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Written by: Joe R. Lansdale (short story), Don Coscarelli (screenplay)
Directed by: Don Coscarelli
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Bob Ivy
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
When residents of their nursing home start dying of dubious causes, an aged Elvis and an African-American senior who claims to be President John F. Kennedy discover that the perpetrator is an Egyptian mummy with murderous intentions.
Verdict
The crazy concept carries this movie all the way through to the end. It's absurd but earnest. Campbell does a great job as Elvis, ruminating on who he was at the peak of his fame and where he is now, largely ignored in a nursing home. The real draw is the concept. There are numerous questions I could ask like in what other movie will you see Elvis fighting a mummy? Have you ever seen the black JFK? This is humorous, ridiculous, and quite the adventure.
Watch It.
Review
I saw this a long time ago. How can you not watch this when you read the premise?
An aged Elvis (Bruce Campbell) lives in a nursing home, upset about his age, health, and state of his life. No one believes he's actually Elvis, dismissed as another old-timer with a story. He tries to convince the nurse, and while his story seems plausible Elvis's best friend at the home is a black man that claims to be JFK (Ossie Davis). That seems less plausible. Elvis ruminates on age and fame. He tries to reconcile who he was with where he is. For someone that had it all, confined to a nursing home bed is difficult to stomach.
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| Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis play Elvis, JFK |
People are mysteriously dying at the nursing home. JFK finds a clue scribbled on a toilet stall. I have to ask why a mummy would scribble on a toilet stall, but that's what this movie is. It's silly, and apparently even mummies take dumps. Elvis and JFK discuss ancient Egyptians toilet habits.
I'm unclear why the Egyptian is dressed like a cowboy, other than because this is set in Texas. It's wacky, and it seems like a lot of this is 'sure, why not?'
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| Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis play Elvis, JFK |
JFK knows a lot about the situation as he just happens to have a book on the topics. It's certainly convenient. It's the premise that can push past the inconsistencies of the plot.
I like the link between Elvis and this mystery. Elvis feels hopeless, but the mummy provides him purpose, invigorating him. You could almost call this a metaphor, but it's too wild of a movie for that. What other movie has an elderly Elvis fighting a mummy with the help of a black JFK? That's the selling point, and it carries this movie home.
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