Intro:
There is a fascination that seems to reach certain celebrity die hard fans. When their beloved idol passes on into the afterlife, they have a hard time dealing with it. They might say “oh he/she faked their own death, and they are in Cuba.” The two celebrities that get this the most are Tupac and the King himself, Elvis Presley. Now I personality believe, sadly, that they have both deceased, but its fun to imagine they are not, and indeed faked their own death, like Elvis did in the 2002 release of Don Coscarelli’s “Bubba Ho-Tep.”
Dialogue:
Written by Don himself, the dialogue of this film was hilarious!!! There’s no way you will be able to sit through this whole film, and NOT laugh until you cry. Old people don’t give a damn about what people think about them, and they will usually just say what’s on their minds, and that is definitely the case here. Through the dialogue we learn, especially from Elvis, that behind the false fronts, there are caring, thoughtful, and considerate old men.
Acting:
The acting was superb. Bruce Campbell plays a elderly Elvis Presley, and goes from jackass jerk, to tearjerker jackass. He portrayed this role as if it was his last and gave it his all. He was very dedicated to making and selling this elder Elvis and his completely accomplishes that goal. Ossie Davis plays a man who, well, believes he is JFK. Ossie brought that same eagerness and dedication to his role as Bruce did. He sells the fact that he does believe he is Mr. Kennedy. Kudos to them both.
Plot:
The plot, based on a novella in the anthology collection titled The King Is Dead: Tales of Elvis Post-Mortem by Joe R. Lansdale, was original beyond anything I could have imagine. You just don’t sit and think “Hmm, this MIGHT work,” no, you know as soon as someone tells you that old man Elvis fights a mummy to save both himself and his fellow retirement home patients, that this is a sure hit!
Music:
Composed by Brian Tyler (Rambo, Godsend), this music worked very well at portraying the scenes; to help completely bring out the given emotion of the scene. Either in seriousness or humor, the music cues in and doesn’t let go.
Overall:
Overall this film is everything you want to see in a comedy, horror, drama, and life-lesson film. Bruce Campbell is just a extra bonus that we all appreciate, and he really made the film, however I think if would have done great even if his presence wasn’t there. Kudos to Bruce and Ossie for two heartfelt performances in an instant classic.
5/5 Reels
Platinum Squid Rating
BUY THIS NOW!!!
Trailer:
Purchase:
Bubba Ho-Tep (Limited Collector’s Edition)
- Tags: elvis
