EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert: A Film Gang Review

Epic, Elvis Presley in Concert, directed by Baz Lorman, draws from newly uncovered footage

of Elvis's later years performing in Las Vegas for electrified audiences.

Lorman meticulously assembled the film with audio help from Peter Jackson to present these

performances from Elvis's own point of view. One of the documentary's greatest pleasures is

watching Elvis rehearse with his band and backup singers. Their sessions reveal a deep professionalism.

They mastered a vast catalog of songs and could switch instantly depending on the audience's

energy. The film also highlights the wide range of musical influences that shaped Elvis's sound,

gospel, R&B, country, and rock and roll, and is remarkable ability to evolve while staying

rooted in those traditions. The physicality of Elvis's performances is on full display,

along with an astonishing array of costumes. I used to find the jumpsuits a little silly,

but after seeing the sheer athleticism of his movements, gyrations,

karate inspired choreography, and non-stop dancing, it's clear that ordinary clothing

would never have held up. This chemistry among Elvis, his band and his singers, is unmistakable.

With a single look or gesture, they moved as one to throw the audience. The film offers a refreshing

portrait of a fun, hard-working Elvis, rather than focusing solely on his battles with Colonel Parker

or addiction. He comes across as a man of humble origins, born poor, raised in a Baptist church,

and often insecure, who found purpose in performing live and gave everything he had on stage.

If he were alive today, he would have cracked the Taylor Swift style marketing machine.

In many ways, he invented it. It's striking to realize how young Elvis was during his Las Vegas

comeback years. He pierced hand, fit, unlined, and almost mythic. I had just come my driver's

license when he died, and I still remember hearing the news on the radio that August day.

I didn't grasp the complexity of his journey then, but Epic makes clear that he was an American

success story who longed to learn, grow, and travel more than he was allowed. Elvis understood

what his audiences needed and delivered it every time. He was a gentleman with genuine empathy,

even as he endured ridicule and constant pressure to be someone other than himself.

He stayed true to his own voice, and I'm grateful this Las footage has resurfaced.

More than once, the music and emotion brought me to tears. I kept wondering what he might have

achieved had he lived long enough to pursue his dreams on his own terms. For Kay, SQD's film gang,

this is Susan Lovegren.