Elvis Presley: The Searcher (2018)

Elvis Presley: The Searcher: Directed by Thom Zimny. With Steve Allen, Ann-Margret, Chet Atkins, Chris Bearde. Elvis Presley’s evolution as a musician and a man.

“Director Thom Zimny has made music documentaries for Bruce Springsteen where he has access to interviews with the Boss and members of his band as well as those closest to him.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHere Zimny has been granted access to footage, photos and archived interviews from his estate. There are no talking heads but you have narration from Springsteen, Tom Petty, Jon Landau, Priscilla Presley, Emmylou Harris and childhood friend Jerry Schilling.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a sprawling two part documentary that clocks in at 4 hours. It is very long, telling a story that could had been done in half the time. The involvement of Priscilla also makes me thing it was sanitised in parts. There is no mention of Elvisu0026#39;s karate lessons and each otheru0026#39;s infidelities.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe first part is more interesting, Elvis singing country, gospel, bluegrass that will eventually lead to rock n roll under the guidance of Sam Phillips of Sun Records.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eColonel Tom Parker is the villain of the piece, a malignant influence who ultimately enriched himself and held back Elvis who wanted to see the world but could not as the Colonel was an illegal immigrant.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe documentary comes alive when it plays interviews from Elvis, Sam Phillips and those who were there with him at the time. When Tom Petty talks about how Elvis was bored when he was in the army in Germany and how he took uppers to keep awake, you think u0026#39;how do you know?u0026#39;”