|
|
Written by Starring Presented by 91 minutes |
 |
||
 |
||||
|
MY
NAME IS BRUCE Review
Bruce Campbell has for over 20 years established a rabid fan base primarily off of his roles as Ash in the EVIL DEAD trilogy. No matter what film he is, no matter what television he guest stars on, his fans are there supporting him in every way they know how. After making his feature directorial debut with THE MAN WITH THE SCREAMING BRAIN, Campbell returns behind the camera with a very satirical look at himself that is perfect for Campbell fans and horror/comedy fans in general. MY NAME IS BRUCE opens in the small town of Gold Lick, Oregon, where awkward teenager and huge Bruce Campbell fan Jeff (Taylor Sharpe) accidentally unleashes onto the town the spirit of a Chinese diety named Guan Di (introduced in a humorous song to open the film) which starts decapitating the townsfolk. Meanwhile, Campbell is a washed up actor heading the charge on the set of his latest film CAVE ALIEN II and finds that he is not the actor he once was. His ex-wife (Ellen Sandweiss in a funny cameo) is sleeping with his agent (Ted Raimi in one of three roles) and he lives in a trailer in the middle of nowhere. Desperate to get any help, Jeff kidnaps Bruce and enlists his aid in fighting the Chinese Diety because he believes Campbell to be the characters in his movies, not a pretentious coward. There’s no doubt if you’re a Bruce Campbell fan, you’re going to love this movie. It’s very low budget and filled with over the top blood and lowbrow “insider” humor. In other words, it’s perfect entertainment. As an actor, Campbell has always delivered but as a director, he seems very comfortable. The story of Guan Di is actually based on reality, right down to the humorous side effect that he has. It may seem ridiculous, but it works. Campbell is in top form as both actor and director, bravely mocking himself on screen as a pathetic has been, drinking hooch out of a dog dish with his only companion, his dog Sam’N”Rob (who even can’t stand him). Nobody understands his fan base as much as Campbell does, and how he puts up with some of it is a testament to his character, and no doubt fun to him to unleash some of those feelings on screen. As a director, he gives a funny story with some decent scares thrown in as scenes involving Guan Di are quite gruesome and bloody. The best and funniest moment is when Bruce discovers that Guan Di is real, and his subsequent reaction is brilliantly hilarious. Guan Di is introduced with a catchy little song performed by the town’s mayor and sheriff (and when one of them is offed, the other continues on as if he was never there). This film works best on its tiny budget because had it have been a huge $30 million production with a name cast with Campbell, it would’ve been a disaster. Alongside Campbell, Ted Raimi has three very funny roles as Bruce’s agent, the town painter who reduces the population number, and, most memorably, old Chinese resident Wing, a descendant of Guan Di. Taylor Sharpe is fine as Jeff, a character a lot of fans will relate to. Ellen Sandweiss is great as Bruce’s ex-wife in a funny scene, and as the romantic interest, Grace Thorsen holds her own with Campbell. In all, MY NAME IS BRUCE is the perfect film for Bruce Campbell fans, EVIL DEAD fans, horror fans, and comedy fans all around. If you are in the New York or Los Angeles area, I strongly suggest seeing MY NAME IS BRUCE before it hits DVD early next year, as it is a fun movie going experience for a theater. Get your EVIL DEAD shirt on and head down to see MY NAME IS BRUCE. MY NAME IS BRUCE: 8 Out Of 10 Maggots
|
|
|||
.jpg)
