense of depth throughout, adding to the feeling of being at the concert. The color grade is excellent, benefitting from the use of HDR. Contrast is well balanced, and black levels are inky. A nice level of film grain is present, and there is no noise or other artifacts evident.
The English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack rocks! Dynamics are appropriate, and faithful to the original production. While it lacks modern thump, the track sounds warm, and full. While the surround activity doesn’t envelop you the way some modern mixes do, the results are pleasing, offer plenty of organic crowd noise. Relatively small crowds by today’s standards, there’s a nice intimate feeling throughout. dialogue, be it the narration or during concerts, is clean, clear, and concise.
English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are available.
There are no real extras included.
