Bubba Ho-tep (2002)

Many of my friends know that one of my favorite movie genres is the "B" movie genre (in other words poorly made movies that nobody else wants to watch). Probably the most famous "B" movie actor is a man by the name of Bruce Campbell who is most well known for playing the role of Ash in the Evil Dead series directed by Sam Raimi (who has "Evil Dead 4" in the works right now btw). "B" movies are known for their over-the-top special effects and notably terrible acting.

"Bubba Ho-tep" is one of Bruce Campbell's most recent films and stars him in the role of Sebastian Haff. However the true character of Sebastian Haff is Elvis...yes the King himself. The story behind that is that Elvis wanted to go under the radar so he faked his death and took the place of a man named Sebastian Haff. Here's the kicker; Sebastian Haff is an Elvis impersonator. So Bruce Campbell plays Elvis who is impersonating Sebastian Haff who is impersonating Elvis.

The story is based around Elvis who is now old and lives in a care facility with a man who thinks he's JFK. The problem is that the care facility where both of them live is under attack by an Egyptian mummy who is eating the souls of the care home tenants. It's up to Elvis and JFK to stop the mummy and bring peace to the care home.

This film is actually a very well put together film compared to every other "B" movie I've ever seen. The film quality is very high and everything looks really great comparatively. The acting is a bit cheesy but for this film I think it's pretty appropriate. There weren't any super cheesy special effects which definitely sets this apart from most other Bruce Campbell (for instance "Terminal Invasion"). I think this film turned out as good as it did because Bruce Campbell has embraced the fact that "B" movies are generally thought of as terrible films with no value whatsoever. Because he has embraced the fact that "B" movies are cheesy, his films sort of have a right to be cheesy and I think it's appropriate for the context. This may start bringing these movies that I have such a passion for to a more widespread audience. Bruce Campbell fans definitely check this out. "Bubba Ho-tep" gets a 3.5 out of 5.

Slacker (1991)

It's been awhile since my last post. This is because I decided to take some time off after my much involved research and viewing project on Bruce Lee and his legacy. Rather than writing reviews I've been watching Dragonball Z....

So anyways up on the chopping block today is the film "Slacker" which is part of the Richard Linklater library (who happens to be one of my favorite directors and writers). Richard Linklater has a very unique style of putting his films together and the general vibe and cinematography are very recognizable. One film that is very similar from Linklater is "Waking Life" which analyzes the theory of lucid dreaming (not being able to differentiate between what is a dream and what is real life). Linklater is known for have a constant dialog/narration going on throughout the entire film. Most of the time this dialog is about some philosophical ideal or something relating to how people see life differently.

"Slacker" is a film analyzing the lives of misfit youths and people who general aren't doing much with their lives (or so it seems on the outside). The subject of the film is passed around from person to person by small connections that they each have, such as walking past each other on the street or having a conversation about life in a coffee shop. Through this passive look at the subjects the viewer obtains an understanding as to the lives and connections of everybody involved. This idea of film making expresses that everybody is in some way connected, in terms of a lot of the subjects visited throughout the plot come up in later conversations in the film, or have already been touched on by previous meetings and conversations. Other than that there isn't so much of a set plot except for gaining an understanding of life through the eyes of conversation (which is a distinct Linklater-ism).

I really enjoyed this film, probably because it was very interesting from a philosophical and existential viewpoint, but also because it was one of Linklaters earlier works and I can really see a definitive style in his film-making, and it's a style that I really enjoy. It's this analytical style that gives the film a very light-hearted feeling which also makes for a very entertaining film because of the light-hearted nature. This film is also a good example of flawless acting. The actors do a great job of getting inside their roles. This film would have been impossible if the actors weren't able to immerse themselves in the lives of their characters. This was a very enjoyable movie and if you enjoy Linklater check it out, and if you enjoy movies that explore existentialist ideas and philosophical problems, or if you just want to watch it because I watched it and you trust my reviews, then definitely check it out! "Slacker" gets a 4 of 5.