Bubba Ho-tep (2002)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Don Coscarelli

Writers (WGA):

Joe R. Lansdale (short story)
Don Coscarelli (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 February 2004 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

The King vs. The King of the Dead

Plot:

Elvis and JFK, both alive and in nursing homes, fight for the souls of their fellow residents as they battle an ancient Egyptian Mummy.

Plot Keywords:

Nursing Home | Death | Texas | John F Kennedy | Elvis Presley

Awards:

6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

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
Harrison Young	...	Elvis' Roommate
Linda Flammer	...	Room Nurse
Cean Okada	...	Attending Nurse
Solange Morand	...	Iron Lung Lady
Karen Placencia	...	Baby

Also Known As:

Bubbahotep (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief violent images.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Finland:K-18 | France:U | Argentina:16 | Germany:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Australia:M | Canada:14A | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Silver Sphere Corporation

Trivia:

Only 32 prints of the film were originally made as part of a limited platform release. The Soul of Southern Film Festival, in Memphis, Tennessee, paid for a thirty-third print, so that they wouldn't have to wait any longer to show the film. Several other festivals and theaters paid advances in order to secure prints.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Elvis and the mummy ride over the riverbank on the wheelchair, "Elvis" is a dummy. When the wheelchair flies over the camera, the Elvis Dummy's head actually falls off.

Quotes:

JFK: [showing Elvis his hidden stash of candy bars] Let's get decadent.

Movie Connections:

References "The Lone Ranger" (1949)

Suspicious Minds

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.