the audience applauded

Absolutely Brilliant!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

I was a fan of Bruce Campbell since 'Brisco County' originally aired on Fox TV, and just had to give this movie a try. An unusual mix of Horror, Comedy, and much Elvis, JFK, and ancient Egyptian mythology, buy it really works! I've seen this gem a half dozen times, and it is as fresh and funny as it was on the 1st viewing. If you enjoy the far-from-average type of comedy film, or love Elvis, and love that action-comedy genius named Bruce Campbell - then watch this movie! I just wish that Mr. Putin in Russia, and the leaders in China and N. Korea would watch American films like this, and maybe see that the USA is not such a bad bunch of folks after all!

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) *** (out of 4) Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell) finds himself living in a nursing home where the majority of his days are spent in bed without too much of a life. The only thing that really happens to him there is when the nurse comes in to pop a pimple on his "man part." His buddy is an elderly black man (Ossie Davis) who claims to be President Kennedy. Before long the two get involved in the title character who comes with evil secrets.How Don Coscarelli ever got BUBBA-HO-TEP made is a miracle. I mean, sure, back in the 70s this would have been sold to a number of drive-in screens but for 2002 this here was certainly a very hard sell yet it somehow not only got made but also found a niche audience on its release and eventually became a cult classic. Obviously Campbell fans are die-hards who will support anything the actor does but this also reached out to other fans and it's shocking to see how popular it became.One reason for it being popular is the fact that it's actually a pretty good movie. If you're expecting a flat-out horror movie then you might be disappointed because there aren't too many horror scenes. Most of them are saved for the ending when the guys go up against Bubba-Ho-Tep but this here certainly isn't a complaint. It's actually a good thing because the majority of the movie is a character study of two really weird and strange friends. The film is basically set-up for us to get to know these two characters and enjoy their company.The screenplay is certainly rock solid because there are some great and wacky discussions as well as some really funny dialogue. Of course, you need great performances to bring those lines to life and Campbell and Davis are both superb. Especially Campbell who deserves a lot of credit. You could play Elvis in a million different ways but I like the fact that Campbell didn't go overboard or too over-the-top. Instead he played him as a former star who know finds life incredibly dull. Davis brings a lot of joy in his role as JFK and he certainly makes you believe, with his wonderful line delivery, that the government really did turn him into a black man.

I got this out at the video store based on curiosity on how a Elvis fighting Mummy's movie would play out.I was expecting this movie to be a all out comedy action but I was left disappointed.To me this was a boring movie that would probably appeal more to older soap fans than younger comedy fans.I only chuckled a little when Elvis got his boner back and when the fake Elvis kissed his ring.I'm giving it a 5 for originality and Bruce Campbell's and Ossie Davis's performances.

To be honest, I've never been a Don Coscarelli fan. I never liked his 'Phantasm' flicks and found his cinematic technique wanting.Having said that, Bubba Ho-Tep turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The film concerns an Elvis impersonator (superbly limned by Bruce Campbell) who may or may not be the real Elvis, living in a dumpy old rest home in Texas, old, grumpy, tired by the life he's allegedly led and wondering about his next meal, bowel movement, and lack of sexual urges.He is joined by the late, great Ossie Davis as another elderly resident who thinks he is John F. Kennedy. The lunacy begins when the two join forces to fight and kill a mummy who's appeared and who's killing off the elderly inhabitants of the rest home.While the supporting roles are handled well by Ella Joyce and Reggie Bannister (among others) Campbell and Davis are the whole show. Campbell plays Elvis as the real Elvis would play himself: as someone who verges on self-parody but never crosses that line. Davis is also excellent in a role that not many others could have played so well, and Coscarelli, working with a shoestring budget, demonstrates a number of clever touches (the mummy's subtitles, for example) that makes the film all the more enjoyable. It's never as scary as you think it might be, and it's never really as funny as it should be, but the acting is so good that it sucks you in and doesn't let you go until the final credits are done and the house lights come on.What it really is, is a meditation on growing old, being shuttled to the sidelines of life, and having the guts to go out with a bang. Hail to the King, baby. Elvis would have been proud of this.