Bubba Ho-tep Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
The King vs. The King of the Dead
You know the legends... Now learn the truth.
Based on the Bram Stoker Award nominee short story by cult author Joe R. Lansdale, Bubba Ho-tep tells the "true" story of what really did become of Elvis Presley. We find Elvis (Bruce Campbell) as an elderly resident in an East Texas rest home, who switched identities with an Elvis impersonator years before his "death", then missed his chance to switch back. Elvis teams up with Jack (Ossie Davis), a fellow nursing home resident who thinks that he is actually President John F. Kennedy, and the two valiant old codgers sally forth to battle an evil Egyptian entity who has chosen their long-term care facility as his happy hunting grounds.
| 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 Schweiger | Hearse Driver |
| Harrison Young | Elvis' Roommate |
| Linda Flammer | Room Nurse |
| Cean Okada | Attending Nurse |
| Solange Morand | Iron Lung Lady |
| Karen Placencia | Baby |
| Don Coscarelli |
7.50 out of 10 (15220 votes)
Visitor Reviews
I like Bruce Campbell butthis Movie is Over Rated
posted on 30 Aug 2009I would've given this movie a four but due to the all of the inflated scores I had to give a lower score.While this movie is different, it is not the masterpiece many people claim. The best part of the movie is when this hot chick bends over. Everything goes downhill from there.Bruce Campbell is in the bed for most of the movie and watching some guy in bed isn't very exciting. Anytime he's not in bed he's using a walker. No matter how cool your theme music is and whether it's shot in slow motion or not watching a guy roll down the hall in a wheelchair along with a guy walking with a walker is not very exciting.The movie has many problems. It is never exciting and builds no tension. It gets to a point where you don't even expect to be excited. The special effects are bad and there really doesn't seem to much of a point for the movie.If only there was more of that hot chick bending over. . .
I think I liked but...what was it?
posted on 28 Aug 2009Assuming that you know what this film is about before you watch it (and, if you didn't, I wouldn't want to spoil or, indeed, try to explain it!) then you'll not be surprised by it. Or maybe you will. From the director of Phantasm and the star of Evil Dead I was expecting something a bit more horror/comedy and a bit less reflective contemplation on old age! Not that it isn't funny, but the pace is as swift as you'd expect from an old man on a walking frame, and the whole delivery feels more like a blackly comic student film than you will guess from the box. I think I enjoyed it, but it is hard to say. Odd film. But, to kill 88 minutes, not a bad film.
Awful...
posted on 06 Aug 2009** Here be spoilers **We find ourselves in a retirement home in East Texas. Here a man that claims to be the real Elvis Presley lives, or more correctly, just spending time. He befriends another resident, who claims to be the real President Kennedy, during a night when the retirement home is attacked (?) by a few but very large aggressive bugs. Together they start to resolve a mystery where an ancient Egyptian mummy in cowboy-gear prowls the home in search for elderly souls to suck. As no-one would believe them if they told them about it (I hardly believed it, and I saw the movie) so they decide to take up the fight themselves. No worries that they are getting old and need aids just to walk around.Really, I thought that money was hard to come by when making a movie but evidently if you just have made a movie before, you will get funding for even the most ridiculous juvenile story. I know and understand that this movie was never intended to win an Oscar or award of any kind. I also know that there is a market for movie of the kind of Evil Dead (a masterpiece in comparison) and find them interesting and amusing. But this is really really bad. The story contains such juvenile elements that I wonder how old the writer really was (my guess would be 5). There is no suspense or horror as the movie is slow paced and scenes with any kind of action or trace of suspense is rare. I guess the actors and actresses do the best they can, but with the material at hand, it cant be very good. The attempts at being funny fail utterly. The only positive thing I can say about this movie is that the music is well used.Finally, I actually had to do a jigsaw puzzle during the movie to keep myself from falling asleep...2/10
Icons of the New Western Mythos
posted on 31 Jul 2009Much already has been written about _Bubba Ho-Tep_ as a commentary about the poor treatment of the elderly, as though the film was an overt political statement about Medicaid. While that interpretation does work,it sells short the film's true power to reveal our tendency to create an epic to validate the lives of those who seem larger-than-life to our consciousness.The dilapidated and forgotten rest home in Mud Creek, Texas, is home to no fewer than three icons of Western culture - the Lone Ranger, Elvis, and John F. Kennedy. Given their tremendous statures and the mysteries surrounding their fates, one can readily imagine another room down the hall in which a forty-something scarred-up British blonde sends $20 a month to some Third World charity, contemplates what her sons must think of her and imagines a future married to her Latino physiotherapist.This is the rest home of the gods - the slow, disturbing march of time into decline for those we can neither acknowledge as dead nor imagine as anything less than the vital, brilliant, courageous and beautiful people they were the moment they left the stage and didn't answer the cries of "Encore!" What becomes of them after they slip from public life through death or disappearance is no longer our concern: we accept them as dead (or not), talk endlessly of conspiracies and what might have been, and let it go at that. They cease to be human, cease to be loved for being worshipped, cease to be dignified for being deified. What becomes of their souls after the public has ceased consuming their images and personae is irrelevant to the cult of personality. Quite literally, their souls can be eaten by an Egyptian mummy and digested, sent to the visitors' toilet in a run-down rest home, and nobody would care; they already have what they wanted. The rest can go to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, or the garbage, or worse.This is the world of _Bubba Ho-Tep_: the horror of the movie lies in the danger of death without a soul; the tragedy, in the fact that such deaths occur daily. Dying alone, dying without validation of one's true self, dying without having lived to one's full potential or to that expected of us by others; this is the fate of far too many of us in general, and certainly of many to whom the term "icon" is attached. Only in the face of a palpable danger do Elvis and JFK (for not to believe them will weaken the meaning of what happens) achieve and deserve the heroism ascribed to them for so long. Indeed, the climactic battle with the mummy and its aftermath smacks of the quest for the Holy Grail, with Elvis transforming from a Fisher King to Christ figure by the end credits. The comedy of _Bubba Ho-Tep_ lies solely in its premise; the power of the movie lies in its treatment of uniquely American myths.
Elvis is still -"Groovy Baby!"
posted on 11 Jul 2009It's not very often I can watch a film over and over again, but this film offers something that is very rarely seen these days. Though you may think that the idea of Elvis and JFK in an old folks home being attacked by an Egyptian Mummy very silly,the fact is that it has been made in such a way that all of the characters are very believable.If you're thinking that this might be a very funny or very scary movie you will be very disappointed.What this film has to offer is a very thought provoking insight into old age and the way in which society treats them in general.If only Elvis and JFK could see this film now-I think that they would be so proud of the way that Don Coscarelli has portrayed them. As for the actors-Bruce Campbell has quite possibly portrayed Elvis better than any other actor,and it's quite possible that this is his finest role to date. As for Ossie Davies-this guy has talent.Just the way in which he portrays JFK so believably is beyond me!Overall, all I can say about this film is- the score is beautiful,the acting is beautiful,the story is beautiful and the overall feel of the film is beautiful. If you want to watch a great film without the mindless plots,nudity and Hollywood special effects then you'll love this! I've seen Bubba Hotep 14 times now and it just gets better every time,if I was to rate this I'd give it a definite 10 out of 10. The only thing I would suggest is buy some tissues 'cos this baby will pull on your heart strings (if you got one.)
Slightly anti-climactic ending, but excellent overall
posted on 11 Jul 2009Set 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.
A battle for dignity and redemption
posted on 01 Jul 2009You would be hard pressed to find a film out there on the DVD horizon that is as uniquely entertaining, off-the-wall and subtly introspective as BUBBA-HOTEP. This black comedy works well on so many levels and in so many unexpected ways it literally leaves the mainstream moves of the same genre way downstream. With a premise that would make most "B" movies cringe with embarrassment, BUBBA HOTEP proudly forges ahead into unknown territory, staking it's claim as one of the most original and satisfying films of recent memory. The story takes place at the Shady Rest Convalescent home in Mud Creek Texas. Sebastian, an Elvis Presley impersonator who claims he's really the King (and we believe him!), is bed ridden from a broken pelvis and suffers from a puss-filled sore on his penis. He spends hours watching time fly by with excruciating slowness, "How has it come to this . . . an old guy in a rest home with a growth on his pecker." After witnessing his war hero roommate die the most un-heroic of deaths (gasping for breath in a rest home) Sebastian starts to reflect upon the meaning of his own life, or lack thereof. When a scantily clad young woman arrives to collect the belongings of her father, Sebastian is offended that she's not offended by his offensive ogling and laments thus, "Everything you do is either worthless or sadly amusing." Her father's possessions amount to a few snap shots from when he was her age, young and vibrant and a Purple Heart from his service during WWII. After the girl unceremoniously tosses them into a wastebasket, Sebastian retrieves the medal and in a strange collaboration with a black man who claims he's John F. Kennedy, sets out to earn that medal by battling a four thousand year old mummy(who has a penchant for dressing up like a gunslinger) for the souls of the aged and forgotten residents of Shady Rest. A battle for dignity and redemption in a film that is truly a must see.
Pretty Good Flick
posted on 01 Jul 2009One second I was laughing, the next I'm jumping out of my seat. When I first heard about this movie, I thought it sounded stupid and wouldn't have paid the price of admission if it weren't for the insistence of a friend. Boy was I glad I saw this movie. Very entertaining!! And to see it at the gorgeous Castro Theater only added to the fun.
One of my all time favourite movies.
posted on 29 Jun 2009Bubba Ho-tep tells the story of Sebastian Haff an ageing geezer wasting away at Shady Rest Convalence Home, but Sebastian claims to be none other then The King himself Elvis Presley. He bitterly struggles to come to terms with his decision of switching places with an Elvis impersonator several years before he supposed death,.But as he does this he discovers some grim goings on at the home in the form of a soul sucking mummy, Then he meets Jack a fellow resident who claims he is former president John F Kennedy despite the fact he is black.Soon the two old fools team up in order to stop Bubba Ho-tep before he sucks the souls out of the ass crack of every resident at Shady Rest.Let me begin by saying WOW this has to be one of the best movies I have ever seen, the story alone made me want to see it, the fact Bruce Campbell also starred in it was a bonus.The acting in this is top notch with a absolutely brilliant cast. Both Bruce and Ossie Davis, who plays Jack, are in top form. They are backed up by a strong supporting cast as well.There are some genuinely touching moments in this film, especially from Bruce, in my opinion this is one of the best performances in his career. There are also some very funny moments too.I'd also like to talk about the musical score by Brian Tyler, it has to be one of my all time favourite sound tracks ever written, it has some wonderfully conceived moments and a wonderful main theme.I hope you choose to view what I like to call 'The ultimate ode to Old People'
Bruce Campbell for president! Anyways, great movie!
posted on 23 Jun 2009Being a great Bruce Campbell fan i did have high expectations for this movie. I had been waiting to see it for a long time and the story itself was reason enough. Some of my friends had seen it and said they were disappointed so with that in mind i put it in my DVD player. I don't know what is wrong with my friends but i was not disappointed at all. Bruce Campbell is great as the old Elvis and Ossie Davis is remarkable as the old and black version of J.F.K. Together they are one old kick ass team. The movie has some low points but not enough to make it boring. The only think i wish were different was the budget. It would be cooler if they had more money to spend on the effects. If you love the Evil Dead movies you can see some of the Ash character reflected in Bruce's interpretation of Elvis. Some very cool lines that at least i think were very funny. So i will recommend this movie but i do think you have to have a special interest in movies like this in order to enjoy it fully. And it helps if you are a Bruce Campbell nut :) I rate this movie 7/10
Wonderful Mixed-Up Pop Culture Work
posted on 03 Jun 2009I absolutely loved this film and love all works of fiction like it. I'm waiting for the day when more people appreciate that "icons" like Elvis Presley make great already developed characters, and when you use an already known image in this way to make a new work, you're doing the same thing the Ancient Greeks did with their mythology (I'm dead serious about this). This movie is not going to be for everybody, because the average person probably has trouble getting past that very quality that I like so much (using Elvis's image for your own ends), but it's a wonderful film, and Bruce Campbell's acting job in it will probably never fully be appreciated. He plays old and Elvis at the same time and sympathetically, and knocks it out the park. (Ossie Davis is wonderful too.) If you like off-beat, definitely see it. I loved it.
A comedy, a drama, a horror flick?
posted on 26 May 2009I had an opportunity to rent "Bubba Ho-Tep" last night. I'm a big fan of Bruce Campbell with his "Evil Dead"/"Army of Darkness" horror movies. Remember him from "The Adventrures of Brisco County Jr." TV series?Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie. It's part horror movie, part comedy, and part drama. Bruce Campbell plays an elderly Elvis Presley. He had traded places with an Elvis impersonator quite a few years ago to get out of the crazy life of being "The King", and is now stuck, alone, in an old folks home with a lot of regrets.There has been some strange goings-on with some of the other residents and one of them, an elderly black man (playing it straight by Ozzie Davis), who thinks that he's JFK, thinks that it's the fault of a Soul Sucker. This is Bubba Ho-tep, baby, and "The King" and the President set out to destroy this beast before he makes a meal of their souls too.The steel guitar music of the sound track is perfect for the eerie flashbacks and for Elvis' many contemplations. It's rated R for brief nudity, Elvis' cranky comments, and of course for the gross mummy and scarab action. :-) The DVD has a lot of extras to check out, as well as French, Spanish, and English subtitles.If you've seen this. Let me know what you think.
what's not to like?
posted on 14 May 2009Bruce Campbell playing an aged, wobbly, pecker obsessed Elvis who teams up with an aged and racially altered JFK (played by Ossie Davis RIP) to defeat an ancient mummy stalking their East Texas rest home. If that's not a film you want to see, then you probably don't know much about movies. On the whole this is going to have far less of the Evil Dead shenanigans than you might be expecting, though it has its fair share. The majority of the running time is left for Campbell to do a brilliant job portraying a forgotten Elvis trying to give his life and his pecker meaning, with genuine pathos. The climatic fight, relying as it does on Ossie Davis sitting still and Bruce doing the running round, is not epic, but is great fun nonetheless.
Intellectually... Beyond words
posted on 14 May 2009I had heard very little about this film when I purchased it. With a title like "Bubba Ho-Tep", caution was not thrown to the wind but one of my favorite horror actors Bruce Campbell was starring, so how bad could it be? First and foremost, director Don Coscarelli has an eye for detail and a wonderful skill at cinematography. The scene layouts are simply breath-taking and beautiful. Blended seamlessly with the top-notch soundtrack, Coscarelli tells his tale to great effect as he takes us on a bizarre journey into a world that (at least I) have never been to.As for the story.... Okay, I'm not innocent, I've done my share of partying, but writer Joe R. Lansdale must have been smoking some powerful stuff to come up with this concept. Never have I seen anything even remotely like this. At moments you may find yourself laughing for no reason, because you're absolutely blown away by what is being presented to you. This is by far the most original concept for a film that I have ever seen.Add Bruce Campbell and the late great Ossie Davis, as a couple of historical figures (or crazy people) and what you have is one hell of a fun (and disturbing) ride. I can't say enough about this film. If you haven't seen it, SEE IT! You will not be disappointed."Hot Damn Tamale, Man!"
Don't ever f*ck with the King!
posted on 10 May 2009When I found out that the movie Bubba Ho-Tep was screening at the 'Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film', I jumped at the chance to go see it. Having read all the fantastic reviews and being a Bruce Campbell fan, I expected a lot from this movie. And let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed.The movie mixes a couple of genres. There's a lot of comedy. The scene where Elvis is fighting with a huge scarab beetle is really funny. The whole theater was rolling in the aisles. Loads of cool oneliners also. Of course there's also action, when our 2 heroes are fighting the mummy. Finally, there's drama too. When Elvis is wondering if his daughter would care that he was still alive and that he just wants the chance to talk to her. At such moments in the film, you really fell bad for the King.I almost can't remember the last time when Bruce Campbell mastered a role THIS good. He really shines as Elvis. Ossie Davis is really good also as 'the black Jack Kennedy'.Overall: a great movie and when you get the chance, check it out: you won't be disappointed. I just hope the film will find a distributor.
how the dickens did this get by me?
posted on 08 May 2009I saw this after a review of the UK DVD on C4s web site. Being a Bruce Campbell fan I thought it sounded quirky enough, on top of the Campbell factor.Without spoiling anything, this film manages to be touching, smutty and more imaginative than all of the big boy movies I've seen out of the US in recent years. It is a bit up itself on the weird factor and it is a shame that a lot of people will write it off as a 'cult' movie and presume it is for students and space cadets. If you like murder mysteries, you'll love this - if you love life affirming tales, you'll love this - if you love (or hate) The King, you'll love this.King quote: "there have been two presidential elections since I had a boner like that one" Nuff said. Bruce Campbell for president, baby.
Great movie
posted on 08 May 2009I rented this movie the other day after having seen it when it came out in theaters and it reminded me what a wonderful gem it is. Not only is it totally original in story and very funny But it has this overlooked relationship angle to the story that might be the strongest part to it. The late Ozzie Davis is just terrific in his portrayal of JFK (or at least someone who thinks he's JFK) and Bruce Campbell is off the wall. I' have t admit I was never a big fan of Don Coscarelli's other films but he really figured it out with this one. I tell every girl I know that they shouldn't just dismiss this is a "horror film" because its a lot more. check it out.
What a dynamic duo...Elvis and JFK!
posted on 04 May 2009A couple of things may happen. You could be a closed-minded Elvis fan and royally get pi***d off or just sit back and enjoy the weirdness while splitting your ribs. Funny in a sick way..but this is hilarious. Elvis(Bruce Campbell)switches places with an Elvis impersonator and while on tour breaks a hip. With the onset of advanced age Elvis takes up residence in an East Texas retirement home where he makes friends with an elderly black man(Ossie Davis)who believes that he is JFK in hiding. An ancient mummy respectfully called Bubba Ho-Tep escapes from a traveling carnival and begins sucking the life out of residents of the "old folks" home. Elvis and JFK team up to destroy the not so tightly wrapped menace. Campbell is enjoyable as elderly Elvis. The overly descriptive banter between Elvis and the former President is better than an overly crowded script. Plus Elvis has a problem of personal nature that sets the tone of this certain cult classic to-be.
Something's fishy
posted on 20 Apr 2009Saw this flick yesterday. The voting for this movie must be wrong, 8.1 for a thin B-movie that's not even so bad that it becomes funny.I'm a fan of entertaining horror films and I love the Evil Dead movies, even the first one have some good ideas and fun. I gave this movie three points and in comparison I rate Evil dead I a six and Evil Dead III (Army of Darkness) seven.Needless to say my expectations of a movie with an average vote of 8.1 was high. I'm very disappointed. Below average acting and a script that stinks. The best in the horror/comedy genre is good just because they are funny and doesn't take itself seriously. This isn't one of those movies. Se the movie if you like the genre, but don't have any high expectations.
The Execution Didn't Live Up to the Concept
posted on 30 Aug 2009To be blunt, the film didn't really focus on the absurdity of the concept: Elvis vs. A Mummy. If they had, this movie would have been cheesy, comedic gold in the best of the grindhouse tradition.Instead, the majority of this flick plays like a drama with little weak attempts at humor and horror scattered throughout. Most of it focuses on Elvis's regrets over his past and his contempt for the present as he whiles away in an ugly retirement home. To be honest, I actually got somewhat depressed while watching this film (how did they get away with calling this a "comedy"?).What makes this even worse is that it stars Bruce Campbell, who can do a spot-on Elvis voice. It drives you nuts wondering what could have been. If the plot and jokes had been as good as Campbell's performance, I would've given this one ten stars many times over. As it is, I think I'm being generous giving it just four