Elvis

Kurt Russell is The King in John Carpenter's 1979 made-for-TV movie, which charts the rise of Elvis Presley from Memphis rockabilly phenomenon to rock 'n' roll superstar to his phoenix-like comeback as a Vegas showman. Russell's effortless impression captures the voice, cadence, and unbridled energy that the young singer unleashed in every performance while allowing us to see the man in the bubble offstage, trapped by the very success that gave him fame and fortune. Carpenter focuses on Elvis' male relationships and the tricky social dynamic among the friends who became his support group and entourage. Elvis impersonator Ronnie McDowell provides the singing voice, while costars include Shelley Winters as Elvis' mother, Gladys; Pat Hingle as his manager, Colonel Tom Parker; and Joe Mantegna as his aide and road manager, Joe Esposito. Marking the first collaboration between Carpenter and Russell, this remains the most perceptive of Elvis biopics. Debuting on DVD in the complete 170-minute version (the film has been unavailable in any format for decades), extras include audio commentary by McDowell and Elvis' cousin/author Edie Hand (who co-authored a handful of Elvis recipe books), the featurette “Bringing a Legend to Life” (featuring archival interviews with Russell and Carpenter), and rare Elvis performance clips from American Bandstand. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)