Elvis: That's the Way It Is
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
PG | 16 August 2014 (USA)
Elvis: That's the Way It Is Trailers

On July 31, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Elvis Presley staged a triumphant return to the concert stage from which he had been absent for almost a decade. His series of concerts broke all box office records and completely reenergized the career of the King of Rock ā€˜nā€™ Roll.

Reviews
Majorthebys

Charming and brutal

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Robert Joyner

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

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Micah Lloyd

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

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Asad Almond

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

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mike48128

This revamped and re-edited version is far superior to the original release, which focused too much on the fascination that the fan clubs held for him. The footage and the sound has been cleaned up. Wisely, songs in rehearsal (some of them bad covers) are not repeated in the concert part of the film, but "Mary in the Morning" should have been. Here we see just how hard Elvis prepared for the historic International Hotel concerts. It is edited down from six live performances. Elvis' multifaceted talents included music arrangement and on-stage conducting of virtually all his "numbers". (He is an accomplished pianist as well--who knew?) He decided when the horns, orchestra and choruses "kicked in" on stage. For a brief 90 minutes or so, it is as if Elvis is still alive. Thrilling for both all old and new Elvis fans. Not a comprehensive list of hits and certainly not his full repertoire, but a good representation. I wish it had included "Lord, You Gave Me a Mountain". No "Dixieland" concerto here. A great cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and the most sincere rendition of "In the Ghetto" I've ever seen. A slightly overlong version of "Polk Salad Annie" because it showcased the humorous side of Elvis. As usual, he "throws away" "Hound Dog", as he must have truly hated that song. A lot of smooching of stage-struck fans and enough audience shots to make it seem like a live-on-film concert from The International Hotel (now the LVH) in Las Vegas. He poured so much energy into this concert, that at the end of it, he is truly worn out. Look for several famous celebrities in the audience including Sammy Davis Jr., Cary Grant, and Charo! Even the excellent re-edited version seems too short.

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ElvisFanCanada

Excellent movie for True Elvis fans. there are some rare scenes. But the songs were good. I'd highly recommend that fans as well as people that didn't like his music watch this movie. Every time i watch Elvis That's The Way It Is I think about why the chose the name. The reason at least in my mind is because it show Elvis as fans didn't see him when he was alive and well. The song choices were very good. My best memory of this one was him sinning in Vegas. The reason I'd recommend this movie it showcases the King at his best. It show's Elvis before all the jumpsuits came out. He sound's just as good as he did on stage. God bless Elvis and his band.

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moonspinner55

Documentary on Elvis Presley the singer, directed by Denis Sanders and chronicling the King's '69 comeback as he prepares for a big show in Las Vegas. Either you're entranced by Presley's megalomaniacal antics or you're not--he certainly is!--while the camera continues to trail right behind E.P. as if were the two were somehow attached. Veteran cinematographer Lucien Ballard's participation in this film is rather bizarre, but his solid work puts the whole thing over, even more so than the music. Capturing every star-twitch and running bead of sweat, the documentary does become a fascinating look at one person's stardom, his ritual. Director Sanders keeps the pacing lively, and keeps the songs coming, though most of the soundtrack is made up of cover tunes. Questions such as why Elvis felt the need to sing music already made popular by other artists never get addressed nor answered, which is why the film is mainly for devotees. The on-screen fans are quirky and interesting, probably more so than the star himself, while the movie provides some brief razzle-dazzle and tacky backstage glamour. **1/2 from ****

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Michael_Elliott

Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970) **** (out of 4) Exciting, energetic and sometimes hilarious documentary covering Elvis in backstage rehearsals leading up to concerts in Las Vegas. This documentary might be one-sided but that one side is a lot of fun and highly entertaining as we get to see all kinds of great footage including The King of Rock 'n Roll getting nervous before the show and joking around with various members of his crew. The rehearsal stuff is a lot of fun including a great version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which comes pretty damn close to passing the original version by S&G. The concert footage is incredibly exciting with Elvis giving a great performance. There are countless great songs including classics like "Can't Help Falling in Love", "Heartbreak Hotel", "All Shook Up" and "That's All Right Mama". Some of the lesser known songs are even better and they include "Suspicious Minds", "I've Lost You", "Mary in the Morning" and "Crying Time". There's also great covers of "Sweet Caroline" and a smoking "You Lost That Loving Feeling". The highlight of the entire film has to be "Love Me Tender" where Elvis walks around the crowd kissing all the women, which I'm sure was a life long memory for all of them. I watched the re-edited 2001 version of this.

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