Two music legends. Two new documentaries out right now. The first is Man on the Run, available on Prime Video. Morgan Neville is one of the great documentary filmmakers of our time. He won an Oscar for 2013's 20 Feet From Stardom, about background singers, and since then has chronicled the lives of Fred Rogers, Steve Martin, Pharrell Williams and Anthony Bourdain, with a doc on Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels, set for release in April.
With Man on the Run, Neville presents a lively documentary on Paul McCartney, in the 1970s, when he left The Beatles, started a family and a new band, Wings. It's a compelling saga I didn't know much about going in. We hear from Paul, wife Linda and many others in revealing new audio interviews. The visuals are archival footage of the McCartneys on stage and at their Scotland farm, often enhanced by photos that pop-out, like pages of a scrapbook and a magazine come to life.
There were so many ups and downs during this decade for Paul, from the legal troubles of The Beatles and getting thrown in jail for bringing marijuana to Japan, to the often negative reviews and audience reaction of his Wings music, including from John Lennon. One of my favorite sections is a brief montage of reporters asking Paul if The Beatles will ever get back together. Fifty-plus years later, many reporters, celebrity interviewers and hosts very often ask their guests if they'll ever do a reboot or a sequel of a beloved film or TV series. Some things really never change.
At just under two hours, Man on the Run is able to keep your attention the entire time. The soundbites are perceptive and funny, and Neville succeeds at telling a complete, relevant story.
The second new high-profile documentary is EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, now playing in theaters. In 2022, Moulin Rouge!'s Baz Luhrmann directed Elvis, a stylish biopic starring Austin Butler, who won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for his intense performance. Luhrmann's love of The King has extended to this EPiC — featuring never before seen footage of Presley rehearsing for his legendary Vegas run, on stage at the International Hotel, and on the road, as well as interviews (including one at a press conference) that show a very human side of this icon. There are two stellar montages, one on Presley's film career (and how unhappy he was with most of the movies being so similar), and the other to Burning Love.
EPiC is an experience made for the big screen, which is why I had to see this in IMAX. The picture is crisp and the sound is equally dynamic. You truly feel like you're at Elvis' show, as he's belting out hits, one after the other, with the knockout band. You should absolutely see this on the largest screen, with the most immersive sound, possible. Luhrmann has a through-line in between the songs, briefly touching on Elvis' time in the service, family life with Priscilla and the shadow of Col. Tom Parker. But some of the standout moments are Presley reacting to surprise moments during his concerts, often laughing and smiling, showing just how much he enjoyed being a bonafide entertainer.
At my screening of EPiC, and of Elvis in 2022, attendees of all ages were clapping after songs, and a couple of them even dressed-up as Presley. Elvis Lives! To Baz Luhrmann, I say, Thank you, Thank you very much.
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