Bruce Campbell is a Media God

I have followed the illustrious career of Bruce Campbell for many a year, becoming an instant fan the moment I heard the line "This is my Boomstick!" in the horror classic The Evil Dead. There has always been something oddly admirable about this B-movie actor turned legitimate (OK, maybe a bit of a stretch) star of television (Burn Notice) and film (Bubba Ho Tep, the Evil Dead Series). Perhaps it is his Jim Carrey-esque quips (that pre-dated Jim Carrey I might add), or that impossibly square jaw of his. Whatever the reason, I have always found watching Bruce Campbell one of life's better "Guilty Pleasures". (Not THAT kind of Guilty Pleasure, who do you think I am? Jedi Kez? This is a platonic blog post, so keep your minds clean folks!).

So in honor of The Man They Call Bruce, I give you a short retrospective of a few of the high points in this unique actor's stellar career.

Though many people think that Bruce Campbell's career began with Sam Raimi's instant horror camp classic - The Evil Dead, few know that his first role on films was as the supporting character Kreon in Josh Becker's 1972 rendition of Oedipus Rex. Of course, there is apparently a good reason why few remember this film as it is widely considered one of the most incohesive retellings of Sophocles' moral play about a son's desire for his own mother and the resulting patricide that results. But on to happier tales we must go.

Evil Dead

This is where the fun really begins, when Bruce chops off his own hand as Ash Williams, learns of the Necromonicon and becomes the reluctant wisecracking hero that we have all come to love. It was only a matter of time and good fortune until we got to see Ash return to that rundown cabin in the woods, with revenge on his mind and soon enough, a chainsaw on his arm.

Evil Dead 2 - Dead by Dawn

In this second installment of the series, Ash comes into his own, losing some of the uncertainty that he displays in his first round with the Evil "Un"Dead released by the Necronomicon. Hell, even mainstream movie critics such as Roger Ebert were starting to warm up to our man Bruce, giving this film 3 stars. We can only guess what Siskel's acidic response to such a rating was.

Army of Darkness - aka Evil Dead 3

Now this is the pinnacle of the Evil Dead Series to some, and its downfall to others. Though I do own all three films on various forms of media (VHS, DVD and the HD-DVD version pictured above), I thought it was apropos to show the HD-DVD copy here. Because just as the Army of Darkness rekindled the Evil Dead series for a whole new generation of Ash-worshippers, HD-DVD brought the story into the Hi-def age of video. Too bad that Toshiba could not slay the horror that is Sony and Blue Ray. Anyone want to buy a HD-DVD player? Cheap? Always remember what Ash says "Shop smart, shop S-Mart!".

Now many people think that this is where Ash's story ends, with the conclusion of the Army of Darkness film. But much like Bruce's varied career & the undead villains he slays in his films, this thing just won't die. I present to you the following as evidence to the unstoppable nature of this franchise.

Fistful of Boomstick - The Video Game

On the heels of the cult following that the Evil Dead movies encouraged, THQ games released this video game for the PS2 in 2000. Being a collector of classic gaming consoles (I have 17 consoles dating back to the Atari 400 "computer"), I had to pick this title up when I saw it at my local Gamestop earlier this year. This game simply rocks. Playing as Ash, you get to rampage through various levels kicking ass with your trusty "Boomstick" shotty in one hand and a chainsaw in the other, in search of the Necronomicon. This game represents the gaming ancestry of modern titles such as Gears of War. Though I have no idea if Cliffy B. & Co. ever played this game, or even know of its existence, the parallels cannot be overlooked. If you are a fan of Bruce, still have a PS2 laying around and can find this game, pick it up!

Evil Dead - The Musical

That's right, not only is Bruce Campbell an extraordinary actor, but he also sings! (Not really, Bruce is nowhere to be found in this play). With songs like "What the F*&k Was That!", "Boomstick" & "Blew That Bitch Away!", how can you go wrong? Never had the pleasure of hearing this masterpiece of the stage (update: Contrary to my original post, apparently this play did make it to a stage VERY off-Broadway)? You are in luck my friend, because you can still purchase this priceless piece of "Brucestory" via I-tunes for only $12.99. Remember - Shop Smart!

And it just keeps getting better. Because there may just be an Evil Dead IV in our future! Check out this interview with our man Bruce on Spill.com from back in August of last year for a few teasers about a possible new project in the series - http://my.spill.com/profiles/blogs/947994:BlogPost:508159 .

Bubba Ho Tep

Now my first thought when I first heard about Bubba Ho Tep was simply "How in the world did they talk Ossie Davis into doing this flick?" The story line for this movie is completely incomprehensible (and that is saying a lot coming from the foundation of the Evil Dead Series). Basically, Bruce plays "The King" Elvis, who has retired from stardom in a backwoods nursing home somewhere in the Louisiana bayous to live out his days in peace. Ossie Davis plays former president John F. Kennedy (no shit) who has undergone a CIA enforced "skin transplant" to hide his identity from the world. Together, they must battle the evil undead (theme here?) mummy Ho-tep, who spends his nights feasting on the souls of blue-haired post-retirees at the nursing home. How did an Egyptian Mummy find its way to the Louisiana bayous? I will let you watch the film (if you have not already) to find out this important plot point. All in all, Bubba Ho Tep is a bit disappointing, though there is a high point in the flick when our misplaced mummy writes a little graffiti slur (in ancient Phoenician of course) about Cleopatra on a bathroom stall. It seems that even undead demigods can't resist diddling a little something while they wait around for the next, er, development to drop.

Burn Notice - aka Bruce Tries Out TV

At first I was a bit dubious about this new series on the USA Network, but when I saw that Gabrielle Anwar was going to be in it, well, that was enough for me. Playing a semi-retired CIA operative named Sam Axe (yet another ode to the Evil Dead Legend), Bruce trades witty snippets with his co-stars while trying to bed as many ladies as he can and eat as much of the show's protagonist, Michael Westin's (played by Jeffrey Donovan of Hitch fame), food as possible. This show is smart and frequently nods its head to Bruce's past with little easter egg plot points that only real fans of the actor will pick up. I highly recommend checking this one out - good show.

My Name is Bruce - Bruce Campbell Comes Full Circle

It was inevitable that an actor who has spent so much time filming movies that mock many of the traits of classic horror film culture would end up doing a parody of himself. In My Name is Bruce, our star plays much-envisioned version of himself - an out of work B-movie actor trying to make ends meet. He comes across a small town in Oregon where the residents mistake Bruce for his alter ego Ash from the Evil Dead movies. As it turns out, they have a local undead monster that needs to on the receiving end of some Ass Whooping and they enlist Bruce Campbell, acting in the role of Ash, to kill the beast. This movie has so many self-referencing moments that it is a complete geek-fest for any fan of the Evil Dead Series. This is definitely a "Must-Watch" movie for the true Bruce Campbell Fan.

So let's all celebrate the existence of this Global Movie Icon with a hearty "This is my boomstick!" the next time we take a stroll through the aisles at Wal-Mart. And keep an eye on that girl behind the cash register, she don't look quite right.