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Elvis, JFK and a mummy make for great camp
by Wesley Bennett
Bubba Ho-tep may not win an Academy Award, but writer/director Don Coscarelli (Phantasm) has adapted a short story by Joe R. Lansdale into a high-camp, creature-feature. Beneath the outlandish premise is an understated and comedic film about aging showcased by a fascinating and inventive character study.
The film centers on the two great performances of 86-year-old Ossie Davis as John F. Kennedy, and B-movie legend, Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.) as Elvis.
In Bubba, the residents of an East Texas nursing home are mysteriously being killed, and only an impotent, elderly Elvis and the recovering, African American JFK can save the day. Kennedy claims that the government dyed him black to protect the secret of what happened in Dallas and filled up the missing parts of his head with sand.
Elvis explains that he became sick of the lifestyle and made a deal with Sebastian Hoff, the greatest Elvis impersonator of the day, to trade places. The contract guaranteeing that the Elvises could switch back was burned up in a barbecuing accident. For a time, Elvis enjoyed the freedom of performing without the sideshow of fame. But when Hoff died, and Elvis broke a hip while performing, the true King landing in a retirement home without fame or fortune.
After discovering ancient Egyptian graffiti in the visitor's toilet and a few giant scarab beetles, JFK realizes the nursing home is under attack by a Soul Sucker with a penchant for western apparel.
The film has a sharp sense of humor and strikes a balance between the serious and the ridiculous. The elderly are presented as people taken to nursing homes to die, anonymous and alone. No one would notice if these people were under attack. By setting a horror film under these circumstances, the premise is original.
The King is a disgruntled bastard, yet he manages to be introspective and remorseful about his failed marriage and estranged daughter. He spends most of his time discussing his "johnson."
The narration of Elvis' past manages to be funny, wicked, observant and truthful. Coscarelli has affection for Elvis, takes the performer seriously, and treats his outrageous situation as if it's really happening.
Davis, who clearly looks nothing like JFK, captures the dignity befitting a Kennedy—even while offering Elvis a chocolate ding-dong. Elvis, who has his own improbable story, takes him at his word and proceeds from there, giving both old men a sweet sense of honor.
For Elvis and JFK, this fight against ancient evil is a chance at redemption, an opportunity to go out with their boots on. Elvis makes a stirring speech about how he was a fraud in his old movies. When the lights went out, it was back to the booze, the pills, and the coveting of women. Now he has a chance to become a real hero. I could scarcely stop smiling at the absurdity, sheer inventiveness, and joy of the film—especially as the two old men battle the Mummy in the climax.
Bubba Ho-tep is not just a witty comedy of absurdity and gags; it's also a wry, underplayed film with a strong undercurrent of abandonment. Coscarelli injects a sense of loss into the unbalanced weirdness of two senior citizens who challenge the undead, armed with little more than a walker, rubbing alcohol and creaky kung fu maneuvers.
The score by Brian Tyler (Six-String Samurai) is moving and evocative. Overall, Bubba Ho-tep may be one of the best low budget features in modern era, on a par with Clerks and Swingers.
November 27, 2003 * Vol. 13, No. 48
© 2000 Metro Pulse
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