Almost Elvis

"If the jumpsuit is shiny, and the lip is curly, and the pompadour is riding high, and the king's spirit is with him, [the Elvis impersonator] can be almost Elvis." And almost Elvis is good enough for the legions of fans around the world who felt that on August 16, 1977, their idol "got taken away early, and people weren't ready for him to go." A mind-boggling 35,000 Elvis impersonators are estimated to be roaming the world, gyrating their pelvises to "Jailhouse Rock" and leaving early Baby Boomers "All Shook Up" as they bestow the signature Elvis scarves around the necks of the faithful. "Michael Wallis hosts and narrates John Paget's loving homage, Almost Elvis, which takes viewers behind the scenes for a close-up look at a handful of men (and women!) who would be King. From the revolving Elvis slot at Las Vegas's long running ""Legends in Concert"" show to the numerous contests for Elvis impersonators (culminating in the ""Super Bowl"" of face-offs, the Memphis-hosted 5-day ""Images of Elvis"" tournament), Elvis is still present in all kinds of buildings, and the film not only introduces us to these personable impersonators, but drops in on a number of side businesses as well (from the ""official"" outfitters of Elvis wannabes--where a sequined jumpsuit runs $4,000 and up--to a one-woman booking agency called the Elvis Entertainers Network)."Viewers will meet Quentin Flagg, a 14-year-old small town kid whose young Elvis routine takes him all the way to Memphis to compete against national idols Irv Cass and Robert Washington. Cass, who used to be a male dancer, is an odds-on favorite for his strong combination of a good singing voice, the "look," and--naturally--some pretty sexy moves, but Irv is worried that those hunka hunka burnin' love handles he sports around his waist are going to jeopardize his shot at the crown (and, in one of the documentary's funniest sequences, we see Irv get semi-serious about exercise to the stirring background music of the theme from Rocky). Even more interesting is Robert Washington, who took 2nd place in the national competition in 1998, and is considered by many to be the true king of Kings. A shipyard painter in Portland, ME, Robert Washington has one hurdle that some consider insurmountable: even though his moves are impeccable, his voice is solid, and the ladies love him, he's black. Still, as Almost Elvis makes abundantly clear, being Elvis is more of a state of mind (you could be a dead ringer, but without the voice you wouldn't progress much beyond local fame), crossing color, gender, and nationality boundaries with equal ease. Among the many Elvises profiled here, a few of the more interesting include: the Vegetarian Elvis (a.k.a., "The Green E," who sings reconstituted hits such as "Are You Recycling Tonight?"), Elvez (or, the Mexican Elvis, a cross between the King and Che Guevara, with 7 albums under his belt, including "G.I. Ay Ay Blues"), and Eric Eriksson, a 60-year-old janitor at a bowling alley, whose gospel Elvis is so good that the local pastor lets him perform in church (sans jumpsuit, naturally). Sure to appeal to "sideburn chasers" (as extreme admirers are known in the business), more subdued Elvis lovers, and those who are drawn to the best in indie filmmaking. Almost Elvis is highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review--June 17, 2003--Blue Suede Films, 149 min., not rated, $22.95--John Paget's tres cool film looks and sounds great on DVD. Extras (with very slow load-ups off the menu) include audio commentary by Paget, associate producer David Ross, director of photography Matt Valentine and “sound guy” Michael Elvin; the nine-minute Michael Wallis-narrated “Just Pretend: A History of Elvis Impersonators” featurette; eight extra scenes (including outtakes); a making-of section of production notes and photos; six text character bios and updates; a nine-minute trailer; eight minutes of media interviews; and a weird “Mystery Elvis” guessing game (think: Elvis trappings superimposed over four famous folks). Bottom line: a very good extras package for a wonderful documentary.]