Finished watching Bubba Ho-Tep today. Surprisingly fantastic film. Yes, it’s cheesy at times—the plot involves the real Elvis, stuck in an old folks’ home, who confronts a 4,000-year-old soul-sucking mummy—but like all really good films, it transcends its concept by really examining its concept.
Imagine an Elvis who’s old. Way past his prime. Spends almost all of his time in bed. He switched places with an impersonator and lost everything, and now there’s nothing left. All of his family is gone. He’s surrounded by old folks who’ve been cast off by their family.
And then he finds out there’s some kind of thing that’s feeding off the other residents. And he has to decide if he’ll do something about it.
Most of the movie focuses on an old man deciding to make something of what time he has left. In some ways, it’s an ageless premise. It’s also modern as we confront an aging population.
Plus, it stars Bruce “God” Campbell. Can hardly go wrong there. I now appreciate why he’s been encouraging his fans to see this film; it’s a fantastic role.