Month: July 2026

In a new list from Variety, Baz Luhrmann‘s Elvis Presley in Concert was ranked among the best movies of 2026 so far. Despite receiving little attention from general audiences, this bold rock documentary was a critical hit that deserves more viewership.

Following up on his 2022 biopic of the King of Rock and Roll, starring Austin Butler in the lead role, Luhrmann has now turned his attention to the real-life Elvis Presley, restoring old concert footage to create an immersive, energetic documentary that places the audience way back in the early ’70s.

In the final years of his career, Elvis carried out an incredible seven-year residency at the International Hotel (now the Westgate) in Las Vegas, where he performed over 600 shows back-to-back throughout this period. Although Elvis is more widely recognized as a ’50s and ’60s icon, this is the period that Luhrmann turned to for his documentary film.

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert was released theatrically in the United States on February 27, 2026, following a brief limited run on IMAX screens across the country. Despite only managing a modest $23 million at the box office, the film was a massive hit with critics; it currently has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Variety writes of the film: “Baz Luhrmann’s electrifying documentary, which is built around lavishly restored footage of Elvis Presley performing in Las Vegas in 1969 and the early ’70s, is one of the most thrilling concert films you’ll ever see. […] Diving into a treasure trove of newly discovered footage, Luhrmann turns it all into an elegant streamlined concert movie that makes you want to applaud every level of its showmanship.”

Despite the huge critical acclaim, Elvis Presley in Concert remains one of this year’s most underseen and underappreciated films. Thankfully, the film is now available to purchase or rent on any major VOD platform, such as Apple TV and Amazon Prime, so fans have no excuse not to catch up with Luhrmann’s bold, vibrant, subversive vision of this musical legend.

It’s the movie that gave us the infamous quote, “There’s no crying in baseball”—a movie that, surprisingly, was hit with a few foul reviews upon its release. 

Over time, however, it’s become one of the most beloved movies of the ‘90s, a standout of films about baseball, and, per at least one IndieWire article, the “Best Sports Movie Ever.”

Yes, we’re talking about A League of Their Own.

‘A League of Their Own’ Hits Theaters

Released on this day 34 years ago—July 1, 1992—the film was inspired by the real-life women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Revolving around sisters Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and Kit Keller (Lori Petty), the movie fictionalized the rise of the first-ever women’s professional baseball league in the 1940s. 

The league’s beginnings coincided with the United States entering World War II, with execs hoping to keep the sport alive with women while men were sent off to fight. 

Though the film mostly highlighted the performances of its female cast, including Davis, Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, and Madonna, Tom Hanks also starred as Jimmy Dugan, a drunk former baseball player tasked with coaching the women. 

Critic Sentiment on the Film

Though the film was mostly well-received by critics, a number of bigger outlets still gave it mixed-to-negative reviews upon release.

Variety was particularly harsh, saying that while Davis’ performance was “wonderful,” the movie’s “downside includes contrived plotting, obvious comedy and heart-tugging, some hammy thesping and a general hokiness.”

The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, took issue with the film’s two codas and director Penny Marshall’s “unbridled sentimentality.”

Box Office Success and Legacy

The movie, however, was a box office success for Columbia Pictures at the time, opening in second place behind Batman Returns. It wound up pulling in a total haul of $132.4 million, against a $40 million budget. 

While its success didn’t lead to much award season love for the film—only Davis’ performance and Madonna’s soundtrack song “This Used to Be My Playground” earned Golden Globe nods—the movie has only continued to gain respect in the years since.

A League of Their Own has been included on a number of “Best” lists for both baseball films and sports in general. 

Calling it “enormously entertaining,” Variety included the movie on its 2024 list of The Best Baseball Movies of All Time. Collider, meanwhile, included it on its 2026 list of 10 Best Sports Movies of the 20th Century. 

ScreenCrush went on to call the film the “best baseball film ever,” while IndieWire declared that “Penny Marshall Made the Best Sports Movie Ever With ‘A League of Their Own’” in one 2018 writeup. 

There were two attempts to recapture the magic of the film. First, a CBS series of the same name in 1993 featuring returning stars Garry Marshall, Megan Cavanagh, Tracy Reiner, Freddie Simpson and Jon Lovitz, as well as Carey Lowell. Only five of the six filmed episodes aired. 

Then, in 202s, Prime Video released its own reboot. Though it was a hit with critics, plans for a second season were canceled after the writers strike. 

The OG movie, meanwhile, is available to stream now on Netflix.