Mondo Elvis (1984) User Reviews

Elvis is everywhere

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 9 March 2021]

Twin sisters who believe Elvis was their father.

A woman whose husband left her because she loved Presley more than him.

An impersonator duly appointed to do his routine because The King came to him in a dream.

Elvis Presley - only five years gone when this was made - inspired a legion of fans that really turned him into a religion.

This film is the perfect way to see thirty minutes of a window into their world.

Elvis is the kind of performer who could release an entire album of stage banter. Having Fun with Elvis on Stage was another con by his boss Colonel Parker, who wanted to put out an album on his Boxcar Records label so that he could make all of the profits. Elvis' RCA contract never said that they owned the rights to a spoken word album, so this record was created. It's basically Elvis humming and telling stories that have no context because we have no idea what song he is about to sing. This dialogue is all taken from the middle of shows, so we have no real idea what he is talking about and potentially neither does Presley at this late stage. This was sold at Elvis' concerts before RCA learned of the duplicity and released it. Surprisingly, this record made it to 130 on the Billboard charts before Elvis asked for it to be deleted.

I bet everyone in this movie owns a copy.

a darkly hilarious slice of sad Americana

[TimGallaher · 15 January 2005]

A film that is not for everyone, Mondo Elvis is a brief, 30-minute look at the lives of some of the most fanatical Elvis fans in the years after his death in 1977. And these people are fanatics in every sense of the word. Much of what they say leaves you utterly dumbfounded and aghast. I still laugh out loud after all these years, and I still feel the sorrow of seeing this undeniable aspect of the human condition so colorfully and powerfully presented in such a way that it needs no additional comments from the film maker. The people interviewed say it all themselves in volumes. Their lives basically revolve around the deceased pop star, and this film brilliantly and unobtrusively captures all the irony, tragedy and sheer freakishness of what that implies. If you like black humor and are fascinated with the underside of the American working class psyche, you can't go wrong with this one. If you are like me, you'll be quoting it with your friends for years to come.

This is deliciously bad

[unseemlyjester · 10/10 · 4 May 2007]

Absolutely fascinating and unforgettable. It does not drag (at only 30 minutes) nor is it boring in any way. One of my favorite obscure documentaries, Mondo Elvis exposes the weird underbelly of fandom much in the way of "Trekkies", but leaves you wanting more. I saw this on PBS ("under the title "Rock and Roll Disciples" for the first time with my spouse's family) and for weeks we all would quote from it: "Mama, is Elvis my daddy?", "I almost died at birth. I was stillborn", "That cloud really looks like Elvis", etc. What fun. This kind of obsession writes itself. Anyone interested in psychology, sociology, American pop culture, or camp would love this film. It leaves one open question: What and where are these people doing now? I bet other fans of this documentary have asked themselves that.

Engaging Die-Hard Elvismania!

[kaptainkidshow · 10/10 · 18 October 2005]

This well-produced true documentary, (not a "mockumentary"), which was originally titled "Rock 'n Roll Disciples" upon release, profiles several real full-throttle Elvis worshipers in the period not long after the sudden death of "The King".

You'll learn how the life of each of these red-blooded Americans was profoundly affected by their attraction to Elvis, the man and his music, and how life can never be the same since his passing. The producer tactfully allows the fanatics to speak their minds without demeaning them. There's Frankie, the female military vet, who walked out on her husband during their honeymoon when she discovered he didn't share her passion for ol' shaky hips. The twin girls who maintain that Elvis must be their dad because their Mom "never said he wasn't" probably take the cake. Artie Mentz, the Jewish Elvis impressionist appears the most rational of the folks who participated.

All-in-all, a very rewarding twenty-some minutes.

Like a horrible train wreck that you can't help but watch.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 27 January 2020]

"Mondo Elvis" is a film that has stuck with me decades after its release. I saw it with some family back in the 1980s and we were literally shocked as we watched this strange documentary...and we simply couldn't believe our eyes.

The film consists of folks talking about their obsessive love for Elvis. Even though he'd been dead for several years before the documentary was made, folks in the film acted as if he was alive and a few spent their lives 'following' Elvis even though he's dead. And there also are the girls who swear that Elvis is their father because they have 'his lip'! It's a weird, creepy film that is best used as a teaching tool for psychology teachers!

I give this one a 9. It's great and the best part is that like the best documentaries, it simply lets the folks talk...and the folks reveal their pathology with everything they say. If you enjoy this sort of film, also try "Cinemania"...which is even better and simply lets disturbed folks talk and talk without narration nor challenging them. The only reason it didn't get a 10 is that the film has a direct-to-video look and lacks the clean production values of a 10.