Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Director: Don Coscarelli

Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis, Ella Joyce, Bob Ivy

Have I Seen it Before: Oh, sure.

Did I Like It: Here’s the thing: Take Elvis (Campbell, in a dual role as the pauper who took the place of the king, Sebastian Haff) and JFK (Davis) out of the equation, and a story about two guys at the end of their rope taking on a mummy in the most depressing nursing home ever would have worked just fine.

Well, maybe the mummy thing wouldn’t work so hot on it’s on. Ho-Tep (Ivy) is probably a below average film monster, all things considered. There’s nothing new about our mummy that wasn’t already charted by Boris Karloff. My memory is fuzzy, but I think the Scarabs and their works didn’t quite live up to any degree of believability upon the film’s release.

These are minor complaints which could be leveled at any b-horror film of a similar budget. One must manage expectations. So, what keeps bringing me back to the film? The high-concept sell of Elvis and JFK versus a mummy definitely gets the thing greenlit, but if every poster was immediately indicative of how good a movie was, The Shining (1980) would be the worst movie of all time, and most other horror movies would yearly duke it out for Best Picture. Campbell is always charming (even when he’s aiming for unlikeable curmudgeon), and seeing Davis embrace the absurdity of his role is a good start. The music score—from Bryan Tyler—sticks in your head, which is impressive enough in an era now where nearly every score—even from composers previously legendary—is adequate noise. Tyler deserves every big job he’s gotten since.

Those help elevate the film, but the real, secret strength is that the film (almost despite itself) is at its core a redemption story. Without Elvis coming to grips with all of the mistakes—both improbable and banal—he has made, the film would still be relegated to the static of other B-movies.

Thomas Jefferson (1997)

Director: Ken Burns

Cast: Ossie Davis, Sam Waterston, Blythe Danner*, Philip Bosco

Have I Seen it Before: I want to say yes? Sometime in my misspent youth, I must have had a history teacher who had run out of energy and let this one run its course.

Did I Like It: There’s exceptionally little one can reasonably say about the craft of Ken Burns. At what he does, he is the absolute best. There is not a single flaw in any of his productions I have seen to date**. One might call his films long, but it’s hard to make that argument stick, when the films are intended to be viewed over multiple days (I’m looking in you direction, Zack Snyder...) One might dare to call them dray and boring, but I’m not sure I want to associate with such people, and would frankly rather you leave the site if that describes you.

So, what does one review about Burns’ films? It’s hard not to be tempted by the inclination to review the subject. Was Thomas Jefferson the genius of his (and possibly all) time? Was he a man of lofty words, but a depraved need to use the human beings around him? Was he both?

History evaluated—with the help of DNA evidence—subsequent to the production of this documentary created a consensus that he fathered the children of Sally Hemings. The film considers the possibility, but comes to no firm conclusions. He did use the people he owned, and he could not be bothered to fight the institution of slavery in any meaningful way. He saw the possibilities of the future needing to set aside the dogmas of his age, but that stance has fueled insurrectionists of today, just as much as it has liberalization of our laws.

For all of his brilliance, he failed at his ideals. The film is, therefore, a fascinating deep dive into one of America’s great enigmas.

On the rather trivial side of things, I am struck by the fact that Jefferson spent himself into penury, and did so almost exclusively in the process of buying too many books. That’s an all-too human failing which I could see myself falling into. I also can’t help but think his mind would have been blown by the prospect of a Kindle.

*And also Gwyneth too, briefly, while we’re at it, reading text from one of Jefferson’s granddaughters. It was undeniably a weird moment.

**And considering after the recent airing of Hemingway (2021), I bought into the PBS Passport hook, line and sinker, I will likely be taking in more of his oeuvre.