Don Coscarelli

So I remember seeing this movie, randomly, at a buddy's house when I was in High School around the time the movie was released to DVD and to this day, I've never forgotten it. It was strangely memorable - a weird mix of horror, comedy, that happens to be a poignant work of art. To hear the plot described to you, you would never think such a thing could be so powerful: Stuck in an East Texas old folks home, Elvis and JFK must face off against a redneck mummy.

But man, the film (which is now a show more cult classic) as well as the short story/novella by Joe R. Lansdale, as wild as it is, really focuses on what it is like to grow old, to live with failure, and what it is like to come face to face with death. It is just done through penis jokes and a soul sucking redneck mummy who can inhale folks souls through various orifices' on the human body (ahem).....

I know. It's ridiculous but also incredibly moving. Trust me.

OR NOT. show less

I watched the movie many years ago, and it made me laugh uproariously. I loved it. Bruce Campbell as old Elvis in a nursing home battling evil with Jack Kennedy played by Ossie Davis? How could anyone resist that? The novella is as madcap as the movie. Short and laugh out loud funny.

There are comics in the series and other stories as well. I'll check them out sometime later. Meanwhile, I'm glad I got the book. Good stuff from Lansdale.

If you are reading this, then your curiosity has already been sparked by this overlooked little gem of a movie.
Congratulations! However you got here, by whatever means. You made it!

I'm not going to give anything away. I want you to experience the film without any hype and just enjoy it for what it is.

If you still need coaxing; I will say that Bruce Campbell as a retired Elvis is a great joy to watch. He nails it!

This is an independent film.
Think: One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest meets The Evil show more Dead II.

The pace of the film is respectful to the subject matter (it's about two crazy old guys), so it would have been ridiculous if they had suddenly acted like super heroes. But, the action scenes are just enough to stay believable and not burst the bubble the film has created around its characters.

I could, and I will watch it again, especially if I need cheering up a bit. This film is a great tonic. show less

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