Why So Blu?

Bubba Ho-Tep – Collector’s Edition (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Scream Factory is continuing to make a sweep of updating its former Blu-ray Collector’s Editions to 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray. Next up for them is the Don Coscarelli cult classic Bubba Ho-Tep that stars Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis as an aged Elvis and man than thinks he’s JFK in a retirement home being attacked by an ancient mummy. All of the previous Collector’s Edition’s bonus materials are being carried over as well as the audio. You’ll be able to pick this one up on February 7th. You can order yourself one or buy the coolest gift for a loved one, by pre-ordering a copy using the paid Amazon Associates link that follows the review.

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Film

Original published on 10/28/2016

Elvis Presley is still alive, now in his late sixties, but confined to a rest home in Texas. Here, he recounts how he escaped fame with the help of an impersonater–now left to wonder what could have been, all while trying to battle the “soul-sucking” mummy, Bubba Ho-tep, who enters the rest home at night and consumes souls.

It sounded like the weirdest damn movie.  Two guys in a senior home think they are the surviving Elvis and John F Kennedy must do battle with an ancient mummy who has risen up and is sucking the life from their fellow residents.  It starred Bruce Campbell as Elvis…ok.  And Ossie Davis as JFK…wait, WHAT?  This silly movie was something I was going to get my hands on, but what surprised the most…it became even more anticipated when it started being showered in a lots of positive reviews and big buzz.

The film is pretty damn hilarious.  Campbell and Davis prove to be a powerhouse combo.  Both their comraderie and shared lunacy really drive this thing home and make for such a geeky and charming adventure.  Its so charming, that when the film comes toward its conclusion in the final act, things get actually kind of emotional with their fate.  Its such a stupid and silly concept, and you can’t believe you’re having this kind of attached reaction to the thing. That’s pretty impressive and something that should be accredited to everyone across the board (acting, directing, screenwriting).

We all love Bruce Campbell as Ashley Williams in the Evil Dead movies. Its an iconic, legendary role that he doesn’t have a career without.  However, his Elvis performance might be his overall best.  Its a sort of criss-cross of Bruce and the King that just prevails and makes him such a bankable rock God.  This performance is so well done, that I air on the side that he actually IS the real Elvis and not some impersonator that got messed in the head and believes him to be the real deal.

I’m happy to report, that while I haven’t seen it in a long time, Bubba Ho-Tep still prevails.  It was a fun trip back to the nursing home.  I even was getting a kick out of some stuff I had forgotten was here, like the little side role from Daniel Roebuck that kept me chuckling.  And Bubba Ho-Tep himself, still a really groovy movie monster that looks plenty awesome.  I’m glad to see it here in the Scream Factory collection and in Collector’s Edition form, no doubt.  Such a fun, silly, wild, weird and charming film.

Video

Disclaimer: Screen captures used in the review are from the standard Blu-ray, not from the 4K UHD Blu-ray disc.

Encoding: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Layers: BD-66

Clarity/Detail: Bubba Ho-Tep jumps onto the modern format with a new 4K scan from the original negative. This new image really brings a more rich picture with bolder colors to display while also showcasing much finer details and added depth. Its a crisp image and one that really does feel like a nice upgrade over the previous standard Blu-ray.

Depth:  Depth of field is rock solid, with some nice pushback and spacious looking interiors being on display. Movements are filmic and natural with no issues arising form any sort of blur or jitter from rapid camera or actor shifts.

Black Levels: Blacks are deep and natural, really giving the film a nice look to it, and showcasing some very nice dark, nighttime sequences while also bringing out some colors more. No crushing witnessed.

Color Reproduction: Colors are pretty rich and bold here in this 4K transfer, which feels like one of the best touches of improvement. There’s a nice contrast with lights, flames and more that get a healthy HDR glow.

Flesh Tones: Skin tones are natural and consistent start to finish of the film. Facial features and textures are impressively clear as day with plenty of freckles, wrinkles, moles, make-up brush strokes, sweat, and stubble showing through with ease.

Noise/Artifacts:  Clean

Audio

Audio Format(s): English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English 2.0 DTS-HD MA

Subtitles: English SDH

Dynamics:  Bubba Ho-Tep debuts on Blu-ray with a very solid, above average 5.1 mix.  Its not too intricate of one, but it gets the job done and does have some fun.  There is a nice balance in this mix with a good weaving of the score, dialogue vocals and sound effects, letting them all have their time to shine while never having them mesh or stumble over one another.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension:  The subwoofer gets to have fun in some mummified battles, rolling with some fire and having a couple punches and crashes pounce. Its biggest involvements comes from the score.

Surround Sound Presentation:  This mix proves to be a front heavy one.  Rear speakers aren’t given much to do outside of ambiance and complimenting the score.  Front speakers have a nice heavy presence with accurate depictions of motion and placement of characters/action.

Dialogue Reproduction:  Dialogue is clean and clear.  All diction well accounted for, volume is set to a perfect, ideal level.

Extras

Bubba Ho-Tep Collector’s Edition is s 2-Disc set that contains the standard Blu-ray edition. All extras are found on that standard Blu-ray disc.

Audio Commentary

• With Writer Joe R. Lansdale
• By Director Don Coscarelli and Bruce Campbell
• By “The King”

The King Lives! (HD, 22:01) – Interview with Bruce Campbell.  Bruce is very open about his thoughts on picking small independent films. He discusses how weird the film was and how great working with Ossie Davis proved to be.  He wonders if Priscilla or Lisa Marie ever watched the film and what their thoughts would be.  The sequel and what happened or didn’t happen is touched upon as well.

All Is Well (HD, 24:02) – Interview with Don Coscarelli.  The director talks about his process on making the film and mirrors some of what Bruce Campbell talked about.  He also gives his take and point of view on what happened or may happen with the sequel.

Mummies and Makeup (HD, 8:56) – Interview with Robert Kurtzman.  The legendary KNB founder goes over his work and input on the film.

Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary By Don Coscarelli and Bruce Campbell (HD, 3:16)

Footage From The Temple Room Floor (HD, 2:09) – Seen as quick flashes in the film, this an Egyptian sequence of how Bubba Ho-Tep came to be.

The Making Of Bubba Ho-Tep (HD, 23:34) – An archival making of from the original DVD release.

To Make A Mummy (HD, 5:02) – A featurette on the make-up and special effects from the original DVD.

Fit For A King (HD, 6:46) – Archival featurette that goes over the wardrobe for Elvis in the film.

Rock Like An Egyptian (HD, 12:42) – Featurette about the music of Bubba Ho-Tep (From the original DVD).

Joe R. Lansdale Reads From Bubba Ho-Tep (HD, 7:58) – The writer of the film reads some of his passages.

Archival Bruce Campbell Interviews (HD, 34:41)

Music Video (HD, 2:19)

Photo Gallery (HD, 4:17)

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:16)

TV Spot (HD, :32)

Summary

Pure and simple, Scream Factory’s 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray debut of Bubba Ho-Tep is a video upgrade of their previous Collector’s Edition release. The discs carry over the audio and extras we previously had from that impressive release. And understandably, there’s not a whole lot to add. Video transfer-wise, it does find itself in a nice uptick from what came before, so it did the job it came to do. The hardest of the hardcore want the best available, though some may be on the fence or wait away or for a sale before upgrading if they already have the previous edition.

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