Released by the Czech fan club is their first DVD “Time Warp – A Commemorative Elvis Birthday Edition“. This is a re-release on a real silver DVD of an older DVD-recordable. Is it commemorative?
Design
The designers from the Czech Elvis Presley fan club did not use the original cover of the DVD-recordable, but did use the same look. Some designer went over the top with a big firework and Elvis in his Blue Gipsy suit. A bit too much in our opinion, we prefer a more “quiet” design. The DVD comes with a detailed track listing.
The animated menu shows this DVD was “home made” (using a basic formats and background) and gives us a complete and easy to navigate menu.
Content
This DVD has been available on DVD-R for over a year now. Starting the DVD it says “Dragonheart © 2004", so although new on a real silver DVD the actual content is older. Being not too fond of recordables we skipped this release until now. But we are grateful to the Czech fan club sending us a review copy since we enjoyed watching it.
Contrary to other fan footage releases this DVD has the original soundtrack, meaning Elvis! The quality of the video and audio differs. Regarding the source, fans secretly filming our man in concert, it is acceptable, and is what we have to do with anyway. The DVD is nearly perfect lip synched in Dolby Digital 2.0.
Footage like this shows what an Elvis concert was like. We, as many fans, have never seen Elvis in concert besides the few official releases and other footage compilations. Presented here is footage from six different concerts between 1974 and 1976. You see Elvis performing on stage, having fun with the music, his band, his background singers and the fans. It is the picture to the soundtrack we knew from the already available live concerts.
The quality of the footage differs, mostly one angle and from the audience. The disc shows part of a concert, and the editing is basic, simple “cut and paste” the available material together. Therefor you do have some cuts in the middle of songs. Fortunately the footage of the famous Pittsburgh December 31, 1976 concert is very good, and shot from nearby. Many fans consider this to be the last good / “acceptable” concert Elvis gave.
Conclusion
This is a good DVD with Elvis footage and sound in an acceptable quality. Finally a movie to the soundtrack we already know. Let’s hope releases like this show those with professional material, EPE and the moviemoguls, what can and should be done, release the material!
Content:
Omaha, Nebraska - July 1st. 1974 (47 minutes)
Las Vegas - August 19, 1974 - opening show (17 minutes)
Las Vegas - August 18, 1975 - opening show (27 minutes) and August 19, 1975 (24 minutes)
Kansas City, Missouri - June 18, 1977 (15 minutes)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, December 31, 1976 (41 minutes)
Time Warp – A Commemorative Elvis Birthday Edition
January 09, 2006 | Video
dirklandwehr wrote on
March 17, 2006
Although all the clips are familiar in the Elvis World, it's nice to have a compilation on a real dvd. Especially the clip from the new years eve show 1976 is brilliant (picture and performance), but it's a bit shocking to compare it to the 1977 Kansas City performance. The quality of the film is very good, too, but if you think that the Pitsburgh show was done just half a year earlier, it's really sad to see what had happend to the king. The other clips have just an average quality, but they are still nice to have.
Gladyslove wrote on
April 24, 2006
The cover is great with Elvis in on of my favourite jump suite and that firework fits well at the cover behind our man. The contens of the Dvd is not that bad, interesting footage, especially the new years concert one. Elvis is in a good mood and as fairytale start after a few second elvis sad slow down slow, down, that shows he´s got all under control. Folks of the czech fanclub: We want more of that.