Bubba Ho-tep (2002)

Touches You

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Now there are bad films and there are stupid films...but this thing has created it's very own category for reels that missed the garbage can and somebody saved.I have no idea how this film got any of the high ratings it did. In fact the IMDB rating is one of the highest I've seen and where did all the 10 out of 10's come from in the user ratings?If you are wasted and bored at 2 am in the morning, this might be your cup of tea, but seriously?????? What a slow, cheesy piece of crap with bad sound and irritating flashing scenes.

Living in a rest home in Texas, a resident who claims to be Elvis feels threatened by the disappearance of the residents and soon takes up with another resident when they find that an Egyptian mummy is the source of the deaths and take it upon themselves to defend the rest home.There really was a few good things about it. One of the films' more enjoyable aspects is the demented and rather unique setup this one has that gives this a really enjoyable setup. Not only is the central premise of the residents at a rest home feel like a truly original concept, but the way this one brings about the introduction of the two central characters which is a rather novel idea which picks up a rather interesting concept that isn't all too commonly utilized. The idea of the mummy coming to life and feeding on the souls of the rest-home residents who are at the end of their life which is what it needs to survive plays into the perfect cover here, and it's pointing how that comes into the main gist of the story here. There's also some big fun to be had with the film's rather strong action scenes when they occur as these are quite nice, from the fight scene with the huge scarab beetle in the room where they battle throughout the area, a series of investigations that show the creature as being involved in the area affecting the hospital and the big finale where they engage in an extended, prolonged battle against the mummy in the park outside which is rather enjoyable for the tactics used to battle the mummy. Given that these are where we get to see the mummy in full-on views which gives this a nice chance to show off the nice make-up work done for the creature coming into play. The other big positive here is that the film looks better than it should as the rest home has a grim, weathered look which is put to best use in the scenes with the mummy strolls down the hallway in front of terrified residents with the light flickering and distorting around him. There might be a few chuckles from the dialog as well which can arouse some comedy, but otherwise, there isn't a lot here to really condemn the film on either. The film's terrible crime is that there isn't anything in the way of action in the film and it's a terminally slow film. The one attack mentioned above constitutes the film's action scenes until the conclusion, which is so slow and drawn out that it borders on the sleep-inducing. It really needed a rousing finale to wake us up during the slow sections, but it's all so humdrum that it completely passes over and only the end credits signal the film's conclusion. That's all there really is to say about this one, as it really didn't do much else.Rated R: Graphic Language and Violence.

"Bubba Ho-Tep" is a great mix of horror, comedy and surrealism that is a rare find in film. It deftly runs the gamut from the obscene to the poignant as well as being great entertainment and a lot of fun to watch. Bruce Campbell gives a brilliant and what should have been an Oscar nominated performance as Elvis Presley/Sebastian Haff not only taking on the iconic persona of the King of Rock and Roll but also deeper levels dealing with the realization that he no longer has sex, he has to move about with a walker and he may be dying. His voiced over inner monologue is fantastic as we get to commiserate with his conflicted thoughts of having left stardom behind and his vacillating on whether he did or did not do the right thing. Most poignant are his still deep feelings for Pricilla and his torment and guilt over not being the father he wished he could have been for his daughter Lisa Marie. The humor in "Bubba Ho-Tep" ranges from slapstick to satire to wry pathos. But underneath the crazy silliness of the premise lies a very moving depiction of a man who has allowed his soul to die, and who comes to very much want to live again. Bruce Campbell's performance is amazing. He manages to bring the King to life even as he satirizes him. From the beginning of the story where Elvis is depicted as a sad joke, to the character's development into a man whose dignity has been stripped away by old age and an indifferent society, to the man who finds that dignity and honor and purpose reside within and not in the eyes of others, Campbell masters the part. By the end of the film you'll believe he is Elvis. Or at least you'll want to.Overall rating: 9 out of 10.

To be honest, I've never been a Don Coscarelli fan. I never liked his 'Phantasm' flicks and found his cinematic technique wanting.Having said that, Bubba Ho-Tep turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The film concerns an Elvis impersonator (superbly limned by Bruce Campbell) who may or may not be the real Elvis, living in a dumpy old rest home in Texas, old, grumpy, tired by the life he's allegedly led and wondering about his next meal, bowel movement, and lack of sexual urges.He is joined by the late, great Ossie Davis as another elderly resident who thinks he is John F. Kennedy. The lunacy begins when the two join forces to fight and kill a mummy who's appeared and who's killing off the elderly inhabitants of the rest home.While the supporting roles are handled well by Ella Joyce and Reggie Bannister (among others) Campbell and Davis are the whole show. Campbell plays Elvis as the real Elvis would play himself: as someone who verges on self-parody but never crosses that line. Davis is also excellent in a role that not many others could have played so well, and Coscarelli, working with a shoestring budget, demonstrates a number of clever touches (the mummy's subtitles, for example) that makes the film all the more enjoyable. It's never as scary as you think it might be, and it's never really as funny as it should be, but the acting is so good that it sucks you in and doesn't let you go until the final credits are done and the house lights come on.What it really is, is a meditation on growing old, being shuttled to the sidelines of life, and having the guts to go out with a bang. Hail to the King, baby. Elvis would have been proud of this.