BUBBA HO-TEP

TICKETS for BUBBA HO-TEP at 518 Val Sun Feb 11, 930 HERE

Director Don Coscarelli – 2001 USA 92 min – IndieFest 2003 program note:

Our incredible Closing Night Gala is Don (Phantasm) Coscarelli’s hilarious ass-kicking tribute to the King of Rock n Roll. It’s also Bruce (Evil Dead) Campbell’s first starring role since Army of Darkness.What if Elvis was still alive? What if he secretly switched identities with one of his many impersonators to escape the trials and tribulations of superstardom? What if he didn’t really die on a toilet, but lived a long (and reasonably) happy life in a trailer park, eking out a meager living portraying himself? Where would he be now?

Apparently he’d be lying flat on his back worrying about his penis, and waiting for the inevitable at the Shady Rest Convalescent Home in Mud Creek, Texas. Thankfully, he has a friend and confidante, the wheelchair-bound John F. Kennedy. Complicating matters, the home has a serious problem with giant scarab beetles, and an Egyptian mummy that prowls the halls late at night performing indiginties on the hapless residents. Will our two geriatric heroes be able to end this ancient reign of terror?

With the truly inspired casting of Bruce Campbell as Elvis and Ossie (Do the Right Thing) Davis as Jack Kennedy, Coscarelli has created an unfogettable, genre bending and affectionate charachter studio of two iconic sympbols of America. Bubba Ho-Tep allows the pair to reach old age (somewhat) gracefully. Thank you; thank you very much. – Bruce Fletcher, SF IndieFest

Year Five: Feb 6-16, 2003

Venues: Castro, Roxie, Studio Z, Galaxy, Expression Center

Features: 39  Shorts: 51  Parties: 5  Bands: 3 Total Films: 90  Total Films To Date: 317. 

With: Jeff Ross, Bruce Fletcher, Tod Booth, Molli Simon, Alicia Perre-Dowd, Phillip Walker, Patricia Moran.

Sponsors: Bay Guardian, Sierra Nevada, Landmark Theaters, Phoenix Hotel, SF Bicycle Coalition, Kitchen Sink Magazine, La Mediterranee, Argus Design, Redrum, AIVF, KUSF, SF Late Night Coalition, Expression Center for New Media, Hotel Bijou, Lost Weekend Video, Rainbow Grocery, Makers Mark, Academy of Art, 21st Amendment, cfq.com, NAATA, Commodore Hotel

NOTES: Some films with movie stars (for example the opening night film SPUN features Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizano, Mena Suvari, Brittany Murphy, Eric Roberts, Debby Harry, Rob Halford and Billy Corgan). The second weekend is all horror films, leading to the launch of Another Hole in the Head film festival in 2004. Bruce Campbell parties with us at Jezebel’s Joint. Back page of guide featured a mad libs game about indie film. IndieFest launches short-lived microcinema series at Jezebels.