BUBBA HO-TEP
Dir. Don Coscarelli | USA | 2002 | 92 min. | R | DCP
“Elvis and JFK did not die, and today they’re roommates in an East Texas nursing home whose residents are being killed by an ancient Egyptian Soul Sucker named Bubba Ho-Tep. I want to get that on the table at the get-go, so I can deal with the delightful wackiness of this movie, which is endearing and vulgar in about the right proportion.” —Roger Ebert
After a long run with the Phantasm franchise, writer/producer/director Don Coscarelli gave the genre film world yet another long-favored midnight movie gem in the form of 2002’s BUBBA HO-TEP. Starring Bruce Campbell in his other role-of-a-lifetime as Elvis Presley, Bubba piles on “foulmouthed ancient mummies, conspiracy theories and the ultimate battle between good and evil. It’s also a surprisingly layered tale about growing old, regrets and redemption” (Gizmodo). Also starring the brilliant Ossie Davis (DO THE RIGHT THING) as John F. Kennedy.
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGH SCHOOL
Dir. Allan Arkush | USA | 1979 | 93 min | PG | DCP
“Teen punkette Riff Randall (P.J. Soles of CARRIE and HALLOWEEN) has one abiding fantasy: to meet the dreamy Ramones, and get them to perform one of her songs. Standing in her way is Principal Togar (Warhol star Mary Woronov), who runs Vince Lombardi High like a despot — until the boys from Forest Hills lead a student body putsch and rock the school down to its foundations. A tribute to the after-school bedroom sexual awakening, when one daydreams of Joey joining you in the shower.” —Metrograph
“Director Allan Arkush channels Frank Tashlin and the smartass spirit of Mad Magazine throughout the film, transforming his love letter to rock ’n’ roll and the eternal allure of being a teenager at war with parents into a live-action cartoon filled with giddily surreal touches. In reality, Ramones fandom was a small, specific, eccentric niche. But in ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGH SCHOOL, the Ramones are as big as The Beatles.” — Nathan Rabin, The Dissolve
