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"Who'd you think would answer the phone?" asks Bruce Campbell. "My valet?" That's the attitude we expect from our favorite B-movie icon. Campbell found himself thrust into a weird fame early on as the hero of The Evil Dead (1981), which became a massive underground horror hit. To this day, however, Campbell's greatest exposure has probably been his memorable cameos in Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004)--both directed by Evil Dead helmer Sam Raimi.
The Coen Brothers are also big fans, although Campbell goes uncredited with his fleeting scenes in films such as Fargo (1996) and The Ladykillers (2004). Over the years, though, Campbell has become a beloved presence in low-budget sci-fi flicks and the occasional mainstream feature--including the Evil Dead sequels Evil Dead II (1987) and Army of Darkness (1993).
Campbell's cartoonish handsomeness and wry archness often reveal a genre star who knows all the tricks--as further showcased with a small-screen career including the syndicated actioner Jack of All Trades. Campbell also made frequent appearances on both Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. The acclaimed-but-short-lived weird western series The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. would later be matched by acclaimed-but-underseen indies such as Bubba Ho-Tep (2002).
Campbell dwelled on all this with his 2002 autobiography If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor. That same knowingness is applied to this year's novel Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way, in which Campbell's alter-ego heroically tries to salvage a shot at playing a wise doorman in a Mike Nichols film starring Richard Gere and Ren?Zellweger. Campbell's also busy in his day job, with Man with the Screaming Brain (2005) and Alien Apocalypse (2005) both newly out on DVD. That's a lot to cover as Campbell answers the phone--all by himself--to discuss his amazing career from his Oregon home.
Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way is pretty much the definitive take on your own weird fame. Did it take awhile to accept your true calling as a self-referential cult star?
You know, as an actor, you don't have control over it. I don't care what most actors say. For a certain period of time in your career--for me, it started with The Evil Dead--you get people's attention, and your work goes the way that you're discovered. I'm more stereotyped outside the industry than within it. I can do episodes of Ellen, or be a real role model on The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., or make some stupid French film. I know that I'm perceived as a genre guy, but the difference is that I don't apologize for it. The B-movie world is a breeding ground for cool directors with innovative styles. The ideas may not always work, but you have to be creative somewhere.
The book's audio version is done as a radio play and features actors from Oregon. Is that an indication of your lack of interest in Hollywood?
I brought in some actor friends from L.A. as well. I've never really had much of a connection with Hollywood. My first couple of movies all came out of Michigan. It's fun to be able to make movies outside of Hollywood. It's kind of a drag to make movies there. I'm glad that people are shooting in places like South Africa and New Zealand and right-to-work states. It gives a better look to movies.
There are two new DVDs which really showcase your weird career. Man with the Screaming Brain is a self-aware horror spoof, while Alien Apocalypse is more like a typical sci-fi thriller with a satirical slant.
Sure, and we made those films back-to-back. That's mainly because DVDs have started selling so well. It's allowed me to dig up projects that I had been developing myself, or with a buddy. There's probably twenty years of development between those two movies, so it's fun to finally get those done--for better or worse.
Man with the Screaming Brain also showcases how you can goof on all your genre work without being irritatingly smug about it.
That smirky stuff gets kind of old after awhile. I enjoy the creative part of low-budget filmmaking--how everything's a fluid situation and your synapses are firing all the time. Screaming Brain was originally set in East L.A., and here we were being told that we had to shoot the film in Bulgaria. "All right," I said, "I'm going to rewrite this so it fits in Bulgaria." You can make Bulgaria look like L.A. if you have $70 million, but we had a million and a half.
You've never shown up on late-night cable in any erotic thrillers--even though you'd seem ideal as the normal guy who gets involved with a femme fatale.
My agent doesn't even send me that crap anymore. Other actors can have them all. Those kinds of movies are just soap operas. If I was a soap-opera actor, I'd hang myself. We're supposed to be creative. I know that I've done a lot of movies, but most of them have been pretty cool.
You still know a lot about what makes for a B-movie vixen. There's a great scene in Make Love where you tutor Ren?Zellweger on the genre.
There's been plenty of cheeseball titillation in some of the horror movies I've made. I know about the whole series of B-movie requirements. There are a lot of rules to follow, starting with how the women have to look good. So there I am, explaining to Ren?that she has to look better than she already does.
In that same spirit, Screaming Brain has some sexy turns by Tamara Gorski and Antoinette Byron.
I'd worked with Tamara in New Zealand on a Hercules episode years ago. I knew she was originally Ukrainian, so she would fit in with us in the Eastern Bloc--and she loves doing that weird, evil shit. Antoinette was suggested by the executive producer. Once I'd seen how much television she'd done, she was hired. People who do a lot of television really know their stuff. It was nice to work with a guy like Stacy Keach, too. And I had to hire my idiot friend Ted Raimi. I always use him, so my acting will look subtle in comparison.
Hollywood's still been pretty fond of you lately. You were great in Sky High, and we're looking forward to the girl's-school thriller The Woods--which got bumped from being released in summer.
The Woods will limp out eventually. I've certainly learned what it's like to work on big-budget films, going back to Congo and Escape from L.A. It's just nice to see them succeed. I really liked Sky High. I thought it was like a classic live-action Disney movie from the '70s. It just has the right tone for that kind of entertainment, and there wasn't much out there for the kids this summer.
And then sometimes the indie world really gives you a quality showcase--like your turn as Elvis Presley battling the mummy in Bubba Ho-tep.
Bubba Ho-tep and $1.50 will get you a cup of coffee. Here's how I monitor it: I make a lot of personal appearances, and I pay attention to who brings what to be autographed. I find that Bubba Ho-tep has infiltrated to about 15-20% of that stuff. People have embraced it like they do The Evil Dead. 99% will still be guys, but women have been coming up to the table for the first time. But Bubba Ho-tep isn't really a horror film. It's about two old geezers. Yeah, they fight a mummy, but it's not just about people getting their throats slit.
So can you go any further with this self-referential, meta-critical take on yourself?
The next movie will be one where I play myself. There's a small town that has a problem with a monster, and no one knows what to do. Some local kid decides that they need to go get the guy from The Evil Dead. I don't know how to use a gun; I don't know how to use a chainsaw. It turns out that more people end up dying after I get there. We're gonna be able to shoot it in Oregon, too, so that'll be something different. After that--stay tuned, that's all I can say.
The Coen Brothers are also big fans, although Campbell goes uncredited with his fleeting scenes in films such as Fargo (1996) and The Ladykillers (2004). Over the years, though, Campbell has become a beloved presence in low-budget sci-fi flicks and the occasional mainstream feature--including the Evil Dead sequels Evil Dead II (1987) and Army of Darkness (1993).
Campbell's cartoonish handsomeness and wry archness often reveal a genre star who knows all the tricks--as further showcased with a small-screen career including the syndicated actioner Jack of All Trades. Campbell also made frequent appearances on both Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. The acclaimed-but-short-lived weird western series The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. would later be matched by acclaimed-but-underseen indies such as Bubba Ho-Tep (2002).
Campbell dwelled on all this with his 2002 autobiography If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor. That same knowingness is applied to this year's novel Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way, in which Campbell's alter-ego heroically tries to salvage a shot at playing a wise doorman in a Mike Nichols film starring Richard Gere and Ren?Zellweger. Campbell's also busy in his day job, with Man with the Screaming Brain (2005) and Alien Apocalypse (2005) both newly out on DVD. That's a lot to cover as Campbell answers the phone--all by himself--to discuss his amazing career from his Oregon home.
Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way is pretty much the definitive take on your own weird fame. Did it take awhile to accept your true calling as a self-referential cult star?
You know, as an actor, you don't have control over it. I don't care what most actors say. For a certain period of time in your career--for me, it started with The Evil Dead--you get people's attention, and your work goes the way that you're discovered. I'm more stereotyped outside the industry than within it. I can do episodes of Ellen, or be a real role model on The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., or make some stupid French film. I know that I'm perceived as a genre guy, but the difference is that I don't apologize for it. The B-movie world is a breeding ground for cool directors with innovative styles. The ideas may not always work, but you have to be creative somewhere.
The book's audio version is done as a radio play and features actors from Oregon. Is that an indication of your lack of interest in Hollywood?
I brought in some actor friends from L.A. as well. I've never really had much of a connection with Hollywood. My first couple of movies all came out of Michigan. It's fun to be able to make movies outside of Hollywood. It's kind of a drag to make movies there. I'm glad that people are shooting in places like South Africa and New Zealand and right-to-work states. It gives a better look to movies.
There are two new DVDs which really showcase your weird career. Man with the Screaming Brain is a self-aware horror spoof, while Alien Apocalypse is more like a typical sci-fi thriller with a satirical slant.
Sure, and we made those films back-to-back. That's mainly because DVDs have started selling so well. It's allowed me to dig up projects that I had been developing myself, or with a buddy. There's probably twenty years of development between those two movies, so it's fun to finally get those done--for better or worse.
Man with the Screaming Brain also showcases how you can goof on all your genre work without being irritatingly smug about it.
That smirky stuff gets kind of old after awhile. I enjoy the creative part of low-budget filmmaking--how everything's a fluid situation and your synapses are firing all the time. Screaming Brain was originally set in East L.A., and here we were being told that we had to shoot the film in Bulgaria. "All right," I said, "I'm going to rewrite this so it fits in Bulgaria." You can make Bulgaria look like L.A. if you have $70 million, but we had a million and a half.
You've never shown up on late-night cable in any erotic thrillers--even though you'd seem ideal as the normal guy who gets involved with a femme fatale.
My agent doesn't even send me that crap anymore. Other actors can have them all. Those kinds of movies are just soap operas. If I was a soap-opera actor, I'd hang myself. We're supposed to be creative. I know that I've done a lot of movies, but most of them have been pretty cool.
You still know a lot about what makes for a B-movie vixen. There's a great scene in Make Love where you tutor Ren?Zellweger on the genre.
There's been plenty of cheeseball titillation in some of the horror movies I've made. I know about the whole series of B-movie requirements. There are a lot of rules to follow, starting with how the women have to look good. So there I am, explaining to Ren?that she has to look better than she already does.
In that same spirit, Screaming Brain has some sexy turns by Tamara Gorski and Antoinette Byron.
I'd worked with Tamara in New Zealand on a Hercules episode years ago. I knew she was originally Ukrainian, so she would fit in with us in the Eastern Bloc--and she loves doing that weird, evil shit. Antoinette was suggested by the executive producer. Once I'd seen how much television she'd done, she was hired. People who do a lot of television really know their stuff. It was nice to work with a guy like Stacy Keach, too. And I had to hire my idiot friend Ted Raimi. I always use him, so my acting will look subtle in comparison.
Hollywood's still been pretty fond of you lately. You were great in Sky High, and we're looking forward to the girl's-school thriller The Woods--which got bumped from being released in summer.
The Woods will limp out eventually. I've certainly learned what it's like to work on big-budget films, going back to Congo and Escape from L.A. It's just nice to see them succeed. I really liked Sky High. I thought it was like a classic live-action Disney movie from the '70s. It just has the right tone for that kind of entertainment, and there wasn't much out there for the kids this summer.
And then sometimes the indie world really gives you a quality showcase--like your turn as Elvis Presley battling the mummy in Bubba Ho-tep.
Bubba Ho-tep and $1.50 will get you a cup of coffee. Here's how I monitor it: I make a lot of personal appearances, and I pay attention to who brings what to be autographed. I find that Bubba Ho-tep has infiltrated to about 15-20% of that stuff. People have embraced it like they do The Evil Dead. 99% will still be guys, but women have been coming up to the table for the first time. But Bubba Ho-tep isn't really a horror film. It's about two old geezers. Yeah, they fight a mummy, but it's not just about people getting their throats slit.
So can you go any further with this self-referential, meta-critical take on yourself?
The next movie will be one where I play myself. There's a small town that has a problem with a monster, and no one knows what to do. Some local kid decides that they need to go get the guy from The Evil Dead. I don't know how to use a gun; I don't know how to use a chainsaw. It turns out that more people end up dying after I get there. We're gonna be able to shoot it in Oregon, too, so that'll be something different. After that--stay tuned, that's all I can say.
