Bubba Ho-tep (2002)

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:

Baby Ruth | Immolation | Walker | Number 6393 | Shimmy

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

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Silver Sphere Corporation

Trivia:

Bruce Campbell helped promote the movie by bringing it along with him on his book tour for his autobiography, "If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor."

Goofs:

In the bathroom the boom mike is visible in the mirror behind JFK. It is most noticeable when he turns his head and the boom moves to follow.

Quotes:

Elvis: [looking at himself in the mirror, thinking] How could I have gone from the king of rock'n'roll to this? An old guy in a restroom in East Texas with a *growth* on his pecker.

Movie Connections:

References Locataire, Le (1976)

All is well

Who would have thought it? Don Coscarelli, the man who wrote and directed Phantasm a long, long time ago comes back out of nowhere, after spending his entire career in the dregs, with something like this. A film that is more an exploration of regret, fading dignity and growing old than it is about a soul-sucking mummy.

Very old Elvis is brilliantly played by Bruce Campbell. The voice, the hair, the mannerisms are all perfect. He's stuck in Mud Creek rest home where the cynical staff believe he's really called Sebastian Haff, the man Elvis traded places with back in the 70s. And when Haff died, so did the Elvis the public loved. This only left the REAL Elvis free to live his life in peace and eventually indignity.

He pals up with a man who believes he's JFK, only problem is he's black. Though it's more likely he's senile rather than a truth-teller like the so-called Sebastian Haff. Both men have one concern, to stop some kind of Bubba Ho-Tep mummy from taking the souls of all the rest home residents.

Yes, it's insane. But also wildly imaginative and more than balances out the endless, heartless, conveyer belt Hollywood productions. Elements of the story will stay with you and the character development is graceful and important.

The finishing touch is Brian Tyler's awesome score. The main theme is one of the best ever and will flood you will feeling and emotion. Not only is Bubba Ho-Tep blessed with a cast and crew who care about the film their making, it also has wonderful music too. I am lucky enough to have the rare score CD (autographed by Coscarelli and Tyler). Hunt it down, it's seriously worth it.

The DVD is in flawless 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with loud, effective Dolby 5.1 sound. There is an absolute truckload of features which are, for a change, worth it considering how good the film is. You seriously have to get this, baby.

Keep a lookout for Reggie Bannister as the rest home manager. And watch all the way to the end of the credits for a weird message...

ELVIS RETURNS IN 'BUBBA NOSFERATU: CURSE OF THE SHE VAMPIRES'