|
Directed by: Don Coscarelli Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis Bubba Ho-Tep begins with Elvis (Bruce Campbell) alive and in a nursing home, bereaved by an infected penis and a lost youth. At the tail end of his career, he switched identities with an Elvis impersonator in a small town and assumed his identity. Unfortunately, nobody believes he is who he is. In the nursing home, he befriends an elderly black man (Ossie Davis) convinced that he's JFK. JFK has suspicions that Lyndon B. Johnson has been sending would-be assassins to the home at night to kill him, but soon he begins to suspect the mystery figure is in actuality a mummy. Elvis, of course, thinks he's just a crazy old man until he comes face to face with Bubba Ho-Tep. Lacking any other purpose, the old men set off on a journey to kill the mummy for good. Watching the first ten minutes and the subsequent hour or so of this movie, you'll do nothing but chuckle and shake your head. It has aspects of a typical Campbell vehicle--horror slash comedy--but there's weird drama in the mix as well. It's a movie that focuses a great deal on one of the least celebrated and stigmatized minorities out there. I don't like old people or their fetid candy dishes, but I am glad that for once they're here in the forefront. It's bizarre, and it's bizarrely touching. You see Elvis go through the motions of his day in the nursing home, agonizing over his fall from glory. But you also see JFK, Kemosabe (a elderly man dressed like the Lone Ranger) and all the other people who have had their lives compromised, undoubtedly by uncaring relatives. It's sad and not forced. Campbell and Davis' quest is so hoaky in theory, but really is quite satisfying in execution. Campbell is as good as he gets here. He really is one-of-a-kind at delivering quips, and he hardly misses a beat as the voice of Elvis. I had to go see this movie at a midnight screening at some decrepit old theatre full of prissy drama students, but in spite of that, Bubba Ho-Tep was worth tracking down. RATING: 4 PROS: Novel plot, Bruce Campbell gives a great performance CONS: Might be too odd or slow moving for some people ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 22:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 03:05 |
|
|
Campbell does an awful Elvis impersonation, but the fact that the movie just completely ignores this fact is one of the funniest things about it, in my mind. Great film. 4/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 22:36
|
|
|
For a movie with zero budget, this has a whole lotta laughs goin' on. It's hard to rate though. I don't like Elvis at all; and am not a Campbell fanboy, but this is a really good little comedy. Saw it in a theatre; I'd rent it to watch with other people, or maybe if there's a commentary track with the director and the two lead actors. off-topic: Nad, that is a really well-written review. Nice going. LATE EDIT: the DVD commentary track is pretty interesting, too. Nice mix of laughs thanks to Bruce Campbell, some talk of character development, and even some interesting technical points. Binary Logic fucked around with this message at 01:46 on Jun 3, 2004 |
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 23:18
|
|
|
I loved it... I was kinda nervous as I didn't think the plot could actually be done on film. But it was done nearly perfectly. Bruce, while never getting a top billing in a major studio film, is absolutely PERFECT in this roll. Ossie is just as great as JFK. I have no qualms about this movie at all, but not enough perks to give it a 5/5 4.5/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2004 23:30
|
|
|
I was pretty excited for this movie, as I'd heard some good buzz on SA and the plot sounded cool. Bruce Campbell as Elvis? Awesome. Some black dude who thinks he's JFK? Awesome still. Zombie mummy haunting an old folks' home? Sounds good. The first half (or so) of the movie was excellent. Campbell isn't great, but he's good enough, and his bad Elvis can provide a few chuckles. Once the movie actually begins diving into the heavy plot movement, it becomes less entertaining. I don't mind camp or corny over-the-top stuff, but once they're outside and begin fighting the Mummy, it becomes a little tiring. It's not scary or particulary entertaining, or really all that funny, and it seems to become very amateur and poorly paced. Overall I did enjoy it, but didn't think it lived up to some of the hype I'd heard. The movie manages to still be enjoyable due to its characters and interesting setting, which carry it near the end. There's a nice mix of humor and a few spooky sequences. 3 / 5. Bloated Pussy fucked around with this message at 22:32 on Jul 5, 2004 |
|
#
?
May 28, 2004 19:19
|
|
|
As much as I wanted to totally love this film, I couldn't. It seemed flat somehow in both the jokes and plot. Bruce has done much better in his previous films. However, I didn't feel robbed watching it because I did actually laugh a few times, and its good to see something off the wall every now and then. Rating: 3/5 .. "Okay".
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2004 19:31
|
|
|
Loved it. Before I first saw it I expected some sort of Army of Darkness meets The Mummy corny horror movie. I was wrong. It turned out to be a weird mix of drama and comedy, with a weird but somehow upbeat ending. Campbell is definitely the heart of the movie for me, with a great performance. Ossie Davis' JFK is excellent as well. This movie is not for everyone. The pacing is incredibly slow, you keep waiting for something significant to happen but it kinda never does. But that's what so great about it. It doesn't follow the rules for this sort of movie, it's just... quirky. I have a nagging feeling, though, that without Campbell the movie wouldn't have gotten nearly as good reviews. Five.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2004 21:36
|
|
|
This is also a legitimate horror movie. There were a few scenes in it that will make me worry about what might be under my bed tonight. And like any halfway honest movie set in a nursing home, not all of the horror is supernatural. There are still some elements of human pride and dignity, which is pretty amazing considering the characters. I do have one comment about a joke. Watch it to the end of the credits for one of the funniest loving things I have ever seen in my entire loving life. 5/5
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2004 03:40
|
|
|
While not a great movie, this title does score some points for being original. This is one of the very few movies that I've ever seen where the phrase "What the gently caress!?" was running through my head non-stop throughout the duration. Rating: 3.5
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2004 04:27
|
|
|
Went up to see this in an indy theater in NYC and it was 100% worth the trip. Campbell and Davis deliver fantastic performances. 5/5
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2004 05:31
|
|
|
I liked it.
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2004 05:35
|
|
|
Maybe I just love Bruce Campbell too much (You have to admit, he's come a long way since Evil Dead). But seeing this movie in the Angelika in NYC (Felt like name-dropping a great theatre) lifted my spirits for the next few days. It just has so much style, and just enough absurdity. Plus, Bruce and Ossie are beautiful together. I mean, Holy Crap. Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. As Elvis and Black JFK. You don't know how good that is until you see it. 5/5
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2004 22:02
|
|
|
This movie has some great writing to it, especially in the beginning. Some of the comments and lines Elvis says are totally original. Towards the end of the movie, I just kind of lost interest. I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5, mostly for originality. Having said that, its totally worth watching once, more of a rental than a purchase.
|
|
#
?
Jun 1, 2004 23:27
|
|
|
This movie was nothing spectacular. The acting was passable, the script was ok, but really, I was bored 15 minutes into this movie. The only way that I can possibly see a person enjoying this movie is if he/she is already a Bruce Campbell fan. 2/5
|
|
#
?
Jun 2, 2004 22:16
|
|
|
I really disliked this movie, the jokes weren't that funny but the premise was. Campbell's acting was alright, but it seems that only Bruce Campbell groupies likes it. I didn't laugh, I hated the bland sets and it was too slow moving for me. 2/5
|
|
#
?
Jun 3, 2004 09:19
|
|
|
I was truly expecting something special from this movie, but it sadly did not live up to my expectations. It does have some decent one liners though (the sort of thing you would expect from a movie where Bruce Campbell stars as Elvis). In the end though, this is just a movie about some really old guys in a weird (MUMMY!)situation. Halfway through, I thought that they might make the ending something along the lines of "The Mummy's curse can only be ended by a king" or some such. Looking back on it, I feel that working that, or pretty much anything to milk the fact the Elvis and JFK are fighting a freaking mummy into the ending would have made this a much more fullfilling movie. 2.5/5
|
|
#
?
Jun 6, 2004 08:19
|
|
|
Yeah it was prety terrible. Not really funny to me at all. I loved Army of Darkness, but this was in no way entertaining. Bruce was good as usual, but that's about it. I mean, a mummy in a nursing home? That's not even funny in an Indie movie. I was more interested in the minor subplot about Elvis really being alive and a double took his place and died. That was 10 times more interesting to me than the rest of the movie. 1/5
|
|
#
?
Jun 18, 2004 10:28
|
|
|
Hmm I would give this a 4. Low budget, yes. But it had a good sense of humor, and good acting. Held my interest and I enjoyed it, which is more than I can say for most big budget Hollywood productions.
|
|
#
?
Jun 18, 2004 15:42
|
|
|
I loved this movie from the second I heard a summary of the plot. Elvis and a black JFK, thirty years later and in a nursing home, fight off a 3,000 year old southern mummy ghost. Who cares about the movie, that's good enough right there for a 5/5. The actual movie was probably a 4, but I have to give it the 5 for being so absolutely ridiculous. I couldn't think of a crazier plotline if I tried.
|
|
#
?
Jun 19, 2004 05:36
|
|
|
I liked it. I didnt like it say like I enjoy Army of Darkness, but I did like. There was a lot of good comedy even some that goes above the simple one liners that Bruce is known for.I think that maybe at times the movie was a little over the top, but then again this is what Bruce is known for. Knowing that ahead of time it was easy to take. They had very little money when making this film and it shows. Like the Zombie walking down the hall, with the 1980's throw back to a dance club light, that is spinning behind him. I think the choice of actors in the movie suits the movie just fine, and I love Ossie Davis as JFK. Bruce does a FABULOUS job as Elvis. The flash back scenes are some of the best parts of the movie. The movie isnt as much a horror as it is a throw back to cheesy Bruce Campbell movies. But I still enjoyed it gave it a 4/5.
|
|
#
?
Jun 20, 2004 02:37
|
|
|
I just saw this and loved it. 5/5 The fight scenes were hilarious, with old decrepit guys fighting a rotting corpse. I was laughing through 80% of the film.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2004 06:00
|
|
|
I liked it a lot. I would have preferred it if the black JFK acted like JFK instead of Cliche Black Sidekick, but Campbell was an awesome Elvis, which made the slow pacing easier to deal with. It was entertaining, enjoyable, and somewhat memorable, so 4/5.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2004 22:55
|
|
|
This movie was hilarious. There was also a feeling of sadness throughout that brings my score up a bit; from the Purple Heart being ignored, to Elvis fixating on his pecker(which obviously would have been important to him). Bruce's lines were great, and made greater because they were completely ignored by the hospital staff. The appearance of the hospital was perfectly rundown, and JFK's bedroom made my draw drop. 4.5/5
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2004 21:58
|
|
|
I must first say that I am a big Bruce Cambell fanboy and I think that he adequately portrays a defeated Elvis. Ossie Davis just shines in this movie though and his room is pretty badass. Though I will be the first to admit that this movie seemed rather short and left some loose ends in regards to the nurse he could have boned. But looking back you must say to yourself that this was one of those movies that asks you to leave your intelligence at the door and enjoy the ride. That is why I loved this movie and you must admit, anything with Bruce Campbell is going to be golden. 4/5
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2004 16:35
|
|
|
Watched it on DVD a few weeks ago. I found the plot unique (Don't see much like it from a major studio) and the acting was good. What really set the mood for me was the soundtrack. It's one of the best scores I have heard in quite a long time, and it is some great driving music. It got a little slow, and Bruce does do a lovely Elvis, but it was worth a watch, and probably a purchase. 4/5
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2004 20:44
|
|
|
this was honestly one of the best movies ever made in my opinion. i cant really explain at any length why. it just struck a cord in me. well made. funny as hell. great style. awesome story. GREATNESS 5.5
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2004 04:39
|
|
|
I liked it because it was really daring. I can't think of anyone else making this movie and doing it as well (except for the really cheap looking scarab thingy). This movie is a character drama, a horror, and a comedy all in one and I think it effectively dances between all three without becoming incoherent. The sound efx when Elvis gets his special ointment applied made me wince out loud. 4
|
|
#
?
Jul 13, 2004 09:45
|
|
|
If you take away the poorly done humor in this movie, the story isn't that great either. It's better suited to a cable network, mediocre at best. I didn't laugh at the fact that Bruce Campbell and the black guy were delusional in thinking that they were historical figures, and I didn't laugh when they made 9000 tired jokes about it. Not to mention it was incredibly slow. I like Bruce Campbell but even he can't save this pile of a movie. If you really, really, really like him then you might be able to stomach it. 2/5
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2004 18:35
|
|
|
I'm not a Campbell fan since I don't think I've seen any of his movies in upteen trillion years. But the acting was really first-rate. I believed he thought he was Elvis and the other guy was JFK. The special effects did actually hurt the film IMHO. You could get scarier masks at a halloween shop. And the ending was kind of weak. And the graffiti in the bathroom? recap: a black JFK in a wheelchair with a partially-missing brain teaming up with an Elvis "impersonator," to fight evil. That's some balls. 4
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2004 18:55
|
|
|
0/0 Horrible movie. I felt as if I wasted my time watching the first 10 mins.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2004 19:47
|
|
|
I saw this movie a long time ago in a little theatre. I thought it was pretty good. I think it could have used a little more Zombie fights and guns and all that good stuff. 3/5
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2004 22:06
|
|
|
Most `cult' films turn out to be things that I would've enjoyed way more if I found them myself instead of having them foisted on my by everygoddamnbody who had already seen 'em. It's kinda like being last in the bukkake line---it's okay, but would've been a lot more fun if you were the first one there. I kinda felt that way about _Bubba Ho-Tep_. One of the endearing things about the film is the premise---which, by the time I actually saw it, was already well-discussed in all the places that discuss such things (i.e., mailing lists, online forums, and suchlike). Indeed, by virtue of the huge amount of press attention this `obscure' film got, I'd already heard most of the catchphrases and seen most of the most interesting scenes (the first serious conversation about their identities between Campbell and Davis, for example). Here's what _Bubba Ho-Tep_ did well: the basic schtick of the premise; and the ha-ha-just-serious way it pulls it off---Campbell is Elvis, but it's played straight and relatively sympathetically (letting the humour develop more from the situation than from scripted gags/punchlines). If I just sorta stumbled onto the film hidden as a single DVD cover buried in the middle of a field of Ben `Meat Marionette' Affleck or whatever films on the New Releases wall of the local Ballbuster, I would have really dug the film. But since there just wasn't that much there and I'd already had -all- of it force-fed to me before I'd seen the film, I didn't really feel like I was getting much out of actually watching the thing. It was like I was checking something off on my Cool Film Buff Credentials checklist. This is more or less exactly the opposite of the phenomen of some cult films, i.e., _This is Spinal Tap_ (1984), which is way more entertaining as a source of quotes to drunkenly swap with equally drunken buddies than it is as an actual film. But in at least one way they are the same: it is more fun to have previously watched them than to -actually- watch them.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2004 00:38
|
|
|
It was a bit slow and seemed like nothing really happeneded, but I really enjoyed it. Ossie Davis and Cambell were great. The movie just seemed different from anything I'd seen recently. Loved it, 4/5
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2004 02:59
|
|
|
It was everything I thought it would be and less. Or wait...does that make sense? Let me explain. When I first heard of this movie I was told that the director of Phantasm had made a picture about Elvis and JFK both still being alive and living in an old folks home and having to fight mummies. If you can't admit that that's a cool plot then something is wrong with you, and I was sure as hell interested. But I also knew that Coscarelli hasn't made a decent movie since the original Phantasm, and that was 25 years ago, so despite having an incredibly awesome premise I figured that this movie was going to suck--even if Bruce Campell was in it. But then my friends started to rent it and everybody gave it rave reviews, saying it was one of the most original horror movies they had ever seen and that most of it was just Elvis' introspection, thinking about his lost life. That revelation intrigued and frightened me. Once again, it sounded cool but I had to ask myself whether or not the man who brought me Beastmaster 3 was capable of writing good introspective dialogue and deep, interesting characters. After I while I just went out and rented it, hoping that it would live up to it's potential and knowing it wouldn't. And it didn't. There were some genuinely funny scenes here, and Campell's Elvis was surprisingly believable, but this was not exactly what I would call a prime example of a character study. Elvis isn't all that believable, and the rest of the characters are flat as Kansas. It meanders, too--the pacing is off, and the action really isn't all that great. Mixing "Wild Strawberries" with "Abbot and Costello Meet the Mummy" sounds like a great idea, but Coscarelli is just not talented enough to fully deliver. It's still an okay movie, worth a rent, but I don't think that I'm ever going to watch it again. 3.0
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2004 18:19
|
|
|
I'm a Bruce Campbell fan, and a horror film aficionado. The premise of the movie sounded both wacky and campy, so I was sold. I looked forward to seeing it theatres, but Bruce himself was at one of the local showings, and then entire day was sold out. I never forgot about Bubba Ho-Tep, but I just put off watching it until this past weekend. I was expecting something campy and off-beat, but entertaining at the same time. Turns out I was expecting too much. As has been stated, the pacing wasn't very good, and the action was just blah. While there was a mummy, there wasn't any on-screen violence, and the suspence was laughable. It's a stretch of the term to classifcy this piece of work as a "horror" film. The Mummy Returns was more of a horror film than Bubba Ho-Tep. I did chuckle a couple of times, but I was mostly letdown. 2/5
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2004 17:43
|
|
|
I had never even heard of this movie until my brother came over one night with it and told me that I had to watch it. I will say one thing, this was definatly one of the wierdest movies I have ever seen. It definatly had a very original plot. This seemed like a movie that was not serious but was trying to pass it's self off as serious in a subversive kind of way which just added to it's strange mystique. I thought this was one of the best acting jobs I've seen out of bruce campell. Case in point: at the end of the movie I realised that I had forgotten that bruce campell was in the movie. This means either I am an idiot with a short attention span or campell emmersed himself so much in the role I didn't see him I saw ELVIS! at any rate this movie was funny as hell and even suspensful at times. This was definatly one of the better B movies I've seen this year and I recommend it to anyone who likes B-horror flicks. as for people whining about sub-par fight scenes with the mummy, It's freakin' old people fighting a mummy in a retirement home! What the hell do you want, a 70 year old black JFK to break out some Kung-Fu? Get real, it's not an action flick. 4.5/5
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2004 23:30
|
|
|
A lot of contradictive elements and technical work. It was fun though, and the cinematography was good. That and the fact that I dig Bruce campbell drags this from a 3 to a 4.
|
|
#
?
Sep 2, 2004 00:37
|
|
|
Bruce Campbell's cheesy Elvis impersonation cracked me up from the very beggining. Overall, it's not unlike a 90 minute episode of Tales from the Crypt, but funnier. One of the best lines ever, "What do I care? I got a growth on my pecker." 4/5
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2004 07:43
|
|
|
Movie is brimming with good ideas and seemed ready-made for cult fandom, but it never adds up to anything substantial. It seemed as though all involved thought the conceits (Bruce as Elvis, a black JFK, mummies) were strong enough to stand on their own. Gotta kick that poo poo up to Level 2 viewing, man. Do something with it. The premise had unlimited possibilities, but the flick never chases any of them down. It's notches above Campbell's normal Sci-Fi Channel dreck, but good will only gets you so far. One flaccid pecker down.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2004 15:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 03:05 |
|
|
Great to see how all sorts of genres blend together, and pretty effectively. Sure, it's a 'bad' movie, but very entertaining and it even has sort of a heart. 4/5.
|
|
#
?
Sep 30, 2004 22:36
|
|
