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IMDbPro

Bubba Ho-Tep

  • 2002
  • R
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
53K
YOUR RATING
Ossie Davis and Bruce Campbell in Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
Elvis Presley and a black "JFK" stay in a nursing home where nothing happens - until a wayward Egyptian mummy comes and sucks out the old people's souls thru their a-holes. The two decide to fight back.
Play trailer2:10
4 Videos
99+ Photos
B-HorrorDark ComedySupernatural HorrorComedyFantasyHorrorMystery

When residents of their nursing home start dying of dubious causes, an aged Elvis and an African-American senior who claims to be President John F. Kennedy discover that the perpetrator is a... Read allWhen residents of their nursing home start dying of dubious causes, an aged Elvis and an African-American senior who claims to be President John F. Kennedy discover that the perpetrator is an Egyptian mummy with murderous intentions.When residents of their nursing home start dying of dubious causes, an aged Elvis and an African-American senior who claims to be President John F. Kennedy discover that the perpetrator is an Egyptian mummy with murderous intentions.

  • Director
    • Don Coscarelli
  • Writers
    • Joe R. Lansdale
    • Don Coscarelli
  • Stars
    • Bruce Campbell
    • Ossie Davis
    • Bob Ivy
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    53K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Don Coscarelli
    • Writers
      • Joe R. Lansdale
      • Don Coscarelli
    • Stars
      • Bruce Campbell
      • Ossie Davis
      • Bob Ivy
    • 425User reviews
    • 173Critic reviews
    • 57Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 7 wins & 10 nominations total

    Videos4

    Blu-ray Trailer
    Trailer 2:10
    Blu-ray Trailer
    Bubba Ho-Tep: Whispers
    Clip 2:06
    Bubba Ho-Tep: Whispers
    Bubba Ho-Tep: Whispers
    Clip 2:06
    Bubba Ho-Tep: Whispers
    Bubba Ho-Tep: Bruce Campbell On Becoming Elvis
    Featurette 0:54
    Bubba Ho-Tep: Bruce Campbell On Becoming Elvis
    Bubba Ho-Tep: Director Don Coscarelli On Creating The Mummy
    Featurette 1:20
    Bubba Ho-Tep: Director Don Coscarelli On Creating The Mummy

    Photos152

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    + 146
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    Top cast44

    Edit
    Bruce Campbell
    Bruce Campbell
    • Elvis Presley…
    Ossie Davis
    Ossie Davis
    • Jack
    Bob Ivy
    Bob Ivy
    • Bubba Ho-tep
    Ella Joyce
    Ella Joyce
    • The Nurse
    Heidi Marnhout
    Heidi Marnhout
    • Callie
    Edith Jefferson
    • Elderly Woman
    Larry Pennell
    Larry Pennell
    • Kemosabe
    Reggie Bannister
    Reggie Bannister
    • Rest Home Administrator
    Daniel Roebuck
    Daniel Roebuck
    • Hearse Driver
    Daniel Schweiger
    Daniel Schweiger
    • Hearse Driver
    Harrison Young
    Harrison Young
    • Elvis' Roommate
    Linda Flammer
    • Room Nurse
    Cean Okada
    Cean Okada
    • Attending Nurse
    Solange Morand
    • Iron Lung Lady
    Karen Placencia
    • Baby
    Bruce Rawitz
    • TV Announcer
    Joseph Primero
    • Janitor
    Chuck Williams
    Chuck Williams
    • Elvis' Boy
    • Director
      • Don Coscarelli
    • Writers
      • Joe R. Lansdale
      • Don Coscarelli
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews425

    6.952.9K
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    Featured reviews

    7jamesrupert2014

    Weird, silly but entertaining cult-film-wannabe

    An elderly Elvis impersonator (or maybe the King himself) and a demented Black man (or maybe J. F. K.) discover that their cut-rate nursing home is being haunted by a soul-sucking pseudo-Texan mummy. Despite some pointless 'gross-out' humour, this off-beat comedy-horror is fun and oddly affecting. Cult-fav Bruce Campbell is pretty good as the maybe-Elvis and his impressions of the King's classic mannerisms (and karate moves) is hilarious. Ossie Davis as a possibly dyed 35th POTUS is just strange and the rest of the cast are mostly props to hang sight-gags on, mostly. Not for everyone but if you like this sort of thing, 'Bubba Ho-Tep' is almost as good as its title.
    10ccthemovieman-1

    A Real Shock - It's Good!

    I laughed when a friend suggested this movie. "Yeah, right," I answered, eyes rolled up.

    "Well," he finally said a few weeks later, "Here, just look at it. Take my copy and bring it back."

    "Okay, " I answered, "what do I have to lose? "

    Obviously, I was shocked. This has to be one of the all-time surprises I've ever encountered in movie-watching. Who would have thought this film was this good? Talk about "original!" This is about as original and entertaining as they come, and, as I have stated in several other reviews, entertainment is the name of the game....so I have to rank this film right up there with my favorites.

    I refuse to detail the story because the more you explain what it's about, the stupider is sounds and the less likely you will give it a shot.

    I will say Bruce Campbell does a fabulous job of imitating Elvis Presley. In fact, he is the best I have ever heard, speaking-voice-wise. Ossie Davis is also a hoot as the old black man who thinks he's President John F. Kennedy. See? I can't say more, because it gets worse, story-wise, the more you explain.

    Just trust me that if you appreciate dark humor with some horror thrown in, you'll love it. It's a bit sleazy and the language is very rough, so be ready for that. I guess you could say this "is not for all tastes." You have to be a little warped to enjoy this, but most of us are to some degree.

    Be also be ready for one of the oddest films you've ever seen.
    10CuriosityKilledShawn

    All is well

    Who would have thought it? Don Coscarelli, the man who wrote and directed Phantasm a long, long time ago comes back out of nowhere, after spending his entire career in the dregs, with something like this. A film that is more an exploration of regret, fading dignity and growing old than it is about a soul-sucking mummy.

    Very old Elvis is brilliantly played by Bruce Campbell. The voice, the hair, the mannerisms are all perfect. He's stuck in Mud Creek rest home where the cynical staff believe he's really called Sebastian Haff, the man Elvis traded places with back in the 70s. And when Haff died, so did the Elvis the public loved. This only left the REAL Elvis free to live his life in peace and eventually indignity.

    He pals up with a man who believes he's JFK, only problem is he's black. Though it's more likely he's senile rather than a truth-teller like the so-called Sebastian Haff. Both men have one concern, to stop some kind of Bubba Ho-Tep mummy from taking the souls of all the rest home residents.

    Yes, it's insane. But also wildly imaginative and more than balances out the endless, heartless, conveyor belt Hollywood productions. Elements of the story will stay with you and the character development is graceful and important.

    The finishing touch is Brian Tyler's awesome score. The main theme is one of the best ever and will flood you will feeling and emotion. Not only is Bubba Ho-Tep blessed with a cast and crew who care about the film their making, it also has wonderful music too. I am lucky enough to have the rare score CD (autographed by Coscarelli and Tyler). Hunt it down, it's seriously worth it.

    Keep a lookout for Reggie Bannister as the rest home manager. And watch all the way to the end of the credits for a weird message...

    ELVIS RETURNS IN 'BUBBA NOSFERATU: CURSE OF THE SHE VAMPIRES'
    8reelreviewsandrecommendations

    Long Live the King

    By the late 1970's, Elvis Presley had grown tired of the demands and stresses of fame. Seeking respite, he swapped places with an Elvis impersonator, who was the one who died in 1977. After an explosion destroyed his documentation, the real Elvis was doomed to live a life of anonymity forevermore. Now an old man, the King resides in a nursing home, where the only one who believes his story is an elderly black man claiming to be JFK. After another patient at the home dies, the King realizes that an Egyptian mummy is on the prowl, feeding on the souls of the aged; and he and the President are the only ones who can stop it.

    Written and directed by Don Coscarelli, and based on the novel of the same name by Joe R. Lansdale, 'Bubba Ho-Tep' is a wildly original comedy-horror that also serves as a poignant meditation on the aging process. Arguably the best film about Elvis Presley to date, Coscarelli's characterisation is rich and his dialogue wackily comedic, though also affecting. Despite the fact that some aspects of the narrative concerning the mummy seem slightly rote, and the ending is underwhelming; the plight of the aging Elvis and the skin-dyed JFK is engaging and entertaining.

    The film presents these two once all-powerful men being physically diminished by time, though with the same gusto and spirit they had in their glory days. The King might be riddled with cancer, but he can still take care of business, and through his battle with the mummy; a profound point is made about the importance of having purpose in life, and that though someone may be old, that doesn't mean they don't have value. For a film about a lumbering, cowboy-hat sporting mummy in a nursing home; 'Bubba Ho-Tep' has surprising depth.

    It is a low-budget affair, though one could be mistaken for thinking otherwise, considering the stylish cinematography from Adam Janeiro and Daniel Vecchione's assured production design. Janeiro creates a grubby visual palette both atmospheric and striking, which Vecchione's detailed work compounds. The nursing home is presented as having a depressing, dull air, as if it were forgotten by time; bolstering the films themes and enhancing its tone. Damon Carruesco's set decoration and Justin Zaharczuk's art direction also contributes effectively to the mood of the piece; both down-trodden and despondent.

    Moreover, Shelley Kay's costume design is rich, contributing to the personalities of the characters, and adding to the depth of the narrative. Additionally, Gene Doucette- who designed the outfits worn by Presley in real life- also created the ones seen on screen, lending proceedings authenticity and realism. Furthermore, Brian Tyler's score is stirring, compounding the films tension and suspense; while Scott J. Gill and Donald Milne's intuitive editing keeps things running at a good pace.

    'Bubba Ho-Tep' stars Bruce Campbell as Elvis, alongside Ossie Davis as JFK. A charismatic, versatile actor, Campbell has arguably never delivered a performance as powerful or nuanced. He becomes the aged King so believably that the likes of Don Johnson and Austin Butler seem like bad mimics in comparison. Subtle and affecting, Campbell's work lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled, and will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.

    Davis, meanwhile, has never been funnier as he is as the supposedly skin-dyed JFK. Sharing a great chemistry with Campbell, he is something of the comic foil of the two; and his sincere insistence that he is the 35th President- despite all the evidence to the contrary- is both heart-warming and raucously entertaining. In addition, Ella Joyce is excellent as a feisty nurse caring for the King, while Bob Ivy's performance as the titular mummy is a masterpiece of physical acting.

    Poignant, powerful and a whole lot of fun, 'Bubba Ho-Tep' is a brilliant comedy-horror cocktail, with heart and soul to match its kooky characters and wackily original narrative. Although the ending boils down to a forgettable fight sequence, the journey there is a brilliant one, featuring strong dialogue, rich characterisation, much hilarity and striking visuals. Star Bruce Campbell has never been better, while Ossie Davis is marvellous, and their supporting cast don't let them down. In short, Don Coscarelli's 'Bubba Ho-Tep' will leave you hailing the King; baby.
    BaronBl00d

    Suspicious Minds

    I must confess I had reservations prior to seeing this film. I thought it would be some God-awfully childish film laden with sophomoric jokes, cheesy effects, and inane dialogue. Some of those elements do surface, but this film was a genuine pleasure to sit through. Imagine if you can that Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll, switched places with an Elvis impersonator and now lives a sad, lost life in a small, run-down nursing home in East Texas. Add to the mix Ozzie Davis as a man convinced he is John F. Kennedy and a mummy that sucks the souls of geriatric residents and you have the basic premise behind Bubba Ho-tep. But beyond all that and the jokes about Elvis's genitalia and other low brow references is a film with a tremendous amount of heart and a message about the elderly in our society and how we have, as a society, betrayed them and cast them aside. The script and effective direction of Phantasm's Don Coscarelli make this film work on several levels. It is a comedy. It is a drama. It is a horror film. It has all those elements. You care about the characters and are drawn into this seedy little world. The biggest asset the film has is its performances. Davis gives a fine turn and adds credibility to the film, but Bruce Campbell as the king just bowled me over. I had seen him before, but I had never seen him act like this before. You soon forget Campbell is acting and think Elvis is really there - now 68 and destitute. Campbell's inflection, mannerisms, and poise melt and fuse wonderfully into Elvis. This was one of the very pleasant surprises that come along every so often.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Although Elvis is the main character, not one piece of Elvis Presley music is heard in the film. Director Don Coscarelli explained that it would have cost about half the budget to license even one Elvis song for the movie.
    • Goofs
      The sign outside the front of the Shady Rest Convalescence Center in Mud Creek is misspelled "Convalesence Center".
    • Quotes

      Elvis: No offense, Jack, but President Kennedy was a white man.

      JFK: They dyed me this color! That's how clever they are!

    • Crazy credits
      At the very end of the DVD, after the movie credits have ended, "Elvis" says "Remember to be kind, rewind...well, um, guess you don't need to rewind, with DVD these days."
    • Connections
      Edited into Making of 'Bubba Ho-tep' (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Prologue

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 10, 2003 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Bubba Ho-tep
    • Filming locations
      • Downey, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Silver Sphere Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,239,183
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $35,636
      • Sep 21, 2003
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,239,183
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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