Review of "Bubba Ho-Tep" (2003) DVD

Release date: May 25, 2004

Based on a Stoker-nominated short story by fringe genre writer, Joe R. Lansdale, Bubba Ho-Tep is an uneasy mix of comedy, drama, mystery, and horror. It does make for an extremely quirky film, but it didn't have the sense of fun I was hoping for. Set in a depressing old nursing home in Mud Creek, Texas, Bubba Ho-Tep follows the story of Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell, an inspired casting choice) now elderly and ailing (he has a cancer on his penis). His best friend in the home is an African American John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis, always likeable), who didn't really die (though he was dyed) in the assassination attempt.

Even though old folks do tend to drop like flies in retirement homes, JFK and Elvis both begin to suspect that their swiftly departing roomies aren't dying of natural causes. Their late-night investigations in the dark hallways of the Shady Rest Convalescent Home lead to the discovery of an ancient soul-sucking mummy who likes to supplement his bandage wardrobe with a pair of cowboy boots and a battered western hat. Armed with their walkers and wheelchairs, the old codgers fortify themselves with extra-strength Geritol and set out to stop the soul-sucking once and for all. TCB, indeed!

While the actors are all excellent, the story is unique, and writer/director Don Coscarelli does a deft job of switching between flashbacks and the present and telling us everything we need to know, the story itself is just not hearty enough to sustain the feature-length running time. I felt like there should be a little something more -- which could be blamed on the advertising campaign, which promised lots of scares and horror. There was too much talk about bodily functions and not enough figurative scaring the crap out of people, I guess you could say. Still, in the end I felt it was worth watching -- there are some funny lines, made funnier still by the earnest way in which each lead actor played his role.

Additional release material includes two sets of audio commentaries. One from Coscarelli and Campbell, which is informative, fun, and entertaining; and one from Campbell, as if he were Elvis watching the movie for the first time. That one is a bit slow in spots; amusing enough in others. It certainly is a witty, original idea, and those are hard to come by these days.

There are also deleted scenes and "moments" (no, I'm not sure what that means), and a couple of interesting featurettes ("Behind-the-Scenes" and "How to Make a Mummy"). There are text/image galleries, an animated photo gallery, and an 8-page mini scrapbook with personal comments from Campbell and Coscarelli. Finally, there's a section with Lansdale reading his original short story. I learned from listening to it that that's where all the scatological references (and other elements that I really didn't care for in the movie) actually came from.

If you saw Bubba Ho-Tep in theatres and you liked it, then by all means buy the DVD. It's packed with informative and entertaining tidbits. If you are unsure, rent first.

Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson for Horror.com