I've been a fan of the Phantasm series since I was a youngster. The Tall Man and Reggie and Mike all just fascinate me. Even the sequels, which most would consider cornball, all have a special place in my heart. I guess I'm sentimental. Phantasm was the first "R" rated movie that by big brother ever snuck me in to. I think I was about 13 at the time, and you can imagine how cool a guts and gore movie like that would be to a middle schooler.
Anyway, Coscarelli has a new film, and I can't wait to see it. The premise absolutely RULES! From what I understand, it goes like this... Elvis never died. He's living in an East Texas nursing home. He discovers that a demon is stealing the souls of the other nursing home residents by sucking it out of their assholes. Elvis and another resident then go on to do battle with the butt-sucking demon.
Man, I totally can't wait to see this!!!
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0281686
Rock on, Coscarelli!!!
I've heard about this. My friend had a copy and said it was hilarious, but he had to give it back so I didn't get a chance to see it. Can't wait.
This movie's been around for a long time. It's just never been properly distributed. Just doing festivals and conventions and various Bruce Campbel events.
I still haven't had a chance to see it, but did ask Bruce Campbell about it a few months ago and he said it was one of his favorites that he's been in.
I also have a friend who saw it and said it was great. Hope I get a chance to see it sometime.
dying to see this movie...
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/bubba_ho-tep/
its getting a somewhat limited release finally according to aicn. also the official site says more cities coming soon. thank god. otherwise it looks like i'll be driving up to nyc.
September 19 - SEATTLE - Landmark's Varsity Theater
September 19 - PORTLAND - Cinema 21 Theater
September 26 - NEW YORK CITY - Angelika Film Center
October 3 - LOS ANGELES - Landmark's Nuart Theater/ Irvine - University 6
October 3 - SAN DIEGO - Landmark's Ken Theater
October 10 - SAN FRANCISCO - The Castro Theater
October 17 - CHICAGO - Landmark's Century Centre Cinema
October 24 - AUSTIN - (tentative- not yet confirmed with Tim at the Alamo)
November 7 - ATLANTA
Thank you for doing a search and finding a pre-existing thread before starting a new one, thus avoiding making me redirect it and mogwai locking it, like a certain member I know.
i do my best. i fucked up the other day because the thread was so badly mistitled, but i try to keep your work to a minimum. actually i didnt even do i search, because i remember having read through most of the damn threads and this one caught my eye. so i remembered to go back to it, (although technically shouldnt it be in GRAPEVINE?) but, i cant wait.
Thanks man. Looks like I'll be catching that on Oct 3.
I posted my thoughts on this after SXSW west, where I saw it with the director present.
It was what you would want from this film after you hear about it... I really liked it.
Quote from: RegularKarateI posted my thoughts on this after SXSW west, where I saw it with the director present.
It was what you would want from this film after you hear about it... I really liked it.
so jealous....turning green with envy. *(hulking out)
yeah, my girlfriends brother saw it in orlando with the director there whom he talked to for a minute or two. but GET THIS!!! the bastard (who was going to school for film), has NOT SEEN PHANTASM, and was not particularly a bruce campbell fan!!! and he's seen the movie i've been reading about for over a year. the bastard.
Quote from: themodernage02yeah, my girlfriends brother saw it in orlando with the director there whom he talked to for a minute or two. but GET THIS!!! the bastard (who was going to school for film), has NOT SEEN PHANTASM, and was not particularly a bruce campbell fan!!! and he's seen the movie i've been reading about for over a year. the bastard.
Full Sail program?
I went to Full Sail.
Was going down there last year to see the final films (friend of a friend was completing the program). Didn't make it but I have seen some of the graduates work. Good stuff. Did you like it?
yeah, he went to full sail. the stuff i saw was pretty crappy. it looked nice, but the storytelling was pretty shitty. it was like shot nicely on film, but they clearly (because they were spending so much damn money on the film stock) didnt really have the time to use any creativity, nor coax any sort of decent performances out of their actors. they should have shot on DV and gotten something decent.
I'm at Full Sail right now and most of the student work is horrible. The screenwriting class is a month long and they refuse to grade you on content, so all you learn is format. For those who know screenwriting already, you don't learn anything, for those who don't know anything, they learn format. I still think this place is a ton of fun and there is more equipment here than at most film schools and it's much more hands on. I'm enjoying it but I'm sure it won't get me a job, you've got to do that on your own.
oh and i was at that orlando screening. What a great fucking movie...everyone go see it if you can. "Must be some kinda, Bubba Ho-Tep"
Actor Campbell Escapes Weekend Accident
RUCH, Ore. - Bruce Campbell, an actor whose credits include "Evil Dead," "Hercules," "Xena, Warrior Princess" and "Spider-Man," suffered minor injuries in a weekend accident.
Campbell, 45, of Jacksonville, was driving late Saturday when his car was struck by a Jeep driven by 36-year-old Steven M. Sellars of Medford.
Sellars, who was ejected from his vehicle and struck the windshield of the Explorer, was listed in critical condition Sunday with head injuries.
Campbell, who has a cult following among horror film buffs, was treated at a local hospital and released.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Department cited Sellars for driving under the influence of intoxicants, assault, failing to maintain lane of travel, driving with a suspended license and for outstanding traffic tickets.
Quote from: cinemanarchistI'm at Full Sail right now and most of the student work is horrible. The screenwriting class is a month long and they refuse to grade you on content, so all you learn is format. For those who know screenwriting already, you don't learn anything, for those who don't know anything, they learn format. I still think this place is a ton of fun and there is more equipment here than at most film schools and it's much more hands on. I'm enjoying it but I'm sure it won't get me a job, you've got to do that on your own.
This was my overall impression of it... great fun and you get to use some great fucking equipment.
So you're in the screenwriting class now? Is Tuscanni still teaching it? That guy was awesome... he was like the Dude meets George Carlin.
Do you know what position you're gonna apply for for final film project?
Quote from: RegularKarate
This was my overall impression of it... great fun and you get to use some great fucking equipment.
So you're in the screenwriting class now? Is Tuscanni still teaching it? That guy was awesome... he was like the Dude meets George Carlin.
Do you know what position you're gonna apply for for final film project?
Dustin Lee teaches screenwriting now and he is fucking horrible, and so was the entire class for that matter. When my screenplay was critiqued I mentioned to them that it wasn't supposed to follow structure, that I did that on purpose...to which they replied, "have you ever heard of robert mckee," to which I asked them if they had ever seen adaptation, and if they had, did they get it at all. I'm actually in film history(which is a joke for me) and lighting(which is alot of fun) I would like to sign up to direct the 35 project but they are in talks to have rotating positions on that as well now, which we would all violently protest. We watched "Daughter" in lighting today, which was the film by Eduardo Rodriiguez that got him the three picture miramax deal(which he did while at fsu film school) That thing fucking blew my mind, check it out if you get the chance...and it also sucked when watched along side full sail films...but with the right talent you can make something really good with the equipment at full sail, but with the restrictive rotating positions of the projects, you have to shoot your film outside of school, which is what myself and most of my friends are doing.
Quote from: cinemanarchistWe watched "Daughter" in lighting today, which was the film by Eduardo Rodriiguez that got him the three picture miramax deal(which he did while at fsu film school)
That's right. Represent.
[/FSU Pride]
Quote from: cinemanarchist
Dustin Lee teaches screenwriting now and he is fucking horrible, and so was the entire class for that matter. When my screenplay was critiqued I mentioned to them that it wasn't supposed to follow structure, that I did that on purpose...to which they replied, "have you ever heard of robert mckee," to which I asked them if they had ever seen adaptation, and if they had, did they get it at all. I'm actually in film history(which is a joke for me) and lighting(which is alot of fun) I would like to sign up to direct the 35 project but they are in talks to have rotating positions on that as well now, which we would all violently protest. We watched "Daughter" in lighting today, which was the film by Eduardo Rodriiguez that got him the three picture miramax deal(which he did while at fsu film school) That thing fucking blew my mind, check it out if you get the chance...and it also sucked when watched along side full sail films...but with the right talent you can make something really good with the equipment at full sail, but with the restrictive rotating positions of the projects, you have to shoot your film outside of school, which is what myself and most of my friends are doing.
Shame about no Tuscani... anyway, good call on making a film outside of school... that's what we did, we made a music video for a local band there and learned quite a bit doing it.
It would suck if they decided to rotate for the 35, but if they don't, I would say that unless a really good script gets picked for the final film, apply for a more technical position, you will learn so much more than if you direct. All you'll learn while directing is how to deal with whole bunch of people who don't know what's going on, including most of the actors. (we had one pretty good one and a whole bunch of other shitty ones, so when the good one was good, it made it look worse because he was surrounded with shit talent).
Our Film history teacher was superb... he was one of the best instructors there, but after we left his class he left Full Sail to go back to school because he was just too damn smart to be teaching there.
Finally got to see Bubba Ho-Tep this weekend. It's fun, a good little B-movie of a flick. Of course it's a one-joke premise, but that one joke is mined pretty effectively, and with zero budget. Bruce Campbell is a fu*king god. How are he and Jack Black not automatically cast in every single movie ever made? And if I ever get a puss-filled "what is that thing?" on my crankshaft, I'm gonna name it after my ex-wife and pop it while I whack-off too. Great plan! I hear ya, King.
"I was gyratin', takin' care of business, when....my hip."
So many great lines, I'm going to have to see this one again. Definitely worth a look when it comes to your town.
i finally got to see bubba ho-tep today after over a year of reading about it. the goddamn 90 minute movie cost me about 5 1/2 hours to get up to baltimore and back to see it, so that put a damper on the experience. it was good, but like i said, had it taken me a few minutes to walk down to my local indie theatre i wouldve enjoyed myself a lot more than the hour and a half drive i took. oh well. i'd like to see it again on dvd, it was funny.
WooHoo... seeing it again tonight... just talked my wife into seeing it at the Alamo (had to agree to pay for the food and drinks there too)... this is a difficult thing with my Wife because, while she usually has great taste in movies, she has almost no appreciation for this sort of thing...
I told her it's not like Evil Dead... she agreed to go... SUCKER!
anyway... I'm excited to see if I still like it after all these months.
so disappointed.
I just saw it tonight. I liked it. Bruce Campbell was great and Ossie Davis played the whole JFK thing brilliantly. However, I felt the gross-out humor just kind of went on too long. It was a bit overkill, but I suppose they had to pack it in to fill space. Also the Mummy was actually more minimal in the film than I had expected. And I think there are probably a few scenes with the nurse that got cut, it feels a little undone with her character. For that matter the character development was a wee bit thin too.
I dunno why I'm nit-picking this thing. Probably due to all the hype surrounding it. I did like it, and will probably get it on DVD, if only to have that Campbell performance. But I'd give it a B- as a film. Good, funny, but not great.
Fresh off a viewing of this. Brilliant. Effing brilliant!
It made me realize how much I enjoyed Coscarelli's directing. Having been a student of the Phantasm films for over 20 years, I could smell Don's visual style all over this one. Even if it weren't for the cameos of Phastasm alumni Heidi Marnhout and Reggie Bannister, I'd have taken this for a Coscarelli flick in a heartbeat. The long hallways, the quick-cut mental flashbacks. All signature.
What I had not counted on in my limited exposure to this movie was that it was actually a comedy. I was expecting "monster movie" kind of thing, when in reality, it was a comedy masquerading as a campy horror flick.
You have to absolutely love a guy like Don Coscarelli. The whole thing was made for under 500 grand (from photography to marketing - start to finish). He should have no trouble recouping that and then some when this one hits video. From what I hear, he's basically footing the bill himself for distribution, prints, etc. Indie in every sense of the word. You gotta love it.
The phrase is thrown around all too freely, but I think this one really is destined to become a cult classic.
I think it did exactly what it set out to do. Entertain, with tongue planted firmly in cheek the whole time.
Don and I have exchanged e-mails on occasion in the past. I think I'm going to write him and tell him he is god. And maybe ask him if I can do a phone interview for Xixax if anyone's interested. I'm sure he'd have some good words for the wannabe-indie-filmmakers that hang here.
That would be awesome, Mike!
I've actually never seen any of the Phantasm movies, though. But I really enjoyed (http://www.road-dog-productions.com/bubba.html) Bubba Ho Tep, and that he made it for so cheap is just wonderful.
The more I dig into this movie, the more I love it...
This from IMDB:
"Only six prints of the film were originally made, causing its extremely limited and on-going release schedule. The Soul of Southern Film Festival, in Memphis, Tennessee, paid for a seventh print, so that they wouldn't have to wait another year to show the film."
And this audio interview from NPR (which includes some great audio clips from the film which will whet your appetite if you haven't seen it):
http://freshair.npr.org/day_fa.jhtml?display=day&todayDate=09/23/2003
BUBBA HO-TEP is coming to DVD on May 25th. MGM is putting out the disc in the US. Don't know if there's any video/DVD distribution set up out of the US just yet. There are rumored commentaries, including one with Bruce as the "real" Elvis watching the film and commenting as it unfolds. I'm sure Don will have a commentary, as well, but I do know for a fact that the DVD will include excerpts from Joe R. Lansdale's original short story "Bubba Ho-Tep" read by the author himself. As well as lots of other goodies are going to be on the disc (or discs), but the above is what I know as of now. I'll keep you up to date on this one, folks. Mark the calendars! May 25th Elvis kicks some ass on DVD!
Quote from: MacGuffinCampbell, 45, of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Fl?
Quote from: themodernage02BUBBA HO-TEP is coming to DVD on May 25th. MGM is putting out the disc in the US. Don't know if there's any video/DVD distribution set up out of the US just yet. There are rumored commentaries, including one with Bruce as the "real" Elvis watching the film and commenting as it unfolds. I'm sure Don will have a commentary, as well, but I do know for a fact that the DVD will include excerpts from Joe R. Lansdale's original short story "Bubba Ho-Tep" read by the author himself. As well as lots of other goodies are going to be on the disc (or discs), but the above is what I know as of now. I'll keep you up to date on this one, folks. Mark the calendars! May 25th Elvis kicks some ass on DVD!
Great news. I'm marking my calendar! It seems like we've been talking about this film FOREVER. In fact, wasn't it filmed when Elvis was actually still alive?
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedigitalbits.com%2Farticles%2Fmiscgfx%2Fcovers3%2Fbubbahotepsedvd.jpg&hash=0c1d3eec78f81a14a4e172145008b891c0e8bbf5)
MGM's Bubba Ho-Tep: Special Edition is coming May 25th (SRP $27.98 ). Word is the disc is going to include anamorphic widescreen video, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, three audio commentary tracks including one with director Don Coscarelli, one with cast members Bruce Campbell and Ossie Smith, and another with Campbell in character as Elvis, deleted scenes, several behind-the-scenes featurettes and interviews, and more.
Um, do they have a poster of that DVD cover? 'Cause I want that baaaad.
Quote from: RaikusUm, do they have a poster of that DVD cover? 'Cause I want that baaaad.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bubbahotep.com%2Fimages%2Fstore%2Flargemini.jpg&hash=db5411ce90df99797301d80eb5485d4dfd4f7fec)
http://www.bubbahotep.com/miniposter.html
Mini-poster measures 11" X 17" $5.00 USD + $3.05 for shipping rolled in a tube (additional posters $0.50 each)
also 'full-size' posters with different design available on the official site too.
Excellent.
Thanks.
I like the DVD cover much better than the theatrical.
Finally saw the movie last night. I revelled in the camp of it. I enjoyed mostly every second of Campbell's Presley or Haff and thought the flashbacks were handled very well. The multitude of establishing shots started to annoy me, and the movie really needed an ambient sountrack, but all in all I had a good time.
My wife, however, didn't. I was pretty surprised she didn't see any good quality about the movie. She's a fan of the Evil Dead series and even read If Chins Could Kill before I did--so it's not the Campbell factor. She just couldn't accept the movie as campy fun, I guess.
Anyway, I'll be getting the DVD for the "Elvis" comentary among other things.
Oh, man, if you only knew...
I AM SO THERE!!!
Ah, now I see why this movie didn't get any kind of release... ugh, so disappointing, and what a sloppy mess of a movie. Yeah, it's amusing to see Bruce as 'the King,' but that's about as much praise I could give. I hope the dvd gets cleaned up from the version I saw (a rental screener), because it just looks like shit-- especially those nights scenes-- and is barely on par with 16mm student films. Yeah, I know they only had half a mil, but so what? If you have a weak, clumsy screenplay-- good cinematography or not-- the movie ain't gonna work. My gripes are far too many (bug effects, clumsy intros, abrupt tone shifts, no arcs, too many fucking flash cuts for no reason) for any kind of recommendation. For Bruce fanatics only.
SPOILERS BELOW... swipe
And um, what the fuck is up with the way Bubba is disposed of? So, he's set on fire once, lives, then they set him on fire again, he falls in a creek (wouldn't that be a good thing), and THEN he dies? Sheesh!
your robotic movie-reviewing auto-reactions don't allow you to enjoy this film.
Your Campbell-geek-love is blinding you.
I've gone without seeing plenty of his films.
If anything, it would be Coscarelli-geek-love. If you got B-flicks like this, you would know that.
Well, I'm of the camp that doesn't like Phantasm (b/c it doesn't even make sense to me), so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.
DVD Review (http://www.dvdfile.com/software/review/dvd-video_8/bubbahotep.html)
Saw it on DVD. Disappointing.
Overall, I enjoyed the campiness of the film, but it is a one-joke premise and the explanation of the ho-tep is all laid out with spoken exposition, rather than it being shown. And I kinda wanted more horror because the set-up of the Lynchian empty corridors and flickering lights was excellent. But it, in a way, is a nice love letter to Elvis; I felt sympathy for him when he reflected on missing Prescilla and Lisa Marie. Campbell and Davis were hilarious, and there are some great one-liners.
Finally watched this last night. It was pretty funny, and Ossie Davis was great. The shot of Elvis and JFK walking (JFK in wheelchair) down the hall was hilarious. It's probably not something I will watch many times, but it was a fun strange film.
SPOILER
The trailer exploding was freaking awesome.
Quote from: RaviFinally watched this last night. It was pretty funny, and Ossie Davis was great. The shot of Elvis and JFK walking (JFK in wheelchair) down the hall was hilarious.
Hilarious, but also touching, to me. Having dealt with grandparents, and lately parents, getting old, I thought this movie was brilliant in how it made getting old funny, and at the same time critiqued those who would dismiss the old just for being old.
2LB
Quote from: XixaxI've been a fan of the Phantasm series since I was a youngster. The Tall Man and Reggie and Mike all just fascinate me. Even the sequels, which most would consider cornball, all have a special place in my heart. I guess I'm sentimental. Phantasm was the first "R" rated movie that by big brother ever snuck me in to. I think I was about 13 at the time, and you can imagine how cool a guts and gore movie like that would be to a middle schooler.
'Phantasm' in New Line's airspace New Line Cinema is in final negotiations with filmmaker Don Coscarelli to bring the cult horror film "Phantasm" back to the big screen. The first "Phantasm," which Coscarelli wrote and directed, was released in 1979. It told the story of a young boy named Mike and his friends, who face off against a mysterious grave robber known as the Tall Man and his killer flying spheres. The film spawned three sequels, all of which were made by Coscarelli. Coscarelli would act as producer on the new version, in which the Tall Man travels from town to town turning the dead into his own army and using his deadly spheres against anyone who opposes him. Mike, who is developing psychic powers, and his brother try to stop him. The movie is being developed as a relaunch and as a possible trilogy about Mike's coming of age.
Coscarelli said three elements made the franchise stand out in the horror field: the Tall Man, played by Angus Scrimm, the spheres and the setting.
"One thing that caused nightmares is that 'Phantasm' dealt with a reality that we as a society don't like to talk about, and that's death. The goings-on in a mortuary is not something that is really explored much, and I think the movies tapped into people's fears."
Back in New Line's early days, company founder Bob Shaye made an unsuccessful bid for "Phantasm," which ultimately was released by Avco Embassy.
Said Coscarelli, "I'm thrilled to have this opportunity to introduce a new generation to the saga, and I'm happy that (New Line executive) Jeff Katz, who was very aggressive, and New Line are intent on staying true to the original spirit of the movies."
Katz championed the project at the company through a courting and negotiation process that took more than a year and a half.
Coscarelli also co-wrote and directed 1982's "The Beastmaster" and wrote and directed "Bubba Ho-tep" (2002), which starred Bruce Campbell and the late Ossie Davis as nursing-home residents Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy, battling a mummy.
Anchor Bay will release his 1976 feature "Kenny & Company" on DVD in the summer.
oh, is it a relaunch? remake remake fucking remake....
Bubba Ho-2: Undead Boogaloo
Genre demi-god Don Coscarelli, director of one Beastmaster, four Phantasms, and one particularly popular episode of Masters of Horror, has been dropping hopeful little hints about a sequel to his cult fave Bubba Ho-tep for quite some time, but a few of the astute horror sites now bring word that Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires may become a reality more sooner than later.
Of course it's a given that Bruce Campbell will return to play Elvis Presley (you really have to seen Bubba Ho-tep for any of this to make sense), but BD.com just caught wind of a rather colorful little rumor: Could Paul Giamatti be lined up to play Col. Parker in Bubba 2? I'm sure stranger things have happened in the realm of cult horror sequeldom.
Not much regarding BH-t: CotS-V is set in stone just yet; Mr. Coscarelli has his script finished and cast a few lines in the water, but as far as funding, casting, and all that important stuff are concerned, we're still waiting for the good news. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and rent Bubba Ho-tep. Based on a wonderfully offbeat story by Joe Lansdale, it's a flick that (somehow) wedges chills, giggles, wit, and warmth into one irresistible little B-movie.
'Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires' Shooting Soon?!
Source: Bloody Disgusting
On the Creation Entertainment website for next summer's Fangoria Weekend of Horrors in Burbank, CA, they wrote a really interesting blurb towards the bottom, "Bruce Campbell had to cancel his appearance as his film 'Bubba Hotep II' will be shooting during the convention." We ran into Writer/Director Don Coscarelli last week who is still referring to the film as Bubba Nosferatu: Curse of the She-Vampires. More news as it comes in, we're looking into this matter as we speak. In Bubba Ho-tep, Elvis and JFK, both alive and in nursing homes, fight for the souls of their fellow residents as they battle an ancient Egyptian Mummy.
Source: MTV
One of the more intriguing cult movie explosions of the past few years has to be "Bubba Ho-Tep," the 2002 horror/comedy that put Elvis and JFK in a nursing home fighting a mummy and has made far more of a splash on DVD than it ever did in the theaters. Now Paul Giamatti is hoping to join Bruce Campbell for a prequel entitled "Bubba Nosferatu and the Curse of the She-Vampires," in which Gimatti would play Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, to Campbell's King. "Hopefully that will happen," the "Illusionist" star told MTV News this week, explaining that the pre-production process is still trying to get off the ground.
MGM has announced a Bubba Ho-Tep: Limited Edition for release on 8/7 (SRP $22.98), which will include commentary by director Don Coscarelli and star Bruce Campbell, a separate commentary by "The King" himself, author Joe R. Lansdale reading from his own short story, deleted scenes with optional commentary, an animated photo gallery and production featurettes, all presented in special "jumpsuit" packaging.
Quote from: MacGuffin on June 26, 2007, 01:46:22 PM
MGM has announced a Bubba Ho-Tep: Limited Edition for release on 8/7 (SRP $22.98), which will include commentary by director Don Coscarelli and star Bruce Campbell, a separate commentary by "The King" himself, author Joe R. Lansdale reading from his own short story, deleted scenes with optional commentary, an animated photo gallery and production featurettes, all presented in special "jumpsuit" packaging.
Other than the packaging, all the extras listed seem to be included on the present edition.
Interesting note - I am related to the author of the story that is the basis of the film. Another of his short stories was made into an episode of Masters of Horror. I don't believe Bubba 2 is based on anything he wrote, just using the characters.
Bubba Nosferatu Gets Giamatti, Waiting for Campbell
Prequel production nearly underway.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
In the "things that sound awesome but can't possibly be true" department, Paul Giamatti is listed in the cast of Bubba Nosferatu. The prequel to Bubba Ho-Tep would have Bruce Campbell's Elvis Presley battle vampires. But come on, acclaimed thespian Paul Giamatti would never do a low budget camp movie, right?
"I would really like to do that," Giamatti revealed. "Did you ever see Bubba Ho-Tep? Great movie. And that director [Don Coscarelli], I love that guy's movies. All the Phantasm movies and stuff. But we are trying to do it."
A commitment like that should be money in the bank for Coscarelli, but it turns out B-movie legend Bruce Campbell himself may be the hold up.
"Bruce Campbell was waffling around about whether he wants to play Elvis or not again. So that's the problem, Giamatti says, "I'm playing Colonel Parker, which will be great, but you gotta have Elvis and you really want him playing Elvis, so hopefully we can get him to do it. If not, I'm sure they will try and find somebody else but I think it's contingent on whether he'll do it or not. It's a great script, a completely insane script. I would love to do that because I love [Bubba Ho-Tep]. It's a great movie."
Bruce Campbell nixes BUBBA HO-TEP sequel
Source: Fangoria
Genre fave Bruce Campbell dropped a bombshell on FANGORIA RADIO listeners the other night: The actor has turned down appearing in BUBBA NOSFERATU, the long-mooted sequel/prequel to his and director Don (PHANTASM) Coscarelli's 2002 sleeper hit BUBBA HO-TEP. You read that right: The EVIL DEAD actor won't be growing out his sideburns and donning the white jumpsuit again to play the geriatric Elvis Presley for the follow-up. The reason, Campbell said, had to do with the screenplay by Coscarelli and co-scripter Stephen Romano, which features Elvis, both in the past and present, battling a clan of Las Vegas vampires and dealing with the machinations of his duplicitous manager, Colonel Tom Parker (to be played by Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti, a big Coscarelli/Campbell fan).
"[BUBBA NOSFERATU] is dead to me," Campbell said flatly. "It sleeps with the fishes. Don Coscarelli is a very passionate filmmaker. We got to a few points [developing the screenplay] that we couldn't reconcile. I want to keep our friendship, so we parted ways. So I'm not part of that project."
So will BUBBA NOSFERATU move forward without Campbell? Coscarelli told Fango that he is considering recasting the film with another actor whom the fans would embrace, but he admits that it will be a tall order to fill Campbell's shoes. Campbell, meanwhile, commented on another sequel that genre buffs got excited about a few years back, the proposed FREDDY VS. JASON. VS. ASH movie that former New Line exec Jeff Katz pushed for. The major mashup never happened, Campbell said, because "it blows! You really think Ash would be allowed to kill Freddy and Jason off? We [including EVIL DEAD creator Sam Raimi] didn't have any control on the project, New Line did, so there was no reason to do it."
FREDDY VS. JASON. VS. ASH has since been reborn as an upcoming comics miniseries from Wildstorm. As far as a fourth EVIL DEAD movie is concerned, Campbell added, "Raimi still talks about it, but he's in no rush to do it with everything else he has going on. Sam jokes, 'Maybe we can do another EVIL DEAD when we're 70.' "
The squared-jawed horror star also put the kibosh on the EVIL DEAD remake reports. "The feedback from the fans was 90 percent negative," Campbell noted of the once-announced redux. "It's going nowhere. The remake has fizzled fast at Sam's company."
This is a campy film, to the max. It has anything and everything that one would love about such a film. I've seen it over seven times and it never gets old.