I got together with Edgar and his friend Patrick to go see Bubba Ho-Tep, the cult film about Elvis (Bruce Campbell) battling a mummy in an East Texas retirement home. Before the film, we went to Baskin-Robbins in Westwood, and Edgar was given a counterfeit 10-dollar bill…. suffice it to say, we’re not going back to that place; the guy was shady and clearly pocketing cash from the register.
We got to the theater about 10 minutes before the show, and met up with Urban Legend and Valentine director Jamie Blanks. (Edgar was Jamie’s assistant on Urban Legend.) The trailers were uneventful, but there was one that had me on the floor: The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. This film is a blindingly obvious homage to B-movies in every single way. And I LOVE how they managed to work a shameless coattail ride from Lawrence of Arabia as well.
But back to Bubba Ho-Tep. The film itself was just alright – the story was rather simple, and it wasn’t really scary. It was, after all a comedy. But didn’t work as a comedy film – it was just a weird experience. There were plenty of funny bits, to be sure, and most of the humor came from seeing an aged Elvis struggle with his walker while making classic poses and stuff. Campy, to be sure. A cult film, undoubtedly.
This isn’t one to rush out and see – given all of the hype, you’re best off renting this one, and Campbell is certainly worth the cost. Brian Tyler’s guitar-heavy score is quite enjoyable too, as he returns to his Six Stringed Samurai roots. I’m looking forward to the soundtrack album later this fall.