Inside Double Trouble (p)Review

The original “Inside” series from Ger Rijff consisted of just books, the latest three releases in the “Inside” series from Elvis Unlimited and now Elvis Matters are box sets. We received a preview copy of the book, so we’re back to basics with an “Inside” book review.

Design

As we have become to expect from the Belgian Elvis Matters is a top notch design. The complete package comes in a "suitcase" with carry-on-handle matching the use of suitcases from the original design of the movie. Inside a colorful hard cover book with a consistent design. The text is illustrated with a lot of pictures and memorabilia from around the world. Besides that the text is illustrated with many little trivia boxes with fun facts and observations. The set is completed with poscards, a fold out Belgian movie poster, vinyl single with radio spot and a replica single cover of Guy Lambert's single. I

Content

The book

The book starts very honest; “Double Trouble” is very mediocre Elvis movie. So the book isn’t written because this is a great movie or popular movie - like the announced “Inside Viva Las Vegas – but it is written by a Belgian fan club because the movie takes “Elvis” to Belgium. Strangely enough, it took forty years for a Belgian club to pick up on this.

The book contains far more text than the other “inside” releases; this also means less illustrations spread out over the pages. This is both a pro and con. The pro is I learn a lot about the movie, the filming, the backgrounds and the actors and the – Belgian – stand in for Elvis, Jos Clauwers. Both “Annette Day” who starred opposite Elvis, and Jos Clauwers who starred in absence of Elvis, tell their story through interviews making it more personal than just writing history. The only minor is that some of the memorabilia is shown in small images; I personally enjoy old memorabilia in books like these, so I wouldn’t mind seeing them full page, especially the Italian poster with Elvis portrayed as “James Bond” or the Italian lobby card with the bombshell promoting this movie … the Italians must have realized that they needed all the help they could get to promote this vehicle of a movie. Being from the Netherlands, the Dutch paper cuttings and articles shown inside make it easy to relate to the movie.

The DVD

The DVD contains the full movie, contrary to other box sets this is a big plus, since you now get the definitive package on this movie … too bad though when you already own the movie. It would have been nice if the cooperation with the movie company could have been expanded to the record company. The addition of the soundtrack in the Follow That Dream 2 CD style would have made it the most complete “Inside” release yet.

The vinyl single

The single contains a radio spot announcement, a nice touch, but I would have used the movie prop replica single cover for Guy Lambert's single for the actual vinyl disc.

Conclusion

This pretty complete and well designed package makes is an entertaining and in-depth book on an average movie, and not just for Belgian Elvis fans.

The set comes as an cardboard luggage box (with carry-on-handle) with a vinyl promo on 45 rpm, a DVD with subtitles & movie trailer, two movie postcards, a replica of the original Belgian poster, a numbered and signed COA (1 -> 1.000), a hard cover full color book and a replica movie prop of Guy Lambert’s “Could I Fall In Love” single.

You can still win a copy of the complete set in our quiz. If you can't wait that long you can order “Inside Double Trouble" through shop@elvismatters.com for 39.95 Euro.