Dig the premise. Two rest home inhabitants, one believing he is Elvis, the other, JFK, must defeat a mummy that robs the elderly of their souls in a most unsanitary manner. Such is the story of Don Coscarelli's "Bubba Ho Tep", an endearingly unclassifiable cinematic pleasure from left field.
Bruce Campbell gives one of the greatest performances of his career as Elvis, imbuing his character with great heart and depth without losing any of the story's humor. Campbell's Elvis shares a warm rapport with JFK, played with hilarious paranoia by Ossie Davis. The leads are backed up by good performances all around, particularly by Ella Joyce, as a nurse whose job requires her to be quite...familiar...with "Mr. Presley". Stuntman Bob Ivy also deserves special mention for his work as the titular monster.
Along with the great performances, "Bubba Ho Tep" succeeds with its sheer loopiness and deliciously deadpan wit. Yet there's more to it than even that. "Bubba" is a film of disarming - if not alarming - emotional resonance, exploring the themes of aging, iconolatry, family, and fame. This within the confines of your basic Elvis vs. Mummy plot. More than just silly cult flick fodder, "Bubba Ho Tep" will stick in your mind the way composer Brian Tyler's excellent score for the film hangs in the air. When was the last time a movie caught you off-guard?
Bruce Campbell gives one of the greatest performances of his career as Elvis, imbuing his character with great heart and depth without losing any of the story's humor. Campbell's Elvis shares a warm rapport with JFK, played with hilarious paranoia by Ossie Davis. The leads are backed up by good performances all around, particularly by Ella Joyce, as a nurse whose job requires her to be quite...familiar...with "Mr. Presley". Stuntman Bob Ivy also deserves special mention for his work as the titular monster.
Along with the great performances, "Bubba Ho Tep" succeeds with its sheer loopiness and deliciously deadpan wit. Yet there's more to it than even that. "Bubba" is a film of disarming - if not alarming - emotional resonance, exploring the themes of aging, iconolatry, family, and fame. This within the confines of your basic Elvis vs. Mummy plot. More than just silly cult flick fodder, "Bubba Ho Tep" will stick in your mind the way composer Brian Tyler's excellent score for the film hangs in the air. When was the last time a movie caught you off-guard?