Bubba Ho-Tep,tepid horror,but great Campbell

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ROBERT
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Bubba Ho-Tep,tepid horror,but great Campbell

Post by ROBERT »

Came out of the film fest screening of this much talked about flick.You guys probably know what it's about. Elvis(THE Elvis) hates his life,goes Awol by conning an Elvis impersonator into talking his place. Winds up with a broken hip at an old Farts home,with a crazy blackman who thinks he's J. F. K.(THE J.F.K)Fighting a mummy, who sucking the souls out of the residents. So is it funny? YES. Is it horror? no. What makes this film is the deadon,somewhat hammy performance by Campbell,as the aged king and the snappy dialogue taken directly from the story by Joe R Lansdale.

Bubba Ho-tep is a minimalist comedy horror film,(heavy on comedy) which really,could have been shot on video in someone's backyard, for $500 bucks. Minus Campbell and Ossie Davis(the crazy black JFK). But then it would have sucked. Few actors can deliver snappy dialogue like this and make it seem real.Campbell does,greatly helped by Davis. It's one of Coscarelli's best films, but it's the two aforementioned attributes(Okay,Davis as well) that make it so. Otherwise it's kind of flat.Bruce fans will NOT be disappointed.
"I don't want to be called an "artist." "Acting like an "artist" is synonymous to acting like an asshole."

Asia Argento
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Nocturnaloner
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Post by Nocturnaloner »

Not only am I a Bruce fan, I'm a full-on Joe R. Lansdale fan as well, so I will see this no matter what. 'On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert, with Dead Folks' remains one of the greatest short stories, not to mention greatest titles, ever written.
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ROBERT
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Lansdale

Post by ROBERT »

Cadillac would make a great film, if proper talent were attached. I'm a fan of Lansdale's stuff as well. That's why I thought Bubba needed a bigger budget, and better director. Mostly better direction.
"I don't want to be called an "artist." "Acting like an "artist" is synonymous to acting like an asshole."

Asia Argento
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Jon
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Post by Jon »

I haven't read alot of Lansdale but I've always felt that THE DRIVE-IN would make a good movie.

Can you tell me which book includes the 'Cadillac' short story? Joe's website lists all the books he's done but doesn't detail which short stories appear in the compilations.
"When Cliff Richard wrote 'Wired For Sound', there's no way he was sitting on a clean lavatory" - Rik Mayall, The Young Ones.
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Nocturnaloner
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Post by Nocturnaloner »

Cadillac is part of the legendary Skipp and Spector compilation of zombie short stories, The Book of the Dead. Unfortunately, you're going to have to e-bay it, or get it used from Amazon, cause Bantam won't reprint it. Believe me, it's worth the effort.
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ROBERT
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I agree

Post by ROBERT »

Book Of The Dead and it's sequel rock. Worth seeking out.
"I don't want to be called an "artist." "Acting like an "artist" is synonymous to acting like an asshole."

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