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Elvis Movie DVDs from Paramount Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video

PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT & WARNER HOME VIDEO TO CELEBRATE ELVIS PRESLEY AUGUST 7

24 Films Include WHV's New Editions of Jailhouse Rock, Viva Las Vegas, Elvis: That's the Way it Is, along with the DVD debut of This is Elvis, and the Elvis Hollywood Collection with Six New-to-DVD titles Plus PHE's The Lights! Action! Elvis! Collection

Burbank, Calif. May 14, 2007 – On August 7, Warner Home Video (WHV) and Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) will again join forces, this time to celebrate the life of Elvis Presley, and commemorate the 30th anniversary of “The King'sâ€

We owe Elvis a huge debt for almost singlehandedly taking country music, black rhythm and blues and his own unique style and turning it into what we now call rock and roll. It is arguable whether any of this was ever captured in his movies, but most of us feel that JAILHOUSE ROCK and KING CREOLE come closest, and are the two (and only two) must see Elvis movies. Somebody tell me it I am being too limited in these movie choices because I freely admit to not seeing all of them. Anybody know anything about music journalist Steve Pond and his likely skills as a commentator? I would definately add VIVA LAS VEGAS if it has a good commentary track.

According to some sources, Flaming Star is supposed to be a very good film, and also the best turn that Elvis did as an actor. I have never seen the film, but with Don Siegel directing, it would be an interesting view. Anyone seen this?

Scharphedin2 wrote:According to some sources, Flaming Star is supposed to be a very good film, and also the best turn that Elvis did as an actor. I have never seen the film, but with Don Siegel directing, it would be an interesting view. Anyone seen this?

When I first started buying DVDs my father in law immediately asked about the status of Flaming Star. He claims that is Elvis' best. He's not really a great source for recommendations but I've heard supporting evidence that this is actually a solid acting performance.

Amazing DVD marketing at work, that's all I can say. This is what distinguishes the american home viewing business from the rest of the world. Good show!

But I have to add this: where is Elvis on Tour? I was hoping to bin my TCM recorded tape but I guess not just yet, huh? If there is one concert movie that still remains fresh and innovative, this is it.

I haven't seen Elvis On Tour, but I did catch a good half of Elvis: That's the Way It Is on TCM, and I can't wait for more. Great tracks and plenty of ol' Las Vegas cheesiness. By 1970 so much of the music limelight had been absorbed by the British Invasion --> SF Sound --> and moving into ever greater innovations--I think Elvis was starting to really shrink (and swell) into his own private world. Las Vegas was the oasis in the bizarre desert of his celebrity at that point. And yet he was still coming out with great songs. I think the material between '68 and '73 rivaled his legendary late '50's output. The guy really developed soul. But what is so fun about That's the Way It Is is that you've got this great musicianship/repertoire bundled up in a spiralling trainwreck of an image. Good stuff. I really can't wait.

Cover art for all releases here.

Best Buy had the new Elvis dvds out last night, so I picked up Jailhouse, Viva, Thats the Way it is, and This is Elvis. I asked if they would price match Jailhouse to the Circuit City ad price and she ended up matching them all because she said that it looked like all their Elvis films were $12.99. The transfers for the films look very good. I haven't watched all of them all the way through, but I check about ten minutes on each one. I'm going to watch Thats latter today and check out the restoration doc also.

JAILHOUSE ROCK and KING CREOLE come closest, and are the two (and only two) must see Elvis movies

I'd add Viva along with those two since I think that Viva was and is the most fun out of all the Elvis films. If were going by concert films, 68 comeback special is still Elvis at his best.

But I have to add this: where is Elvis on Tour?

Yes where is not only this, but where is John Carpenter's Elvis? Of all the Elvis bio pics that have been done, this is still the best. Anyone know why there is still a hold up for Waners to get this out on dvd?

THX1378 wrote:Yes where is not only this, but where is John Carpenter's Elvis? Of all the Elvis bio pics that have been done, this is still the best. Anyone know why there is still a hold up for Waners to get this out on dvd?

Because Warner doesn't own it. First Look Media does, and coincidentally, it was supposed to be released today. You can order it at Amazon. They also have today listed as the release date, but it says that it won't ship for four to six weeks. It's my understanding that it has been postponed. It sounds like the postponement was very last-minute. Hopefully, it's not for copyright or music rights issues.

Because Warner doesn't own it. First Look Media does, and coincidentally, it was supposed to be released today. You can order it at Amazon. They also have today listed as the release date, but it says that it won't ship for four to six weeks. It's my understanding that it has been postponed. It sounds like the postponement was very last-minute. Hopefully, it's not for copyright or music rights issues.

One of my friends went into Best Buy to get Viva for his mother today and started to talk to another Elvis fan whom was getting some of the new dvds also. They got on the topic of Carpenter's Elvis and she told him she was under the understanding that it wasn't out on dvd because of Dick Clark Productions fighting over the rights to the film, or that it was that the music rights were still tied up. So it's news that was to have been released today. I know that Carpenter said in the past that he would do a commentary for the film if it ever came up. I still someplace have a vhs copy of the film that I made when it was on Bravo years ago back in the 90's, but I think it's the cut version and not the longer version.
As for Thats the Way it is, amazing concert film. It's second to the 68 comeback as the best film showing Elvis performing before things started to really go down hill.

Just listened to the commentary track on JAILHOUSE ROCK by author Steve Pond.
This is the movie that Elvis "never wanted to see", and the one he "seldom talked about", because his 23 year old co-star Judy Tyler was killed in an automobile accident shortly after the movie finished filming. Pond notes all this, but fails to tell us anything about Ms. Tyler who was a very talented singer in her own right and had come to Hollywood after receiving rave notices in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Pipe Dream" on Broadway. In that show, she sings one of R&H lesser known, but most beautiful songs - "Everybody's Got a Home but Me".
The commentary is otherwise most enjoyable and engaging; revealing and informative, but non scholarly in keeping with the subject matter.

This is the movie that Elvis "never wanted to see", and the one he "seldom talked about", because his 23 year old co-star Judy Tyler was killed in an automobile accident shortly after the movie finished filming. Pond notes all this

I havn't watched it with the track yet, but does he go into that after his mothers death, he wouldn't watch Loving You again also, because his mother was an extra during the final song Got A Lot Of Livin' To Do.

shearerchic wrote:This is Elvis 2-Disc Special Edition

• Disc 2: 1983 Unrated expanded Home video version with 40 minutes of footage not shown in theatres

This version omitted, Are You Lonesome Tonight in the past. It would be great to see it restored to the longer version.

I've never seen an Elvis film, but I'm tempted by the HD DVDs of Viva Las Vegas and Jailhouse Rock, which are apparently stunning. What are these films like, you know, as films. The music is great, no doubt, but what about the rest?

denti alligator wrote:I've never seen an Elvis film, but I'm tempted by the HD DVDs of Viva Las Vegas and Jailhouse Rock, which are apparently stunning. What are these films like, you know, as films. The music is great, no doubt, but what about the rest?

If you have never seen an Elvis movie, I would start with "King Creole", which is the best of a bad lot.

Both of these look great, but "Jailhouse Rock" is cramped and set bound and only the title song stands out.

"Viva Las Vegas" is flashy and fun to watch, but is ultimately an early entry into the insipid storylines which would plague most of the movies that followed.

Both have a semi-interesting featurette and a very good commentary track from author and Elvis scholar, Steve Pond.

I beg to differ regarding Viva Las Vegas. Well, perhaps it's not so much a question of disagreeing with you as viewing the storyline as being completely beside the point. I have not seen this film in several years, but I was kind of gaga over it back when. Sure, the story is dumb, the acting exaggerated & silly ... but, uh, I think that's why it works. In particular, there's a sequence of three numbers in a row somewhere in the middle of the movie that I found kind of overwhelmingly intense. And I don't even really like Elvis. It's like a little bit of the Elvis that went into Wild at Heart came from here. It would make a nice double feature with Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (Although the latter is far superior.) (Oh, and I will add that I pretty much tune out of the movie once the final race sequence begins ... so it's hardly perfect. But the high points are quite high indeed.)