Film Review- My Name is Bruce. New Release DVD

Evil Dead’s Bruce Campbell Plays Himself in New Comedy Horror

Mar 22, 2009

My Name is Bruce is one of the funniest films of the last year. It is a blend of horror and twisted humour, and doesn't take itself seriously.

Bruce Campbell is a name that many a horror fan is familiar with. He is best known for his role as Ash in Sam Raimi’s horror classics, the Evil Dead film series (1981-1993), all of which are landmarks in film, and great examples of how passionate film-making can overcome low-budget issues (Sam Raimi went on to direct, among others, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3).

Bruce Campbell: Cult Horror Movie Actor

Bruce Campbell seems to be the status figure that represents actors in low budget films and gross-out comedy horror, especially 1980s horror, considered by many to be the golden age of film-gore!

It is Bruce Campbell’s status, formed by the Evil Dead films, that is celebrated, and even mocked, in My Name is Bruce, with Campbell directing and playing himself. The film is a comical look at what horror films used to be, and an open homage to the Cambpell/Ash from the Evil Dead films.

Campbell and everyone involved in this film are probably well aware that Campbell is only really known for the Evil Dead films, to an obsessive extent with some fans, and they’ve taken that fact and built a hilarious story around it. The idea is actually a touch of genius, and they wonder why they didn’t do it sooner.

My Name is Bruce: The Plot

Bruce Campbell is mistaken to be the hero he portrays in his films, and so is invited by a small town to fight an ancient creature of evil – just like old times! Except, to begin with, Bruce has no idea that the whole affair is real! As expected, what follows is pure comedy. Bruce not only pokes fun at his reputation as a cult horror film actor, but he deliberately creates the apparent persona of a self-obsessed artiste.

For Evil Dead Fans, and New Audiences

My Name is Bruce is probably best appreciated by fans of the Evil Dead films, or at least people that have seen these classics, given the frequent nods to the earlier films. But even those completely alien to the Evil Deads and to Bruce Campbell will still enjoy this film. In fact, it may even inspire some new fans to seek out these earlier films, if anything, just to see what all the fuss is about.

My Name is Bruce is funny, gory, and more-so witty. There are well-written comical lines, but it didn’t quite get horrific enough. It could have done with twice as much gore! However, given that it probably wasn’t intended to scare the soul out of its audience (like Evil Dead), My Name is Bruce is worth the time. It is a riot of laughs, and that is pretty much the point.

Quotes from My Name is Bruce

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