Bruce Campbell & Don Coscarelli Celebrate Bubba Ho-Teps Anniversary

Bruce Campbell & Don Coscarelli Celebrate Bubba Ho-Teps Anniversary

As a movie critic with decades of film-watching experience under my belt, I must say that “Bubba Ho-Tep” is a cinematic gem that truly stands out from the crowd. With its unique blend of horror, comedy, and a dash of the absurd, this film is an ode to the iconic Bruce Campbell and the legendary Elvis Presley.


As a cinephile reminiscing about cinematic milestones, I can’t help but reflect on the chilling tale of “Bubba Ho-Tep” – a film that marks 21 years since its spine-tingling release. Directed by the ingenious Don Coscarelli, this horror comedy sees none other than Bruce Campbell and the illustrious Ossie Davis in the roles of their lives. The story unfolds as they confront the sinister “Bubba Ho-Tep,” a menacing entity that’s been terrorizing the residents of Shady Rest.

There’s a lot of discussion about ‘Indie’ productions these days. However, it’s worth noting that Don Coscarelli funded Bubba on his own and also handled its distribution – truly embodying the spirit of Independent filmmaking.

21 years ago this week, we independently released Bubba Ho-Tep into the world with a stack of film prints and a daring dream, as its director had put it. Just like Bruce often said, Bubba didn’t merely hit the screens – it broke free! The movie is undeniably outrageous and riotously funny from the start, but it doesn’t shy away from making some bold, contentious choices. One of the most striking risks taken involves an aged JFK character, who not only survived being assassinated but has undergone a noticeable transformation.

In a twist of events, the ex-president’s complexion has been manipulated to appear black as a supposed cover-up for the truth behind Jack’s shooting in Dallas. Fast forward to today, where the seemingly deceased figures of Elvis and Jack are on a mission to protect the elderly residents of a retirement home from the malevolent influence of Bubba Ho-Tep (Bob Ivy), who has returned as an undead entity. Despite its outlandish premise, this film is hysterically funny and ranks among the best horror comedies ever made, according to Campbell, even with his extensive background in Evil Dead.

Bruce Campbell Despised All Evil Dead’s Blood & Guts

Bruce Campbell & Don Coscarelli Celebrate Bubba Ho-Teps AnniversaryBruce Campbell & Don Coscarelli Celebrate Bubba Ho-Teps AnniversaryBruce Campbell & Don Coscarelli Celebrate Bubba Ho-Teps AnniversaryBruce Campbell & Don Coscarelli Celebrate Bubba Ho-Teps AnniversaryBruce Campbell & Don Coscarelli Celebrate Bubba Ho-Teps AnniversaryBruce Campbell & Don Coscarelli Celebrate Bubba Ho-Teps AnniversaryBruce Campbell & Don Coscarelli Celebrate Bubba Ho-Teps AnniversaryBruce Campbell & Don Coscarelli Celebrate Bubba Ho-Teps Anniversary

Bubba Ho-Tep is one of Bruce Campbell’s cherished roles, yet many fans are more familiar with and fond of this skilled actor for his portrayal of Ash Williams, the cool, chainsaw-carrying S-Mart employee in the Evil Dead films. However, during his time on the STARZ series Ash vs Evil Dead, Campbell, who plays the ValueStop stocker, found himself disliking frequent blood splatters – an occurrence that was quite common over the years. In a 2016 interview with Inverse, Campbell expressed this sentiment.

They’ve transformed a traditional beer keg into a blood reservoir under pressure. Tubes enter one end, and it dispenses the contents from the other. It’s quite intricate. This device is rather intimidating. In contrast, in movies, we used to expel things through a regular garden hose. Nowadays, our methods are far more advanced.

But it’s roughly the same repellent mixture that it always was. It has, you know, food dye in it and things like that, so it doesn’t taste good or smell good. It’s a strange unpleasant substance. I don’t enjoy any blood in my face regardless of how it’s delivered. It’s not an enjoyable process, but it’s effective.”

Regardless of their graphic nature, Bruce Campbell’s most iconic films can be summarized as extraordinary due to his standout and daring performances in roles like Ash from “Evil Dead” and Elvis Presley in “Bubba Ho-Tep”. However, there are some younger fans who haven’t experienced the comedic escapades of aging Elvis (Campbell) and the amusing antics at the Shady Rest Retirement Home with JFK (Davis).

For fans craving a tasty blend of horror and comedy, they can now stream the movie “Bubba Ho-Tep” at no cost on platforms like Tubi and Pluto TV.

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2024-09-24 21:03