Our favorite scary move, hands down, is the excellent Bubba Ho-Tep. The premise is simple: late in his career, Elvis arranged to swap places with an impersonator in order to escape the circus his life had become; his intention was to swap back, but before that could happen, the impersonator expired on the royal throne at Graceland, and the authentic E.A.P. (an excellent Bruce Campbell) was stuck as the impersonator, eventually ending up in a rural Texas old folks’ home where his best friend (played by Ossie Davis) is convinced he’s actually JFK.

And that’s when the mummy attacks start.

Yes, it sounds ridiculous and silly. But trust me: they completely pull it off with the right blend of horror and comedy plus an unexpectedly graceful touch on the existential angst of aging. Highly recommended. (And previously discussed here (10/2003) and here (12/2003).)

There’s a follow-up coming, which is sadly bereft of Campbell, but perhaps Perlman can pull it off.