As we continue into the October season, let’s take a look at a cult classic that’s certainly unique. After all, how many other films can you name that involve an ageing Elvis and a black John F. Kennedy taking on an undead soul-eating mummy in cowboy boots? And have it be surprisingly impactful to boot? That’s right—it’s Don Cascarelli’s Bubba Ho-Tep.
Our lead is none other than the king of cult himself, Bruce Campbell—as always with his co-star that is his epic chin. No cabins or mechanical hands show themselves here as Bruce plays an old man at an East Texas retirement home who claims—and may very well be—Elvis Presley, who supposedly swapped with a double in the 70s only for circumstances to keep him from returning to his old identity. Even though Bruce was only 44 at the time of filming, he sells himself as a tired and jaded elder very compellingly, all to aware of the apathy to the fellow retirees in the home from society to their own families. And to top it all off, he’s got a cancerous growth on…his extremities.
One of his few confidantes that he makes is another eccentric man (Ossie Davis) who claims to none other than JFK himself, having apparently had his appearance altered and shoved here by Lyndon B. Johnson for vague reasons. Ironically Elvis here assumes this one to be a crackpot…only for there to ever so slight proof that he’s also real. Ultimately, for both men, the truth is moot—their glory days are behind them, the world has cast them aside, and there’s not much more to live for but putting up with the patronizing staff.
This is before a 5000-year old mummy suddenly shows up at the home to begin devouring the souls of residents there, and both find themselves with one more purpose in life to resolve.
As you can tell, there’s an electric mix of tones here, but despite everything, it all works quite well. You’ve got some rather deadpan comedy, you’ve got some genuine pathos, and you’ve got some over the top silliness. What’s the key glue holding it together? As always—sincerity. We may laugh at Campbell’s Elvis sardonic comments, but his regrets and his reflections are played as straight as they are—hell, it’s a film that makes you feel for a bit character who happens to be a completely senile man that think’s he’s the Lone Ranger, but it works.
And hell, they even make an exciting final confrontation involving wheelchairs and zimmer frames—it’s all a combination of the charisma of our leads, some well-done editing, and pyrotechnics for our undead Egyptian. To cap it all off comes an ending that actually does pull at your heartstrings—despite the weirdness, there’s something again sincere here about the film’s themes of age not dictating your value or usefulness.
Hell, you could probably read a lot more into it than that. It’s probably no coincidence that our main characters are aged versions of icons from classic Americana, wondering where it all went wrong. Or you can just see it as a film about two dudes taking on Imhotep’s cousin. That’s some verisimilitude I like.
So yeah—it’s heavier than you might expect, but in a good way. This is one that seems odd, but proves surprisingly compelling when you start watching it—I definitely say give it a shout. Hell, it’s a better mummy film than Tom Cruise ever starred in…
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