2. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
Though the nature of the horror-comedy subgenre seems to attract bizarre premises, there are few premises as weird as Bubba Ho-Tep‘s. Based on the novella of the same name by Joe R. Lansdale, Bubba Ho-Tep sounds truly insane when its premise is boiled down to its constituent parts. For starters, its main characters are Elvis Presley and Black John F. Kennedy living out their golden years in a retirement home.
Bruce Campbell stars as Elvis Presley, who through an unfortunate turn of events is unable to prove his identity and is living out his final years in obscurity. One of his only friends is a man, Jack (Ossie Davis), who insists he is John F. Kennedy despite being Black. According to Jack, he was patched up after the assassination attempt, “dyed” Black, and then abandoned.
As if that wasn’t strange enough, Elvis and Jack are then set upon by a re-animated ancient Egyptian mummy dressed as a cowboy. Critical consensus upon its release was lukewarm at best, but the insanity of its premise was enough to ensure an audience. Bubba Ho-Tep is one of the most ludicrously imaginative horror movies ever made, and it’s worth watching by merit of its ridiculous premise alone.