Baz Luhrmann's 'EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert' Paul Belard - Movie Review

'EPiC' - Elvis Presley in Concert. Director Baz Luhrmann explains.. "It has taken two years to restore the uncovered footage to a quality that it has never been projected at previously.  One of the great finds has been unheard recordings of Elvis talking about his life and his music.  It was this that gave the inspiration for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, which is not specifically a documentary, nor a concert film: Elvis takes the audience through the journey of his life, weaving never-before-seen footage with iconic performances that have never been presented in this way, from the 1970 Vegas show, on tour in 1972 and even precious moments of the 1957 “gold jacket” performance in Hawaii.  Most importantly, Elvis will sing and tell you about his life in first person, through both classic and contemporary musical prisms.” Directed by Baz Luhrmann Edited by Jonathan Redmond Opening in cinemas worldwide on February 27, 2026 Elvis author Paul Belard - who has just published his newest book about Elvis' sensational performance on the 1956 Milton Berle TV show - has sent EIN his thoughts about the new movie ..

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This movie was a vindication for me. All those questions I had to answer throughout the years: “Why do you like Elvis so much?”, “What makes him greater than others?”, “How can you watch these silly movies?” They were all answered on the screen yesterday, in gorgeous colors, in scenes that brought chills along the spine, in songs that made you want to tap your feet, some that made you hold back tears, in seeing this man that brought us so much in regal splendor, his fingers loaded with rings, in jump suits that were not yet extravagant, with majestic belts.

Now, if I have to answer one of those inquiries, I’ll simply say: “Go and see EPIC and you will understand”.

There is so much to see, and much to suggest there is so much more. I had seen these gorgeous clips from him with his gold jacket in Hawaii in November 1957, and there, there were more, vibrant, exciting and too short.

 

I really enjoyed him sitting on the stool with the Gretsch guitar, singing “Little Sister/Get Back”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight”, and the one in the middle whose title I forget (I need to see this movie again and again). Elvis is so relaxed, so cool.

When Elvis talked about his movies, how they made him sick, he was very kind to say it was nobody’s fault. He was wrong. It was partly his fault for not putting his foot down. The excuse “there were contracts” only goes so far.

Contracts are broken all the time. But we know who the main culprit was. Since I am not a fan of the snow man, I was glad that Baz took a dig at him, even if metaphorically with the song “Devil in Disguise”. Elvis’ mother had been more direct in saying, “This man is the devil.” We also got another glimpse of this cigar chomping man when Elvis says, “I’d like to go to Europe, Japan.” Elvis’ life was an American tragedy, in which this villain had too much a part.

Back to EPIC, the rehearsals are splendid, with an Elvis in full command. His sense of humor, his smile and that glint in his eyes that are so disarming. Here too, I wish there were more. I would not have minded hearing “A Fool Such As I” in its entirety. This was almost the raw Elvis of the fifties, with a simple band. Hearing the harried Las Vegas version of “Hound Dog” after the better one on the Ed Sullivan show was a letdown, but the guitar solo was great.

He said he needed at least five hours to wind down after a show. It is easy to believe after hearing songs such as “Polk Salad Annie”, “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Burning Love” (which by the way incorporates the London Philharmonic Orchestra version), and of course “Suspicious Minds”.

 

But there is also a guy who probably needed a long time to recover, it is Ronnie Tutt. What a drummer he was! I am so glad he had such a presence in the movie. By the way, the sound is crystal clear. One can hear every guitar lick, every piano note, every bass line, and these drum rolls tumbling down like waterfalls. What a treat to the ears it is.

Mixing the actual show piece with the one in the rehearsal was a wonderful idea and very effective.

There are quieter moments, the “Love Me” sequence. Elvis was no Howard Hughes who sequestered himself because he was afraid of germs. No siree, Elvis kisses these women on the lips with gusto. They must have hurt after the show.

Sad moments are present too; the pictures of his ailing mother are heartbreaking. During “Polk Salad Annie” Elvis says several times, “That’s about all they had to eat, but they did all right”. And a picture of him as the young boy with his parents fades in; what a poignant moment it is!

I could go on for hours, but if you have seen the movie, you know what I am talking about. If you have not, run to a theater near you. It will be a revelation if you are a casual fan, it will be a confirmation if you think Elvis is the greatest entertainer there ever was.

Quite a few of these new artists should go and study EPIC and learn what a real performer is.

I had been waiting for a movie that did justice to Elvis’ talent. I finally saw it.

 

(Book Review) Elvis Black and White to Technicolor (Paul Belard and Joseph Krein): The latest release from Paul Belard (with Joseph Krein) is one of the more important Elvis books in recent years. The reason why is that addresses the controversial issue that Elvis was racist. The authors tackle the subject of Elvis' relationship with Black America head on through a balanced and impressive mix of text and image. Belard and Krein's research has uncovered rare archival material on the issue and the book includes hundreds of comments about Elvis by Black Americans.       Read Nigel Patterson's detailed review (Book Reviews; Source;ElvisInformationNetwork)

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