Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Bubba Ho-Tep Blu-ray Movie Review

Mummy dearest.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 9, 2016

Some of you may remember an ancient technology called the DVD (yes, that’s a joke). One of the more peculiar special edition DVDs in my collection was an old release of Bubba Ho-Tep which included a shirt housed in an oversized plastic cover that presaged a kind of similar device used for the Blu-ray release of Mad Men: Season Two. I frankly could never get the shirt to dislodge from the plastic and so have no idea as to whether it was actual swag or just a prop of sorts, but the packaging always set Bubba Ho-Tep apart from other releases, as if the film itself really needed differentiation considering how outré it often is. What can you say about a film whose two main (human) characters are a guy who may or may not be the “real” Elvis and another (black) man who claims to be a transformed John F. Kennedy, both senior citizens confined to a less than luxurious Texas retirement home? Bubba Ho-Tep was a perhaps unexpected offering from Don Coscarelli, probably still best remembered for the Phantasm series. It’s perhaps notable that there was a pretty long stretch between Phantasm IV: Oblivion, released in 1998, and Bubba Ho-Tep, which “scuttled” (to use a word bandied about in the film) on to screens in 2002, something that might suggest Coscarelli took his own sweet time in adapting Joe R. Lansdale’s source novella. Bubba Ho-Tep has been something of a cult item since that release, though, something fostered at least in part due to the limited theatrical screenings the film enjoyed in 2002. The film is both unabashedly silly and often quite funny while also having a rather melancholic subtext about what it means to age in a culture obsessed with youth.

Sebastian Haff (Bruce Campbell) is a curmudgeonly elder largely confined to his bed in the Shady Rest Retirement Home after having broken his hip and enduring a long coma in a work related accident as an Elvis impersonator (if you’re not already intrigued, Bubba Ho-Tep may not be the film for you). As Sebastian explains courtesy of both voiceover and some salient flashbacks, he insists he’s actually really Elvis, having changed places The Prince and the Pauper style with Haff years previously, with the real Haff (now pretending to be Elvis) dying ignominiously in 1977 from drug use and/or too many peanut butter and banana sandwiches. (To simplify matters, this review will resort to calling the character Elvis from here on out.) Now aged and infirm, and sporting a disgusting sounding growth on his genitals (the film is nothing if not absurdly specific), Elvis contemplates the vagaries of fate and his decision to forego fame and fortune for the supposed blandishments of a quieter lifestyle.

When his roommate dies, Elvis’ sole remaining friend at the home is an elderly black man who insists he’s John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis), a survivor of the supposed assassination attempt who was rebuilt with sand where his brain should be and with an obviously different (“dyed”) pigmentation. While a vignette detailing the adventures of an avaricious woman resident at the home reveals there’s something odd going on at the location, it’s not until Elvis and “Jack” Kennedy get involved that some sleuthing work on their part reveals the existence of a reanimated Egyptian mummy named Bubba Ho-Tep. Through a series of misadventures, the mummy has ended up at the retirement home, where he’s (it’s?) figured out that his need for souls is easily satisfied by a congregation of elderly folks who aren’t in the position to fight back if he attacks.

Those coming to Bubba Ho-Tep for standard horror movie thrills are almost certainly going to be disappointed by the film, though at least some of those may be partially swayed by the cheeky sense of humor that’s on display throughout the enterprise. What’s both alluring but also potentially off putting about Bubba Ho-Tep is how it pretty much defies categorization, despite the fact that there’s a shuffling mummy tooling about trying to harvest souls to remain “alive”. The film ends up being less about the supernatural threat the mummy provides than about the friendship of two elders, either (or both) of whom might be severely delusional and living out their supposed “golden years” in less than favorable circumstances. None of this is ever really explicitly mentioned in the film, and yet the elegiac aspect of the plot is resolutely there, in feeling if not in actual presentational aspects.

For those willing to come to the film as more of a whimsical character piece than as a traditional horror film, though, Bubba Ho-Tep is often surprisingly sweet and heartfelt. Campbell is a lot of fun as Elvis, and Ossie Davis makes a wonderfully befuddled yet weirdly astute Kennedy. While the special effects are a bit clunky, often cloaked in dark lighting, the makeup effects for Bubba are impressive (if often hard to see). Weirdly surreal but also also weirdly real feeling, this may not satisfy demanding horror fans, but may in fact delight those without any preconceptions.

Bubba Ho-Tep Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bubba Ho-Tep is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory, an imprint of Shout! Factory, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Shout! isn't advertising a new scan and this shows some signs associated with older masters, including a slightly ungainly grain field at times and a bit of wobble. Colors generally look accurate, but a lot of the film plays out in the dimly hit corridors of the Shady Rest Retirement Home, where the palette is understandably muted. When the film gets out of doors, as in a fun running gag involving funeral workers, or in some of the flashbacks involving Elvis, things perk up considerably, with commendable saturation. Fine detail is quite good throughout the presentation, at least in better lit moments, where elements like Bruce Campbell's makeup are easily visible. Occasional scenes are noticeably softer looking than the bulk of the presentation, including some special effects moments that involve opticals. Slight yellowing accompanies some of the montage "visions" that Elvis experiences, and in these moments detail levels decrease at least incrementally. Grain is evident, but (as mentioned above) a bit coarse looking at times.

Bubba Ho-Tep Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bubba Ho-Tep features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 tracks. The 5.1 track offers some fun surround activity courtesy of moments like the attacks of the giant bugs, or even the scuttling sound of Bubba Ho-Tep out in the hallways. The film's fun, jangly score by Brian Tyler also spreads nicely in the surrounds and has occasional reverberant lower frequencies. Dialogue and effects are cleanly rendered on this problem free track.

Bubba Ho-Tep Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The King Lives! with Bruce Campbell (1080p; 22:01) is a fun interview with the always affable actor.


• All is Well with Don Coscarelli (1080p; 24:02) is a similarly appealing interview with the writer-director, with some fun behind the scenes footage.


• Mummies and Makeup with Robert Kurtzman (1080p; 8:56) features the film's makeup supervisor, who discusses some of the techniques used for the film.


• Deleted Scenes (1080p; 3:16) feature optional commentary by Bruce Campbell and Don Coscarelli.


• Footage from the Temple Room Floor (1080p; 2:09) features snippets that were evidently excised from the Egyptian flashbacks.


• The Making of Bubba Ho-Tep (1080i; 23:34) is an archival piece with some good interviews.


• To Make a Mummy - Makeup and Effects (1080i; 5:02) is another archival piece.


• Fit for a King - Elvis Costuming (1080i; 6:46) is an archival piece focusing on costume design.


• Rock Like an Egyptian (1080i; 12:42) is an archival piece about the film's music.


• Joe R. Lansdale Reads from Bubba Ho-Tep (1080p; 7:58) features the author reading (NSFW) passages to images from the film which have been filtered.


• Archival Bruce Campbell Interviews (1080i; 34:41)


• Music Video (1080p; 2:19)


• Photo Gallery (1080p; 4:17)


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:16)


• TV Spot (1080p; 00:32)


• Commentary with Writer Joe R. Lansdale is hosted by Michael Felsher.


• Commentary by Director Don Coscarelli and Bruce Campbell


• Audio Commentary by "The King" features Bruce Campbell in character.

Bubba Ho-Tep Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I've had a soft spot in my heart for Bubba Ho-Tep since I first saw it many years ago, simply because it resolutely refuses to neatly fit into any preconceived genre. Realizing that this is not a typical horror film will probably go a long way toward helping newcomers appreciate the completely whimsical plot and characters that are assembled in Bubba Ho-Tep. Technical merits are generally very good and as is usual with Scream Factory releases, the supplemental package is extremely enjoyable. Recommended.