mike48128 This revamped and re-edited version is far superior to the original release, which focused too much on the fascination that the fan clubs held for him. The footage and the sound has been cleaned up. Wisely, songs in rehearsal (some of them bad covers) are not repeated in the concert part of the film, but "Mary in the Morning" should have been. Here we see just how hard Elvis prepared for the historic International Hotel concerts. It is edited down from six live performances. Elvis' multifaceted talents included music arrangement and on-stage conducting of virtually all his "numbers". (He is an accomplished pianist as well--who knew?) He decided when the horns, orchestra and choruses "kicked in" on stage. For a brief 90 minutes or so, it is as if Elvis is still alive. Thrilling for both all old and new Elvis fans. Not a comprehensive list of hits and certainly not his full repertoire, but a good representation. I wish it had included "Lord, You Gave Me a Mountain". No "Dixieland" concerto here. A great cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and the most sincere rendition of "In the Ghetto" I've ever seen. A slightly overlong version of "Polk Salad Annie" because it showcased the humorous side of Elvis. As usual, he "throws away" "Hound Dog", as he must have truly hated that song. A lot of smooching of stage-struck fans and enough audience shots to make it seem like a live-on-film concert from The International Hotel (now the LVH) in Las Vegas. He poured so much energy into this concert, that at the end of it, he is truly worn out. Look for several famous celebrities in the audience including Sammy Davis Jr., Cary Grant, and Charo! Even the excellent re-edited version seems too short.

ElvisFanCanada Excellent movie for True Elvis fans. there are some rare scenes. But the songs were good. I'd highly recommend that fans as well as people that didn't like his music watch this movie. Every time i watch Elvis That's The Way It Is I think about why the chose the name. The reason at least in my mind is because it show Elvis as fans didn't see him when he was alive and well. The song choices were very good. My best memory of this one was him sinning in Vegas. The reason I'd recommend this movie it showcases the King at his best. It show's Elvis before all the jumpsuits came out. He sound's just as good as he did on stage. God bless Elvis and his band.

MARIO GAUCI The original theatrical version was drastically re-edited in 2001 to make Elvis' stage performance the core of the show, thus removing all interview footage of the crowd before the concert, etc. Also given its due importance is the various rehearsal sessions which show Elvis goofing off on occasion but clearly knowing what he wants and in complete control of the proceedings. Indeed, Elvis is in great shape – both vocally and physically – and in great spirits, too and the fact that he had been missing live performances during a self-imposed hiatus (a direct result of his lengthy Hollywood sojourn) is palpable. Rather ironically perhaps, among the crowd of admirers one can glimpse such Hollywood celebrities as the already retired Cary Gramt, Sammy Davis. Jr., George Hamilton and ex-Elvis co-star Juliet Prowse! Presley clearly wanted this film to be done right because he engaged the services of a respectable director (Denis Sanders) and a great director of photography (Lucien Ballard). Personally, I found "Suspicious Minds" to be the standout performance in the concert but all the songs he performed were good ones – including some pretty obscure current titles like "Patch It Up" – and it was refreshing to see the old "rock'n'roll" era standards being "thrown away" in a tongue-in-cheek manner by The King one right after another. His handling of the occasional cover – "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" and "Words" – was also quite impeccable.After a three-week long Elvis marathon, this is undoubtedly the best way to remember him because, watching him here, one really appreciates why the man was so loved when he was alive and why he is still so revered, missed and imitated 30 years after his death...

George R. Willeman Sadly, some people feel that they know better than the director how a film should be. Since director Denis Sanders is now deceased, he cannot comment on the "special edition" DVD of his film, which basically removes the heart and soul from his movie--the people who loved Elvis and made him the phenomenon that he was (and still is, for that matter!) I have no problem with creating a concert-only version-the concert footage is superb and shows Elvis at one of the high-points in his career; just a few years before his death, but before his sad decline. It's great fun to watch him rehearse and horse around. However, it seems wrong to me to palm this off on the public as the film "Elvis: That's the Way it Is" when much of the footage has been removed! Denis Sanders wanted to show several aspects of Elvis World, reaching from the kitchen of the International Hotel all the way to Luxembourg. To be able to view the original version, I had to wait until an aging Laserdisc came available for purchase and then I realized how removing the non-Elvis material lessened the importance of the film, as the documenting of an important cultural icon. Hopefully, someone at Warner Home Video will realize the error of this and make BOTH versions available, if for nothing else than to right the wrong done to the film's director.