Product Description

Jonathan Rhys Meyers of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III and BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM delivers a definitive performance in the acclaimed mini series event that depicts Elvis from 50s teen outcast to worldwide sensation, through his grim decline to spectacular 68 comeback. Experience the triumphs and tragedies, excesses and affairs, madness and music of The King Of Rock & Roll, featuring a stellar cast that includes Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Camryn Manheim as his beloved mother Gladys, Oscar® nominee Randy Quaid as the notorious Colonel Parker, Robert Patrick as Vernon Presley, and Rose McGowan as Ann-Margret.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17127 in DVD
• Brand: STARZ HOME ENTERTAINMENT
• Released on: 2007-08-14
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 173 minutes

Amazon.com
Elvis: The Miniseries was produced with the cooperation of the Presley empire, and it shows: this 173-minute opus uses Elvis's original recordings and real Graceland locations. The official imprimatur might also account for the movie's emphasis on the good years: what we get here is the early rise to fame, the Army interlude, then a run through the increasingly dispiriting movie career. It climaxes with the 1968 comeback TV special, leaving Elvis's addled final decade undetailed (but foreshadowed, to be sure). The story of the Mama-lovin' Tupelo boy who ascended to the throne of rock has been told so many times it has taken on the contours of Greek myth: we know everything that's coming, but we gain reassurance from hearing the familiar anecdotes anyway (and then Elvis and the boys started fooling around with "That's Alright, Mama" and Sam Phillips rolled the tape, etc.). In this telling of the myth, the villain is an easy find: it's Colonel Tom Parker, the big-talking and short-sighted manager who reaped big profits from Presley's movies but kept the King out of projects such as West Side Story. Randy Quaid gives the movie's best performance as the cunning Colonel.

An intelligent script helps the movie over the episodic nature of biopics, and Camryn Manheim and Robert Patrick are nice casting as Elvis's parents. But the whole thing hinges on the central E-casting, and here Jonathan Rhys Meyers proves a mixed bag. He appears a little intimidated by the role, and never quite owns it, even if he's very good as the dewy, more-or-less innocent Elvis. Having to lip-synch to the original recordings makes Rhys Meyers look outmatched at times: how's that big sound coming out of that spindly guy? Kurt Russell's performance in John Carpenter's classic TV-movie remains the gold standard. This take on Elvis makes him out to be a pawn in a crazy game, rather than a self-directed musician with a very distinct vision of his own. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

do NOT hesitate....I went from major skeptic to major enthusiastic supporter!
I hate biopics...the stars are never as interesting or charismatic as the artists they portray and they just come across as second class...TV!
well...I passed on this when it ran on the tube...and I WAS WRONG! This is off the hook good...the star gets Elvis...the shyness, the enthusiasm, the desire for fame....the naive little boy in the ever evolving sex symbol package, Randy Quaid is dead on perfect as the Colonel..and the rest of the cast does not dissapoint.

I am telling you...the recreations are breathtakingly cool.. these producers GOT IT...and GOT IT RIGHT...
this is from a very very hard to please skeptic...

Elvis fans will love it...casual fans who may be interested because of all the press on Elvis this week (30th anniversary of his passing)..this would be a great place to learn about The King!

Great Mini-Series!
As a life long Elvis fan this was one of the better movies about the 'King'! Of course there is nothing like the original...but this movie covered alot of territory that has not been touched upon before. I was glad to finally see a portrayal of Colonel Tom Parker as he really was suppose to be..a real CREEP! This film finally shows just how deep Elvis got in with Parker, and in the end did stand up for himself. Having been to Graceland, the realism of the filming being done in Memphis(for certain scenes) was the best. The supporting actors are also great! Besides getting to the truth on Parker we get to see that Elvis and Ann-Margret were involved as she attests to in her bio, and now we get to see what really happened. I have seen this movie several times thanks to 'Showtime Channel' and am so glad that it will be out on DVD this summer- With all the garbage being released daily, I only wish the studios wouldn't make us wait forever for quality shows/movies! To the movie studios..Keep Up The Good Work!!

Great, but not perfect...
I watched this on the television premier. I thought it was very good, with great acting. Meyers did as best as one could acting as Elvis, better than most. Some of the later scenes, primarily for the '68 Comeback special leave something to be desired though. Meyers just looked weird trying to do what Elvis did. Anyway, the story line was enjoyable and they seemed to correctly follow history for the most part. A plus for this mini-series is that they used Elvis real voice/songs. This is something even non-Elvis fans can have fun watching.