Bruce Campbell Movies
A self-described B-movie actor, Bruce Campbell can claim to have scaled the casualty-littered mountain of cult movie stardom. First attaining more notoriety than fame for his performance in Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1983), which he also executive produced, Campbell went on to star in that movie's two sequels and a number of other schlock-tastic films. He has also occasionally ventured into more reputable territory, thanks to such films as the Coen brothers' The Hudsucker Proxy (1994).Hailing from Royal Oak, MI, where he was born June 22, 1958, Campbell attended Western Michigan University. When he was only 21, he and two of his Detroit friends, Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, scraped together 350,000 dollars to make a low-budget horror film. The result, completed piecemeal over four years, was The Evil Dead, an exuberantly awful piece of filmmaking that featured Campbell as its demon-battling hero. The film first earned notoriety in England, and after being personally endorsed by author Stephen King when it was screened at Cannes, it was eventually released in the U.S. in 1983.
The Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn followed in 1987, and the third installment in the series, Army of Darkness, was released in 1992. Both were enthusiastically embraced by fans of the series and less so by critics, but one thing that impressed both groups was Campbell's work in both films, thanks in part to his uncanny ability to make it through an entire performance without blinking once.
In addition to the Evil Dead films, Campbell has acted in a number of other low-budget films, and, in the case of the Coens' The Hudsucker Proxy and a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in Fargo (1996), a handful of fairly respectable projects as well. He has also acted frequently on television, most notably in the weekly Western The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and Jack of all Trades. In 2001 Campbell made his literary debut with If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor. A humorously detailed account of his rise to B-movie stardom, If Chins Could Kill detailed, among other things, Campbell's uniquely diverse fanbase as well as his relationship with longtime friend and frequent collaborator Sam Raimi. When fans embraced the freewheeling semi-autobiography with more zeal than even Campbell himself may have anticipated, a succesful speaking tour was soon followed by a sophomore novel, the satirical Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way. A highly fictionalized look at what it may be like for Campbell to land a substantial role in a high-profile Hollywood production, Make Love the Bruce Campbell way found the sarcastic B-movie idol hobnobbing with co-star Richard Gere and offering directorial advice to veteran director Mike Nichols. Yet Campbell was hardly one to forget where his bread was truly buttered, and following his brief literary detour, it was time to head back to the big screen for a pair of memorable cameos in pal Raimi's Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, the longtime actor and emerging producer was finally ready to make his feature directorial debut with the outlandish sci-fi comedy The Man with the Screaming Brain. Despite helming the occasional Xena and Hewrcules episode, Campbell had yet to tackle feature films and when the opportunity arose to direct a script that he himself had written, everything just seemed to fall into place. Though the critics weren't so kind, fans were more than willing to indulge as their favorite film and television star finally got a chance to shine on his own. After voicing his most famous character in a pair of Evil Dead videogames, it was finally time for Campbell to return to the role of Ash on the big screen - albiet in a decidedly meta-manner - when he stepped into the role of an actor named Bruce Campbell who is mistaken for the demon-slayer that he played in the movies and forced to to battle with the legions of hell in the 2006 horror comedy They Call Me Bruce; a film that also afforded Campbell his sophomore feature directorial credit. That same year, Campbell would also team with May director Lucky McKee for the chilling horror film The Woods. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 1997
A love of the high-life leads an ex-cop and his wife, an ace chemist who specializes in explosives, to become daring bank robbers. The more they rob, the more money they seem to require, and their heists become increasingly larger and more dangerous. Meanwhile intrepid FBI agents methodically trail them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lori Loughlin, Bruce Campbell, (more)
- 1997
This 1997 remake of the '60s successful, sequel-spawning The Love Bug (the highest grossing film in the U.S. in 1969) includes a cameo by Dean Jones, star of the original Love Bug. Herbie, a 1963 VW Bug with personality, is saved from destruction by former race-car driver Hank Cooper (Bruce Campbell), who sees the car has special talents. Conceited Scotsman Simon Moore III (John Hannah) creates an evil vehicle named Horace the Hate Bug and sends it after Hank and his girlfriend, auto journalist Alex (Alexandra Wentworth). Clarence Williams III is seen as an eccentric garage owner, and Monkee Mickey Dolenz appears as a racing promoter. The remake first aired November 30, 1997 as part of ABC's Wonderful World of Disney series. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Campbell, John Hannah, (more)
- 1996
In the first episode of a two-part story, a retired Baltimore police officer named Rodzinski is found murdered near his wife's tombstone. Rodzinski's son Jake (Bruce Campbell), also a cop, begs Lewis (Clark Johnson) to conduct a personal investigation of the killing. When key evidence fails to materialize and suspected murderer Kenny Damon (Wendell Jordan) is acquitted, the embittered Jake decides to take the law into his own hands. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Belzer, Andre Braugher, (more)
- 1996
A treasure chest containing the most powerful weapon in the world has been stolen. The weapon is set to be auctioned off at a remote island fortress, prompting Xena (Lucy Lawless) to join forces with Autolycus (Bruce Campbell), the self-styled King of Thieves, to retrieve the weapon before any damage can be done. There's only two problems: The auctioneer has been mysteriously murdered -- and good old Autolycus can't be trusted as far as he can be thrown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
Escape from L.A. finds Kurt Russell once again in the role of Snake, which he played in the 1981 film, Escape from New York. Los Angeles has finally had the really big earthquake everyone was afraid of, and what remains is now an island. Because the country's ultra-righteous President-for-Life (Cliff Roberton) wants it that way, all the weirdos and freaks that previously inhabited New York in large numbers, and the rest of the U.S. in smaller concentrations, have been quarantined on the island of L.A. The president has Snake taken from the nice, decent prison he was living in for a special mission in L.A. The president's daughter has joined the resistance movement determined to overthrow his one-man rule, and has stolen his secret "black box" (a doomsday machine) to boot. Snake is given a poison which will kill him in a few hours unless he returns to the president for the antidote. His mission is to recover the black box and kill the president's daughter. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, Stacy Keach, (more)
In this sci-fi thriller a computer expert's mind is enhanced by that of a slain revolutionary. The trouble comes when the rebel's mind sets him off on a vendetta against a prominent, corrupt politician. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Campbell, Corbin Bernsen, (more)
Twister made for TV. Although paling to its big-screen rival, Tornado! is made interesting by the performances of Bruce Campbell and Ernie Hudson and manages to sneak in an original plot twist every now and then. ~ Sean D. MacLaggan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Campbell, Ernie Hudson, (more)
Filmmaking siblings Joel Coen and Ethan Coen both embraced and poked satirical fun at their Minnesotan roots with this comedy-drama-thriller that earned seven Oscar nominations, winning for Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay. Frances McDormand stars as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant police chief whose affable, folksy demeanor masks a whip-smart mind. When a pair of motorists are found slain not far from the corpse of a state trooper, Marge begins piecing together a case involving a pair of dopey would-be kidnappers, Carl (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear (Bergman stock player Peter Stormare). They've been hired by Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a car salesman under the thumb of his wealthy, overbearing boss and father-in-law, Wade (Harve Presnell). Jerry's raised some money illegally through a petty scam he's run on General Motors and he's about to get caught. When Wade sours a business deal that could save his son-in-law's hide, the desperate Jerry hires Carl and Gaear to kidnap his wife and hold her for ransom. Things go predictably wrong and a series of murders occur, with Marge, waddling along behind her enormous belly and ever-hungering for an all-you-can-eat buffet, hot on the trail of the killers. Although the credits for Fargo state that the film is loosely based on real events, the story is entirely fictional, the claim being just an ironic jibe on the part of the Coens. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, (more)
- 1996
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Baltimore cop Jake Rodzinski (Bruce Campbell) is the prime suspect in the murder of Kenny Damon, who had been acquitted on the charge of killing Jake's father. Kellerman (Reed Diamond) investigates the case, but withholds details of his findings from Jake's good friend Lewis (Clark Johnson). And in a less crucial development, Bayliss (Kyle Secor) and Pembleton (Andre Braugher) squabble over possession of a cold sandwich. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Belzer, Andre Braugher, (more)
Good gorillas meet bad gorillas while human beings search for treasure in this jungle advnture saga. R.B. Travis (Joe Don Baker) is the ruthless head of Travi-Com, a telecommunications firm on the cusp of a major breakthrough in laser communications technology. However, Travis needs diamonds to finish the project, so he sends a group of men to Zaire, where he's told that a large supply of the gems can be easily found. When the men go missing, Travis sends his trusted assistant Karen Ross (Laura Linney), a one-time CIA associate, into the jungle to find both his staff and the jewels. Hoping to keep her mission a secret, Karen travels to Zaire in the company of Peter (Dylan Walsh), a researcher on primate development who is hoping to return Amy, a gorilla who has been taught sign language and can "speak" English with the help of a glove-controlled computer device. Also travelling with them is Herkermer (Tim Curry), a Romanian with a secret agenda: he's convinced that Amy can guide him to the Lost City of Zinj, where he believes that King Solomon's Mines are located. Upon arrival, the group is met by Monroe Kelly (Ernie Hudson), a self-described "great white hunter who happens to be black," and they discover that the jungle holds a menace that they weren't counting on: a tribe of bloodthirsty gray gorillas. Congo was based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dylan Walsh, Laura Linney, (more)
Director Sam Raimi brings his trademark comic book-influenced visual panache to this post-modern Western. Sharon Stone stars as Ellen, a mysterious female gunslinger who arrives in the frontier hamlet of Redemption for a contest pitting quick-draw artists against each other. The event is the brainchild of Redemption's evil, corrupt mayor, Herod (Gene Hackman), a criminal who has taken over the town and charges a 50% tax on local businesses. The pot for Herod's deadly game has swollen, attracting numerous colorful gunfighters from around the territory. As each battle thins the ranks of players, the pasts of several participants are revealed. Ellen is seeking revenge on Herod for a heinous past injustice. The fast-talking braggart known as "The Kid" (Leonardo DiCaprio) may in fact be Herod's son. The pacifist Reverend Cort (Russell Crowe), who refuses to participate in the bloodshed, is the fastest draw in the West and a former colleague of Herod's. After several spectacular slayings, Ellen and Herod stage a final showdown, but not before he has made her an unexpected proposal. The Quick and the Dead (1995) is dedicated to veteran Western actor Woody Strode, who appears in a cameo as Redemption's coffin maker, his final performance. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, (more)
- 1995
Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and Iolaus (Michael Hurst) are confronted with a baffling mystery when they try to find out who has been plucking the dead from the battlefield of Tantalus. In the process, Hercules finds himself in the middle of a war between his friend King Daulin (Erik Thomson) and Daulin's own sister Poena (Amber Jane Raub). Complicating matters is the fact that another of Hercules' friend, Jarton (Reb Brown), is now Poena's lieutenant. Behind all this intrigue and mayhem is the war god Ares -- of whom it can be said that, at the very least, he loves his dog. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst, (more)
- 1995
In the first episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys' second season, Hercules' friend Iolaus (Michael Hurst) rescues Autolycus (Bruce Campbell in his first series appearance) from a band of ruffians. As a "reward" for his courage, poor Iolaus is left holding the bag -- actually the box containing the jewels swiped from King Menelaus (Martyn Sanderson) by Autolycus, a former sideshow escape artist and self-professed "King of Thieves." To save Iolaus from prison -- and to retrieve the king's still-missing Dragon's Eye ruby -- Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) teams with Dirce (Lisa Chapell), Menelaus' daughter (and Iolaus' lawyer), to capture the slippery Autolycus. The episode's final includes a tense tangle with some subterranean serpents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst, (more)
- 1995
Hoping to grab some glory for himself -- and, incidentally, to win the love of the beauteous Rena (Simone Kessell) -- Hercules' mortal half-brother Iphicles (Kevin Smith) steals Hercules' name. Upon linking up with the warlord Gorgus (Kenneth McGregor), Iphicles proceeds to defame his half-sibling's reputation. Determined to clear his name and bring Iphicles to his senses, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) must first rescue his friend, Iolaus (Michael Hurst), from Gorgus' clutches in a booby-trapped labyrinth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurts, (more)
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen concocted this stylish screwball comedic amalgam of Frank Capra and Howard Hawks. Tim Robbins stars as Norville Barnes, a dull-wit from Muncie, Indiana who wrangles a job with the big Hudsucker Industries. He has a singular idea for a new children's toy that he wants to present to corporate executive Sidney J. Mussberger (Paul Newman). As he makes his way up to Mussberger's office, the company president Waring Hudsucker (Charles Durning) is on his way down -- through the window of the forty-fourth floor boardroom! Hudsucker's death sets off a panic that Mussberger sees as an opportunity for taking over the company -- by installing a total incompetent in Hudsucker's place and devaluing the stock. When Barnes stumbles into Mussberger's office, Mussberger sees his pigeon and appoints Barnes as the new company president. The only problem is that the new product Barnes proposes for the company, the Hula Hoop, turns out to be a tremendous success, and Mussberger has difficulty manipulating his new corporate president. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, (more)
- 1993
- Add The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. [TV Series] to QueueAdd The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. [TV Series] to top of Queue
A "western" in name only, the short-lived Fox Network series The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. was actually a wild and wooly fantasy/sci-fi outing, with more in common with Jules Verne than Zane Grey. Set in the early 1890s, the series starred Bruce Campbell as the titular Brisco County Jr., a Harvard graduate who had journeyed westward to track down the gang that had killed his father, legendary lawman Brisco County Sr. The younger Brisco knew that the culprits were the minions of the scurrilous John Bly (Billy Drago), an outlaw who possessed awesome, almost otherworldy powers, and who was much despised by the "robber barons" of the Westerfield Club, owners of the local mines. Offering his services to these millionaires, Brisco was given an unlimited budget and access to all manner of marvelous new inventions (so new that many of them wouldn't be invented for the next forty or fifty years or so!), many of them the creations of the eccentric Professor Albert Wickwire (John Astin). Unfortunately, the villains were likewise equipped with futuristic paraphernalia, so Brisco and his assistant, nervous Westerfield Club lawyer Socrates Poole (Christian Clemenson), often as not had to rely on their own wits to get out of scrapes. Also in the cast was Julius Carry as black bounty hunter James Lonefeather, aka Lord Bowler, who wanted to get Bly before Brisco did; thus, sometimes he worked with our hero, sometimes against him. Other semi-regulars included dimwitted by affable thief Peter Hutter (John Pyper-Ferguson), gorgeous soldier-of-fortune Dixie Cousins (Kelly Rutherford); and Brisco's faithful horse Comet, who in certain ways was the smartest character in the cast. Predominent throughout the series were the mysterious orbs, which possessed unique powers that could be used for good or evil, depending on who was in control of them. It was eventually revealed that the orbs were artifacts from the distant future (2056 AD, to be exact)--and so, for that matter, was the seemingly indestructible John Bly. Played in a rip-roaring dime novel fashion, even unto dividing its action into "chapters" and ending most episodes with a "continued next week" cliffhanger, the 60-minute The Adventures of Brisco County debuted August 27, 1993, ending its run exactly one year and one day later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Campbell, Julius J. Carry III, (more)
The third in director Sam Raimi's stylish, comic book-like horror trilogy that began with The Evil Dead (1982), this tongue-in-cheek sequel offers equal parts sword-and-sorcery-style action, gore, and comedy. Bruce Campbell returns as the one-armed Ash, now a supermarket employee ("Shop Smart...Shop S-Mart") who is transported by the powers of a mysterious book back in time with his Oldsmobile '88 to the 14th century medieval era. Armed only with a shotgun, his high school chemistry textbook, and a chainsaw that mounts where his missing appendage once resided, the square-jawed, brutally competent Ash quickly establishes himself as a besieged kingdom's best hope against an "army of darkness" currently plaguing the land. Since the skeleton warriors have been resurrected with the aid of the Necronomicon (the same tome that can send Ash back to his own time) he agrees to face the enemy in battle. Ash also finds romance of a sort along the way with a beautiful damsel in distress, Sheila (Embeth Davidtz), and contends with his own doppelganger after mangling an important incantation. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, (more)
- 1992
- PG13
Evil Dead director Sam Raimi produced this bizarre romance, starring his brother Theodore as Hank, a paranoid shut-in who lines the walls of his Los Angeles apartment with tin foil for protection. After an accidental phone conversation with a seemingly sweet-natured Iowa farm girl named Nancy (Deborah Foreman) who might be as deranged as he, Hank is forced to conquer his fears in order to win her heart. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deborah Foreman, Theodore Raimi, (more)
- 1992
This independently produced feature shows what happens in one relationship when a rather strait-laced teacher discovers that his fiancee has been posing nude for paintings by one of his roommates. He embarks on an investigation which mixes fantasy with reality after being shown his girlfriend's portrait hanging in a low dive. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- R
In a post-holocaust world, one woman (Marta Alicia) relies on computer fantasies to entertain herself, but a glitch sends her to a far-off wasteland to deal with monsters called Crawlers. She is saved by a young rebel (Bruce Campbell), but the pair are later captured and brought underground by the Crawlers. There, an overlord called the Seer (Angus Scrimm) presides over the kingdom and tries to make life miserable for his captives. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Campbell, Angus Scrimm, (more)
- 1991
- R
In the sequel to Waxwork, young Mark Loftmore (Zach Galligan) and his girlfriend Sarah (Monika Schnarre) manage to escape the deadly wax museum before it is destroyed. However, one deadly wax hand escapes destruction and follows Sarah home, murdering her stepfather before she manages to destroy it. When Sarah is accused of the murder, she and Mark must travel back in time to stop the still-present evil. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zach Galligan, Sophie Ward, (more)
Neglecting Julie (Frances McDormand), his lawyer lady friend, Dr. Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) works feverishly to perfect his latest invention -- artificial skin that could be used to treat burn victims. Peyton himself falls victim to an explosion when one of Julie's crooked clients sends his henchmen to sniff out an incriminating document that's been left in Westlake's lab. Hideously disfigured and left for dead, the good doctor receives an experimental medical treatment that renders him super-strong, impervious to pain and prone to heightened fits of rage. Rebuilding his lab into an underground hideout, Westlake begins using his synthetic skin to impersonate various characters and engineer his revenge against those who destroyed his life. Reconnecting with Julie, however, becomes the unsightly vigilante's biggest challenge. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, (more)
Director Anthony Hickox (Waxwork) crafted this entertaining bit of horror-western fusion about the vampiric residents of a remote, dusty desert town who have chosen to derive their sustenance from a plasma-manufacturing plant in an attempt to put aside their monstrous nature and peacefully co-exist with humans. When the plant begins malfunctioning, the town's leaders summon the designer, David Harrison (Jim Metzler), to look into the problem. Soon after Harrison and his wife Sarah (Morgan Brittany) arrive, however, they find themselves in the thick of an escalating rivalry between two vampire factions -- one led by peaceful Count Mardulak (David Carradine), who ordered the blood plant as part of his plan to integrate the dying vampire race into human society; and the old-school bloodsuckers, under the sinister Jefferson (John Ireland), who consider Mardulak and his followers traitors to their predatory heritage. While the Harrisons' fates hang in the balance, the scales are jostled further by the arrival of a man named Van Helsing (Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell, in a surprisingly low-key performance), descendant of the legendary vampire hunter, whose disorganized efforts at wiping out town's undead populace are impeded by his growing attraction to a pretty young vampire (Deborah Foreman). With tongue firmly in cheek, this semi-parody plays off audiences' familiarity with the conventions of the vampire genre, but it seldom sacrifices creepiness and suspense when needed. It marked a creative step forward for Hickox (who would later stumble with Hellraiser III), who clearly tailors his projects to seasoned horror buffs. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Carradine, Jim Metzler, (more)
- 1990
- R
"You have the right to remain silent . . . Forever!" This sequel to Maniac Cop pits Matt Cordell (Robert Z'dar), the crazed, murderous "Maniac Cop" of the first film (now horribly disfigured after a particularly brutal stay in prison), and Turkel (Leo Rossi), a serial killer who likes to murder strippers, against a frenzied NYPD detective, Sean McKinney (Robert Davi), who is just one step ahead of a nervous breakdown. His nerves don't get much relief when officers Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) and Teresa Mallory (Laurene Landon) insist that Cordell is still alive -- not only alive, but unkillable. Then Jack is murdered and the silent Maniac Cop breaks Turkel out of jail. With a group of rancid prisoners, they take police department psychologist Susan Riley (Claudia Christian) hostage. When the prisoners attempt a massive prison break, McKinney musters his forces to hunt down Cordell and Turkel and save Susan. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Davi, Claudia Christian, (more)
The feature debut of ultra-low-budget horror auteur J.R. Bookwalter, this fast-paced zombie mini-epic is very likely the most expensive movie ever shot on Super-8 film. Playing with the long-established mythos of George A. Romero's Living Dead trilogy, The Dead Next Door was produced with the help of many of the Evil Dead crew: financial backer Sam Raimi is credited as "Master Cylinder" and one of the characters is named after him; Evil Dead co-writer Scott Spiegel plays a role; and some character voices are dubbed by Bruce Campbell. The story centers on the members of the "Zombie Squad" -- an assault team trained in the hunting and extermination of the living dead -- and their mission to track down the scientists who developed a zombie-making virus and find the rumored antidote. Of the many lethal obstacles in their path, the deadliest comes in the form of a religious cult whose leader sees the zombie epidemic as a precursor of Armageddon -- and is hell-bent on expediting it. Very stylish for what is essentially an epic-scale home movie (and gushing with plentiful home-style gore effects), this remains Bookwalter's best effort and contains numerous witty homages to the Romero films which inspired it. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
