Vanessa's Hopefully Weekly, Very Opinionated Media Reviews

As I am going back to school and fencing within the next week, I decided that I needed a new feature in my blog, to give me incentive to post things. Thus, I have decided to review things. We start with a movie. Who knows what'll come next. I've also put together a quick website to host previous reviews in one spot. You'll see the new link to the left.

If you have not seen Bubba Ho-Tep, then I recommend most strongly that you do. You might not think it's your cup of tea. After all, the premise of the film is a little out there. An aging Elvis Presley, played by Bruce Campbell, battles an ancient Egyptian, soul-sucking mummy, aided and abetted by JFK, played by Ossie Davis. I can't begin to count the number of things wrong with that sentence. And yet, it is by far one of the best movies I've seen this year. Because it's not a horror film, and it's not a comedy, and it certainly isn't a drama. It simply defies definition. Despite the surreal subject matter, there is a sweetness and sadness that transcends and even legitimizes the story. I reached a point where I believed every detail in context, which is a rare thing for a movie with so many unbelievable details.

For a low-budget independant film, the cinematography is excellent. Some of the night scenes began to blur, especially when the action ramped up, but perhaps that was deliberate. Bruce Campbell was wonderful as Elvis, and Ossie Davis pulled off JFK with far more success than you might think at first glance. Their supporting cast was also excellent.

I can say little more without giving away too much. I must simply repeat my earlier recommendation that you all see this movie soon.