Cult star Campbell does double duty in horror comedy
Cult horror movie star Bruce Campbell will be in Chicago Friday, Nov. 28, to protect the Windy City from demonic forces, plus introduce his new movie "My Name is Bruce." The horror comedy opens at the Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark Ave., Chicago.
Campbell, the star of the popular "Evil Dead" trilogy and the current USA Network series "Burn Notice," will introduce his movie Friday and Saturday nights and conduct Q&As.
We caught up with Campbell last week in Columbus, Ohio, during the middle of his 22-city tour.
Q. You play yourself in your new movie. How did that happen?
A. We thought it would add a weird element if the character was called Bruce Campbell. People are going to get mighty confused, but that was the idea.
Q. You are certainly not afraid to make yourself look bad. Why?
A. It has nothing to do with Bruce Campbell. It's the basis of the cheese ball comedy. In a small town where there's a monster, what do the people do but kidnap a guy who's known for fighting monsters. Of course, it turns out to be a god-awful idea. The idea that it's Bruce Campbell is beside the point. That it happens to be directed by me and starring me and that the character is named Bruce is the coincidence of the whole thing.
Q. What's the best part about directing your own movies?
A. That I don't have anyone else bossing me around. On the low end of the budget, I have as much set experience as most people. I don't want some new punk who's trying to reinvent the wheel here saying let's do this a different way.
Q. How difficult is it to be both the director and the star?
A. We had many arguments. There was rough period where I did walk off. So it was difficult to direct after I had walked off. I had to direct by remote from the trailer, because I wouldn't come out. So, it made things very complicated.
Q. What usually happens at your Q&A's?
A. I get asked a lot to go drinking after the Q&A. There's a lot of guys who want to do the drinking thing. That's pretty standard. I got my first question from a woman who asked, 'Do you need a place to stay tonight?' That's the first time that's ever happened. Most of my audience is guys.
Q. Do they ever want to take you on?
A. Most fans are very nice. Most are very shy. only a small number are really crazy. The movie represents only the 2 percent who are really crazy. My character reacts to them the way I would want to react to them in real life, but I can't.
Q. How will "My Name is Bruce" hold up for future generations?
A. Twenty years from now, they will reveal the brilliance of this movie. Sure, they'll pan it now, but 20 years from now, they'll realize the depth that was there that basically says don't put anyone up on this dumb pedestal. Because they'll fall! So, underneath the comedy is a little grain of truth. In this case, I just happen to grind it into the dirt.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=254021">Review: 'Bruce' a bad horror flick -- in a good way <span class="date">[11/28/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>