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Bubba Ho-Tep (Limited Collector's Edition) -Universal (2002)
Summary Elvis and JFK fight a cowboy mummy. Yeah, you read that right. My Thoughts With just the name alone, you know that Bubba Ho-Tep isn’t going to be your average Hollywood fare. In fact, there’s rarely a film as unique as this one. Bubba Ho-Tep stars the ever lovable and fan favorite Bruce Campbell as the King of Rock, Elvis Presley. This Elvis has seen much better days however, he’s practically fallen off his rock and roll throne and lives in a retirement home where no one believes he’s really the King. Bubba Ho-Tep's Elvis isn't the clean cut guy you might have seen in any number of his hideous films from the sixties. The first time we meet him he's talking about a dream were he names growth on his penis after his ex wife and pops it by jerking off. He's bitter, alone, and the days blur by as he lays in his bed. The retirement home seems to be out of time as much as the aging Elvis. The ever shifting time period of the costuming and sets helps sustain the creepy feeling that's underneath the entire film. Not only does Elvis have to contend with his own aging, but there’s a mummy on the loose in the retirement home that’s sucking away the souls of the residents. This isn’t quite a horror film, but it has enough horror elements to make you feel uneasy. This is due to the amazing work of director Don Coscareli (most famous Phantasm and Beastmaster series) who uses what looks like to be an exceedingly low budget to pull off the look of a much more expensive film. To give away anything more than that to the plot would be a disservice to anyone who hasn’t seen the film yet. I can say that Elvis finds help in a black man who thinks he’s JFK if the film wasn't strange enough. What really makes the film fantastic is the great characterization of Elvis by Campbell. This version of Elvis is a cantankerous old man who’s full of regrets. He’s less of a stereotype and bad impersonation and more of what Campbell makes him. Sure, there are plenty of times where it seems like you’re watching “Bruce Campbell: The Film”, but over all Campbell really sells the idea that the King could be alive somewhere fighting mummies. All in all this is a great watch. The acting is great, the direction is amazing, and the soundtrack is dead on sweet as well. The DVD edition is pretty great as well. The 5.1 Dolby Digital surround mix was awesome, fitting the frightening tone of the picture when it needed to be and providing a great atmosphere for the humorous bits. Extras This edition contains a hefty amount of extras. The packaging looks rather standard, but there are some surprisingly nifty motion menus that hint at the wealth of stuff within. There are two commentary tracks, the one featuring Campbell and Coscareli that’s one of the best tracks I’ve heard in a long time. Campbell is the perfect choice for a commentary track, because he’s funny and asks questions about the film to director Coscareli that I myself would love to ask him. The other track features the King of Rock! I don’t know how many people would want to watch the whole film this way, but I thought it was entertaining enough. Rejoice for those of you who are wondering what the short story that the film is based on. There’s an excerpt read by the author. There are a couple of deleted scenes on the disc that each have some slightly interesting commentary by Coscarelli and Campbell. In addition there’s something called “Footage from the Temple Floor” that was only previously seen in flashes in the film. It also features boobies if you like those. Who doesn't? If you didn’t think that was enough, then how about some nifty featurettes and a photo gallery. Still not satisfied? Trailers are represented by a theatrical trailer and a shorter television spot and there’s even a music video for the groovy soundtrack. Sheww, that’s a hell of a lot of extras for your Mummy fighting Elvis buck. Score Film: 9.0 Extras: 9.0 Edition: 9.0 If you like the film, then you’d be a fool not to buy this edition. -Paul
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