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BUBBA HO-TEP
Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell), the erstwhile King of rock and roll, is an unlucky sod. Some would say that being alive and well instead of propping up daisies is a rather fortunate thing. However, after suffering from an infection to an old hip injury and spending the last twenty years in an east Texas nursing home in near solitude, with only a growth on his pecker and a black guy who thinks he's President John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis) for company, Elvis has some right to be a little pissed off. If only he hadn't become disenchanted with the whole music business thing then he wouldn't be in this mess. Swapping his life with Sebastjin Haff, the most accomplished of Elvis impersonators, might have seemed a good idea at the time, but this was before Sebastjin's unexpected death on a toilet, leaving Elvis in his current predicament. No fame, no fortune and, most importantly, no family aware of him being alive to pay a visit, at least the grumpy old curmudgeon still has his soul. Or he would have if it were not under threat from a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy with a penchant for cowboy boots and bathroom graffiti currently feasting on the souls of the barely living at Elvis' retirement home. With everything else lost to him there's no way some foreign, graffiti writing, soul sucking, son of a bitch is going to take Elvis' last piece of dignity without the King putting up a hell of a fight. And with the former President on his side Bubba Ho-Tep had better watch his arse…
Ordinarily, a plot featuring an aged Elvis and a black JFK taking on an Egyptian mummy with walking sticks and wheel chairs would be laughed out of the cinema. For one thing, it presumes a tacky and childish feature laden with fart jokes, cheesy effects, and inane dialogue more at home with the Scary Movie fraternity than an otherwise high quality horror flick. And whilst
jokes about Elvis' genitalia are frequent, in the hands of novel and comic writer Joe R. Lansdale, who's made a habit out of depicting strange or absurd situations and characters, such a concept actually provides for a highly imaginative and compelling story with a real heart. Lansdale's original short story is certainly much more inspired than such a simplified overview. Whilst one will instantly recognise the horror-comedy roots and B-movie style Bubba Ho-Tep evokes, thanks in no small part to Phantasm creator Don Coscarelli directing and the legendary Bruce Campbell starring, it's surprising how the films central concept is focused on a more purposeful and modern reality - ageing, neglect and the loneliness faced by the elderly society has cast aside.
Indeed, the titular soul-sucking monster falls to the wayside for the most part allowing the film to develop initially as a more deserving character piece, providing a surprising amount of depth not always realised within the horror genre. Central to this is Elvis' observations about the nursing home he resides and the ageist themes it provokes. They (the elderly) are no longer seen as everyday people, but a nuisance, incapable of looking after and thinking for themselves, to store away out of sight once they've reached infirmity. As Elvis highlights, "get old, you can't even cuss someone and have it bother 'em. Everything you do is either worthless or sadly amusing." Additionally, within Elvis (and later JFK) there's a burgeoning sense of guilt and regret over past actions, resulting in him not being able to see his children grow or have the family visit in his old age that drives the film. Elvis is truly alone. When Ho-Tep does arrive on the scene, these themes continue to play poignantly throughout, providing the finale with an especially emotive charge that propels Bubba Ho-Tep beyond it's otherwise meagre genre expectations.
With the film evoking less horror and more characterisation it also allows for Campbell to do that rare thing in the movies - actual acting! Removing the need for him to pratfall about (as he does in the Evil Dead trilogy), by casting him as an aged Elvis with a dodgy hip, is somewhat of a masterstroke. Campbell's portrayal of a permanently pissed off and bitter ex-star who's lost everything (fame, fortune, family) whilst only gaining a growth on his pecker, is strangely touching and emotive. Not only that but Campbell perfectly evokes the spirit of Elvis. His inflection, mannerisms and poise are unnervingly faultless. Whilst Ossie Davis gives a fine turn, Campbell simply steals the show.
Unfortunately, whilst Bubba Ho-Tep succeeds as a character piece, those expecting any resemblance to an out and out horror will be disappointed. Whilst a few early scenes involving some excellent camera-work and a scarab beetle provides a decent perturbing atmosphere, this is soon nullified when Ho-Tep is revealed as not the most terrifying of creatures ever produced. Yet, considering the independent nature of the film, it's low-budget and the themes dwelled upon, this is somewhat expected. Indeed, one could suggest that Bubba Ho-Tep is actually a reference to Elvis and not the titular Mummy, explaining the films more appropriate focus on the ageing crooner. Elvis was both a dumb hick (Bubba) and a godlike King (Ho-Tep) that abused his body and defiled his own divinity leaving him in his current crippled predicament. The Mummy is a link to the failures of his past and in attempting to slay the soul-sucking beastie he is attempting to overcome his own failings. Or possibly something like that…
Still, whilst the horror aspects are less catered for the action inspired set pieces and the script more than contribute to Bubba Ho-Tep's quality. The action sequences against Bubba are diverting enough, especially when Elvis and JFK take on Ho-Tep for the riveting finale. Elvis attempting to do Kung Fu with the aid of his walker is hilarious stuff, indeed. Likewise, Campbell pratfalling about against a scarab beetle is certainly reminiscent of his own hand beating him up in Evil Dead 2 and is a delightful little sequence. The script is a treasure trove of delight. Moving deftly from explaining Elvis' state of mind to a number of derogatory curses, it's filled with some quality one-liners! None more so than the fantastically Campbell delivered "Even a big bitch cockroach like you should know... never, but never, f*ck with the King." (For all you Army of Darkness fans out there).
Central to and at the heart of this success, though, is the effective direction from Coscarelli. Not only has he stayed faithful to Lansdale's original short story, he has effectively crafted a small independent film that works on many levels. It's a comedy. It's a horror (in parts). It's a drama. It's a cracking hybrid of the thoughtful and the entertaining. Without Coscarelli stitching all the parts together into one glorious whole, its likely Bubba Ho-Tep would have fallen apart at the seams!
Bubba Ho-Tep isn't out of this world but what it does it does well. The themes portrayed are deftly handled, never hammering the point home so as to divert from the action and comedy on show. Campbell has never been better and in the concept you have an imaginative and highly original flick. For one thing, just where else are you going to see a decrepit Elvis laying the smackdown on an ancient Egyptian Mummy? Nowhere. That's where. So this really is your only opportunity to see something as daft as the plot entails transpire before your very eyes. And any film with a black JFK (a disguise by the CIA of course) is well worth a look!
Overall - Despite its horror-comedy roots and seemingly incongruous plot, Bubba Ho-Tep is surprisingly subtle stuff. A collection of great characters, played by competent actors, spouting wonderful dialogue and enthusing a certain amount of poignancy despite the far-out concept, makes for some refreshing and entertaining film-making. Well worth investigating!
Bruce Campbell .... Elvis Ossie Davis .... Jack Ella Joyce .... The Nurse Heidi Marnhout .... Callie Bob Ivy .... Bubba Ho-tep Edith Jefferson .... Elderly Woman Larry Pennell .... Kemosabe Reggie Bannister .... Rest Home Administrator Daniel Roebuck .... Hearse Driver Daniel Schweiger .... Hearse Driver
Rating: 15
Running Time: 92 minutes
Genre: Comedy/Horror/Drama
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Production Year: 1998 - Horror - Director: Steve Miner - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Michelle Williams, Adam Arkin, Adam Hann-Byrd, Janet Leigh, L.L. Cool J.
Don Coscarelli directs and Bruce Campbell stars as the King of Camp in this intentionally ... more
over-the-top schlockfest.Bubba Ho-Tepis partially about Elvis Presley and partially about the title character, an Egyptian cowboy zombie, but mostly it is about c...
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Don Coscarelli directs and Bruce Campbell stars as the King of Camp in this intentionally ... more
over-the-top schlockfest.Bubba Ho-Tepis partially about Elvis Presley and partially about the title character, an Egyptian cowboy zombie, but mostly it is about c...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
![Bubba Ho-Tep [2002] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78484872.jpg "Bubba Ho-Tep [2002] [DVD]")
![Bubba Ho-Tep [DVD] [2002]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78499666.jpg "Bubba Ho-Tep [DVD] [2002]")
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