Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback

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Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback

Released Jul 30, 2023

1h 50m

Documentary

Music

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Popcornmeter

100%

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7 Reviews

97%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Premiering days before the anniversary of Presley’s death, REINVENTING ELVIS: THE '68 COMEBACK reveals what really happened behind the scenes of this mesmerizing hour of television. When it aired on the night of Dec. 3, 1968, the special became the most-watched television event of the year, and nearly half of the entire TV-watching audience tuned in to see Elvis Presley, clad in an iconic black leather suit, deliver some of the greatest performances of his life, reinvigorating his career and changing the pop-culture landscape forever.

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Nina Metz

Chicago Tribune

By focusing on just a few months in Presley’s career, he [Scheinfeld] has created a rich portrait of not only the singer but the era itself.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 24, 2023

Full Review

Glenn Kenny

New York Times

If today Presley really needs a sales pitch, this movie is a good one.

Aug 15, 2023

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

The tantalising history of the Elvis TV “comeback” special of 1968 is told and then retold from every conceivable angle in this earnest and all-encompassing documentary.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 28, 2023

Full Review

Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

I was a little skeptical that "Reinventing Elvis" could justify its length -- at one hour and 26 minutes it's more than twice the running time of the original special -- but even those well-versed in Presley lore are likely to learn something.

Aug 22, 2023

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Johnny Loftus

Decider

Reinventing Elvis: The ‘68 Comeback adds valuable perspective to the same revisionism of Presley’s legacy that Baz Luhrmann’s recent biopic of The King explored.

Aug 17, 2023

Full Review

Rachel Ho

POV Magazine

Notably, the stories by those who were involved with the special are vibrantly brought to life with beautifully restored clips and photos of Elvis during the special, which are, unquestionably, the highlights of the film.

Aug 15, 2023

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janice d

When the movie got into the behind the scenes of the making of the ‘68 Special the movie was riveting. Learned a few things I was unaware of even after reading Steve’s book. The other footage I thought was unnecessary and distracting. There is so much information in Steve’s book. he could’ve made a 2+ hour movie from the information in his his book..

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/31/23

Full Review

S. T

The best, most in depth dive into the making of this special, it's historical significance and in a specific, pivotal moment in the career of the greatest entertainer that ever walked the face of the earth. There's no other documentary you need to watch related to this.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/23/24

Full Review

Steven L

A great documentary about the 68 comeback special. And it ends incredibly with the entire performance of "If I Can Dream", which was amazing to see on the big screen.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/28/23

Full Review

Daniel O

So nice to see the real true great Elvis that my father idolized and I learned to appreciate as a child.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/12/23

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Ace R

Fantastic! If you are a fan of Elvis, then you will love this. This is great because it tells how this special was made, and hold nothing back. Not everyone in Elvis's world cared about Elvis and his well-being.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/08/23

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Deb O

I'm old enough to have a vivid recollection of seeing Elvis in that black leather suit prowling that tiny stage and playing unplugged with his old band mates. Gorgeous. Magnetic. Riveting. An unparalleled talent rediscovering his musical roots and genius. Goosebump stuff. Couldn't wait to watch Steve's inside account and I was not disappointed. Made me search out and watch that bit of history all over again. And yep, still got goosebumps.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/29/23

Full Review

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John Scheinfeld

Director

Steve Binder

Self

Darius Rucker

Self

Maffio

Self

Drake Milligan

Self

John Scheinfeld

Screenwriter

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Synopsis

Premiering days before the anniversary of Presley’s death, REINVENTING ELVIS: THE '68 COMEBACK reveals what really happened behind the scenes of this mesmerizing hour of television. When it aired on the night of Dec. 3, 1968, the special became the most-watched television event of the year, and nearly half of the entire TV-watching audience tuned in to see Elvis Presley, clad in an iconic black leather suit, deliver some of the greatest performances of his life, reinvigorating his career and changing the pop-culture landscape forever.

Director: John Scheinfeld
Screenwriter: John Scheinfeld
Distributor: Paramount+
Production Co: MTV Studios, Paramount+, Meteor 17
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 30, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2023
Runtime: 1h 50m

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