Last night, I discovered that the Bruce Campbell film Bubba Ho-Tep was available on Amazon Prime. I had heard good things about this cult classic comedy/horror movie before, so I had to watch it. Now I, too, have good things to say as well.
I honestly don't think it would have worked without Bruce Campbell. He manages to hit the balance of pathos and dark humor required for the role of an elderly Elvis Presley. The supporting cast was good, and the cinematography was sometimes quite clever, but had his role flopped, the movie would have been sunk.
The plot is fairly fomulaic. No big surprises, but it wasn't too sloppy, either. And any inconsistencies can be chalked up to an unreliable narrator. Is this really Elvis, or just another senile old man losing his grip in reality like the others around him? Is he as batty as the black JFK and the elderly Kemosabe who are both convinced they are someone else? After all, "JFK" seems incredibly lucid once the story gets rolling.
The horror elements are mild. The jump scares are telegraphed from miles away. The monster is pretty cheesy, and the threat he poses is largely based on the vulnerability of his victims. However, interlaced with the standard horror fare are observations on aging, the fleeting nature of wealth and fame, and the pervasive sense of loss and loneliness I have seen in many retirement homes as a bookmobile librarian. In a way, that existentialist sorrow is much scarier because it is far more real.
The horror may be cheesy, but this is not a movie I would recommend for kids. I think the parental advisory notice would say something like, "brief nudity and violence, pervasive vulgar language, and worst of all, TOBACCO USE!!!" I also think the build-up to the action bits would be downright boring for younger viewers. The effects are also old-fashioned practical stuff that may not appeal to these jaded youths accustomed to CGI.
It isn't a perfect movie by any means, but I would give it four out of five stars anyway. Want to learn the real fate of Elvis? Here you go!
