"Elvis Found Alive" is a profoundly strange and surprising well-made mockumentary about one man's search for truth in the death of Elvis Presley. Even though the title of Joel Gilbert's film suggests that the DVD might merely be compendium of sightings at convenience stores and gas stations, it treats the possibility of Elvis' life after apparent death straight as an arrow. As such, it reminds me of Neil Burger's "Interview With the Assassin" and Niels Mueller's "The Assassination of Richard Nixon." As the story goes, Gilbert was so moved by a pilgrimage to Graceland, he decided to use the FOIA to request the King's FBI files. Although they arrived heavily redacted, the ink was barely dry and easily removed. What convinced Gilbert that something fishy might be going on was the frequent mention of Elvis' alias, Jon Burrows. From there, it was rather easy to locate a Jon Burrows residence in Simi Valley, California, and, as luck would have it, the owner was in a mood to reminisce, if only in shadow. Apparently, Elvis' undercover work for the DEA targeted key individuals – Bill Ayers and Joey Gallo, among them — in the Weather Underground and Italian mob. Even with the protection of the Memphis Mafia, Elvis was told there was a contract on his life and it was to be taken seriously. His death and funeral were elaborately stage and he's been underground ever since. The other big revelation is that Elvis' obsession with law enforcement and the American way derived from nearly a lifetime of reading Captain Marvel Jr. and modeling his public persona on the character.
Gary Dretzka - Movie City News
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