Bubba Ho-Tep - Hail to the King, Elvis

In case you weren't already aware, but Elvis 'The King' Presley lives.  In fact, he's an elderly gentleman spending his twilight years in an old people's home.  And John F Kennedy is also a resident there, too.  And JFK is black.  And they're about to get their souls sucked out of them by an undead runaway mummy from Egypt if they're not careful.  No, seriously.  Or at least in (the bizarrely-titled) 'Bubba Ho-Tep' they are anyway.

Yes, the film's premise is just about as 'out there' as it's title is hard to decipher (I'm not even going to try - there's some text at the beginning of the film that does a better job).  So, if that brief plot summary appeals to you then you should have absolutely love this film.  I did.

I guess I was always predisposed to loving 'Bubba Ho-Tep' as Elvis is played (to perfection, I might add) by legendary B-movie star Bruce Campbell.  However, instead of fighting the undead with a chainsaw and 'boom-stick,' here he's a little more handicapped with only a zimmer-frame and faulty plumbing keeping his soul from being lost forever. 

If you think that Bruce Campbell 'carries' the 'Evil Dead' franchise (then you're probably right), but the point I'm making is that this film would probably be nothing without him and his portrayal of Elvis.  He plays 'the King' as a retrospective character, now in the twilight of his years and looking back over the mistakes he made and wishing there was a way of atoning for all the years he'd wasted on chasing fame when there were more important things to concentrate on - like family.

Elvis' partner in crime (and only other person who actually believes he's really the king of rock and roll) is former president, John F Kennedy, played by Ossie Davis.  If you're wondering why a black man is playing JFK then you'll have to watch the film to find out!.  Either way, Davis does very well, but his character isn't given quite as much screen time as Campbell's, meaning he's always going to be second best to 'the chin.'

Bubba Ho-Tep' was always destined to be a 'cult' film.  It's title is obscure and was never likely to interest the masses.  Just like the subject matter is hardly going to get the public flocking to the cinema (was it ever even released in the cinema?  I certainly don't remember hearing about it here in the UK!).  But, whether you're a die-hard fan of Bruce (like myself), or just fancy a film that doesn't contain superheroes flying around New York, then you should give this one a go.  It's got horror.  It's got comedy.  It's got originality.  And, best of all, it has Bruce.

9/10 almost as perfect as The Godfather