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Are you a big Elvis fan? Tired of those lame horror movies that take themselves too seriously? Perhaps you’re just looking for a movie that offers up a bunch of laughs, a mystery that needs some unraveling, a touch of suspense, or some cheesy but fun horror. If so, then Bubba Ho-Tep is probably the movie for you.

Bubba Ho-Tep is based on the Bram Stoker Award nominated short story by author Joe R. Lansdale. The movie is about Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell) - who lies in a nursing home in east Texas, where he has been for some years. He ended up there years ago when he broke his hip during a tribute to Elvis. Yes you read right! So why is Elvis doing a tribute concert to himself? The deal is: Elvis switched with an Elvis impersonator and before he could switch back the Elvis impersonator died and the real Elvis has landed himself in this nursing home. As far as anyone knows he is an Elvis impersonator, and there is no convincing anyone to the contrary. John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis) has similar identification difficulties. This elderly black man insists that he is really JFK "dyed dark" as part of a vast conspiracy. The two "delusional" men become good friends and together they investigate a series of unusual deaths that have begun to plague the nursing home. Through their investigation they learn that the deaths are being caused by a soul-sucking mummy that has come back to life.

The mystery of the mummy is handled well. The basic story is that a clever heist gone wrong allowed the mummy to get out of his coffin, which is what kept him from walking amongst the living. The one problem that I did have with the mummy story is that Elvis is somehow granted flashbacks of the mummy’s memory. Elvis even asks how it got in his head; however we never actually learn the answer.

This movie isn’t all about fun and games though. The movie does give you a view in to what it’s like to be old. It doesn’t spare you any of the appalling indignities of that state - which shows a deeper side to this seemingly light hearted flick.

There are many scenes and quotes that stick in my mind; however I’ll just leave you with the one that particularly stands out, perhaps due to the fact that I am quite hungry and have nothing in my refrigerator.
Jack: Would you like a Ding-Dong? Oh I don’t mean mine; uh I mean a chocolate ding-dong. Of course mine would be chocolate now that I’ve been dyed.
Elvis: You’ve got ding-dongs man?
Jack: I’ve got Paydays and a box of Babyruth. Which will it be? Let’s get decadent.

On it’s own it may not seem that funny, but in context it really does make you let out a small giggle. This is all during a scene where they are talking about the mummy and how to stop it when all of a sudden they just start talking about snacks. Just the oddity of the whole situation makes the scene quite amusing.