Michael_Elliott This Is Elvis (1981) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt co-directed this very interesting and entertaining mix of a documentary and played out drama. What we basically have is a look at the life of Elvis Presley with the film starting and ending on his death. Throughout the documentary we get countless clips from television shows, movies and concerts while at the same time seeing various stages of his life where he's being played by actors.THIS IS ELVIS was released a few years after the death of Elvis and I'm sure at the time it was a refreshing reminder of the talent that was cut short. When viewing the film today one must really be impressed with the footage that the directors threw in here as well as how they ended up showing the life and death of this icon. The documentary works wonderfully well because you really do get to see the rise of Elvis through his clips, the controversy he faced and how he eventually became the King of Rock and Roll.For me the greatest thing about this was the collection of musical performances. We see his earliest performances on television as well as some clips from his comeback special and of course footage from one of the last concerts he did. All of this footage is evidence that no matter what era Elvis was in, his look might be different but that brilliant voice is still right there and as powerful as ever.The "acting" scenes are also quite good and especially one at the start of the picture when the Colonel is made aware that Elvis has died. I was actually pretty shocked at how well these scenes played out as they're both entertaining and work well as drama. THIS IS ELVIS is a film that fans often call one of the best documentaries on the man.

edbelcher-2 "This is Elvis" is an interesting and fantastic documentary to watch even if you are not an Elvis fan.As an Elvis fan, I am very critical when it comes to inaccuracies about his life. I found this documentary to be very accurate and honest with the way it told the story of Elvis' life. The blend of actual Elvis footage along with very believable reenactments makes the documentary flow with continuity and excitement.In addition, the song selections that accompanied the various video sequences were always right on the money. It was like watching Elvis' life story being told through entertaining and poignant music videos.One thing I respected about the documentary, although difficult to watch, was the way the creators did not try to candy-coat the details of the sad way Elvis' life began to spiral down a self-destructive path during the 70's until his untimely death at the age of 42.All in all, "This is Elvis" is a very entertaining, empathetic, and honest look at the life of Elvis Presley; the American Icon who rightfully earned the title as the King of Rock 'n Roll.

The_Sensitive_One THIS IS ELVIS follows in the footsteps of other outstanding documentaries like THE RUTLES. Until now I always looked upon Elvis Presely as the single most gifted thespian of the 1960s (see GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS!) but then I find out that he's also a musician! I was under the impression that whenever he "sang" in a film, it was dubbed in somewhere else by a professional. My God, no wonder why so many jokes have been lost on me in my lifetime. I had a late girlfriend who made me pompadour my hair with Dippity-Doo like The King so that these punks at White Castle would beat me up; she thought it was pretty funny. But, obviously, "The King" refers to his real talent, that being the head honcho of theater. Elvis, I still love you, man!

George R. Willeman I remember when this film first appeared on HBO in the early eighties. I was never a huge Elvis fan, but found myself watching this film every time it came on. It is a fascinating portrait of a man thrust into overwhelming fame and fabulous wealth and how it eventually destroys him. The "recreations" are very well done and the film as a whole is very balanced in it's view of Elvis' life. It neither canonizes nor trashes him, but shows him as an ordinary guy dealing with extraordinary fame. The longer version now available on video is nice, but I miss the late concert performance where Elvis, sick, overweight, and bathed in sweat, forgets the lyrics of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and nervously "wings it". Maybe that was too much truth, even for this documentary.