EPiC - Elvis Presley In Concert - Movie Review
When I was growing up, I thought Elvis was for old people. I thought his music was what the oldies listened to; I wasn't interested.
EPiC - Elvis Presley in Concert is a 2026 movie directed by Baz Luhrmann (same director as Elvis), and it is fantastic.
EPiC showed me the real Elvis.
The movie is a collection of Elvis's Las Vegas shows from 1970 pieced together to create a wonderful film about the man himself.
One of the gems of this movie is that it is not another documentary of people talking about Elvis - it is him in his own words. I got to see the real Elvis as he is.
I now understand why the world loved him.
The film footage was lost, stored in Kansas salt mines until it was found in 2022, and restored to crystal-clear quality. It sounds unreal.
This was described in an interview with Luhrmann and Hollywood Authentic:
That incredible haul not only contained footage of Elvis’ 1970 Vegas shows at the International Hotel, shot on anamorphic 35mm over six nights; there was also 16mm film of Elvis on tour, and some 8mm, too. 'But another unexpected find was the key to making EPiC the extraordinary proposition it is. ‘We also found never-before-heard audio of Elvis telling his story in his own words, which is really unusual,’ says Luhrmann"
EPiC shows the different colours of Elvis. He was humble, human, and real.
EPiC shows Elvis rehearsing with his band, his bandmates adoring him, how everyone adored him... he respected people.
His guitarist genuinely smiling, watching and playing to Elvis, the drummer watching and playing as Elvis sang with that deep operatic voice.
EPiC is moving at times, showing the different stages of his life.
I now understand why Elvis meant so much to so many.
From a poor family, rising to the symbol for the American people.
He was one of a kind.
Singing with so much soul, truly singing from his heart.
A natural-born star who wanted to entertain the people.
Between 1969 and 1977, Elvis played over 1,100 shows, sometimes 3 times per day.
Elvis sold over 1 billion records.
Over 20 million people have visited Graceland, Elvis' home, with approximately 600,000 visitors every year.
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