Film School Rejects » Bruce Campbell

Exclusive: Meet the Real Bruce Campbell in Columbus, Ohio

Kevin Carr — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:33:37 +0000

Bruce Campbell loves his fans, no matter how off-the-wall they can be. During a recent interview with Film School Rejects, he explained why he loves them: because of their passion (and they pay his mortgage). Case in point, Campbell once met a guy who tattooed the entire poster of Army of Darkness on his back. “No one’s putting Risky Business on his back,” Campbell said proudly.

This month, Campbell is trekking across the heartland, meeting his fans and bringing them his latest directorial effort My Name Is Bruce. This a 22-city tour that will be coming to FSR’s virtual home in Columbus, Ohio on November 19, where he will be present for a Q&A session after the 7:45 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. screenings of the film.

Campbell first became involved with My Name Is Bruce when writer Mark Verheiden brought him the concept. The story follows an obsessed fan that kidnaps a rather pathetic Bruce Campbell the actor so he can defend their town from a killer demon.

“I thought it was a really fun idea, so I was all over it,” Campbell told Film School Rejects. He jumped into the writing and took on the role of director. Of course, Campbell drew from his real-life experiences (i.e., dealing with fans, not dealing with real demons) to add comedic moments.

“There are lines of dialogue that are verbatim from fans,” Campbell said. “There’s going to be some who’ll wet themselves.”

Still, Campbell ultimately appreciates his fans, and he recognizes that the ones who don’t quite know how to separate fiction from reality are in the minority. “For those people, you know, I’m happy to mess with them,” he said. “For those people who can’t make the distinction, they deserve to be confused because they’re already confused. For everybody else, we’ll get a chuckle.”

Campbell accepted his status as a cult movie icon years ago. “My fans are my clients. I’m never going to really insult them. I’ll dick with them in the movie because I interact with them, and I actually go to conventions, and I go meet these people,” he said. “I know how to mess with them. And I’m going to do just that. It’s an old Sam Raimi rule: The innocent must suffer.”

Much to the pleasure of his fan base, My Name Is Bruce is rated R, which is very apparent in the early scenes, which involve some brutal murders and a decapitation. Campbell, who is no stranger to splatter cinema, aimed for an R rating from the preproduction stage.

“There’s no such thing as a PG-13 horror movie,” he said. “I mean seriously, you show me a PG-13 horror movie, and I’ll show you a sell out.”

Campbell made his film R for his audience, his coveted fans, rather than the “safe” PG-13. “The reason [Hollywood does this] is so they can get $10 to $20 more million at the box office,” he said. “I don’t want it. I don’t need $10 to $20 million. I need, like $2 million. So as a result, I’m not going to make the movie for just anybody.”

With a little luck, My Name Is Bruce will be a hit among his fans, which might open the door for a sequel, the rumored My Name Is Still Bruce. “Well, we certainly joked about that, and we have the money for it,” Campbell admitted. “But we figure it might be a little disingenuous to start the sequel before the first one has ever made any money.”

Bruce Campbell is currently on tour, promoting his film My Name Is Bruce. Check out the tour dates here.

Exclusive: Bruce Campbell Tells Us How We Can Get Him in Our Movie

Kevin Carr — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:07:22 +0000

So you want Bruce Campbell in your film. You’ve spent many sleepless nights writing the script. You’ve scraped together a budget. And you’re ready to start casting. You think a name like Bruce Campbell is going to help your flick fly off the DVD shelves. Now all you have to do is get him on board.

Well, it might not be as easy as you think. While promoting his tour of My Name Is Bruce, the legendary Mr. Campbell took some time out to speak with Film School Rejects about his career, his favorite films and what it takes to land him in your picture.

Campbell directed My Name Is Bruce, which is current in the middle of a 22-city road tour. He’s spent time in front of the camera and behind it, and while many of his films are a ton of fun, Campbell insists on a professional set.

“If you’re have too much fun, you’re not really getting work done,” Campbell told Film School Rejects. “My theory is that you’re not making friends; you’re making movies. So I don’t really want people chit-chatting on my set. Just shut up, do your work, and do it fast. Because it’s a business, and we’ve got to get it done in a certain amount of time.”

After spending decades in productions that range from micro budgets (like the first Evil Dead) to $200 million blockbusters (like the Spider-Man flicks), Campbell has figured out what works best for him in movies. So, he shared with us his four rules he follows when he accepts a part…

The director must have experience: “I now have an official first-time director rule. That’s an official no.”
The movie can’t have “Zombie” in the title: “That’s an instant no.”
It also can’t have zombies in the movie: “Anything zombies is an immediate walk-away.”
The script must be special: “It has to be something that makes me nervous when I read it.”

If you’re wondering about Rule #4, you might want to check out Campbell’s list of top projects he’s worked on, which he also shared with us…

TV shows (like Burn Notice, Jack of All Trades and The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.)
Running Time: “A cool movei that’s underviewed, no really fully appreciated.”
The Evil Dead movies: “I have no ill will towards those movies at all. I have nothing but warm, fuzzy feelings.”
Bubba Ho-Tep: “This is a special little movie.”

Bruce Campbell is currently on tour, promoting his film My Name Is Bruce. Check out the tour dates here.

‘My Name is Bruce’ Could Be Coming to Your Neighborhood

Neil Miller — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:07:32 +0000

There are very few things that I share with the countless throngs of horror aficionados out there. An unhealthy obsession with all things Bruce Campbell though, is certainly one of them. The fact that I can’t stand anything by Eli Roth and can’t sit through any of the Saw movies is one thing, but don’t mistake that with me not being a huge fan of the Evil Dead trilogy. And like many of you, I am eagerly anticipating the release of My Name is Bruce, the comedy that stars Bruce Campbell as Bruce Campbell — it is the best possible scenario.

So you can imagine the joy that overwhelmed my heart when I saw a listing over at Fangoria for the My Name is Bruce nationwide tour. Thats right, Bruce Campbell is going on tour with his film, and he’s going to screen it for eager audiences in the cities listed below. Each screening will involve a special appearance by Bruce and a post-screening Q&A. For more about the film, just scroll down to see the trailer and poster.

Oct. 26: Austin, TX (Alamo Drafthouse)

Oct. 31 – Nov. 2: New York City (Sunshine Cinema)

Nov. 5: Philadelphia, PA

Nov. 7: Boston, MA

Nov. 9: Hartford, CT

Nov. 12: New Haven, CT

Nov. 14: Baltimore, MD

Nov. 15: Washington D.C.

Nov. 19: Columbus, OH

Nov. 20: Toledo, OH

Nov. 21 – 23: Detroit, MI

Nov. 28 – 30: Chicago, IL

Dec. 3: Madison, WI

Dec. 5 – 7: Minneapolis, MN

Dec. 12: Seattle, WA

Dec. 13 – 14: Portland, OR

Dec. 15: Medford, OR

Dec. 17: San Francisco, CA

Dec. 18: Berkeley, CA

Dec. 19 – 21: Los Angeles, CA

And for those who are not familiar with My Name is Bruce, here is some more information that you might find useful, like the official plot synopsis: My Name is Bruce is the story of the residents of Gold Lick, Oregon, who decide to kidnap Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell, who surely can help them defeat the evil monster (the Chinese God of War) that is terrorizing their small town. Unfortunately, the belligerent, boozed up B-movie actor Bruce Campbell has no skills, so their shot at salvation seems to amount to nothing more than a monumentally bad idea. Yet, there may be hope for Campbell yet–if only he can find the faith in himself that the Gold Lickers have found.

And the trailer:

And the film’s newly released poster:

Film School Rejects » Bruce Campbell

Exclusive: Meet the Real Bruce Campbell in Columbus, Ohio

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Exclusive: Bruce Campbell Tells Us How We Can Get Him in Our Movie

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