Bubba Ho-Tep

Reviewed by Cathy Edsey Collins

for Reel Movie Critic

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Cast

Bruce Campbell Elvis

Ossie Davis JFK

Directed and Written by Don Coscarelli. Based on short story by Joe R. Lansdale. A horror drama/comedy. Rated R (for language, sexual content, brief violent images). Silver Sphere Corporation. Running time: 92 minutes.

JFK and Elvis: A Dynamic Duo

It may be a tad rough around the edges but "Bubba Ho-Tep" gets kudos for its highly original concept. Based on the Bram Stoker Award winning short story nominee by Joe R. Lansdale, "Bubba Ho-Tep" assures us that Elvis and JFK are both alive and eeking out their days in a Texas nursing home that will soon be overrun by a restless Egyptian mummy seeking unsuspecting souls.

Leave your sensibilities behind and jump right in because this one's not only hilarious but also a thoughtful character study of the King. In an attempt to simplify his life, Elvis switched roles with Elvis impersonator Sebastian Haff, only to have him die before he could trade back. Years later an elderly Elvis-known to the staff as Sebastian ¾ is shown in a Texas nursing home recovering from a broken hip and a mysterious growth on his penis. His best friend is Jack, a black man who claims he is actually JFK and has the missing part of his brain to prove it. Together they team up to battle an evil Egyptian mummy (the Bubba Ho-Tep), who has chosen their facility to extract souls.

The strength of this unique film is the characterization of Elvis and the finely tuned performance by Bruce Campbell (better known for his "Evil Dead" flicks). Funny and touching, the story overflows with voiceovers by Elvis that reveal his true feelings about many issues.

"How could my plans have gone so wrong?" he says to himself at the story's opening. "How could I have gone from being the King of Rock and Roll to this?" he ponders. "In the end does anything really matter? …When you're old, everything you do is either worthless or sadly amusing…. I should have treated Priscilla right and told my daughter I loved her…. Always questions, never answers-hopes never fulfilled."

This is a pensive Presley, a man in old age dealing with regret and it is a poignant, moving story. The Egyptian mummy thing is a mere sidelight; the treat here is Campbell's turn as an Elvis caught at the end of his life, searching for meaning. Make no mistake, however; this is also a hugely funny film, exploding with outrageousness. Elvis' last words, his "massages," JFK's room- clever, fun stuff.

It is also a study in friendship, with both old codgers believing each other's bizarre tales of true identity and joining forces in one last attempt to make a difference.