EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert

EpiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (2025)

Runtime: 97 minutes

Directed by: Baz Luhrmann

Starring: Elvis, tremendous backing bands, and enthusiastic audiences

From: Universal/Neon

At one point, the film plays sinister music then the song (You’re the) Devil in Disguise is heard… over footage of Colonel Tom Parker!

This review will be even lengthier than usual; that’s not for all tastes but if nothing else, you can skip to the last two paragraphs to read why this was one of the most memorable theatrical experiences I ever had. The only other Baz Luhrmann picture I’ve tackled was his Elvis, which was flawed. Even I know his worst instincts; after the opening-a precursor to the concert footage-most of those moments disappear. I was interested to see & hear outtakes, including those from two 70’s concert films I’ve seen before… Elvis: That’s the Way It Is (the Special Edition) and Elvis on Tour, both worth seeing if you dig Elvis the music and the performer.

Yeah, I know that Elvis the person had his issues and more than one unsavory detail; that can be said about many entertainers—I’ll just focus on him as an entertainer-what an incredible star he was, full of charisma and presence—even during “the fat years” that was the final years of his life when he wasn’t completely ravaged by drugs. This plus the two mentioned concert films are great examples of media either for Elvis fans or those that want to learn why he was a huge 20th century figure and still beloved today.

My music tastes will always be retro but it was tremendous to hear covers of everything from gospel songs and his biggest hits to Polk Salad Annie (where the bass was the heaviest; that’s a compliment by my standards), Bridge Over Troubled Water, more than one Beatles tune & You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling. The TCB Band that backed Elvis during this era: as the kids would say, they were fire.

This will be released in all cinemas starting on Friday but the IMAX experience was transcendent. The sound quality: excellent, picture quality: tremendous. It was a great restoration-as it’s me, I marveled at the incredible clothing throughout-not just the Elvis jumpsuits but also the clothing full of wild patterns & many different colors. It will give everyone even further appreciation of how film looked & how astounding it can present in a format like IMAX. Beforehand, a trailer played and this floored me: for two days next month, IMAX screens will play… Tommy. Yes, the movie from Ken Russell-no relation. Unless my schedule prevents it, expect a review for that experience.

Some in the crowd were excited over the Tommy news. What a crowd it drew: people of all ages and ethnicities. This includes some senior citizens and my personal favorite: as the trailer for The Odyssey played, an incredible woman walked in: a brunette a bit younger than me was dressed in a 50’s pink outfit & a five star black satin Elvis jacket that was beyond belief. That lady was at least 6 stars and afterwards I would have complimented her on her ensemble but aside from her possibly wondering why some random creep was talking to her…

Something far better occurred. As I left the men’s room after the screening, that dame was by the women’s room, chatting with a group of senior ladies. I did not mill about as that would make me a creep; however, I overheard her talking about her Elvis nails (!) and phone case, and the older women wanted to take photos with her. That was at least a 10-star experience. With how divisive everything is in the United States now, it warmed my heart to see this film draw a mixed crowd, have people besides me stick around for the entirety of the end credits, have some applaud at the end of the end credits (a rare feat) and most importantly, see different generations bond over a shared love. The enhanced format plus the audience experience does play a role in my rating but at least in this case, I’m happy to have that factor into a high rating as last night’s experience I’ll never forget.