7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Elvis Presley is still alive, now in his late sixties, but confined to a rest home in Texas. Here, he recounts how he escaped fame with the help of an impersonater--now left to wonder what could have been, all while trying to battle the "soul-sucking" mummy, Bubba Ho-tep, who enters the rest home at night and consumes souls.
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Ella Joyce, Heidi Marnhout, Bob IvyHorror | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo verified
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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.
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 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.
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.
Collector's Edition
2002
Collector's Edition + 2 Posters + Slipcover
2002
Collector's Edition | Includes 2 Posters + Enamel Pin Set + Bonus Alternate Slipcover - Corrected Bonus Alternate Slipcover Available
2002
Collector's Edition
1996
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1973
1948
2007
Braindead | Unrated US Cut
1992
1985
2019
Vinegar Syndrome Archive | Limited Edition
1996
1933
1972
1974-1975
2007
1979
2011
Limited Edition
1982
2014
1988
Collector's Edition
1988
1940
1944