Seconded
only by its predecessors "BEHIND THE IMAGE Vol.
I" and "BEHIND THE IMAGE Vol. II"
this DVD by Praytome Publishing is unrivaled.
Besides a professional, competent, illustrated Introduction
into the "Comeback-phase" of the King that
includes noumerous photographs , this DVD starts with
a detailed monologue (Vegas '69) of the King about
his reasons to start a comeback. Rare movie clips
show Elvis inspecting and signing the contract of
the International Hotel, which is still under construction
and go into a short privately filmed 8mm sequence
of the comeback-engagement from the summer of 1969.The
actual highlight of this DVD is, however, a nearly
complete concert appearance of the "Elvis-Presley-Summer-Festival"
of 1970.
Unfortunately without original sound (instrumental
sound was added) but in great, privately filmed 8mm
quality, this DVD gives us a fantastic impression
of Elvis's stage impact from the time when MGM filmed
Elvis for their cinema production, "ELVIS - THAT'S
THE WAY IT IS". While MGM could work with the
latest equipment and numerous effects, camera angles
and zooms to beef up the cinema production, the passion
that Elvis fan Jean-Marc Gargiulo filmed from his
seat captured the true essence of a 1970 "live"
Elvis performance. Plain and true.What
we see here is not the studio edited highlights from
several different concerts, no sophisticated camera
angles and no exciting show effects but a "quite
normal", amazing concert appearance of the legendary
Elvis Presley!
Rocking, breathless, dancing and making music. From
the authentic perspective of a fan in the audience!The
privately filmed 8mm shots are brilliant and present
us the extremely good looking Elvis in top form. You
can see Elvis good and clearly. And we experience
him throughout in full size, without the "from
the waist up" zooms that are annoying during
rock songs with plenty of action. How
often have we been complaining about the ignorant
camera work, which deprived us so much of Elvis's
moves !? Oftentimes, when Elvis's body fell for the
rhythm, the camera was zooming him, faded in his musicians,
confused us by changes of the camera angle as quick
as a flash and offered us by so called triple-screen
actions three perspectives at the same time of the
dancing Elvis. Surely it was well-meant and on a silver
screen it was surely combined with breathtaking effects
in the audience. But in the TV format rather irritating.
But as a concertgoer you didn't see a impressive tripartition,
no cuts and no different perspectives and production
effects. During the concert Elvis was alone on stage
with his musicians. Elvis was the central point and
he manage to amaze us just by his umcomparable stage
presence.
"ELVIS - ADRENALINE" offers us 40 minutes
pure Elvis! The way Jean-Marc Gargiulo and another
2500 fans saw him at that time. No well-meant selection
of the best moments of his concerts, but a coherent,
authentic appearance of the King, at the summit of
his physical shape, the way the concertgoers were
able to see him at that time.
"ELVIS - ADRENALINE" is the perfect complement
of "THAT'S THE WAY IT IS", "THE LOST
PERFORMANCES" and "THAT'S THE WAY IT IS
- SPECIAL EDITION". A nice, conscientiously produced
high class DVD, that offers besides the hottest rock
show of the King also several trailers to the Praytome
Publishing releases. Trailer, which are so well produced,
that they are alone already an experience.
Let's hope, that the production team will make it
to elicit more treasures of this caliber and to make
them available to the public.
What Ernst Jorgensen offered us accustic on the FTD-label
during the past years, finds a competent visual complement
in the Praytome Publishing releases.So
the reader won't wonder, why we are extremely looking
forward to the next Praytome Publishing release.
© 2004 www.collectors-service.de.vu
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