Bruce Campbell gives a memorable performance as the aging king of rock ‘’n roll, Elvis, spending his remaining years wasting away in a Texas nursing home. He and a black man (Ossie Davis), who thinks he’s JFK, battle a mummy that’s feeding on the souls of the nursing home. It’s a fabulous premise, pure and simple. The trouble is, ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’ works well in great bits and pieces but doesn’’t have the hold of a feature film. This feels more acquainted to a short film or a TV sketch. There are parts where I was laughing hysterically (Davis has my favorite line: “”They took my brain! I’m thinking with sand up there!””), and then there are other moments toward the end where I was catching myself nodding off. Writer/director Don Coscarelli has a cool visual palette of light and shadow, reminiscent of Guillermo del Toro (Blade 2). He also has a wicked sense of humor. The best moments of ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’ are the back-story involving how the real Elvis swapped places to live a normal life. Campbell is wonderful, and the movie is alive in spurts, but it can’t shake the illusion of feeling stretched.

Nate’’s Grade: B-