Elvis (1979)
Genre: Biography / Music
Duration: 150 minuten / 170 minuten (1988 video release)
Alternative title: Elvis - The Movie
Country:
United States
Directed by: John Carpenter
Stars: Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters and Bing Russell
IMDb score:
6,9 (5.728)
Releasedate: 10 February 1979
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Elvis plot
"The King lives on!"
Film adaptation of the life of Elvis Presley from the age of 10 until his comeback in Las Vegas in 1969. His first record contact, appearances and eventual worldwide fame all receive attention. His personal life is also discussed, including the relationship with his parents and (later) Priscilla and his fulfillment of military service.
Actors and actresses
Elvis Presley
Gladys Presley
Vernon Presley
Red West
Colonel Tom Parker
Priscilla Presley
Bonnie
D.J. Fontana
Scotty Moore
Sam Phillips
Reviews & comments
brucecampbell
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- 3328 messages
- 7634 votes
Brilliant biography in which Carpenter clearly shows that Elvis, despite all his fame and money, was not a happy person.
Kurt Russell delivers a phenomenal performance here, and this can safely be called one of his best roles ever.
I had already seen this film as a little boy, and it has always stayed with me.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Spetie
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- 38871 messages
- 8496 votes
I watched this biopic mainly because John Carpenter directed it. I am not an Elvis fan at all and certainly never will be.
Elvis can certainly be called an oddity in Carpenter's oeuvre. Among all the relatively shorter horrors, this really stands out. In any case, Carpenter makes use of his most frequently used actor here, who also takes on the role of Elvis.
Although Russell does a surprisingly good job, Elvis is a fairly standard biopic, without any real surprises or highlights. There are quite a few nice moments, but there is sometimes just a bit too much singing (which isn't unusual in itself), which at a certain point became a bit too much for me. Finally, the direction is solid, but I don't get the feeling that Carpenter was really able to put his own stamp on it.
In any case, we learned a bit more about the life of the so-called "King of Pop". It wasn't terrible, but it didn't exactly cheer me up either.
2.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
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- 11670 messages
- 6867 votes
A stark recording of a unfortunately not all-engaging Kurt Russell. For a passion project, Elvis is also a somewhat uninspired affair from director John Carpenter. Told in detail with much attention to both the highs and lows of Elvis, but the theatrical dialogue, melodramatic events, and lack of nuance make for a less than strong experience. Many minutes are taken up by various musical performances, but unfortunately, these take up quite a lot of the running time without becoming visually very appealing. A few bonus points for the reasonable acting, but Baz Luhrmann's version was much more successful.
By the way, I saw the 170-minute version.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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