Directed by Bruce Campbell
Review based on the Image US Blu-Ray release
I have to confess that I’ve always had a soft spot for Bruce Campbell. He always strikes me as one of those actors that never takes himself too seriously. Even his books have a wonderful mocking tone that not only makes them readable but also actually endears you to the man himself.
His movies have always retained that cheesy 80’s feel that just works so well. From “The Evil Dead” to “Bubba Ho-tep”, Campbell has always put in good performances with a strong degree of wry humour and that distinctive delivery which no one does better.
Being a firm horror fan favourite, Bruce Campbell has now taken the plunge into both acting and directing with “My Name Is Bruce”, a flick in which Campbell plays himself… but also doesn’t.
The film begins in the small town of Gold Lick, where Jeff (Taylor Sharpe) and one of his friends are off an old cemetery to impress a couple of girls. The boys show no respect for the graves, which contain the bodies of hundreds of Chinese immigrants killed many years earlier in a freak mining accident. During their misguided antics Jeff steals an amulet from one of these graves, which unleashes the spirit of Guan-Di, the Chinese god of war and protector of the dead, who also has a mystical respect for bean curd.
After Guan-Di starts to rampage through the town, Jeff leaves to find the only man he believes that can help them, the B-movie actor Bruce Campbell. Unfortunat
ely this Campbell is a very arrogant caricature of the real actor, who’s going through a tough time thanks to a messy divorce and a particularly shady agent (played with relish by Sam’s brother, Ivan Raimi). When Jeff shows up to ask for help, Bruce is less than receptive and is kidnapped as a result. Dragged against his will to Gold Lick, Campbell believes the whole set-up is a birthday present from his agent, playing along with everything until he eventually meets Guan-Di in the flesh. Will Bruce Campbell save the day, or will the Chinese demon wipe out the town first?“My Name Is Bruce” is essentially a horror-comedy littered with references to Campbell’s past work, as well as paying homage to dodgy B-movies in general. Perhaps the biggest strength of this picture is the fact that it never pretends to be anything other than what it is, and as a result it’s perfectly acceptable for the film to present us with some wooden performances and the usual scenery-chewing line delivery from Campbell.
The screenplay, written by Mark Verheiden, is peppered with great one-liners and in-jokes that will delight horror fans. Campbell, essentially playing a parody of himself, uses “My Name Is Bruce” as another excuse not to take himself seriously, and it works here. The sequences where he uses “Army Of Darkness” lines while trying to chat up Jeff’s Mum Kelly (Grace Thorsen) is priceless. There is also a fair amount of over-the-top gore courtesy of Guan-Di’s beheadings, which are well executed and look suitably exaggerated and hilarious.
“My Name Is Bruce” is well directed, and it’s clear that Campbell has learnt a few tricks from Sam Raimi over the years, with many of the dutch angles and extreme close-ups reminiscent of the brilliant “Evil Dead 2”. He clearly has a flair for comedic timing, and thanks to a sharp screenplay Campbell has the perfect vehicle to send himself up in almos
t every way imaginable. The performances are good on the whole, but extra kudos has to go to Ivan Raimi who plays three roles in this film and is hysterical in each one. As the incredibly awful Chinese magician Wing, Raimi steals every scene he appears in, the sequence where he tries to appear and disappear by turning off the lights is a particular standout.From slapstick to gore via puns and shtick, “My Name Is Bruce” has everything that a Campbell fan could want, and much more. It’s certainly not going to win over those who are unfamiliar with his work, but then that’s hardly the point. Verheiden is clearly a fan, and has written a piece that’s both a great deal of fun and a thoroughly enjoyable throwback to the genre flicks of yesteryear.
If you like your horror tongue-in-cheek and with a dash of the ridiculous, you will adore “My Name Is Bruce”. Despite the occasionally obvious budget constraints the picture looks lavish and rich, with Bruce Campbell proving himself as a director that possesses a great sense of comic timing in addition to a real cinematic eye. A film for those who love the horror genre but don’t always take it too seriously, “My Name Is Bruce” comes highly recommended and is a real treat.
7.5 out of 10
A hilarious horror-comedy that has real moments to savour.
