By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Don Coscarelli
Starring: Bruce Campbell | Ossie Davis
Country: united_states
Year: 2003
Running time: 92
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0281686/
Howard says: “Don Coscarelli, writer and director of BUBBA HO-TEP, has his heroes. It’s quite obvious after seeing his ode to Elvis and JFK that Coscarelli wanted to give the two men a chance to make up for alleged past wrongs. Set in a retirement home in east Texas, the film introduces us to the real Elvis. No, really. It’s Elvis Presley (as portrayed by Bruce Campbell who does Elvis right). You see he got sick of the fame, the partying and the hanger-ons so he switched with an impersonator and has now awaken from a coma caused by a stage accident.
Elvis meets Jack, who thinks he’s JFK, and a friendship is made as they discuss their past discrepancies. How does Coscarelli have his heroes redeem themselves? By attempting to rid the retirement home of an ancient, soul-suckin’ mummy, of course. BUBBA HO-TEP is a comic horror film in line with EVIL DEAD 2. It also has a heart. At the surprisingly touching ending, I realized that I’d come to care about the Elvis and the JFK in this alternative universe. If Don Coscarelli were there at the theater, I’d turn to him and say, ‘Thank you. Thank you very much.'” 3 cats
Ivy says: “What a romp this film is! Don Cascorelli succeeds in making an entertaining b-movie while also pointing out some interesting stuff about modern mythology. The story centers around Elvis (the real Elvis who traded his life with an impersonator years before) in an elderly home. He’s just woken from a coma which he got from falling off of the stage during a performance. He is old, confused, and impotent. Not the man he once used to be. Bruce Campbell plays Elvis and he really captures the character, providing more of an homage than a satire of the character.
“Ossie Davis plays Jack, another patient in the rest home. He believes that he is JFK (they died me this color!) and that the CIA stole his brain and it is being stored at the Smithsonian. They have replaced t with sand. One of the best lines is ‘I’m thinking with sand here…’
“Other patients at the rest home start dying in their sleep. Jack and Elvis begin investigating and discover that an Egyptian mummy is feeding on the small life forces of the rest home to stay alive, assuming that the elderly won’t be missed. So they must fight for their lives and the lives of the other elderly patients at the home.”
“What I enjoyed the most is how honorable the depictions of JFK and Elvis are in this silly film. I completely understood that they are two of America’s modern mythological characters and it felt like a natural progression for their stories to move from conspiracy tales to kick ass battles with the undead. How much of a difference is there really.
“I know that B-movies are unlikely candidates for nominations, but Bruce will likely be on my list for Best Actor. I would love for this film to have a chance and it is still out in the theaters so grab it if you can!”
Michael says: “Scot and I also caught BUBBA HO-TEP last week, and were pretty disappointed. I understand that it was a B- movie, also poking a little fun at the B-Movie genre, but it seemed to be a one-trick joke that lost it’s power after the punchline was revealed. I thought there could have been a lot more to this film but it seemed to rein itself in at every pass.
“That said, Campbell was fun as the King, and Ossie Davis was outstanding as JFK. I have no trouble with their nominations. Best Adapted Screenplay however…? I would have passed.”
Esmé says: “I finally caught these two last night. BUBBA HO-TEP charmed me and I loved Bruce Campbell as the King. There were some clunkers in the plot and dialogue, but also good moments of heroism and hilarity.”