Bubba Ho-Tep Details

2002

Rated:
60
from 13,366 members

Starring	Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Ella Joyce, Heidi Marnhout
Director	Don Coscarelli
Genres	Comedy, Horror

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Bubba Ho-Tep

Don Coscarelli's BUBBA HO-TEP finds Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell) alive but not so well, living in a small Texas nursing home. Although he's preoccupied with his ailments and his memories, the elderly Elvis befriends another resident, John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis), when they both begin to suspect that their neighbours aren't dying of natural causes. Their investigation leads to the discovery of an evil mummy with a fondness for cowboy gear and an appetite for the souls of senior citizens. Armed with little more than a walker and a wheelchair, the King and JFK must take on this ancient evil. Based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale, BUBBA HO-TEP mixes comedy, drama, and horror to create a remarkably quirky film. As the aged and ailing Elvis, Campbell gives an outstandingly funny and poignant performance, while Davis exudes intelligence and warmth as JFK. Although horror is a key element of the story, much of the movie focuses on the life of Elvis and his new friendship with the former president, leading to many oddly comical scenes and even a few genuinely touching moments. Of course, their embalmed foe and his creepy minions must be confronted, making this the first movie about Elvis and JFK to appeal to horror enthusiasts, or, conversely, the first horror movie to appeal to Elvis and JFK enthusiasts. Either way, it's a highly unconventional tale that no adventurous filmgoer should miss.

Starring	Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Ella Joyce, Heidi Marnhout, Bob Ivy
Director	Don Coscarelli
Run time	DVD: 1 hr 29 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 28 mins
Certificate
Genres	Comedy, Horror
Language	English
Hearing-impaired	None
Subtitles	None
Released	DVD: 10 Jan 2005 Blu-ray: 01 Feb 2010 Production year: 2002
Format	DVD

Critics' reviews (5) of Bubba Ho-Tep
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Phantasm franchise director Don Coscarelli's adaptation of Joe R Lansdale's short story has cult classic written over every frame. This irreverent, B-movie-style horror comedy offers an alternative version of what became of Elvis Presley. In an astonishingly spot-on performance, Evil Dead veteran Bruce Campbell plays the king of rock 'n' roll, now an elderly unknown living in an East Texas rest home. When fellow pensioners start inexplicably dying, Elvis teams up with a black resident (Ossie Davis), who believes he's President Kennedy, to solve the mystery. Crudely hilarious, this no-frills frolic combines below-the-belt geriatric wit with Three Stooges-type slapstick. Although the tale could have been told in a fraction of the time, the first two thirds are relentlessly side-splitting. With such a strong opening, however, the climax is disappointing, but it's rescued by the sheer brilliance of Campbell's uncanny portrayal.
- Radio Times
- Posted 29 Jan 2006
Amiable spoof, with Campbell giving a persuasive performance as an elderly, embittered Presley, a creation more interesting than the drearily antique horror hokum that follows..
- Halliwell's Film Guide
- Posted 02 Mar 2006
Most helpful member's review of Bubba Ho-Tep
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74 out of 80 people found this review helpful

Elvis and JFK meet the Mummy

Elvis is alive and not very well. After switching identities with an Elvis impersonater back in the 70's, he's now living in a nursing home in Texas suffering from a dodgy hip, an uncomfortable growth in his nether regions and mocking laughter whenever he tries to convince anyone that he's really 'The King'. One person does believe his story though, an ageing black man who believes he's JFK. These two men are, along with all the other residents, just existing now; waiting for their time on this earth to come to an end, alone and unloved.

But when the appearance of some giant cockroaches coincides with a number of deaths in the home, JFK suspects this may be the work of a soul-sucking Egyptian Mummuy(or Lyndon B Johnson). Together Elvis and JFK team up to 'take care of business'.

This terrifically original comedy has taken a long time to reach these shores, but it's worth the wait. From the excellent premise, writer/director Don Coscarelli spins a consistently hilarious, and surprisingly deep, tale which is full of surprises.

Bruce Campbell is perfect casting as 'The King', effortlessly managing to make a fully-rounded character out of this 68 year-old Elvis. He's got the voice and mannerisms down to a tee and really seems to be enjoying himself in probably his best performance to date. Ossie Davis gets a number of great lines as a black JFK and these two make an engaging team.

The low budget is often obvious(mostly when the Mummy's on screen) but doesn't detract from the fun, neither does the rather slapdash storytelling.

But what's most surprising about 'Bubba Ho-Tep' is the emotional depth and resonance it achieves. It's really a film about elderly people having one last chance to make a difference and fighting to die with dignity in a world where they are discarded without a second thought. With a number of surprisingly moving moments, it has far more to say than many more 'serious' films manage. 'Bubba Ho-Tep' is a true original and a true delight.
- - Philip Concannon from London
  - Posted 16 Oct 2004 23:02
Most recent members' review of Bubba Ho-Tep
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6 out of 7 people found this review helpful

Throw me a chainsaw fast!

The concept of Bubba Ho - Tep is worth the price of rental alone, Elvis Presley and JFK alive and well in an American nursing home doing battle with a crazed Mummy out to steal their souls. It's the stuff all good dreams are made of, depending of course on what you may or may not have been smoking the night before?

Bruce Campbell has never been better, even Ash from 'The Evil Dead' series pales in comparison to the wonderfully cranky performance he gives here as the Elderly King of rock 'n roll. But at the end of the day it just isn't enough. A fifteen minute short stretched way beyond breaking point, Bubba is at its best when it sticks to the relationship between the two main characters. The whole Mummy through line feels as though it belongs in another movie and to be perfectly honest, maybe that's where it should have stayed.

Bubba Ho - Tep is very watchable, thanks mainly to an excellent lead performance. Just don't expect an Evil Dead stylee monster mash because this isn't it. Give the man a chainsaw and we may have had a different story!
- - adiw from Leicestershire
  - Posted 13 Dec 2004 18:17
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