- EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT
- Starring: Elvis Presley
- Directed by: Baz Lurhman
- Rated: PG 13
- Running time: 1 hr 36 mins
- NEON
Our score: 5 out of 5
In 1976 a neighbor of ours asked me if I wanted to pick up a little money on Sundays. He worked at the Ramada Inn near Tampa Stadium and needed help valet parking cars from fans who would park at the hotel and walk to the game. Having just gotten my drivers license I jumped at the chance. One Sunday a smartly dressed man pulled up in a brand new Cadillac. As I gave him his valet ticket he said, “put it where you can watch it, son.” I immediately moved the VW bug that was directly in front of my station to the rear of the building and parked the Caddy in its place. A few hours later the man returned. As he got in the car he handed me a 5-dollar bill (in those days that was a movie ticket PLUS a large drink and popcorn) and got in. He then asked me, “do you like Elvis, son?” I replied “yes” and he handed me two tickets. Two months later, on February 14, 1977, I found myself at Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg about to attend my first concert. ELVIS
Director Baz Luhrman, whose 2024 film “ELVIS” introduced the King of Rock and Roll to a new generation of fans, only scratched the surface in presenting the energy that fills the room when Elvis Presley was on stage. In “EPiC” that energy is felt a thousand times over. Using behind the scenes footage as well as some unseen concert footage, Luhrman takes the audience front row center as Elvis literally gives his all to please his fans. Using archival footage, the film is “narrated” by Presley and also features conversations with many of the important people in his life, including wife Priscilla, daughter Lisa Marie and bandmates like Red West and James Burton.
Using footage from two MGM concert films released 50-years ago – “Elvis: That’s the Way it Is” (1970) and “Elvis on Tour” (1972), the film also shows the toll performing took on Presley. The weight gain is noticeable in the latter footage, as is the clear exhaustion he often drove himself too, but the voice and the swagger is still there. As the film progressed the audience in the theatre with us began clapping along to songs. One yelled out, “I love you, Elvis,” something I’m sure the King heard dozens of times while on stage. One fan, who came with his daughter, clad in a white jumpsuit, got up in the aisle and began to gyrate. The audience loved it!
Whether you’re a big fan of Presley’s music or not, “EPiC” will take you back to a time when one man with a microphone could hold 20,000 people in the palm of his hand.
On a scale of zero to five, “EPiC” receives ★★★★★