Author: Bruce Campbell (with Craig Sanborn)
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Genre: Autobiography
Unique Elements: Humorous memoirs of a genre actor
Series: Confessions of a B Movie Actor Series
Release Date: August 15, 2017
Number of Page: 336 pages
MSRP: $27.99
Discount Link: Click Here
Website: Click Here
Purchase Site: Click Here
Reviewed by: Reverend Leviathan
Final Score: 5 Moons (Out of 5)
Sixteen years ago, a somewhat unknown Bruce Campbell released his first book, If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor. Since then he has had a growing fan base, more movies and experiences, so he’s decided to grace his fans with Act II of his life story: Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor.
Story
Bruce Campbell’s story begins with an introduction by a John Hodgman, who as it turns out is the man who inspired Bruce to write his first book, If Chins Could Kill. Bruce then goes on a pre-ramble by recapping his first release, as “it worked in Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness.” We get to hear about meeting his wife, moving to Oregon and the adjustments he had to make living in the boonies.
Since the release of his first book he’s had a lot more movies under his belt, and he gives us an overview of some of them (Bubba Ho-Tep, Alien Apocalypse and My Name is Bruce to name just a few), and what the production was like. He also discusses his work in television, namely the very successful, more recent Burn Notice and also the not-so-successful Jack of All Trades. Bruce even goes so far as to discuss the small parts he had in long-time friend Sam Raimi’s big Hollywood films (The first Spider-Man trilogy and Oz: The Great and Powerful).
Talk about ending where you began, Bruce concludes his story by once again becoming his most famous character, Ash Williams, who appeared in the Evil Dead franchise and gives us insight on how the new series Ash Vs. Evil Dead came into being after telling his fans for over twenty years that this character and film would not be revisited.
Dynamics
As like my fellow horror and B movie fans, I was first introduced to Bruce Campbell by watching the Evil Dead movies. I then stumbled upon Bubba Ho-Tep in high school, which caused me to want to learn more about the guy. Since then I have seen (and own) at least thirty of Mr. Campbell’s movies and also read his two previous books. This book is definitely another thing for a Bruce Campbell fan to add to their collection!
When I read his first book, I was still new to Bruce and hadn’t seen nor heard of many of the films he discussed. In this book it was different, as I have followed his work for awhile and had seen most of the films/shows in this book. That made it much more entertaining to read about. He keeps the audience intrigued even if you’re not familiar with his work, though, because the stories are sometimes insane!
Bruce has a great sense of humor in his storytelling and it really comes out in Hail to the Chin. There were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments while reading about things that happened on movie sets and on his property. There was also an amazing sense of awe learning about some of his experiences. I was really looking forward to learning about my favorite movie, My Name is Bruce, and I was stunned when I read about its production. It was also fun learning about certain projects and ideas that never came to be, told in a way that only Bruce could tell it, making it funny and sad at the same time.
Reverend Leviathan meeting Bruce Campbell during his book tour
Gothic Fit
Bruce Campbell is much loved in the Gothic community, as he is an overachiever in an underappreciated genre: B movies and independent films. I know a lot of my fellow Goths are fans of the Evil Dead series and possibly the newer Ash Vs Evil Dead TV series. Goths would love the inspiration the man gives when he talks about the experiences he’s had and how he keeps moving forward. And even with Hollywood success he hasn’t forgotten where he’s come from, and still shows love to the underdogs.
Closing Thoughts
Bruce’s first book is what inspired me to become an actor. His “Act II” as he calls it offers more humor and insight than the previous. Join me in saluting one of the most underrated actors: “Hail to the Chin!”
Story: 5.0 Moons (Out of 5)
Dynamics: 5.0 Moons (Out of 5)
Gothic Fit: 5.0 Moons (Out of 5)
Final Score (not an average): 5.0 Moons (Out of 5)
