Not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, but there's enough here to entertain even those for whom 'cult' is a four-letter word.
Bubba Ho-Tep (2003)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:8
Fresh:5
Rotten:3
Average Rating:5.6/10
Consensus: The best movie to star both the King and JFK.
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: Don Coscarelli's BUBBA HO-TEP finds Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell) alive but not so well, living in a small Texas nursing home. Although he's preoccupied with his ailments and his memories, the... Don Coscarelli's BUBBA HO-TEP finds Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell) alive but not so well, living in a small Texas nursing home. Although he's preoccupied with his ailments and his memories, the elderly Elvis befriends another resident who thinks he's John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis) when they both begin to suspect that their neighbors aren't dying of natural causes. Their investigation leads to the discovery of an evil mummy with a fondness for cowboy gear and an appetite for the souls of senior citizens. Armed with little more than a walker and a wheelchair, the King and JFK must take on this ancient evil. Based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale, BUBBA HO-TEP mixes comedy, drama, and horror to create a remarkably quirky film. As the aged and ailing Elvis, Campbell gives an outstandingly funny and poignant performance, while Davis exudes intelligence and warmth as JFK. Although horror is a key element of the story, much of the movie focuses on the life of Elvis and his new friendship with the former president, leading to many oddly comical scenes and even a few genuinely touching moments. Of course, their embalmed foe and his creepy minions must be confronted, making this the first movie about Elvis and JFK to appeal to horror enthusiasts, or, conversely, the first horror movie to appeal to Elvis and JFK enthusiasts. Either way, it's a highly unconventional tale that no adventurous filmgoer should miss. [More]
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Ella Joyce, Larry Pennell
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Ella Joyce, Larry Pennell, Bob Ivy, Daniel Roebuck, Reggie Bannister
Director: Don Coscarelli
Director: Don Coscarelli
Screenwriter: Don Coscarelli
Producer: Don Coscarelli
Studio: Vitagraph Films
Reviews for Bubba Ho-Tep
There’s plenty of scatological humour and knockabout fun to get one through the slower passages.
A mismatched marriage of offbeat character study and unimaginative horror riffs.
It has the damnedest ingratiating way of making us sit there and grin at its harebrained audacity, laugh at its outhouse humor, and be somewhat moved (not deeply, but somewhat) at the poignancy of these two old men and their situation.
Writer-director Don Coscarelli, maker of such potent cult films as Phantasm and The Beastmaster, fails to come up with enough incidents and action to make this overly leisurely picture the zany fun it means to be.
A zinger-filled crowd-pleaser that open-minded Elvis fans (but by no means all) will have fun with.
Latest News for Bubba Ho-Tep
August 23, 2007:
Bubba Nosferatu Gets Giamatti, Waiting for Campbell
In the "things that sound awesome but can't possibly be true" department, Paul Giamatti is listed in the cast of Bubba Nosferatu. The prequel to Bubba Ho-Tep would have Bruce... More...
May 05, 2007:
Campbell Open to Evil Dead 4 and Bubba Nosferatu
Even though he's in charge of the massive "Spider-Man" franchise and in the running for films like "The Hobbit," Sam Raimi always says he wants to make... More...
October 27, 2006:
RT Top 20 Halloween Movie Countdown, Part Two
Yesterday we kicked off our Top 20 Halloween movie list, and today we bring you the next five titles...did your favorite scary movie make the list of best-reviewed frighteners? More...
July 15, 2005:
Reports From Comic-Con: Ghost Rider's Ride and Upcoming Bruce Campbell's Projects
The folks over at IGN FilmForce have invaded San Diego to cover Comic-Con 2005. Among the various comic book news, they managed to grab some photos of Ghost Rider's vehicle of... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 67% 67% | Public Enemies |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 95% 95% | The Cove |
| 85% 85% | World's Greatest Dad |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Bubba Ho-Tep at Rotten Tomatoes
- Bubba Ho-Tep at IGN
- Bubba Ho-Tep at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

