Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) User Reviews (420)

Long Live the King

[reelreviewsandrecommendations · 8/10 · 13 November 2023]

By the late 1970's, Elvis Presley had grown tired of the demands and stresses of fame. Seeking respite, he swapped places with an Elvis impersonator, who was the one who died in 1977. After an explosion destroyed his documentation, the real Elvis was doomed to live a life of anonymity forevermore. Now an old man, the King resides in a nursing home, where the only one who believes his story is an elderly black man claiming to be JFK. After another patient at the home dies, the King realizes that an Egyptian mummy is on the prowl, feeding on the souls of the aged; and he and the President are the only ones who can stop it.

Written and directed by Don Coscarelli, and based on the novel of the same name by Joe R. Lansdale, 'Bubba Ho-Tep' is a wildly original comedy-horror that also serves as a poignant meditation on the aging process. Arguably the best film about Elvis Presley to date, Coscarelli's characterisation is rich and his dialogue wackily comedic, though also affecting. Despite the fact that some aspects of the narrative concerning the mummy seem slightly rote, and the ending is underwhelming; the plight of the aging Elvis and the skin-dyed JFK is engaging and entertaining.

The film presents these two once all-powerful men being physically diminished by time, though with the same gusto and spirit they had in their glory days. The King might be riddled with cancer, but he can still take care of business, and through his battle with the mummy; a profound point is made about the importance of having purpose in life, and that though someone may be old, that doesn't mean they don't have value. For a film about a lumbering, cowboy-hat sporting mummy in a nursing home; 'Bubba Ho-Tep' has surprising depth.

It is a low-budget affair, though one could be mistaken for thinking otherwise, considering the stylish cinematography from Adam Janeiro and Daniel Vecchione's assured production design. Janeiro creates a grubby visual palette both atmospheric and striking, which Vecchione's detailed work compounds. The nursing home is presented as having a depressing, dull air, as if it were forgotten by time; bolstering the films themes and enhancing its tone. Damon Carruesco's set decoration and Justin Zaharczuk's art direction also contributes effectively to the mood of the piece; both down-trodden and despondent.

Moreover, Shelley Kay's costume design is rich, contributing to the personalities of the characters, and adding to the depth of the narrative. Additionally, Gene Doucette- who designed the outfits worn by Presley in real life- also created the ones seen on screen, lending proceedings authenticity and realism. Furthermore, Brian Tyler's score is stirring, compounding the films tension and suspense; while Scott J. Gill and Donald Milne's intuitive editing keeps things running at a good pace.

'Bubba Ho-Tep' stars Bruce Campbell as Elvis, alongside Ossie Davis as JFK. A charismatic, versatile actor, Campbell has arguably never delivered a performance as powerful or nuanced. He becomes the aged King so believably that the likes of Don Johnson and Austin Butler seem like bad mimics in comparison. Subtle and affecting, Campbell's work lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled, and will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.

Davis, meanwhile, has never been funnier as he is as the supposedly skin-dyed JFK. Sharing a great chemistry with Campbell, he is something of the comic foil of the two; and his sincere insistence that he is the 35th President- despite all the evidence to the contrary- is both heart-warming and raucously entertaining. In addition, Ella Joyce is excellent as a feisty nurse caring for the King, while Bob Ivy's performance as the titular mummy is a masterpiece of physical acting.

Poignant, powerful and a whole lot of fun, 'Bubba Ho-Tep' is a brilliant comedy-horror cocktail, with heart and soul to match its kooky characters and wackily original narrative. Although the ending boils down to a forgettable fight sequence, the journey there is a brilliant one, featuring strong dialogue, rich characterisation, much hilarity and striking visuals. Star Bruce Campbell has never been better, while Ossie Davis is marvellous, and their supporting cast don't let them down. In short, Don Coscarelli's 'Bubba Ho-Tep' will leave you hailing the King; baby.

Elvis has NOT left the building just yet!

[Coventry · 8/10 · 25 October 2004]

The Evil Dead series already made it pretty clear and – after Bubba Ho Tep – there's nobody who should question this statement ever again: Bruce Campbell is one major cool dude! Campbell stars as Elvis. Old, fat and supposedly out of his mind, he's a resident in an East-Texas rest home. An ancient Egyptian mummy that has been stolen from a museum wanders around in the area, soul-feeding on the weak victims of the nursery home. Elvis, tired of his indigent and pathetic life, teams up with a black man who thinks he's former president Kennedy to destroy the mummy once and for all. The story of Bubba Ho-Tep is remarkably simple… Too simple actually, and if it wasn't for Campbell and a few ingenious gimmicks, this would have been an unnoticed and forgettable comedy/horror film. Bruce gives away an outstanding performance and he is the KING in ways you can't imagine. The saddening, self-criticizing monologues he gives while lying on the hospital bed are some of the best lines in recent cinema and his charisma speaks for itself. Veteran Ossie Davis gives great feedback as the 'president', seeing conspiracies wherever he looks.

The comedy aspects of Bubba Ho-Tep show right away, yet it also is a subtle drama, criticizing the way we often mistreat our elderly by placing them in a home and leaving them to their own devices. It is these outcasts that fight back here and save the day! Bubba Ho-Tep is filled with appealing one-liners and imaginative findings. How about the idea of a 2000-year-old mummy writing stuff like 'Cleopatra does the nasty' on a toilet's wall, like we all did in high school? The film also depends on the professional directing skills of Don Coscarelli. He finally found a worthy successor for his classic horror franchise 'Phantasm', even though that premise was a lot more complex and horrific. Recommended to fans of pop-culture flicks and bizarre gems. One of the better genre films since the new Millennium.

Hail to the King, baby!

Bruce Campbell shines in this funny and original title

[drunken_munki · 8/10 · 9 October 2020]

A great underrated gem. It is a movie that covers the topic of being old, and forgotten. Wrapped up as a comedy with a demon that preys on old people in a care home.

This was funny, surprisingly touching, and sad in moments. It was shot wonderfully with a grainy and detailed camera film. I love the camera work and lighting. The music is excellent throughout and this really was enjoyable to watch. The acting was believable and Campbell in particular was great as an old Elvis.

This film was written in a way that makes me question was it real at all? Was there really a demon? Were the old guys just crazy? Were they really old Elvis and black JFK? I don't know, but the film portrays it in that way on purpose, and it made me think about it which I love.

8/10 for being original, well filmed, with excellent music and pulling on some emotions along the way.

A Real Shock - It's Good!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 15 November 2005]

I laughed when a friend suggested this movie. "Yeah, right," I answered, eyes rolled up.

"Well," he finally said a few weeks later, "Here, just look at it. Take my copy and bring it back."

"Okay, " I answered, "what do I have to lose? "

Obviously, I was shocked. This has to be one of the all-time surprises I've ever encountered in movie-watching. Who would have thought this film was this good? Talk about "original!" This is about as original and entertaining as they come, and, as I have stated in several other reviews, entertainment is the name of the game....so I have to rank this film right up there with my favorites.

I refuse to detail the story because the more you explain what it's about, the stupider is sounds and the less likely you will give it a shot.

I will say Bruce Campbell does a fabulous job of imitating Elvis Presley. In fact, he is the best I have ever heard, speaking-voice-wise. Ossie Davis is also a hoot as the old black man who thinks he's President John F. Kennedy. See? I can't say more, because it gets worse, story-wise, the more you explain.

Just trust me that if you appreciate dark humor with some horror thrown in, you'll love it. It's a bit sleazy and the language is very rough, so be ready for that. I guess you could say this "is not for all tastes." You have to be a little warped to enjoy this, but most of us are to some degree.

Be also be ready for one of the oddest films you've ever seen.

Suspicious Minds

[BaronBl00d · 8 October 2004]

I must confess I had reservations prior to seeing this film. I thought it would be some God-awfully childish film laden with sophomoric jokes, cheesy effects, and inane dialogue. Some of those elements do surface, but this film was a genuine pleasure to sit through. Imagine if you can that Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll, switched places with an Elvis impersonator and now lives a sad, lost life in a small, run-down nursing home in East Texas. Add to the mix Ozzie Davis as a man convinced he is John F. Kennedy and a mummy that sucks the souls of geriatric residents and you have the basic premise behind Bubba Ho-tep. But beyond all that and the jokes about Elvis's genitalia and other low brow references is a film with a tremendous amount of heart and a message about the elderly in our society and how we have, as a society, betrayed them and cast them aside. The script and effective direction of Phantasm's Don Coscarelli make this film work on several levels. It is a comedy. It is a drama. It is a horror film. It has all those elements. You care about the characters and are drawn into this seedy little world. The biggest asset the film has is its performances. Davis gives a fine turn and adds credibility to the film, but Bruce Campbell as the king just bowled me over. I had seen him before, but I had never seen him act like this before. You soon forget Campbell is acting and think Elvis is really there - now 68 and destitute. Campbell's inflection, mannerisms, and poise melt and fuse wonderfully into Elvis. This was one of the very pleasant surprises that come along every so often.

Original, Funny and Highly Entertaining Comedy-Horror Film

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 21 May 2018]

In Mud Creek, Texas, at the Shady Rest Convalescence Center, a man called Sebastian Half (Bruce Campbel) claims to be the real Elvis Presley. He has been living in coma at the home for twenty years since he tripped off the stage. Sebastian explains that he switched places with an Elvis impersonator since he was tired of his fame but their contract that could prove his real identity was accidentally burnt to ashes in a barbecue. When his friend Jack (Ossie Davis), who is a black man that claims to be President John Kennedy, shows evidence that an ancient Egyptian mummy is sucking the souls of the residents of the nursing home, the skeptical Sebastian sees evidences that show that his friend is correct. Now the two old men plot how to stop the mummy.

"Bubba Ho-Tep" is an original, funny and highly entertaining comedy-horror film. The storyline is absolutely insane and weird, but it is worthwhile watching. Bruce Campbel is unrecognizable in the role of Elvis Presley, the true or the impersonator. Ossie Davis posing of a dyed John Kennedy is hilarious. The fight with the mummy is amusing. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

All is well

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 10/10 · 3 July 2004]

Who would have thought it? Don Coscarelli, the man who wrote and directed Phantasm a long, long time ago comes back out of nowhere, after spending his entire career in the dregs, with something like this. A film that is more an exploration of regret, fading dignity and growing old than it is about a soul-sucking mummy.

Very old Elvis is brilliantly played by Bruce Campbell. The voice, the hair, the mannerisms are all perfect. He's stuck in Mud Creek rest home where the cynical staff believe he's really called Sebastian Haff, the man Elvis traded places with back in the 70s. And when Haff died, so did the Elvis the public loved. This only left the REAL Elvis free to live his life in peace and eventually indignity.

He pals up with a man who believes he's JFK, only problem is he's black. Though it's more likely he's senile rather than a truth-teller like the so-called Sebastian Haff. Both men have one concern, to stop some kind of Bubba Ho-Tep mummy from taking the souls of all the rest home residents.

Yes, it's insane. But also wildly imaginative and more than balances out the endless, heartless, conveyor belt Hollywood productions. Elements of the story will stay with you and the character development is graceful and important.

The finishing touch is Brian Tyler's awesome score. The main theme is one of the best ever and will flood you will feeling and emotion. Not only is Bubba Ho-Tep blessed with a cast and crew who care about the film their making, it also has wonderful music too. I am lucky enough to have the rare score CD (autographed by Coscarelli and Tyler). Hunt it down, it's seriously worth it.

Keep a lookout for Reggie Bannister as the rest home manager. And watch all the way to the end of the credits for a weird message...

ELVIS RETURNS IN 'BUBBA NOSFERATU: CURSE OF THE SHE VAMPIRES'

Thoughtful reflection on aging and regret. Seriously.

[Fluke_Skywalker · 7/10 · 16 October 2017]

Plot; Elvis Presley is alive but not very well, living out his last days in a decrepit retirement home in Texas. When an ancient Egyptian Mummy arrives, it's up to Elvis and a fellow resident, who may or may not be John F. Kennedy, to stop it.

Bubba Ho-Tep is a thoughtful, moving reflection on aging and regret. No really. It's also about Elvis and a black man who thinks he's JFK battling an ancient mummy, but that doesn't detract from the pathos of the piece. Bruce Campbell is simply outstanding as Elvis. Not just easy with the quips which have defined his style for decades, he gives a legitimately moving dramatic performance. Teamed with the great Ossie Davis(?!?!) and given some meaty dramatic material, you can almost see Campbell finding the same mojo as the character he's playing.

The entire production is a rare balancing act. It's fun, but sad. Ridiculous, but real. Shot on a budget of just over a million dollars, it delivers a bang for the buck that the vast majority of bloated Hollywood productions can't match.

Fabulously original film

[mattbw74 · 10/10 · 11 August 2002]

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to see this film at a horror and fantasy convention. Since it is not yet in distribution I jumped at the chance. Just to set the record straight, I didn't go into this film with normal expectations. The god that is known as Bruce Campbell stars in this film, and let's just say that any morsel of Bruce Campbell goodness I can get is going to make me absolutely love a movie.

The basic premise of this film is that Elvis Presley is alive and not too well. He lives in an East Texas nursing home. It seems that years before Elvis tired of his fame and switched places with an Elvis impersonator. The Elvis we see in this picture is a 68 year old man with a penchant for rings and large, jewel studded sunglasses. Whenever he claims to be Elvis, everyone just laughs at this crazy old Elvis impersonator obviously going senile in his old age. Elvis discovers that there's a mummy inhabiting his nursing home who is sucking the souls out of the residents through a rather disturbing bodily orifice. So Elvis teams up with an old African American man (Ossie Davis) claiming to be John Kennedy (his explanation for what happened to him has to be heard to be believed, and is one of the funnier jokes in the movie) to stop the mummy and save the souls of the residents of the nursing home.

As crazy and silly as this setup sounds, the film actually achieves depths that most "serious" movies can't even begin to touch. The film deals with what it's like to be an elderly person in this country when nobody cares about you. Elvis and Kennedy are both regretful about not being there for their children when they needed them. And a last chance for glory and leaving this world honorably is a recurring theme throughout the film (see Kemo Sabe's showdown with the mummy). All of these themes are handled with a deft hand, never hammering the point home, but intended to be taken seriously.

Ossie Davis gives a terrific comedic performance as "Jack" Kennedy. He delivers some rather eyebrow raising exposition with such a light touch, the audience is forced to except his explanation as fact and move on.

And then of course, Bruce Campbell. Campbell plays Elvis as we've never seen him, a 68 year old man with a bad hip and a cancerous growth in a very uncomfortable place. Anyone who has seen any of Campbell's performances knows he can play the hero or the buffoon with equal skill. But here, he pushes the bounds of his talent like never before. Perhaps the highest praise I can give his performance is that 10 minutes into the film, I forgot it was him, and truly believed it was Elvis on the screen.

The film was written for the screen and directed by Don Coscarelli. Coscarelli has been in something of a rut since his breakthrough hit with "Phantasm" over 20 years earlier. This is truly his best film since that horror classic, it may even be better.

The film was based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale, the gifted writer. Lansdale routinely puts different genres in a blender together and comes out with something better than a genre outing. This film played just like one of his novels: Horror, comedy, fantasy, and a little bit of western.

Bruce Campbell was on hand for the screening I saw and made some comments before the film. He said that he did the film because it was so weird and that we need more films that aren't in the cookie cutter format. I couldn't agree more and I can't recommend this film highly enough. It breaks all molds and expectations. Seek it out when it finds a distributor, you won't be disappointed.

Great acting but didn't really care about the mummy

[embracing_silence · 6/10 · 23 May 2019]

I've been meaning to watch this movie for a few years, and it's not really what I expected. Most of the movie is Bruce Campbell reminiscing his life as the king of rock and roll, and how he got to the nursing home he is in. This isn't a bad thing however. His performance mesmerized me, and to be honest, I liked those parts better than the mummy mystery. His interactions with Ossie Davis were very well done, and I feel like they could have made a movie purely about how they ended up where they were, and the two of them being paranoid about supernatural things going on. The last part of the movie, where they go head to head with the mummy, was pretty entertaining, but again, I just didn't really care about that. I mostly just wanted to see more of Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis giving monologues. It's pretty funny that those are the parts I enjoyed, but it was a fun ride. If nothing else, watch it for their acting.

brilliant pop culture weirdness

[awalter1 · 5/10 · 16 August 2004]

"Bubba Ho-tep" is a low budget movie that went for the B-movie feel on purpose, accomplishing its goal of being a "fine" piece of pop culture weirdness. The story is set in a current-day East Texas rest home and focuses on two residents who believe they are Elvis and JFK--the JFK character just happens to be black, and the rest home also houses a few other crazies, including the Lone Ranger. Elvis and JFK soon learn that an Egyptian mummy--who was stolen from his traveling museum exhibition--has come to life in their neighborhood and is killing the rest home residents by sucking their life force out their backsides (you can harvest a soul through "any major orifice," you know). Eventually, our decrepit heroes realize that only they can meet the mummy in a showdown.

The film is really a clever piece of pop culture mythology, working up hilarious back stories for JFK (Ossie Davis who is recognizable from, at the very least, several Spike Lee films) and Elvis (Bruce Campbell of the "Evil Dead" movies). Campbell's performance is particularly excellent, Don Coscarelli's as director did a perfect job finding the right mood and balance of humor for the film, and the leisurely plot--from Joe Lansdale's original novella--is totally engaging and a cinephile's dream.

At last, a Lansdale adaptation!

[LeonardPine · 10/10 · 20 February 2005]

Very faithful to Joe R Lansdale's weird and wonderful short story, this film is a real gem. The gist of the story is that Elvis (Bruce Campbell) didn't die (it was an impersonator he swapped places with who popped his clogs),and is spending the rest of his days in a Texas rest home, with a busted hip and a growth on the end of his pecker,and he's none to happy. That is until a soul sucking mummy turns up at the rest home and Elvis is forced into action to defend his home and it's residents. Teaming up with another resident, an elderly black man who thinks he's JFK (Ossie Davis) they decide to take care of business and defeat Bubba Ho-Tep.

If that sounds weird, it is, it's also very funny, hugely entertaining and oddly moving. It also has THE best performance of The King that this Elvis fan has ever seen! Bruce Campbell, i salute you!

So check this baby out. And if you like it you could do worse than check out the original story by Joe R Lansdale. This guy is some storyteller.

Quirky and Sensitive.

[Bigweight66 · 7/10 · 31 December 2021]

Sebastian Haff is growing old in the Shady Rest Convalescence Home in Mud Creek, Texas. Sebastian Haff likes to be called by his real name, which is Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell). Also in the home is JFK (Ossie Davis), who is now an elderly black man. Both Elvis and JFK are in their twilight years and well and truly past their prime.

There are problems at night in the convalescence home as an unfriendly predator stalks the home for souls to steal. Elvis and his friend JFK team up to rid the home of the unfriendly predator.

The story is quite unusual and fun, there is comedy and some mild horror. The touching part is Elvis questioning his young life, and the dramas and challenges of dealing with old age. The soul searching from Elvis lifts the quality of the movie from being just another B grade movie.

Its a low budget movie and a bit dated by now, but the good performances of Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis carry the movie well.

I was expecting a little bit better movie from reading some reviews. However I was not disappointed with the move due to it being both quirky and sensitive.

Has its moment, but overall uneven, weird and quite uninteresting.

[ks4 · 4/10 · 15 May 2004]

Bruce Campbell plays Sebastian Haff, a person that may or may not be the real Elvis Presley, years after his death he is stuck at a rest home. There he meets what appears to be President Kennedy, they are very bored and unhappy about their current life. Suddenly a soul sucking egyptian Mummy comes to the rest home, for soul hunting naturally. There are only two who can put an end to it and save the rest home souls, JFK and Elvis Presley.

Yes, it does sound weird, and it is very weird. Some may say that its the odd style of the storyline and movie that brings the force up in this one, some may say that is what puts the movie down as being a bunch of crap. I'm holding for the second option, i wasn't very impressed by this movie, actually i was the opposite of impressed. The movie in both style and story is very weird, mostly the story is the weird part though, but also some advanced fast motion usage brings up a feeling of confusion, however this doesnt help the movie much. The storyline just doesn't get to me, the funny part of the movie is probably the crooked usage of memoral Elvis quotes and such, but i didn't find this movie funny at all, in fact i didn't laugh at all. I was just waiting for it too end. It's a special movie that some will consider cult for it's special and unique, yeah it really is unique, adaptation of the Elvis legend.

The movie can be understood in two ways, and that is the depth of the story, the only thing that will actually make you think a little. And the fact that its pretty pointless for the understanding of the movie takes out that edge a bit. Nevertheless some may think that they are actually JFK and Elvis Presley as elderly people, some may say they are living in a dream world, making up things to get a excitement into an utterly boring life, in other words. They are nutcases. I believe they are just looking for something that can catch their attention, the biggest lead towards this direction is when Elvis manages to get a hard-on due to the sudden twist in his life. He believes the hard-on comes because he suddenly feels there is a spark in his life again, it sounds weird. And it is.

Bruce Campbell does a fine job portraying an old Elvis here, actually i think he is quite brilliant in the role, not funny, but still interesting in a way, but he can't save a storyline that has no debth and makes as much sense as jumping off a cliff.

To sum it all up a bit, i found this movie quite strange and uninteresting, sadly. The story is obviously very original, but maybe that is because all other directors would know that this storyline is complete crap. The movie has a few good moments, but is overall quite boring, slow paced and just generally I felt it was pointless and as i like to call it, utterly "jibberish".

4/10

Funny and Poignant -- A Modern American Classic

[Dan1863Sickles · 10/10 · 18 December 2004]

Everything about this movie is wonderful -- the laughs, the scares, the poignant dialog, the richness of characterization. As Homer Simpson says, it works on so many levels.

BUBBA HOTEP is a magnificent blending of many different styles and genres. Like ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST it is a grim, realistic story of institutional living. Like FROM HERE TO ETERNITY or COOL HAND Luke it depicts outsiders fighting a corrupt system. As in GRAND ILLUSION two aristocrats from widely different backgrounds meet inside the grim walls of a prison, their rank and status no longer respected. But instead of giving in to despair, they put aside their differences in a spirit of sacrifice, redeeming those around them even as they accept the end of their own existence.

Okay, enough of that stuff. Let's talk about Elvis. The film gets everything right, not only the sideburns and the accent but all of his weaknesses and illusions. The desire to be a hero, the fat gut, the fake karate moves, this movie knows and shows Elvis at his worst and forgives him --then turns things around so that by the end you actually want to stand up and cheer.

Let's talk about JFK. The story of a black man and a white man becoming brothers in the face of danger is old hat -- come back to the rest home again, Huck honey. But this time there's something new. The black JFK is turning Elvis on his head -- a black man becoming JFK is the mirror image of white trash Elvis singing the blues in a segregated world. The power of the allegiance is based on the bold violation of taboo.

The horror works in BUBBA HOTEP. On a minimal budget they created a monster. What makes the mummy real is the obvious link between his past and the failures of the real Elvis. Watch the scene where the mummy walks, and Elvis stares deep into his eyes and sees his past. The real truth the movie hints at is that Elvis is Bubba Hotep. Elvis was both the "bubba" in our world -- the dumb hick -- and the Hotep -- immortal God King. But the real Elvis, tragically, abused his body and defiled his own divinity with "drugs and stupidity and the coveting of women." (As the movie says.) In the final battle Elvis is not merely slaying the mummy -- he is overcoming himself.

Watch the movie. Rejoice in Elvis. Rejoice in BUBBA HOTEP.

"How Could My Plans Have Gone So Wong?!"... "Let's Get Decadent!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 19 March 2019]

BUBBA HO-TEP is the result of a "perfect storm" of sorts. First, the source material was put in the hands of a proven master of macabre weirdness, Director Don Coscarelli (PHANTASM 1-4, JOHN DIES AT THE END). Then, the perfect casting of Bruce "The Chin" Campbell (THE EVIL DEAD 1-3) as decrepit, rest home prisoner, Elvis Presley, and living legend Ossie Davis as fellow inmate, John F. Kennedy clinched the deal.

The resulting movie is a beautiful experiment in sheer lunacy... that works brilliantly! Campbell shows what made him all-3-Stooges-in-one in EVIL DEAD 2, as his hilarious inner and outer dialogue make up the bittersweet, comedic heart and soul of the film. Obviously, a murderous mummy's rest home rampage is primo stuff for Campbell.

However, what sets this movie apart from other horror comedies is it's setting, and the way it handles the bleakness of old age. In spite of all of the side-splitting humor and oddness, the true terror lies in growing old and being forgotten, making a cowboy hat-wearing mummy a welcome distraction. Coscarelli captured lightning in a bedpan here. Watching it is like whistling, giggling, and defiantly marching past the graveyard.

EXTRA CREDIT FOR: Ella Joyce as Elvis' no-nonsense nurse...

Weird, silly but entertaining cult-film-wannabe

[jamesrupert2014 · 7/10 · 23 December 2021]

An elderly Elvis impersonator (or maybe the King himself) and a demented Black man (or maybe J. F. K.) discover that their cut-rate nursing home is being haunted by a soul-sucking pseudo-Texan mummy. Despite some pointless 'gross-out' humour, this off-beat comedy-horror is fun and oddly affecting. Cult-fav Bruce Campbell is pretty good as the maybe-Elvis and his impressions of the King's classic mannerisms (and karate moves) is hilarious. Ossie Davis as a possibly dyed 35th POTUS is just strange and the rest of the cast are mostly props to hang sight-gags on, mostly. Not for everyone but if you like this sort of thing, 'Bubba Ho-Tep' is almost as good as its title.

"Always the Hopes... Never the Fulfillments"

[michiman_7 · 10/10 · 22 December 2004]

I'd heard that when the end credits rolled for 'Bubba Ho-Tep' during the premiere in Detroit, there was a five minute standing ovation. Having seen the movie, I have to honestly say a five minute ovation seems not long enough. What a film! Other reviewers have called this film, "excellent," "fantastic," "wonderful," etc. While I won't question the reviewers' choice of words, I'm not sure the they're sufficient to describe just what an experience 'Bubba Ho-Tep' is.

"Superlative" probably comes closest.

So what exactly IS 'Bubba Ho-Tep?' Take your pick of one or all: Drama. Horror. Comedy. Tear Jerker. Life Lesson.

'Bubba' not only succeeds in each genre, but excels. Lesser movies have attempted to be jack-of-all-trades, but usually fall far short of one goal. One movie may be hilarious at its core, but preachy in the moral lesson. Another could be a fantastic horror film, but the creature ends up as more interesting and sympathetic than it's human co-stars. Yet another movie can teach a valuable lesson on life, but leave you depressed as you're exiting the theater.

'Bubba' succeeds where others have failed.

Enough praise can not be heaped on Bruce Campbell for his utterly believable performance as Presley. Even the hokeyness of Elvis threatening the mummy with his karate "stuff" was never over the top, as one could OH so see Elvis doing that! Campbell offers an amazing view into Presley's soul. Here lies a man upset with his lot in life, wanting to get away from the limelight yet craving it at the same time. A man wishing for the best but accepting of the worst. A man ready to shake off his failures and embracing his desire to be what he's always wanted to be - a hero. His finest line: "Always the questions, never the answers. Always the hopes, never the fulfillments." Sound familiar?

And how can one go wrong with Ossie Davis, who adds an aristocratic touch of humanity and sympathy as Jack Kennedy. IS he the President? Hey, stranger stories than his have been told! Best line: "It's now up to you, Elvis. You got to get him... You got to... take care of business." I challenge you to still have a dry eye after that.

The accolades should not stop here, however. Director Don Coscarelli didn't just write and direct 'Bubba,' he crafted it. With love, and with the finest attentions to detail, fit and finish. More so, he was faithful to Joe Lansdale's original story. (Which is a tribute to Coscarelli, as most mainstream Hollywood movies would have mangled the source material into something unrecognizable from what it once was.) The supporting cast was as fine as could be had. Pay special attention to Ella Joyce as the nurse. Though her character is meant to be cold and uncaring, Joyce still manages to sneak glimpses of humanity into the performance. One could see the nurse as someone who once had and still wants to care, but has become so desensitized that caring for her charges has all but dissipated. And who can forget the score? Talk about a custom fit between movie and music!

All in all, it is a crime that 'Bubba Ho-Tep' did not get greater exposure. More of a crime is a lack of Campbell's recognition by mainstream Hollywood for his outstanding turn as Elvis. (Then again, one gets the refreshing impression that Campbell gladly accepts this shun.)

Just as William Hurt's outstanding movie 'The Doctor' should be a prerequisite for any prospective medical student, 'Bubba Ho-Tep' should be required viewing for anyone who wants an uplifting, thoughtful, humorous, scary, and just plain great movie!

10 out of 10, no question, ifs ands or buts.

fun idea

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 19 August 2015]

A man (Bruce Campbell) claiming to be Elvis Presley is living in the Shady Rest Convalescence Home in Mud Creek, Texas. His story is that he switched places with Elvis impersonator Sebastian Haff. He stayed as Haff while the real Haff died as him. Twenty years ago, he fell off the stage impersonating himself and broke his hip. Now something is killing people in the home. His roommate dies and the daughter Callie Thomas (Heidi Marnhout) comes to clean out. Neither she nor the Nurse (Ella Joyce) believe the claim. His only friend is Jack (Ossie Davis) who believes that he is JFK. The two old men has to battle the Egyptian mummy Bubba Ho-tep who is eating the elderly souls.

This is a really fun idea. It has great potential. The comedy is kinda funny but gets a little repetitive after the Elvis reveal. After a great first half, the movie stalls. I'm not sure if Bubba Ho-tep is enough or maybe the twosome needs a third. I thought they played up Callie to be part of the gang but she goes away. I understand the idea of old people fighting a slow mummy. It's not as funny as it sounds on the page and it's not as exciting as a regular horror movie. It's definitely good camp especially in the first half. The second half needs something more.

Slightly anti-climactic ending, but excellent overall

[BrandtSponseller · 9/10 · 26 February 2005]

Set in a retirement home, two residents--a man who may or may not be Elvis (Bruce Campbell) and a man who may or may not be John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis)--encounter strange Egyptian beetles and a mummy with an attitude.

On the quirky weirdness scale, Bubba Ho-tep deserves a solid 10. Writer Joe R. Lansdale and writer/director Don Coscarelli's bizarre confluence of pop culture references, surrealism, absurdism, mythology and social commentary/criticism is very close to my own preferences and approach to art making. Unfortunately, though, at least on a first viewing, the climax didn't quite click for me the way it should have, and I had to subtract one point. But overall this is an excellent film, and a 9 is still equivalent to a letter grade of an "A".

Although often sold as a horror film, and listed as "horror/comedy" on IMDb, Bubba Ho-tep is more of what I consider a "surrealist realist drama". That's likely to seem like an oxymoron and not make any sense, so let me explain. "Realist drama" consists of fictions that try in most ways to approximate the actual world. The concerns are to show "real kinds" of people in "real kinds" of environments and situations, behaving, speaking and interacting in "real kinds" of ways. There are a number of artists, however, who take that framework and build something more surreal/absurdist on top of it, but the realist drama foundations remain.

For a number of reasons, this tends to be more easily found in literature, and a number of my favorite authors write in this style, including Tom Robbins, Harry Crews, Thomas Berger, Thomas Pynchon and on the more journalistic side of things, Hunter S. Thompson (yes, it's odd that most of them have some variation of "Tom" in their names). Although some filmmakers approach the style (and of course, films have been made from some of those authors' books), like the Coen Brothers, David Lynch, Tim Burton, David Cronenberg, Terry Gilliam, and others, the tendency with films is to let them slide from surrealist realist drama to surrealist fantasy or other kinds of genre films, maybe with some hints of realist drama. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, it's just two sometimes subtly different approaches. I like surrealist fantasy and genre films just as well.

The bulk of Bubba Ho-tep is in that genre; it works extremely well as a surrealist realist drama. We never can tell if Campbell is really Elvis or if he's just crazy, but if he may be Elvis, it gives extra weight to the possibility that Davis is a "dyed" and transformed John F. Kennedy (since Davis is black and has obviously different facial features). Campbell receives a remarkable makeup job that helps him change into an aging, unhealthy Elvis. His performance is spot-on. Campbell does an amazing job physically, as well, particularly when he has to use a walker in some unusual ways.

The production design crew did an admirable job with the minimal sets, with Campbell's shared room being appropriate for the caliber of an Elvis impersonator (which the character may be instead) and Davis' room subtly conveying "Presidential Suite" and an obsession with Kennedy's supposed assassination. Coscarelli and cinematographer Adam Janeiro easily capture a nice dreamlike atmosphere in the retirement home and grounds, with the fantastic hallways especially standing out.

The backstory explaining how Campbell's character is Elvis is one of the more entertaining sections of the film--Campbell makes us believe that he's Elvis impersonating an impersonator impersonating Elvis, which is understandably difficult. The horror material is good, but the mummy seems a bit underdeveloped as a character, making the final section of the film a bit anti-climactic. It probably would have been better to keep the focus on the retirement home and its residents, maybe also exploring a similar backstory for Ossie Davis, at least a backstory showing how he started to believe that he was Kennedy. Just as the Elvis backstory may have been mythologized rather than real, the Kennedy backstory could have been from the character's delusions or fantasies, as well.

The film is easy to interpret with a subtext about discarding people as they are no longer needed, with others who are still in the world treating them basically as lumps of mass that are more often than not disturbing to attend to. It doesn't matter how famous the discarded may have been, or how archetypally or mythologically important, as in the case of the mummy. The mummy's vampiric means of self-renewal (and need for self-renewal) is easily taken as a metaphor for the loss of self that the discarded undergo in such situations.

Of course, maybe the mummy wasn't really a mummy, and even that aspect of the film is a bit fantasized. In any event, the ending does have poignancy from the human side of the story, and Bubba Ho-tep is without a doubt worth viewing. The DVD is also worth picking up, as it contains two commentaries (one from Campbell as Elvis), excellent "making of" featurettes, a funny music video and a real rarity--a pithy, well written insert rather than just a "chapter selection" liner/tray card.

Movie that doesn't know what it wants to be.

[MrBook · 6/10 · 1 June 2004]

Bubba Ho-tep was an entertaining movie, but it felt too uneven. The movie

went from campy comedy, to campy horror, to serious drama, etc., etc. It had

many great elements: Bruce Campbell's Elvis, Ossie Davis's JFK, good

cinematography, great music, some funny moments, and some touching

moments. But somehow none of these elements were fused together well. 70%

of the movie drags, the tonal shifts are almost schizophrenic, and many of the

jokes fall flat. Despite the negatives, I thought it was a good effort by

Coscarelli and company. Points for originality, but I probably wouldn't see it

again. 6/10

Holy crap did that suck.

[matt-465 · 1/10 · 4 May 2005]

I wouldn't have bothered to comment, but I came here looking for some sort of rationale as to why on Earth people would have given it a 7.5/10 rating, but then I realized it was because only the folks who loved it would even bother.

Let me first say that I am a big fan of comedy, and an eclectic one at that. I can bust a gut at a Hope/Crosby "Road" movie just as much as I can at Chris Tucker doing Michael Jackson karaoke in Rush Hour 2, and I think The Big Lebowski is close to being my favorite movie of all time.

This movie made me chuckle twice - once when "JFK" translated the bathroom graffiti, and then again when the two of them start down the hallway in their battle duds in the wheelchair and walker.

That was it. Nothing else. Nada. Zip. The dialogue was unimaginative and repetitive.

I kept waiting for the "real plot" to kick in, and it just never did. I had to believe there was more to this movie, but it just wasn't to be. You might have been able to make this into an eccentric 15-20 minute film, but 90 minutes was an abysmal waste of film and (my) time.

Now I must go pulverize my "friend" who convinced me to watch this.

Mucho Mojo

[Evil-Dead-Girl · 9/10 · 11 February 2006]

When I first heard about his film I thought the idea of Elvis in a rest home doing battle against a mummy with John F. Kennedy was pure genius, and after having seen it, my thought was only confirmed. Not often is there a film that I will hype so much in my head that when I Do actually get to see it I'm still hyped about it. But this is one of those films. It was all that I was expecting... and then some. It has everything anyone could want in a film, original story, original direction, horror, comedy, drama and more than one stand out performance. Something lacking in the motion picture industry these days is originality, so when this came along it was quite refreshing.

We have Bruce Campbell giving the performance of a lifetime, and almost no recognition. The part of Elvis could have come across as just sad and pathetic, but instead, he brought a sense of realism to it, and heart. At times we felt bad for him, but we never forgot that he was the King of Rock and Roll. And he was still very much capable of "Takin' Care'a Business". We do have the option of believing he is Elvis, or that he could really be Sebastian Haff who impersonated Elvis for so long that he actually believes he is "The King"? As for myself- I'm a believer.

Yet another overlooked performance is Ossie Davis. He played the part of John F. "Jack" Kennedy to perfection. His performance was all class. It came off in such a way that We don't believe he is J.F.K. - but we believe that He believes he is J.F.K. Too confusing? Sorry.

Let's not forget Ella Joyce as The Nurse, and the old kleptomaniacal woman who was attacked by the "Cock-a-roach". And fans of Don Coscarelli's "Phantasm" movies will surely recognize Reggie Bannister as the rest home administrator. Well I could name everyone in the movie, they all did a swell job. But I can't stop without mentioning Bob Ivy as "Bubba". He did a fine job as well, and starved himself in the process just to appear undead and severely dehydrated! And KNB Effects made a very spooky looking mummy, I might add.

I'm not sure why this movie is classified mostly as a horror when it's so much more than that. I think there's a much wider audience out there that could (and would) appreciate a film like this but are missing out because it's been marketed strictly as horror. I actually know people who won't even watch it because they think it's all blood and gore! I guess that's because when they see it on the shelves at the video stores it's classified under "HORROR". Oh well, sometimes it's nice to feel like you're in on a secret.

"Where'd my youth go? Why didn't fame hold off old age and death? Why did I leave fame in the first place? Do I want it back? And could I have it back? And if I could... would it make any difference?"

Light and fun horror comedy

[redtiago · 6/10 · 5 September 2021]

It's not a great movie, but it's well done and it's unpretentious. With a Serie B feeling it's fun, you have a good time watching it.

I recommend it to anyone who wants to pass time with a light and fun horror comedy.

I am a die-hard Bruce Campbell fan, but this movie was SLOW

[LithKnight · 3/10 · 28 May 2004]

Let me start by saying that I am a huge Bruce Campbell fan. I was pre-disposed to like this movie just because it was him. That said, this movie was slow and painfull. The movie as not very funny, nor was it particularly thought provoking, interesting or exciting. It seemed a little bit too much like REALLY being stuck at an old folks home.

I can sort of see what they were going for. The movie attempts to connect on multiple levels. The surface story is clearly a metaphor for something more serious. (avoiding spoilers here). But all of this subtlty is wasted when a movie isn't enjoyable.

If you are expecting a typical Bruce Campbell romp (which would be reasonable given the silly name of the movie) you will be dissapointed. If you want a strange, methodical, and thoughfull movie you might like this movie, but you might not. I can;t really recommend it on any level.