Well, if you’re an Elvis fan, then you’re positively rolling in new products this year on the 30th anniversary of his death. Between this and the next boxed set we’re going to discuss, we’ve got fourteen films on DVD. In this boxed set, however, you’ve got the stuff that’s new to DVD. Charro!, from what I’ve been able to gather, was available previously but is now out of print. Making their DVD debut are Girl Happy, Kissin’ Cousins, Live a Little, Love a Little, Stay Away, Joe, and Tickle Me. No special features except for some photo cards, but for the Elvis completists among you, you’re going to want to snag this Warner Brothers release in order to complete your Presley DVD collection. (Buy it from Amazon.)
As for the Elvis! Lights! Camera! Elvis! Collection, there’s nothing new here, but a chance to snag these films on DVD for a low price. This reissue boxed set from Paramount does come in a swank-looking case on the outside, with all the films in slimline cases on the inside, which I appreciate because I am constantly running out of freaking shelf space in the Technocave. The films that are available on this set are: Blue Hawaii, Easy Come, Easy Go, Fun in Acapulco, G.I. Blues, Girls! Girls! Girls!, King Creole, Paradise Hawaiian Style and Roustabout. Again, we don’t have anything in the way of special features, but considering the price as I write this is around $54 on Amazon, you’re talking about $7 a film, so that’s nothing to sneeze at if you’re looking to quickly to fill a gap in your collection. (Buy it from Amazon.)
Finally, it’s re-issue time again with Elvis: Viva Las Vegas, a CD this time around. A television special of the same name aired last night on ABC. Basically what you’ve got here is sixteen tracks: fifteen live with the studio version of “Viva Las Vegas” leading off the CD. Some of the tracks include “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” and “See See Rider.” Elvis fanatics probably own these tracks on five or six CDs by now, but again, if you haven’t accepted Elvis as your personal lord and savior and want a nice sampling of his live stuff (because the man could put on a show, no lie), then this RCA release will work just fine. (Buy it from Amazon.)
