[This is a very difficult post for me to write. Not only am I a Bruce Campbell fan, I am also reading Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends & Influence People, which instructs me not to criticize, although, officially, I have not yet accepted Carnegie’s doctrine. What’s more, I consider Bruce Campbell to be very close to me. I used to be on the Burt & Kurt morning radio show. Burt Weirich of Burt & Kurt infamy was an extra in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! Bruce Ca
mpbell appeared in a movie called Toro. Toro. Toro! So, as you can see, we’re practically blood brothers, he and I. Nevertheless, as a fan of ‘The Chin,’ I am obligated to offer this post for constructive purposes. With those justifications out of the way…]My Name is Bruce is the latest offering from Mr. Campbell, outside of his costarring role in Burn Notice on some not-quite-primetime, not-quite-cable network. My Name... follows the misadventures of a fictionalized B-movie star Bruce Campbell as he is kidnapped by fans to defend their town from a Chinese demon and protector of bean curd. Pretty standard B-movie stuff, really. What sets this movie apart from others like it is its abject failure to meet expectations. On that note I accept all blame.
And for Mr. Campbell, my blood-brother, who continues to try to direct himself: Peanut butter and jelly are both great, but not in the same jar. I don’t really know what that means, but I’ll bet you can make it a pretty cool line in your next movie.
I’ve been a fan of Campbell’s for as long as I will admit here. Evil Dead was a ground breaking film, if not performance. Army of Darkness is a trans-generational favorite in my family. And as for the ‘Elvis’ movie? Well, to steal a line from My Name is Bruce: “Everyone liked Bubba Ho-Tep.” Everyone except my wife. But she loved The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
With Man with the Screaming Brain I learned something: Bruce can act, and he might be able to direct, but he can’t do both at the same time. Kinda like chewing gum and PoliGripping dentures. He might’ve gotten away with it on the Xena series, and some other instances I’m equally unfamiliar with, but he really can’t pull it off with his movies. It’s as if he gets so caught up in doing a great directing job and a superb job of being Bruce Campbell that he misses the fact that the product he’s putting together is crap. It could happen to anyone trying to direct 
themselves, but it seems to happen more consistently with him. And I should have noticed that he is both the star and the director of My Name is Bruce.
themselves, but it seems to happen more consistently with him. And I should have noticed that he is both the star and the director of My Name is Bruce.Don’t get me wrong: the movie does have its moments. But they are too far and few between. There are the usual group of misfits to recognize in the crowds (both his brother and nephew are killed in the film), the hard-core fan gets to see part of the Campbell estate, the demon mask is pretty nifty, and there are some credibly good lines: “Consider yourself officially exempt from my wrath, sweetcakes. And if you're lucky, a little later I'll let you play with my boomstic
k.” In the end all of these are wasted in this film. Like putting Grey Poupon on a Slim Jim. Even the bonus features were hum-drum. (This strengthens my argument that all Bruce Campbell films should include a full length commentary by Elvis.)
k.” In the end all of these are wasted in this film. Like putting Grey Poupon on a Slim Jim. Even the bonus features were hum-drum. (This strengthens my argument that all Bruce Campbell films should include a full length commentary by Elvis.)So, to the would-be fan: give this movie a miss. Start off with Army of Darkness, Bubba Ho-Tep, or even Cave Alien 3.
To the established Campbellite: My Name… was so bad that I actually threw my back out just watching it. Not laughing, not chuckling, not even throwing things at the television. Just sitting there watching it. I think it may be a result of some impacted B-movie matter. Instead, check out They Call Me Bruce? It’s good, even if Ted Raimi isn’t in it.
And for Mr. Campbell, my blood-brother, who continues to try to direct himself: Peanut butter and jelly are both great, but not in the same jar. I don’t really know what that means, but I’ll bet you can make it a pretty cool line in your next movie. 
I must agree with your summation of this movie. It is NOT his best work. The script was bad, the acting worse. The actor behind the Chinese mask “Guan-Di” had the best role, as his face will never have to be associated with this film and he can always change his name if it becomes too much of a blight on his record.
ReplyDeleteHAHA! Too true! The advantages of mask-wearing. You know, my biggest disappointment was that Campbell made too much of a character out of himself. I like the concept of the movie but I wonder if a different director would have insisted he play his part "straighter" and let the situation reveal the humor.
ReplyDeleteThis was the worst movie, but I endured and lived to see another day. However, you will be hard-pressed to get me to sit through another Bruce Campbell movie with you in the future. :-) I don't think he can redeem himself in my eyes....not even through re-runs of "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.", which I thoroughly enjoyed. He would have been better off cast as the bean curd, at least then someone would have been looking out for his best interest.
ReplyDelete