Bubba Ho-tep
dir. Don Coscarelli · 2002
Plot
Based on the Bram Stoker Award nominee short story by cult author Joe R. Lansdale, Bubba Ho-tep tells the "true" story of what really did become of Elvis Presley. We find Elvis (Bruce Campbell) as an elderly resident in an East Texas rest home, who switched identities with an Elvis impersonator years before his "death", then missed his chance to switch back. Elvis teams up with Jack (Ossie Davis), a fellow nursing home resident who thinks that he is actually President John F. Kennedy, and the two valiant old codgers sally forth to battle an evil Egyptian entity who has chosen their long-term care facility as his happy hunting grounds.
Why watch
An elderly Elvis Presley, now living in a Texas nursing home, teams up with a man who believes he is John F. Kennedy to confront a malevolent Egyptian mummy. The film unfolds with a blend of dark humor and whimsical absurdity, inviting viewers to reflect on the nature of identity and the absurdities of aging.
Talking points
- the nature of identity and legacy
- the absurdity of fame
- aging and mortality in modern society
- the intersection of horror and comedy