Did you know Bruce Campbell had been considered amongst many to play the role of the Phantom. Back in 1994, post shooting Brisco, Campbell received a call from Jeffrey Boam, the former co-creator and executive producer of the same television series.
Boam was also engaged in writing a film adaptation of the Phantom comic strips for Phantom. He had invited Campbell to audition for the titular role.
Although Campbell did qualify as a finalist it was actor Billy Zane who eventually bagged the role of the Phantom. Given Campbell’s natural talent as a performer it was quite a shocker that he was not considered amongst the Hollywood A-listers.
In this video, we are going to talk about 12 of his grooviest roles that prove Campbell was, is and will always be the master artist of B-Movie goodness.
My Name Is Bruce (2007)
Four teenage kids vandalize a cemetery in a small mining town of Gold Lick and inevitably release Guan Di, the Chinese God of Dead. Jeff, the surviving teen escapes the massacre and kidnaps his idol, actor Bruce Campbell, from his movie set in the hopes that he will rescue the town.
Campbell mistakes this as a part of an elaborate birthday surprise from his agent and decides to humor the teen. However, he is in for a tough time as he realizes that the demonic Chinese God is anything but non-existent.
This 2007 meta-flick not only featured Campbell as an actor but also as the director and co-producer. The Bruce on display is everything that we love about the actor and he played his role to perfection, so much so that you just won’t be able to control yourself from laughing.
Meet the hard-drinking, treating fans like crap, living in a trailer and starring in movies like Cave Alien II Bruce, who simply takes no mercy in making fun of himself. The fact that it is the actor playing the actor is the main force of the movie. You see Campbell there and everything else just goes with the flow.
Campbell’s one-liners certainly deserve a special mention. Him referring to his own dog as “You son of a bitch!” was hilarious to say the least. However, as audience wanting to enjoy this movie you might have to let go of your critical or analytical capabilities. Unbeknownst to many, this film had been shot in Campbell’s lavender farm, near Medford, Oregon.
Besides the interior shots which were done on a sound stage, the rest of it was shot pretty much on his property. So, it is pretty much a movie for the die-hard Campbell fans boasting references to almost every movie he has done so far. Give this a shot and you will know what we are hinting at.
Maniac Cop (1988)
The story is premised on a uniformed entity by the name of Maniac Cop who is going around slaughtering innocent people on the streets of New York. As the body count continues to grow and accounts of eyewitnesses are suppressed, Lieutenant McCrae takes charge of the investigation.
On the other hand, Jack Forrest, who happens to be a young cop, finds himself in trouble as the prime suspect after having been a victim of a set-up by the actual killer. Now, it is up to Forrest, his girlfriend and fellow officer Theresa, and McCrae to put an end to the Maniac Cop’s murderous rampage and bring back peace in the city.
Campbell has the unique capacity to make even the most unwatchable film palatable at the least and enjoyable at the most. It is said that Campbell only agreed to star in this 1988 action slasher because he needed a job.
Notwithstanding the reasons, William Lustig’s Maniac Cop was a fun watch with a unique storyline and unbelievable action scenes not to mention the palpable horror throughout. Maniac Cop was hailed as one of the better horror movies of the late 80s with great performances by the ensemble.
Campbell definitely emerges as the asset of the film and is perfect to play the role of Jack Forrest a philandering cop who now has to go on a mission to clear his name of a crime he has never committed. It is indeed hard to imagine Campbell in a role such as this but he played the role with aplomb.
Some fans consider his performance in this film as his career best. Of course, credits should be given to the late Larry Cohen, for coming up with such a profound script and those incredible one-liners.
So, if you still haven’t managed to catch Maniac Cop, we highly recommend that you fix yourself a nice tub of popcorn first and then watch this guilty pleasure.
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
An elderly man at The Shady Rest Retirement Home in East Texas claims that he is the real Elvis Presley who had switched places with an impersonator Sebastian Haff after he had gotten tired of his fame and what followed with it.
Having being living in a coma for 20 years and his only proof of identity being destroyed by a propane explosion he remained stuck. His only friend at the center was a black man named Jack who claimed he was President John F. Kennedy and had dyed himself black after being nearly assassinated.
The retirement home soon starts getting terrorized by an ancient Egyptian mummy that has a panache for sucking out the souls of the elderly. Now, it is up to the two old men to stop the mummy and also save mankind.
This American comedy horror film directed, written and co-produced by Don Coscarelli is actually based on the 1994 alternate history short novel also called Bubba Ho-Tep by cult author Joe R. Lansdale.
Do not judge the flick by its name: you have no idea how incredibly good it is. Campbell, as always, does an outstanding job imitating Elvis Presley. Right from that hairdo, the impeccable voice to those gestures – everything checks the box.
Those who have seen Campbell in movies know very well that he can essay the role of a hero and a joker with the same level of skill and enthusiasm. Just 10 minutes into the movie you are bound to believe that Campbell is indeed the Elvis. That’s the charm of Bruce Campbell. He knows how to own it.
You might have to be a little warped to enjoy this flick, but if you fancy Campbell as much as we do, trust us you are going to love him even more after this.
Evil Dead Trilogy
Campbell’s Ash Williams is a cultural icon and no one can deny that given the cult fan following he has earned off it. When Sam Raimi came up with the first movie back in 1981, there was hardly any plan for a sequel.
In fact, Campbell was given the name Ash because his character was supposed to die at the end of the film. Do you remember how Ash gets attacked by an unseen entity from behind right before the credits roll?
The original plot demanded him to be killed off but given the popularity the character had earned the sequels indicated that he was indeed alive.
It’s in Evil Dead II where we get to witness some of his most iconic scenes; we all know Ash’s hand gets infected and that makes him literally insane. The fight scene in particular was quite hard to take. We wish to credit the particular part that not only allowed Campbell to showcase his acting prowess but also his comic timing.
It’s hard to forget the way his hand knocks him out first and then drags his body across the floor. And, when Ash finally cuts it off with a chainsaw, who can forget him yelling “Who is laughing now?”.
Also, no list of one-liners can ever be complete if we don’t mention Ash’s iconic one-word, “Groovy”. These uber cool one-liners, along with that chainsaw as his new right hand, surely make him a total badass.
Army of the Dead shows how Ash is trapped in the Middle Ages and fights the undead in his quest to return back to the present. His character as a time traveller might appear odd to some given the fact that it does not fit in the conventional horror narrative yet it makes perfect sense to his fans. Even his famous shotgun dialogue is pretty hard to forget: “Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up! See this? This… is my boomstick!”
Next in line was Ash vs Evil Dead. It was a television series which served as a sequel of sorts to the original trilogy spanning across 3 seasons with 30 episodes. The series finale had Ash ending up in an apocalyptic future, dominated by the Deadites. You may not know this, but this is exactly how Raimi wanted Army of Darkness to end before the climax was changed into something more upbeat.
Escape from L A. (1996)
Premised in Los Angeles in the year 2013, it has been separated from the mainland due to an earthquake and has turned corrupt. The United States meanwhile has become a theocratic totalitarian state with new laws being implemented, offenders of which are to be sent off to LA.
hings take a different turn when the President’s daughter is brainwashed into stealing a doomsday device and flees to LA. The President is left with no other choice but to call upon the former US Army Lieutenant turned criminal Snake Plissken.
This sequel of Escape to New York is bound to fall short of its expectations but Bruce Campbell as the creepy Surgeon General is definitely his scariest best. Campbell plays the role of a plastic surgeon, who uses the body of the living against their will to provide his patients and himself a whole new look.
Sure, we all fancy heroes, but when it comes down to an actor, portraying a villain is way cooler for them. Full credits to John Carpenter for giving Campbell the chance to portray this demented doctor, even if it meant that the actor graced us with his presence only for a single scene.
As the sadistic Beverly Hills Surgeon General mutated by his own surgeries, Campbell puts up a convincing freak show more so with that pile of make-up that makes him unrecognizable.
Also, it’s kind of hard to get rid of that image of his crooked smile that he has been flashing in the movie. It’s creepy in a different way and, sadly, will stick with you for a long time.
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-1999)
The Evil Dead Triology could be attributed to building Campbell’s reputation as an actor and garnering him fame. However the true credit should have gone to television series like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess which garnered him a sizeable female fan following after essaying the role of Autolycus, a charming rogue.
Not only did that make him popular with the ladies but also gave him the opportunity to play the dashing swashbuckler, something that most guys have on their bucket lists.
Campbell plays Autolycus, the self-proclaimed suave King of Thieves. Autolycus is friends with both Hercules and Xena who do not trust him always given his devious reputation. However Autolycus, despite being a thief, is a kind-hearted man.
His character had become so popular that despite of not having him in Xena post the second season fans pleaded for his return to the point the production was compelled to give the people what they wanted and brought him back on show.
Autolycus is both sarcastic and heroic; remember him saying, “Even the great Hercules is no match for the King of Thieves.” It almost seemed like some of the characters were created just to fit Campbell. Both in Hercules and Xena, Bruce is mostly seen wearing something ridiculous and even uttering the strangest of dialogues. It goes without saying that Bruce Campbell as Autolycus is the main reason why certain episodes simply livened up.
Jack of All Trades (2000)
Premised in the early 19th century, Jack Stiles is an American secret agent is sent by President Thomas Jefferson to a fictional French-controlled island of Pulau-Pulau in the East Indies.
Here, he meets his British contact and love interest Emilia Rothschild who team up to put an end to Napoleon Bonaparte’s colonizing efforts. In order to protect his identity as a spy, Jack adopts the guise of a famous masked hero called the Daring Dragoon.
This syndicated action-comedy TV series ran for close to two seasons, generating 22 interesting episodes, and it goes without saying that Bruce Campbell literally stole the show. His character here is a smooth combination of James Bond, a little bit of Zorro, traces of Ash Williams, and a wee bit of the Scarlet Pimpernel to an extent. We get to witness Campbell doing what he does best yet again.
A word of advice to all the people who plan to watch Jack of All Trades- please do not make the mistake of taking this show seriously. It’s pure unadulterated fun, and it’s meant to be like that. We highly recommend you give this a shot for two primary reasons.
The first is because of Campbell, he has never been funnier than this. The second has to be because of the musical opening credits, which unquestionably is the catchiest theme song in the history of television.
To those on the lookout for a healthy dose of Bruce Campbell, do not miss out on this guilty pleasure.
Mindwarp (1992)
Mindwrap is set in 2017 in a post-apocalyptic Earth where the remaining inhabitants live in Inworld, an impenetrable biosphere controlled by computers. A young dreamer protests against the pre-fabricated existence, finds herself exiled to the mutant-ridden world outside.
She gets captured by the mutated cannibalistic underground dwellers known as Crawlers who want her to breed with their leader, who has plans of his own.
Steve Barnett’s 1992 post-apocalyptic science fiction horror flick happens to be a perfect example of how a classic B-movie should actually be. Bruce Campbell, as Stover an outworler who is certain of himself being the last surviving human being on surface, definitely made this cheesy flick all the more watchable.
Life has not been easy for Stover; he literally has to save himself from the fatal ultraviolet rays, the acidic ground water, radioactivity, and of course the Crawlers. You definitely don’t want to know about his diet, we will not be giving further spoilers here.
To be honest, the story isn’t that great but mark our words when we say that its blood content is bound to satisfy all the gore hounds out there. We are pretty sure that most horror fans would blindly pick up a copy of Mindwarp simply because of the two names that are written on the cover.
While the first one, undeniably happens to be Campbell, the second is that of the late actor Angus Scrimm, who essayed the role of the leader. Mindwarp is definitely worth a watch if you have some time to spare, but please don’t expect much. That’s our only request!
Terminal Invasion (2002)
The police wagon transporting a condemned murderer Jack meets with an accident during a snowstorm. Despite that, the escorting officers manage to reach a private airport nearby.
On arriving there, they witness the passengers in an argument with the pilot, who simply refuses to take off due to the extreme weather conditions. It is soon revealed that a group of aliens disguised as humans have taken over the entire airport and have their own plans to take over the planet. Now, it is up to the female pilot and the convict to save the day.
It goes without saying that Campbell stars as Jack, the convicted felon who’s being transported during the blizzard. It’s always a delight to see Campbell, and although he is not really that funny here as per his role, he is indisputably one of the saving graces of this 2002 science fiction television film.
One would not be exactly wrong to compare the role of Jack here with Ash from Army of Darkness, minus the boomstick of course! His signature smirk, along with some exciting one-liners, just cannot be missed out on.
There’s this particular dialogue of his, where he says, “Don’t worry about who I have killed in the past, worry about who I will kill in the future.” This one is enough to lure all the Campbell fans out here.
So, if you happen to be in the mood for an action-packed alien thriller that features a healthy dose of Campbell, we highly recommend that you give this a shot!
Moontrap (1989)
In the midst of a routine flight, the mission commander of the space Shuttle Camelot chances upon an alien artifact and decide to bring it back to Earth. Soon after, it turns out to be a deadly alien war robot.
Colonel Jason Grant and fellow astronaut Ray Tanner are sent to the Moon on a mission to unravel the mystery of the automaton’s origin. The duo not only discovers the remains of an ancient civilization, but also faces an alien invasion by a race of predatory cyborgs.
It would not be wrong to address Robert Dyke’s Moontrap as a space slasher film.
The movie not only boasts an exhilarating, dramatic, well-paced plot, but also has the perfect genre cast. We are talking about Walter Koenig as Grant and Campbell, of course, as Tanner. The two have amazing chemistry on display.
Coming back to Campbell, it’s movies like this that show he is so much more as a performer. He makes Moontrap worth it on his own and he is not even the lead character here. Also, you don’t have to be a Campbell fan to watch this movie- if you like science fiction, just go for it!
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993-1994)
Harvard-educated lawyer turned bounty hunter, Brisco County Jr, hired by a group of wealthy industrialists, goes in search of the members of the notorious John Bly gang. The gang happens to be the same men who were responsible for the death of his father.
Accompanied by Lord Bowler, a fellow bounty hunter, he travels through the West to hunt them down and avenge his father’s death.
Campbell playing the bold and dynamic Brisco did several things that most actors can only dream of including being a cowboy, riding on horsebacks, beat the bad guys, while securing his lady love in his arms. But all of these did not come to him just like that.
Many of you might not know this but Campbell literally had to go through five auditions before he finally got selected to play Brisco. In his first audition, he actually did a spontaneous back flip right in front of the casting director.
He did so because he was quite aware that the show would be pretty high on action and therefore, he wanted to make that first great impression. Goes without saying that his stunt did impress the casting director to the extent that Campbell was asked to flip in almost all the following auditions, and we couldn’t be happier with the end result.
Because of his natural charm and charisma, Campbell as Brisco was beyond perfect and the heart of the show. Full credits to co-creators Carlton Cuse and the late Jeffrey Boam for coming up with such an incredible TV series.
Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)
A colony of vampires seems to be living a very peaceful life in the abandoned desert town of Purgatory. So much so that they even wear sunscreen lotion to shield themselves. All seems to be going well until a young descendant of the Van Helsing family arrives with the sole intent of getting rid of all the blood-sucking monsters.
No points for guessing who Robert Van Helsing happens to be in this 1989 American western comedy horror. Campbell is outrageously hilarious, providing some great comic scenes. Although Campbell does play a supporting role here, he is the main driver of the plot and it is solely because of him that the movie takes a different turn.
But as much as Campbell deserves a mention in the movie, we also cannot disregard the late David Carradine as Count Jozek Mardulak or Dracula. He was superb in his role. Mark our words when we say that you are going to have a blast watching it. After all, you just cannot miss out on Van Helsing being turned into a vampire. Yes, you heard that right. So, if you ever lay your hands on this one, do us a favor and just watch it.