Can’t Help Falling in Love with this Netflix doc.
“Return of the King: The Rise and Fall of Elvis Presley” is a Netflix documentary talking about Elvis’s 1968 comeback special, and what lead up to it. And it focuses on his music and movie career, the people in his life, and how he improvised his dance moves with a polarized reaction.
The comeback special was supposed to celebrate his return to live performances, following a 7 year period when he was focusing on his movie appearances. It was originally supposed to be a Christmas special conjured up by his infamous manager Colonel Tom Parker, but then it was morphed into a comeback special to reflect on the music of the time period and for its generation of music fans. With strong rating and positive reviews, it officially was a comeback for the King’s singing career. We all wish the drugs didn’t kill him.
We get some insights from the likes of the late Robbie Robertson, Baz Luhrmann (who made the 2022 biopic “Elvis”), Darlene Love, Bruce Springsteen, Conan O’Brien, and even Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla Presley. They all present their views of him from different angles, and what other people thought about him. And they couldn’t be more poetic or open-minded about him, especially if Love explains how his love for African-American music has inspired him to tackle on his own interpretations of their songs.
A month apart and on two different streaming services, we get amazing documentaries on famous musicians preparing for their shows, while offering some insight on their lives and whom they have influenced. On Disney+, there was “Road Diary,” which was about Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band preparing for their comeback tour following the pandemic. And now on Netflix, we have “Return of the King,” which talks about all things Elvis related.
It doesn’t talk about how the drugs have deteriorated him the way history has told him, but it does mention how he is afraid of being in poverty again, as he was as a child. It’s really about how his music needed a comeback at the time, and what leads up to this TV special.
My grandmother was born on the same day and year as Elvis. She even loaned me some of her old magazines focusing on him. And then one day, one of her kids (one of my uncles) found out about his death, and told her about that. It was quite an unexpected moment for her. It’s too bad the people behind “Return of the King: The Rise and Fall of Elvis Presley” couldn’t find her and have her talk about him.
Elvis Presley may have passed away in 1977, but his legacy and songs are ageless. And this doc wants to remind us about that. Thank you. Thank you very much. I’m never gonna get tired of that.
Now Streaming on Netflix