Of Kings and Pharaohs!

Most horror film fans will site Don Coscarelli's Phantasm (1979), a mind-bending terror classic, as being his masterpiece... and honestly I would probably agree. However, it was his follow-up that had the most impact on me as a young child. The Beastmaster (1982) may have been a cheapie knock-off of Arnie's Conan the Barbarian (1982), but it was the perfect alchemy of outlandish mythos, action and camp. I spent the majority of my time between ages six and seven running around in my underpants, pretending to be the character Dar and commanding the beasts of the realm to do my bidding. Yeah, it's sad. Flashforward twenty years. In 2002's Bubba Ho-Tep, Coscarelli managed to strike that perfect balance once again.

The story picks up 25 years after the "death of Elvis Presley," however we are introduced to The King spending his twilight years in an old folks' home. It turns out that in his quest for a simpler life, Elvis pulled a Hayley Mills and switched lives with a succesful impersonator. And, yup! You guessed it! it was the impersonator who died on the throne in 1977. In the wake of his own death, Elvis lived and loved life as an impersonator of his former self... that is, until a broken hip landed him in the nursing home.

The Elvis we meet is a parody of his former glory, complete with prescription shades, gray mutton chops and an inability to do anything for himself. He watches those around him die alone and awaits his own turn with cranky complacency. Soon, though, as those around him start dying off at a slightly faster pace than usual, E. must band together with an elderly black man who thinks he's JFK to fight off an ancient Egyptian curse. Genius? Lunacy? Sometimes they are one and the same.

In many circles, Bruce Campbell is held in such high esteem that he is beyond criticism. That's actually pretty hilarious considering some of the unwatchable garbage he's been featured in. However, Bubba Ho-Tep might be his tour de force. His Elvis is all latex-rubbery faced, but I'll be damned if he doesn't bring some life to the character. Is it a broad impersonation of Elvis? When it needs to be. But more often than not he's playing exactly the kind of bitter old man you'd expect Elvis Presley to be if her were alive today. This is underscored by Campbell's portrayal of Sebastian Haff, the impersonator that Elvis switches with. Of course they look identical, but Haff is as awkward and bumbling as Presley is cocksure and suave.

Ossie Davis also shines as the character Jack. While we are led to believe that the guy the nurses call "Sebastian" IS really the King of Rock and Roll, it is pretty clear from the beginning that Jack is suffering from dementia and most likely is not JFK with a fresh, black paint job courtesy of the CIA. However, his conviction and drive through the film make you wonder if it's your reality or his reality that matters more. Is it more important that he IS who he says he is, or is it enough that he simply BELIEVES that he is? Elvis makes decides to go with Jack's delusions and it is hard to imagine anyone not following this leader of men into battle... even if he may not be the leader he thinks that he is.

As Jack and Elvis began to hatch their paln, I realized that I was watching a very formulaic story. It's been done time and again in other horror movies. You know... 1. Life around here is boring. 2. Something mysterious happens. 3. We go to the library to research our local, creepy history. 4. We use what's on hand to defeat the monster. It's the tried and true plot to every one of those kid-oriented horror movies from the eighties. But that's kinda what makes this movie so cool. Here these guys are in their golden years. Life's a never ending cycle of bedpans, ointments and pureed green beans. Of course it would take a childhood hero fantasy to fill them with the excitement to live life and do something bigger than themselves. Live or die, the fight is something different. It is a chance (possibly the last) to be useful and make a difference.

Be warned, Bubba Ho-Tep has the feel and (at times) the look of a film made on the cheap. However, it's a small movie that never tries to be more than that. Despite the manic action and batshit plot, it's the tale of two elderly gentlemen rediscovering themsleves and defeating a soul-sucking Egyptian pharaoh. Good stuff. If you haven't yet, you should watch this today!