Bubba Ho-Tep Review: An Absurd Tale of Retirement Home Elvis and JFK Fighting Evil

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(Edited)

Bubba Ho-Tep is a fantastic character study disguised as an absurd Horror Comedy. When residents of a dreary, beaten down retirement home in Texas start dying at the hands of a 3,000 year old Egyptian Mummy it's up to Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell) and President Jack Kennedy (Ossie Davis) to take care of business baby.


Fan Art by Tom Walker

Campbell stars as aging Elvis Presley(or at least a man who believes he's Elvis) with a busted hip and a cancerous growth on his "pecker". The movie never explicitly states whether Campbell's character is Elvis or just delusional but for the sake of this review I'll be referring to him as Elvis.

Through a series of flashbacks and voiceovers Elvis tells the story of how he grew tired of his fame and set out to meet the number one Elvis impersonator, Sebastian Haff. Behind a closed door meeting, Elvis makes an agreement with Haff to switch places ala the prince and pauper. They sign a contract allowing him to switch back whenever Elvis wants but Haff's penchant for drugs and unhealthy food causing his famous bathroom death combined with the original contract being destroyed leaves Elvis stuck as Sebastian Haff.

Now old, Elvis spends his time at a retirement home reminiscing of his glory days or bonding with his only friend, President Jack Kennedy (Ossie Davis). That is, until a soul sucking mummy starts terrorizing the residents leaving our curmudgeon, doddering heroes to fight back and save to day.

Never, but never, fuck with the king

Bubba Ho-Tep is a strange horror movie in that it actually doesn't have much horror in it. The meat of this story is a character study and tale of two friends, part in thanks to the excellent performances by Campbell and Davis. You wouldn't think a movie this absurd would have standout acting but all hail the king baby. Campbell delivers a one of kind performance as Elvis that parodies the man but never in a disrespectful way. Coscarelli let's him shine through multiple monologues which are my favorite parts of the movie. It's honestly one of Campbell's best roles and that's saying a lot for an actor this legendary. Even though it's an unusual role for him, Davis also delivers an incredible performance, never slouching on his acting chops just because it's a silly film. Rumor has it Davis's grandkids were big fans of Evil Dead and Phantasm who urged him to take the role.

Just because the movie at it's core is a character study, that's not to say this film doesn't deliver in the horror department, because it still has plenty to offer. Coscarelli's work on Bubba Ho-Tep reminded me a lot of his work on Phantasm. Visuals are surreal and atmospheric, adding the dreary retirement home setting. You still have your standard jump scares though they are used sparingly. Coscarelli is a master at his craft and despite the limited budget, he made something incredible.

Not quite that scary, and not overly funny I have a feeling this movie ended up disappointing some that were expecting more standard genre fair. All I can say is go into this movie with an open mind and no expectations of a standard horror film and I have a feeling you will be pleasantly surprised. Bubba Ho-Tep is an absurd, fun and well crafted movie. It may not be for everyone but it's a film that's truly unique for the genre and should be seen at least once by any fan of horror.

Thanks for stopping by my first entry in my 31 days of Horror Challenge and giveaway! I'll be giving away some really cool prizes for anyone that wants to participate with me and write 2 horror themed reviews during the month of October. You can find all the details on my challenge and prize giveaway here. I am also submitting this review for @wiseagent wonderfully fun The Best Of Horror giveaway/contest. You can find details on their contest and giveaway here. So please join both of our contests, engage in some fun conversation and get the chance to win some killer prizes along the way!

credits: screenshots and trailer courtesy of film-grab.com and themoviedb.com



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9 comments
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That's right Don Coscarelli directed this and has his stamp all over it. I'm loving your selected fan art. Top notch.

This is a real fun romp and your review of it makes me want to watch this one all over again. That's very interesting about the rumored reasons for Ossie Davis to take this role. I always wondered how and why he took on this on.

A nice cut of a trailer too. Doesn't spoil the film.

Great job and let's keep this party going!

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I'm a sucker for poster art and that one was exceptional. If he ever decides to sell screenprints of it I would grab one in a heartbeat.

I ended up watching the special features the other day and in an interview Bruce Campbell he talks about Ossie Davis and confirms that's why he took the role. What an awesome guy to the take the part for his grandkids, I'm sure he didn't get paid much for the role.

Thanks for reading and the kind words!

!PIZZA

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Now I know you're a real film buff if you're watching the features. That's the one big thing I miss if you're in the digital realm these days. Thanks for the confirmation, that is really great and reminds of me Raul Julia and the Street Fighter movie connection too

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Pure B series, very funny, and you find sense in watching it more than once. Greetings and good luck in the contest.

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Thanks so much friend!

You are right, it is pure B-movie fun and a great one to rewatch.

I hope you find some good movies to watch this month!

!PIZZA

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Bubba Ho-Tep certainly looks like it's got more humor than horror scenes in it, especially with the combo of Elvis Presley and President Jack Kennedy saving the day in the retirement home! Hehe.

Your review of this movie is thrilling and I'll go find it. It's an old movie, right? I did not catch the date. Nicely done! 😊

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haha it is a very goofy movie with a very goofy premise but there are a few genuine scares and creepy parts too.

It doesn't feel like an older movie but I guess it is 19 years old at this point. It came out in 2002 and now I feel sufficiently old realizing that 2002 was nearly 20 years ago lol.

Thanks for the kind words. If you get around it I hope you enjoy it! It's definitely a weird one so don't hate me too much if it's not your style 😋

!PIZZA

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