Your Thoughts on ELVIS BY THE PRESLEYS Special?

Well I thought I would open up a new thread to see what everyone thought of the ELVIS BY THE PRESLEYS special that aired Friday night here in the U.S.!!

Personally, I thought it was very well done! The special really showed some rare clips and photos....there were several I hadn't seen before, which made it really neat for me! I was also VERY impressed with the wide variety of songs they chose to play throughout the special....a very wide mix of songs from all different periods of Elvis' career which I thought blended in well with the stories and photos/home movies!

I was VERY IMPRESSED with the fact that they actually used the footage of MY WAY from the 1977 CBS Special toward the end of the special! That was quite a surprise! Mixing in some of the previously unreleased footage from the '68 Special and the Aloha Specials was also a nice touch, and a nice way to help advertise those DVD box sets for fans who don't own them yet!

I thought the stories that were told by Priscilla, Lisa Marie, Jerry Schilling, etc. were nice and there were a couple that I had not heard before, so that was especially nice....it wasn't a re-telling of the same old stories that we've heard a hundred times before!

Overall, I have to give the ELVIS BY THE PRESLEYS special very high marks!!! It was a very well done production, and I am quite anxious to pick up the DVD version next week to check out the additional 2+ hours of footage that wasn't shown during the televised version!!

What did everyone else think of it? I'm anxious to see what other fans thought of it!! :hmm:

TCB!
Mike

So they use the '77 footage of "My Way" on EBTP, but the studio recording from '71? on the cd. Why, I wonder? Personally, I don't care for the studio version at all.

Hi Mike, they haven't shown it here in the UK, It will be shown on Wednesday next week.....

I've seen the trailers and it looks great, Unfortunately I'm on a late that night and so will have to record it.:'(

Matt

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Originally Posted by Jumpsuit Junkie

Hi Mike, they haven't shown it here in the UK, It will be shown on Wednesday next week.....

I've seen the trailers and it looks great, Unfortunately I'm on a late that night and so will have to record it.:'(

Matt

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Would that be on the BBC, Matt? What time?:)

It's on ITV 9pm to 10pm

On a late? book a sickie!!

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Originally Posted by Liverbobs

It's on ITV 9pm to 10pm

On a late? book a sickie!!

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Bummer! Just have to wait for the DVD's(n)

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Originally Posted by Liverbobs

It's on ITV 9pm to 10pm

On a late? book a sickie!!

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Yeah, I can feel a cold coming on lol :cold:

Matt

Well, I cant believe it but after waiting all week for it, I missed the first hour!! Yeah, STUPID!!!!!! For some reason I thought it came on Sunday??? :blush: Dumb blonde! But what I seen of it was awesome!! I thought it was very well done. I had never ever let myself see pics or footage of him at the very end. Well when they showed him singing My Way at the end and Priscilla and Lisa were talking about him at the end of his life I just lost it. Like I said, I had never let myself see those pics/footage of him before he died and he just looked not real. I cried so hard my husband came in to check on me :'(. It was very hard to watch. But I am going to buy this as soon as I can since I missed the first hour. (Stupid girl):P

I was working the late shift when its aired :( so..


i will definitely buy the DVD .

I love the Elvis special.
what they should done was they should made this into a 3 day's special,
instead of that mini series they had on.

one night they could of done play the 68' comeback special with the 2 stand up shows
and on the 2nd night the Aloha from hawaii concert-(the Full concert version)

and then Elvis & the Presley's.

Just finished watching the special a few minutes ago. I think it was essentially an apology for the miniseries. :lol:

Very well done! I was expecting it to be good, and it really came off better than I thought it would.

Yes, there was the Beaulieu spin given to the whole thing, but it seems to me it's not be as bad as it used to be. And if you were in Priscilla's shoes, wouldn't you probably take a similar approach? (Not that she's my favorite person in the world.)

OK, we've got to talk more about the use of the EIC footage in this special, and in others which have come before. First of all, I was pleasantly surprised at how much of that footage they showed. But even if they hadn't done so much with it--even if we had only seen a quarter of that, the thing I come away with here is that the estate is OK with the public seeing him that way. It wasn't as though there were just a few brief snippets, only showing him at the most flattering angles and in the most ideal lighting or what not. They showed him as he was. This is so significant! Something good for us '77 fans (someday you may think differently, LeighAnne--I understand where you're coming from though) may be coming sooner than we think!

If they can show some of that, and if it is fair to say that there are more than a few great vocal performances from those two shows, and if we acknowledge that with the right editing, a very presentable program could be assembled...then let us proceed!

Gimme an "E"...!

Jerry, I too thought that about My Way on the CD. I don't like the studio version as much either, but one thing I do love about it is the piano intro. It's very ominous, which fits the song so well.

Once again, I thought this was a high quality production which all in all, did our man some justice, and I can't imagine it not being very well received by a majority of its viewers.(y) Looking forward to the DVD.

BTW I thought the book was nicely done as well.

Yes I hope someday I can look at him like that without falling to pieces!:blush: Do you own the book?? I didnt know if it was out yet. Now, I will buy the book and I am going to buy the DVD as soon as it comes out. Cant wait! I think it comes out Tuesday!! Of course dont anyone rely on me, look it up because I missed because I though it came on Sunday!!! DUH!!!!!!!!!! :doh:

LeighAnne,

Yes, I do have the book. Not groundbreaking, but nicely done, I thought. I paged through it all a couple times and read bits and pieces. A lot of the text is just dialogue from the special, but it's a nice coffee table book. If you're thinking of getting the book, I'd wait and get the DVD first. You are correct that it does come out tomorrow--in our parts anyway. ;)

I appreciate these reviews, especially from sources (like Lonnie) whom I respect.

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Originally Posted by Lonniebealestreet

Just finished watching the special a few minutes ago.

Yes, there was the Beaulieu spin given to the whole thing, but it seems to me it's not be as bad as it used to be. And if you were in Priscilla's shoes, wouldn't you probably take a similar approach? (Not that she's my favorite person in the world).

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Generally speaking: If one wants anything even close to a semblance of credibility with discerning viewers ............... then, the candor needs to cut both ways.

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Originally Posted by Lonniebealestreet

OK, we've got to talk more about the use of the EIC footage in this special ........ the thing I come away with here is that the estate is OK with the public seeing him that way. It wasn't as though there were just a few brief snippets, only showing him at the most flattering angles and in the most ideal lighting or what not. They showed him as he was. This is so significant! Something good for us '77 fans .....

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Must agree, significant indeed .......... I will buy the DVD - in part - due to this excellent quality EIC footage (I admit, I'm a sucker for EIC material & EPE can milk away .... ;) ).

Have said it before: The writing is indeed on the wall regarding EIC (JMO). I think it is a long way off & that EPE will continue to milk the footage for all its worth in the meantime (just as it is, now).


- Capt. "EL."

Heh!

At this rate, we'll be able to assemble a full working cut of EIC ourselves! :D

Spunkalicious, baby.

I was just jazzed to see all the concert footage of the real EP in prime-time on a network TV special. (y)

Made that fake EP from the mini-series look so lame.

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Originally Posted by Captain Elwood David

I appreciate these reviews, especially from sources (like Lonnie) whom I respect.

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:notworthy

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Originally Posted by Captain Elwood David

Generally speaking: If one wants anything even close to a semblance of credibility with discerning viewers ............... then, the candor needs to cut both ways.

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I completely agree, and I'm sure she does not have hopes of truly changing the minds of those who have been paying attention to the things she did and is doing for years, so she thinks, "Screw the discerning viewers. I'm going to give an opinion to those who didn't previously have one (or much of one)."

My main appreciation is for a little more humanity being brought into the (official) picture, but as you astutely point out, she should have brought out some of that reality when painting her own picture as well. People may well have thought more and not less of her, at least appreciating the honesty.

I do have to say that while Elvis' imperfections were pointed out, they were at the same time defended to a degree.

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Originally Posted by Captain Elwood David

Must agree, significant indeed .......... I will buy the DVD - in part - due to this excellent quality EIC footage (I admit, I'm a sucker for EIC material & EPE can milk away .... ;) ).

Have said it before: The writing is indeed on the wall regarding EIC (JMO). I think it is a long way off & that EPE will continue to milk the footage for all its worth in the meantime (just as it is, now).

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I know you hope you're wrong!

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Originally Posted by JerryNodak

So they use the '77 footage of "My Way" on EBTP, but the studio recording from '71? on the cd. Why, I wonder? Personally, I don't care for the studio version at all.

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Your guess is as good as mine Jerry! :hmm:

But I was DEFINITELY surprised to see the CBS footage of MY WAY for sure....I was fully expecting to see one of the Aloha versions instead! (y)

And I couldn't agree with you more on the studio version of MY WAY Jerry....and my guess is that Elvis didn't like the way it turned out either, which is why fans never heard it until well after his passing when the 70's box set came out in the mid-90's!

TCB!
Mike

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Originally Posted by Jumpsuit Junkie

Hi Mike, they haven't shown it here in the UK, It will be shown on Wednesday next week.....

I've seen the trailers and it looks great, Unfortunately I'm on a late that night and so will have to record it.:'(

Matt

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I am sorry you haven't had a chance to see it yet Matt....it really is quite well done, in my opinion!!!

I'll be anxious to hear what you thought of it once you've had the chance to see it for yourself!!

TCB!
Mike

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Originally Posted by curtis simpkins

I love the Elvis special.
what they should done was they should made this into a 3 day's special,
instead of that mini series they had on.

one night they could of done play the 68' comeback special with the 2 stand up shows
and on the 2nd night the Aloha from hawaii concert-(the Full concert version)

and then Elvis & the Presley's.

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Interesting idea Curtis! :hmm:

Of course, just about ANYTHING would have been better than that half-baked mini-series! About the only thing I can think of that would have been WORSE than the mini-series would have been a prime-time airing of ELVIS AND THE BEAUTY QUEEN!!! (Don't EVEN get me started on Don Johnson's portrayal of Elvis again....) :blink: ;)

TCB!
Mike