Elvis: That's the Way It Is poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Elvis Presley, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Charlie Hodge, Estell Brown ... see more see more... , Richard Davis , Terry Blackwood

Elvis: That's the Way It Is offers a candid look at Elvis Presley at a point when he decided to permanently abandon movie roles and return triumphantly to concert gigs. It shows him strutting around V... read more read more...egas with his entourage, Elvis painstakingly preparing for his stage show, Elvis relaxing backstage and trading jokes with his vocal accompanists, and, of course, Elvis before a live, loud audience. Photographed by Lucien Ballard the film was directed by Denis Sanders of Shock Treatment fame. This film was hugely reedited and reissued in 2001, with around 40% new material that replaced preexistent fan footage with musical performances and revelations; it also works in a a version of 'Love Me Tender' that finds The King strutting through the audience. That cut of the film - which received heightened critical kudos - rates 4 stars, and qualifies as more of a performance film than a documentary. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

89% liked it

3,336 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

7 critics

PG, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Denis Sanders, Dennis Sanders, Elvis Presley, Estell Brown, James Burton, Richard Davis, Terry Blackwood

Release Date: January 1, 1999

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: April 9, 2001

Get It:

Stats: 170 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Elvis: That's the Way It Is I LOVE ELVIS!!!!!!!! :) Elvis: That's the Way It Is
Upload a Photo | View All Elvis: That's the Way It Is Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (170)

  • burgerstar
    December 28, 2010
    burgerstar
    Best part - "Little Sister" fades into the Beatles "Get Back" and then back into "Little Sister."
    A great documentary and awesome concert footage in Vegas. Polk Salad Annie rocks!
  • TonyPolito
    July 17, 2011
    TonyPolito
    This is late Elvis at his best, still thin, still wildly gyrating, smiling, tanned, and clearly loving every moment of what he's doing - just a year or two before the monkey of addiction began to dig its claws in so deep.

    Filmed over six shows at the Las Vegas International (no... read morew the LV Hilton) in 1970. One of the 20th Century's greatest musical legends at the top of his game, making Vegas all his own.

    Move directly to "GO" and collect $200 by watching the 2001 Special Edition - rather than the 1970 Original Theatrical Release version. The 2001 upgrade is serious restoration work. Gone are the nearly thirty minutes of tediously dull observations and interviews of/with Elvii fans, replaced by a generous amount of footage that in 1970 was tossed to the cutting room floor. The L.A. studio and Vegas rehearsals are vastly extended. Also dealt back into the deck are many alternate angle cuts, probably set aside for being thought too pelvic and provocative for 1970 theater-goers. Now almost every frame of the film caresses the character and talent of Elvis.

    In addition to the high-quality outright resto of celluloid and sound, there's a good bit of thoughtful sprucing-up throughout the film (eg, captioning, establishing shots) that improves the overall viewer experience a great deal.

    [The 2001 version is issued standalone but can also be found inside WB's 2007 DVD "Elvis: That's The Way It Is: Two-Disc Special Edition."]

    RECOMMENDATION: The "Aloha" special may be better known, may have been watched live by 1 billion people, may be better costumed - but in Aloha the weight, the exhaustion and the monkey are all painfully on display. Here in this disc is the performance by which The King would want to be remembered.
  • bluejays86rock
    August 16, 2007
    bluejays86rock
    He may be dead but I still love Elvis Presley's songs, his concerts are like the best. One of my fav songs by him is Tiger Man/Mystery Train melody. I love Elvis Presley.

View All Elvis: That's the Way It Is Reviews

Critic Reviews

Sean Axmaker
August 11, 2010
Sean Axmaker, Parallax View

... chronicles his phoenix-like rebirth as a Vegas showman as a concert rockumentary interspersed with interviews, backstage material, and a wealth of footage featuring the King in rehearsal. Full Review

Sean Axmaker
August 14, 2007
Sean Axmaker, MSN.com

The definitive portrait of Elvis the Vegas headliner follows the King through his 1970 summer engagement in Las Vegas from backstage bustle to box-office hustle to 27 stage numbers. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 9, 2005
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 21, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Thomas Delapa
February 13, 2004
Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly

No review available.

Carol Cling
August 22, 2003
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

Philip Martin
July 30, 2002
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

No review available.

Michael Thomson
April 17, 2001
Michael Thomson, BBC

Click to read the article Full Review

August 16, 2007
Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

Urban Cinefile Critics
September 17, 2002
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Elvis: That's the... : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Elvis: That's the Way It Is. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Elvis: That's the Way It Is to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?