Rating: Summary: Really Great! Review: I believe in a lot of ways,TTWII Special Edition is better than the original version,though that is also good.The Special Edition shows some really high-powered performances by Elvis and as usual,he's looking really great!I recommend this to any Elvis fan.
Rating: Summary: This is the way it should have been Review: This newly released video of Elvis's 1970 concert film "That's The Way It Is" is better than the original, which was overshadowed by 2 many interviews. This tape focuses on just the music. It kciks off with Elvis rehearsing for his second season in Las Vegas, where he staged a successful comeback to live performing a year before. This segment features Elvis playing around with his band. In one scene, Elvis sings "That's All Right", and the microphone falls off the stand, and he continues to sing. Rehearsing for the tour meant for Elvis that he didn't need to be serious. The concert, however, is serious. It kicks off with a torid "That's All Right", then culminates with a heartbreaking "Can't Help Falling In Love". Also included are stellar performances of "Hound Dog", "The Wonder Of You", "Love Me Tender", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin" and "Polk Salad Annie". That's the way it is is the way it should have been in the first place.
Rating: Summary: A Toast too Elvis Review: I recently purchased this on Dvd&just truly enjoyed all the elements in it.I've dug Elvis Presley for a really long time&I wanted a Dvd too Capture what made Him One of the Greatest Artists Ever.His Voice was still Solid&in peak form here.
Rating: Summary: THE ORIGINAL WAS CLASSIC! Review: What a disappointment. The original was truley entertaining, showing Elvis rip his pants, classic dance moves, and interviews with fans. WHY change a good thing? They should rename the video Elvis - thats part of the way it is...
Rating: Summary: Up close and personal! Elvis in concert! Review: "Elvis: That's The Way It Is (Special Edition)" was a hit in January 2001 when it aired on TCM. I love this documentary. On TCM it read: "In November 1970 Denis Sanders directed the documentary 'Elvis: That's The Way It Is.' It chronicled Elvis as he returned to live performances after making movies in Hollywood during the '60s. Most of the footage shot was unused in the final film and remained lost in studio vaults. Until Now. " Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer rediscovered over four hours of lost footage showing Elvis rehearsing and new concert footage and compiled most of it in here. This is truly something for evrybody to see. Don't try to pass this one up. As shown, the show is a complete sell-out and the seats in the showroom are packed. Elvis in concert in August 1970 at the International Hotel in Vegas in one megashow. That's the way it was!
Rating: Summary: 5 stars is NOT enough Review: This film shows, along with the '68 Comeback Special, Elvis on Tour, and Aloha From Hawaii, why Elvis was, and always will be the king. In this Elvis has the energy of a hurricane all wrapped up in one incredible man. He is lean and awesome. His voice has this great tone about it that I think sounds better than when he started out. The sound quality is so completely awesome and perfect that it sounds like it could have been recorded on today's modern equipment. The picture quality is equally as impressive. It's crystal clear, sharp, and not grainy in the least. This DVD would convert any serious music fan into an Elvis fan, and if it doesn't - they're tone deaf.
Rating: Summary: Buyer Beware...NOT THE ORIGINAL!!! Review: If you have the original version of this great film, in whatever format, hold on to it! This is not the original movie!! I love Elvis and I love "Elvis: That's The Way It Is." But this new release is such a butcher job, depressing me so much that afterwards I had to watch the original to set things straight. Everything that made this film such a unique in-depth look is gone. A look not only at the King, but the whole Vegas scene at that time. Keep in mind that Elvis' return to live performance was as much anticipated by the celebrity world as it was for average fans. The feel of that is lost in this edited version. Sure, raw footage of Presley is always great to watch, but that's all there is here. Instead of a thorough, complete documentation of an event, we're left with nothing more than a bunch of videos strung together with no apparent relationship. And that's okay, but it's not what I bought this DVD for. Yes, many songs are gone, but the interviews were important, too. That's what makes a documentary, folks! I missed seeing all the preparation at the International Hotel leading up to the moment, and prepare they did. The souvenirs they sold for pocket change are now worth hundreds, if not priceless. I like that history aspect, cut out of the new release, of course. One scene I was particularly disappointed to see cut was the beautiful montage of casino lights on the Vegas strip, underscored by a smooth bluesy rendition of "Heartbreak Hotel." What a sin! "Elvis: That's The Way It Is" was done right the first time, in 1970, and it still works for me. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!
Rating: Summary: nice, short and sweet Review: Elvis proved to me 5 or 6 years ago he was the best, most sensational popular singing artist that ever lived. This is the reason why he is King. These performances can not be bettered by anybody, ever. I know this is saying a lot, but it's the truth. There are 3 things that made Elvis The King from a musical and visual point-of-view: his 50s TV performances, his '68 special and this movie, the most dynamic performance one -very human- man can possibly give. I mean, he knocked himself out night after night and reclaimed his throne. Elvis was Back. Again. I have over 1000 CDs, blues-hard rock, jazz, soul, funk, you name it, and although he almost destroyed his carreer in the 60s by many bad movies, here he not only proves to the world who's King in the popular music field, but knocks you out by his charisma, energy, talent and sex appeal and makes your girlfriend wonder what the heck she's doing with a guy like you...
Rating: Summary: The next best thing to having been in Vegas in 1970.... Review: Elvis in performance is the best of Elvis, the real Elvis. And this film catches the King at his coolest and sexiest. The earlier part of the film shows an impromptu, mischievious Elvis in recording sessions, which his films could never capture. He doesn't even have his hair slicked back! The major part of this film features a svelte Elvis in concert in 1970 in Las Vegas, taped over 6 performances. And this is why he will always be the King. Looser and more relaxed than the 1973 Aloha worldwide broadcast, in full control of the music the way he wanted it, Elvis was confident, sensational, electric. The best recorded performances of Polk Salad Annie, Patch it Up, You Don't Have to Say You Love Me. New slants on his rock 'n roll pieces, his voice in better, more mature pitch. This little piece of music history shows why the King owned Vegas during and after his life time.
Rating: Summary: Get the DVD & hold on to the VHS! Review: The "Special Edition" DVD of the 1970 concert film, "That's the way it is",is remastered with better audio, video, and extra footage of Elvis! It has removed footage from the original VHS version (which has a cover showing Elvis in a flowered shirt) such as fan comments, advertising for the show, and even a few Elvis performances ("I just can't help believing" for one). This documentary consists of footage of Elvis in one of the best times of his life emotionally, physically, and vocally. Seriously, the band has to work hard to keep up with the energy that Elvis displays in this show! (see "Polk Salad Annie", "Suspicious Minds", etc.) It is fantastic that this video has been preserved because it shows Elvis at the top of his game. You may notice that the audience is quite tame compared to an arena audience. For one thing the concert is a formal Vegas affair with everyone seated at dining tables. Yes there are still some lovesick girls in the front row, but you can also see celebrities like Sammy Davis, jr. and Cary Grant in attendance. The energy of the audience doesent really matter anyway because the performance Elvis gives is amazing and inspiring. This is a great way to remember Elvis. The DVD will sound, look, and flow much better than the original film. It also has more Elvis and less stuff to fast foward through. Bottom line: Hold on to your old VHS copy for the performances not on the DVD, but buy the DVD for every other reason. TCB
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