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That's the Way It Is - Special Edition

August 07, 2000 | Other
The year 2000 marks the 30th anniversary of the MGM concert film Elvis, That's the Way It Is. Turner Entertainment, the owner of the MGM films, is introducing an exciting, long-anticipated new edition of the film, entitled Elvis, That's the Way It Is - Special Edition. Turner is considering a theatrical release in a limited number of theaters in a select number of cities in the U.S. and abroad for the latter half of this year (a schedule to be posted here immediately if/when confirmed by Turner). The film will air on the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) channel on January 8, 2001 in widescreen "letterbox" format and be released on Warner Home Video and DVD in the U.S. and Canada the very next day - January 9, 2001. (Word soon to come on the overseas release.) But you don't have to wait for all that! Turner and EPE/Graceland have teamed up to make it possible for the Elvis fans visiting Memphis for Elvis Week 2000 to get to see it before anyone else via an exclusive premiere screening at the Orpheum Theatre on August 12, 2000. See our Elvis Week event listings for premiere details.

The television version (and possible theatrical release) of the program will contain many of the performances you know and love, but around 40% of the content will be material you have never seen.

Eliminated are the documentary-style interviews and other non-Elvis-himselvis material so prevalent in the original 1970 release. All of the footage and sound are splendidly remastered - glorious, to say the least. Even the performances you have already seen look and sound different due to the remastering and re-editing.

Wonderful as all that is, the home video will contain even more material. Wonderful as that is, the DVD will, in the words of a Turner marketing exec, be "packed" with even more Elvis material, plus a "making of" section entitled Patch It Up that tells the fascinating inside story of the creation of the new program.


Longtime Elvis fans within the Turner organization who have been part of this project have said "This is exactly what we've all dreamed of for so long!" Fans will now have their much beloved That's the Way It Is just the way they have always wanted it.

Elvis Presley Enterprises is proud to be involved with Turner Entertainment Company, Warner Brothers and Turner Classic Movies on this magnificent project. All parties have enjoyed outstanding mutual cooperation, support, friendship and unbridled enthusiasm throughout the journey toward this historic new day in the Elvis world.