DVD Reviews

Bubba Ho-Tep

Elvis didn’t die. Oh no...you see he’s living in a rest home in East Texas with his good friend JFK and together they have to team up and destroy a soul sucking Egyptian mummy who’s killing off senior citizens. It’s true...or at least that’s the wild premise of Don Coscarelli’s hilarious new film Bubba Ho-Tep starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis.

When I heard of this premise I honestly didn’t think Bubba Ho-Tep could be any more than just a gimmicky film. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to find out that this movie has a real heart to it. Bruce Campbell (as Elvis) and Ossie Davis (as JFK) resist turning these characters into comic book style heroes. Instead, they treat them as though they are nearing the end of their days and have to find some reason to keep on living. This seriousness allows Bubba Ho-Tep to become a much more emotionally rewarding movie than one would assume from the concept. That’s not to say that it also doesn’t have a ton of laughs though. Coscarelli’s script (based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale) has great fun playing with these two historical legends and utilizes many of their most famous catchphrases in amusing ways. Bruce Campbell also manages to get a couple of great scenes in which his patented pratfalls are put to good use. In an era where Hollywood is constantly rehashing old plots it’s nice to see an independent film that’s unlike any other. Bubba Ho-Tep mixes together horror, drama, and comedy to create a true original cult classic.

The new Collector’s Edition DVD has a pretty standard video transfer. There tends to be a lot of scratches on the print in certain areas which is disappointing. The audio fares a bit better with Brian Tyler’s brilliant score mixing quite nicely with the quiet sounds of the rest home.

There are numerous special features. The highlights are the two audio commentaries. One is with Director Don Coscarelli and Bruce Campbell and goes through many of the details in making the film. The second commentary has Bruce Campbell as Elvis talking about the movie as though he is watching it for the first time. It’s extremely funny! The four making-of documentaries - The Making of Bubba Ho-Tep, To Make a Mummy, Fit For a King, and Rock Like an Egyptian - are really well done and showcase all aspects of the film. I really enjoyed Coscarelli’s interview with composer Brian Tyler as it showed a very in depth look at making a low budget film score. Another fun feature has Joe R. Lansdale reading from the first few pages of his short story. Also included are a few deleted scenes with optional commentary which really aren’t all that interesting, a pretty cool music video featuring Tyler’s score, a photo gallery, and a couple of trailers.

Review By Corey Brown