{"id":52149,"date":"2026-03-17T12:23:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T16:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=52149"},"modified":"2026-03-17T12:23:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T16:23:27","slug":"elvis-56-1987-lightyear-blu-ray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/17\/elvis-56-1987-lightyear-blu-ray\/","title":{"rendered":"Elvis ’56 [1987] [Lightyear Blu-Ray]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The year Elvis shot to stardom is explored in Alan & Susan Raymond\u2019s 1987 documentary Elvis \u201856, now on Blu-Ray via Lightyear Entertainment.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

To pull from the Pulp Fiction<\/a> deleted scene, I\u2019ve always been a Beatles<\/a> guy over an Elvis<\/a> guy. I\u2019ve appreciated Mr. Presley; he\u2019s one hell of a musical artist and a good enough actor- the man\u2019s got charm to spare. I\u2019ve enjoyed the handful of movies he starred in, and the movies about and around him, mainly Sofia Coppola\u2019s Priscilla<\/a> and the first Kurt Russell<\/a>\/John Carpenter<\/a> hook-up: Elvis in 1978. (Fun note: Russell\u2019<\/a>s first film role was the kid who kicked Elvis in 1963\u2019s It Happened at the World\u2019s Fair, set in my town of Seattle!). Now I get to add a documentary to that mix, assuming Bubba Ho-Tep<\/a> was fiction. I\u2019ve not really watched that many documentaries about him, though. My knowledge of the man comes from pop culture, the above works, and a several-page paper I wrote on him in eighth grade in 1996. Thus, Elvis \u201856,\u00a0 the made-for-TV 1987 documentary, as the title suggests, looks at a single year in the life of Elvis Presley.<\/span><\/p>\n

Academy Award-winning documentary pair Alan and Susan Raymond (for 1994\u2019s I Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School) present a tight one-hour package of a year in the life of Elvis. Hell, hardly A year in the life but THE year in the life. 1956 is the year everything changed, making it a heck of a year for a documentary. Elvis turns 21, meets Colonel Tom Parker, signs with a new label, and explodes into the public eye in music and movies. \u00a0 Even seventy years removed from the events, and nearly forty from the documentary, I\u2019ll let the program speak to itself. But it is interesting how a \u201cwe\u2019re looking at January to December\u201d of a specific year, one wouldn\u2019t expect a real climax, but a mere stopping point, but with the rise of a star, it did it on its own.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Raymonds provide this rundown with, what is most interesting to me, a series of little-seen clips and footage of Elvis, linked together by a serviceable narration from Levon Helm of The Band (another fantastic music artist). Appearing on Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, and other programs, see the rise. It\u2019s fascinating to compare the small, intimate appearances on a wee local show to the massive viewership of Ed Sullivan in September to stadiums in December. What a rise. One can see just how much he cared and put into these performances. Elvis was one hell of a showman. And he took it seriously. In an interesting touch, they present two versions of Hound Dog back-to-back. One in which the host seems to disparage Elvis by having him sing to a literal dog, and one in which he\u2019s allowed to break free. The difference between the two is astounding. This comes after the juxtaposition of following the conservative performance of Perry Como on some show, highlighting the cultural shift in the rise of rock and roll, adding another layer. Even without the documentary around it, I couldn\u2019t help but move with the music as I watched his electric performances. One might say, \u201cI can watch these online,\u201d but remember, it\u2019s 1987, and a TV special such as this was the only easy way to look back at the icon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

However, perhaps to match the aim of the documentary, it\u2019s a little Wikipedia summary: this happened then this then this, all with appreciating\u2019 it\u2019s a glowing appraisal.\u00a0 There are notes of what Elvis might be thinking or reflecting from the filmmakers over how everything would change, but it doesn\u2019t get into the weeds. Elvis never speaks for himself; we don\u2019t get into his head over how he\u2019s dealing with or approaching the increased pressure of fame. Don\u2019t expect a warts-and-all depth of this game-changer of a year. But for what it is, Elvis \u201856 is a nice glance at how Elvis became Elvis.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a student of pop-culture history and the media around it (heck, even took a few TV classes as part of my film degree), I was personally drawn in by just seeing how this sort of thing worked in the 1950s, variety shows of early TV bringing the stage to the home, early personalities, and figuring out the format. The documentary casts a small net to the side about how entertainment flowed in 1956, and that was right up my alley.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a Ghostbuster, I have to finish with the line from that movie: \u201cHow is Elvis? And have you seen him lately?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Whoa, mama.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Package<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lightyear via MVD presents Elvis \u201856 on a single disc Blu-Ray, adding to the DVD from 2018. It\u2019s a standard release, with the disc within a see-through case with a sleeve. Poster on the front and synopsis and track listing (it is a music doc after all) on the back. The interior of the sleeve features the same image of Elvis on his guitar that features as the poster and disc art.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Presentation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a big positive. One might expect seventy-year-old TV footage to be dark and murky, recorded and copied so many times over the years. But to my happy surprise, it looks great. Remastered, it\u2019s easy to see with solid clarity. It holds some of the age and time, so don\u2019t expect a crisp Technicolor flick, but it serves very well. The sound is good as well, free from too many artifacts,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In English with no subtitles.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Features<\/strong><\/p>\n

No takin\u2019 care of business here. The disc contains only the feature.<\/span><\/p>\n

Final Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the package is anemic in more than just the show, it is released at a bargain price, so it matches. For an Elvis fan, or one looking to get a slice of his story in a momentous moment or see life and TV of 1956, Elvis \u201856 is an interesting watch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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