US EditionEPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert Isn't Just One for the Fans | Review by Boris Jancic in Screens
Baz Luhrmann’s documentary uses restored unseen 1970s footage to chronicle Elvis Presley’s return to live concerts after his 1960s film career, releasing worldwide Feb 27.
- On February 27, Baz Luhrmann releases EPiC worldwide, a documentary‑concert hybrid assembled from unseen concert and rehearsal footage of Elvis Presley.
- Centering unreleased audio, the film uses rescued 8mm negatives from MGM archives and 67 boxes of negatives, with previously unreleased 40-minute recordings.
- Onstage, Presley is shown in top form—belting 'Bridge over Troubled Water' with the Sweet Inspirations and Cissy Houston amid frenzied crowds. Luhrmann's editing swings into extremes with tight cuts and outrageous colours.
- Critics say the film gives Elvis Presley new life while exposing Colonel Tom Parker's 50% take and his confinement of Presley's U.S. touring.
- Some reviewers say Luhrmann's second Elvis project, EPiC, may spark a new wave of Elvis fervor, comparing its restoration to Peter Jackson's Get Back and calling it his best since Moulin Rouge!.
12 Articles
12 Articles
A concert film brings out the King of Rock and Roll from the fog of myths and shows it as an outstanding live musician. At the same time, the camera also reveals signs of disillusionment.
Elvis fans will love 'EPiC', but even for old skeptics, these are golden times for both the eyes and the ears. Baz Luhrmann delivers.
Baz Luhrmann is not a director who goes unnoticed. From Strictly Ballroom, passing through Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Australia, The Great Gatsby and Elvis, his cinema has been an explosion of melodrama, music and operatic style. Four of his films are among the taquileras of Australian cinema, and his obsession with design, music and montage have made him one of the most recognizable authors of contemporary cinema. After Elvis’ global succes…
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