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Director: Jason Hehir.
2024 • U.S.A.
Elvis Presley, Priscilla Presley, Steve Binder, Billy Corgan, Bob Dylan, D.J. Fontana, Ernst Jørgensen, Darlene Love, Baz Luhrmann, Scotty Moore, Conan O'Brien, Jerry Schilling, Bruce Springsteen, Sandi Tompkins, The Beatles.
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Priscilla Presley:Oh my gosh, I was lisnetning to the Beatles too. You know, I was listening to Mick Jagger. I mean, he came on like Elvis did. He was out jumping all over the place. I'm like, "What the heck?"The music was changing.The Beatles came to our house in Bel Air, which was a funny evening. When they did come in, they were so nervous.In fact, Elvis sat down on the couch, John Lennon and Paul McCartney just stared at him. Never said a word. Just looked at him They were so nervous. And Elvis basically was saying, "Well, if you're not gonna talk…"He turned on the TV.They were just mesmerized by him.
Jerry Schilling:I remember seeing them, and we start talking, and John said: "I didn't have the courage to tell Elvis this, but would you tell him?"He said, "You see these sideburns?" and I said, "Yeah."He said, "I almost got kicked out of high school because I wanted to look like Elvis.""And we wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him."The Beatles were the writers of their songs at the time, and before the Beatles, in general, songwriters wrote the songs, singers sang the songs.That's what took it to the next level, the fact that the Beatles wrote. And that's what gave us, the youth at that time, a voice.
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ReplyDeleteReturn of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley Review – Resurrection of a Musical Legend
From Hollywood Puppet to Rock 'n' Roll Phoenix: How One Performance Rewrote Musical History
by Arash Nahandian
Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley is more than just another music documentary; it’s a comprehensive look at one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most crucial moments. The film, directed by Jason Hehir, the creator behind the acclaimed sports documentary The Last Dance, follows Elvis Presley’s spectacular career resurrection through the legendary 1968 Comeback Special.
By 1968, Elvis was a shadow of his former self. Hollywood had turned the rebellious rock superstar into a bland movie star, producing forgettable flicks in which he’d uncomfortably sing to animals and follow conventional scripts. Colonel Tom Parker, his manager, had gradually drained his once-revolutionary musical soul, leaving admirers wondering whether the real Elvis had vanished forever.
The documentary methodically follows Elvis’ journey from his childhood roots—listening to music outside Black churches in Mississippi—to his early success at Sun Records, his military service, and his Hollywood career. But the real magic occurs when the film focuses on the NBC television spectacular that would change his career.
The film includes private interviews with Priscilla Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Conan O’Brien, and others, revealing the raw, painful moments building up to the performance. Viewers receive an unusual glimpse into an artist on the verge of total reinvention or complete irrelevance.
What emerges is more than simply a music documentary. It’s a profound look at artistic sincerity, emotional suffering, and the extraordinary force of a performer recovering his self. The ’68 Comeback Special was more than a television special; it was Elvis breaking free from the golden cage of his popularity and regaining the electric energy that made him the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Hehir’s documentary captures an astonishing moment: when an icon stopped being a commodity and became human again, all thanks to the transformative power of music.