Flashback: Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)—“the best horror movie you never saw”
“What makes Bubba Ho-Tep one of the best horror films is its bonkers premise, genuine pathos, and perfect execution.”
Based on the novella by Joe R. Lansdale, Bubba Ho-Tep revolves around a nursing home menaced by an ancient Egyptian mummy. The film’s stars, Bruce Campbell (from the Evil Dead series) and Ossie Davis, play two elderly residents who claim to be Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy, respectively. Bubba Ho-Tep was written and directed by Don Coscarelli of the Phantasm series and Beastmaster fame.
During the closing credits, the announced sequel was intended as a joke—but over time there have been discussions about the possibility of a follow-up. Some of the discussed ideas led to Landsdale writing the 2017 novella “Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers,” which was adapted into a 2018 comic book mini-series by IDW publishing. In 2019, a comic book crossover teamed up two of Campbell’s screen characters in the mini-series Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep.
The videos in the playlist below include the official movie trailer for Bubba Ho-Tep, interviews with the filmmakers, and a video where the folks from JoBlo discuss the details that make the film stand up as a great film. That video is titled BUBBA HO TEP (2002) Bruce Campbell - Best Horror Movie You Never Saw: “ What makes Bubba Ho-Tep one of the best horror films is its bonkers premise, genuine pathos, and perfect execution.”
Monster Complex Playlist: Bubba Ho-Tep comedy horror movie
In the video from JoBlo, they talk through the elements that make Bubba Ho-Tep great. From their description of the video:
“On this episode of The Best Horror Movie You Never Saw, we take a look back at the 2002 horror-comedy Bubba Ho-Tep. Written and directed by Don Coscarelli of the Phantasm series and Beastmaster fame, this stars Evil Dead’s Bruce Campbell as an old Elvis who had, years ago, switched identities with an Elvis impersonator and Ossie Davis as JFK in a ‘new body.’
“Based on the novella of the same name by author Joe R. Lansdale, Bubba Ho-Tep is rare for many adaptations as writer-director Coscarelli was fairly faithful to the book, keeping most of the plot and characters intact. What Coscarelli helped add, though, was fleshing out the theme of aging and obsolescence in one's older age. Yet what makes Bubba Ho-Tep one of the best horror films is its bonkers premise, genuine pathos, and perfect execution.”
