On Thursday July 29 I got to relive the King on the big screen.
This documentary originally came out in 1972, five years before his death. It was really interested to be able to visit and see his life as he traveled across the US on his 15 city tour. You not only get to experience him on stage, but also off stage. It’s the mixing of these two lifestyles that makes Elvis On Tour an extremely important historical documentary.
I simply could not imagine the amount of time required to edit a piece like this. Not only were there several cameras always running on Elvis, but the film is multi-panel. Rather than showing one shot during the film, sometimes they show three. This multi-angle setup makes the picture really energetic.
Being able to see this documentary in the theater was probably as close as I’ll ever be to seeing Elvis on perform on stage. The audience loved it. Of course there was an Elvis impersonator in the audience, which made the experience that much more authentic.
Elvis On Tour is a celebration of everything that makes Elvis The King, yet it remains truthful and humble.
There is a reason why years after his death Elvis continues to gain fans and this remastered Elvis On Tour is a perfect tribute to him.
For those of you curious as to what songs are included here they are: “See See Rider,” “Proud Mary,” “Burning Love,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Teddy Bear,” “Hound Dog,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” “Love Me Tender,” “All Shook Up,” “Suspicious Minds,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and more.
There will be a screening of this documentary on August 14, 2010 in Memphis during Elvis Week.
Elvis on Tour will also be available on Video on Demand from cable and satellite providers and for download from online via: iTunes, Microsoft Xbox LIVE, Zune marketplace and Amazon Video on Demand.
A Blu-ray edition is also being released. We’ll have a review of it soon.
