8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
Elvis Presley performs before sold-out audiences at the International Hotel Showroom in Las Vegas. This 1970 documentary includes extensive rehearsal and concert footage.
Starring: Elvis Presley, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Charlie Hodge, Jerry ScheffMusic | 100% |
Documentary | 43% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
English SDH, French, German SDH, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Never one to pass up an excuse for a tie-in, Warner Home Video is using the fiftieth anniversary of Elvis Presley's film Viva Las Vegas as an occasion to release DigiBook editions of both that film and the concert documentary, Elvis: That's the Way It Is. Both are streeting during "Elvis Week", when That's the Way It Is will also have a special screening at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis. First released in 1970, That's the Way It Is captures the legendary singer during the second phase of his performing career, after his initial superstardom in the Fifties, his military service from 1958 through 1960, and his prolific reign as a box office star in the Sixties. Beginning with his Christmas Special on NBC in 1968, Elvis moved to reclaim his mantle as a top recording and performing artist of his day—the top, now that Beatlemania was over. By the time of the six sold-out concert performances at the International Hotel in Las Vegas that were filmed for That's the Way It Is, there was no question that Elvis was still The King. That's the Way It Is exists in two versions. The first, which runs 108 minutes, was the version completed by director Denis Sanders (Shock Treatment) in 1970; in addition to concert and rehearsal footage of Elvis with his band and backup singers, it devotes substantial time to interviews with fans. In 2000, producer Rick Schmidlin undertook a "reconstruction" of the film, which premiered in theaters in January of the following year. Using recently discovered footage and sixteen-track master tapes, Schmidlin expanded both the rehearsal and concert sequences. In the process, he also removed all the fan segments, so that the resulting film was twelve minutes shorter than the original, but focused entirely on Elvis as a musician, performer and beloved icon. Warner's DigiBook includes both versions of the film, but only the 2000 reconstruction has been transferred to Blu-ray. The original version is supplied on DVD, as previously released in 2007 as part of a two-disc special edition.
Venerable cinematographer Lucian Ballard (The Wild Bunch and the original True Grit) supervised the filming of Elvis: That's the Way It Is, which was shot in anamorphic widescreen. The image on Warner's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray is generally impressive, although some of the source-based issues probably cannot be overcome without major, labor-intensive efforts at digital workstations, especially where the "reconstructed" version uses footage that suffers from obvious fading. The good news is that none of the footage is marred by damage in the form of scratches, hairs, dirt or dust (or, if it was, the damage has been repaired). Detail is generally very good, especially when one considers the lenses and film stocks of the era in relation to the unscripted subject matter of a documentary. The rehearsal footage has less contrast, and blacks aren't as deep, compared to the concert footage with its bright lights and more intense colors, but the flatter look suits the informality of the mood in the rehearsal room. A fine grain pattern is visible throughout. To the extent that electronic manipulation was applied, it probably already occurred at the reconstruction phase. The Blu-ray image itself does not betray evidence of filtering or artificial sharpening. Warner continues to use the lowest possible bitrate, here 20.95 Mbps, which should be unnecessary in an era when BD-50s are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, but I could not see any obvious detriment to the Blu-ray image.
Elvis: That's the Way It Is was originally released in four-track stereo, but the "reconstructed" version received a full-blown 5.1 remix based on the original sixteen-track masters. That mix is provided on Blu-ray in lossless DTS-HD MA, and it sounds amazing. In the "Patch It Up" documentary, it's noted that the musicians in Elvis' band heard sonic details in the remix that they had never been able to make out before, and I have no doubt that the same level of detail is present on the Blu-ray. The sense of presence is constant, whether in the informal space of the studio or in the recesses of the International Hotel Showroom. James Burton's lead guitar solos are just as vivid as Elvis' vocals. The latter, of course, switches effortlessly from soulful country-western to raucous rock 'n' roll, with every variation in between. (If you've never heard Elvis' cover of "Bridge over Troubled Waters", you should; it'll change your perception of the song.) The 5.1 remix remains faithful to the original stereo arrangement by staying largely in front, using the surrounds to create a sense of depth but nothing more. It's an excellent concert reproduction.
The disc-based extras have been ported over from Warner's 2007 "two-disc special edition" DVD set. Although Warner is well-known for not remastering extras, the failure seems particularly inappropriate here, where the PR materials prominently list the outtakes as a special feature. Their video is exceptionally weak, and the audio, too, needs a major overhaul, so that it doesn't sound so thin and crackly.
Elvis: That's the Way It Is wasn't made with the high concept of another great Seventies concert film, The Last Waltz, or the cachet of a historical moment such as Woodstock, but it has grown in stature along with Elvis Presley's continuing influence as an essential figure in American pop culture. The pity is that we don't have a similarly definitive record of Elvis performing in the Fifties, when he first burst onto the scene like some dangerous revolutionary figure, enchanting youth and scandalizing the establishment. When Elvis made That's the Way It Is, everyone loved him. Although Warner could have done a better job with the extras, the Blu-ray is a good presentation of the film in its "reconstructed" version and is highly recommended.
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