CRANFORD, NJ — “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” is currently playing at the Cranford Theater.
And in celebration of Elvis’s charitable and kind contributions, the Cranford Theater is running a food drive. “We are working with local resident Donna Vaupel on this drive and will donate any collections to Cranford Family Care,” said theater owner Doreen Sayegh. The food drive will be going on the entire month of March.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, “EPiC” features newly found unseen footage and captures Elvis on top of his game. Viewers get an intimate look at Elvis’s journey, as music is intertwined with interviews. Some of the wondrous moments that viewers embrace are Elvis playing his beautiful Gretsch guitar; fan interactions; home videos of his sweet daughter, Lisa Marie, as a child; his beloved mom, Gladys Presley; and backstage footage, which included top-notch celebrities such as Sammy Davis Jr. The beauty of it all is that Elvis was equally kind to his fans as he was to fellow celebrities. In one of the interviews, he reveals that, if he wasn’t a famous entertainer, he would miss the fans and signing autographs for them.
You’ll also get plenty of humor. Elvis loved to joke around with everyone. When a female audience member hands Elvis a bra, he laughs and puts the bra on his head and finishes “Love Me” that way. And even when Elvis is fooling around, he never misses a note. That rich, velvety, soft voice flows so effortlessly from his lips no matter what.
The 90-minute movie is fast paced and the best thing about Elvis, his music, makes the film go even faster, leaving the audience wanting more. In addition to “Love Me,” some of the other songs you’ll hear include “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” “How Great Thou Art,” “In the Ghetto,” “Suspicious Minds,” “American Trilogy,” “Love Me Tender,” “Walk a Mile in My Shoes,” “Hound Dog” and many more. Do note that some of these songs are cut and intertwined with interview footage. But in a genius move, Jonathan Redmond, executive producer/director, edited some songs with scenes from various concerts flowing straightforwardly with a result of one continuous song – different locations, different costumes.
What Elvis fans seem to love most about this movie is that it’s actual footage of the real Elvis Presley, unlike the bio pics that were made in the past few years.
Will Smith, of Cranford, said, “This movie seems different than all the bio pics. I love Elvis’s music. My dad used to play Elvis all the time, growing up. We live in walking distance from the theater. I haven’t seen a concert movie in years. You have to see it in a theater.”
Amanda Friss, of Westfield, was excited to see the movie and learn more about Elvis. She said, “I love Baz.”
Kathy Laulette, of Kenilworth, was born in the 1960s. Her older sisters listened to Elvis. She said, “I watch everything I can about Elvis.”
Laulette shared that her brother-in-law lives in Tennessee and she’ll be visiting Elvis Presley’s Graceland home in the fall.
Sandy Smith, of Rahway, said she wasn’t a major Elvis fan, but her older sisters like him. Her favorite Elvis song is “Love Me Tender.”
Visit the Cranford Theater at: https://www.cranfordtheater.com/.
Photo by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta
