Review - My Name Is Bruce

Before I get started, I want to post a quick amendment to my favorites of the decade list I did last week.

How...HOW could I have left out one of my all time favorite horror films ever?! Because I was sure it came out in 1999, not 2000, that's why. Next time I need to research better. ANYWAYS:

American Psycho

This movie is one of my favorites. It walks that wonderful fine line between horror and satire and does it perfectly. I was a Christian Bale fan back in the time of Newises (Don't Judge Me!). So seeing him finally shake the little sensitive boy persona he was getting shoehorned into for a while was great....and he was half naked through most of the movie which ain't half bad either. It's frighteningly shallow and also has the BEST chainsaw chase scene ever.



Okay, now I feel better.



On with the Review!



I had, My Name Is Bruce on my Netflix instant cue for a while. The boys at Cadaver Lab mentioned it many episodes ago and I tossed it up...and promptly forgot about it. A few months and several bottles of wine later I turned the sucker on and watched it.

In a nutshell, My Name Is Bruce is about a small town called Gold Lick that is being terrorized by a Chinese spirit, (and protector of bean curd) Guan-Di. In an act of desperation, a young teenager and die hard Bruce Campbell fan hunts down said actor, clubs him over the head, and hauls him back to Gold Lick hoping Bruce can save them all. Bruce is convinced this is just a movie shoot. Hilarity (And I mean it this time) ensues.

Now I will admit that this movie will make absolutely NO sense if you're not a Bruce Campbell fan. It's pretty self referential and definitely made for his followers. So if you don't know who Bruce Campbell is or if you barely heard of him, don't bother with this movie....but since this is a horror blog I'm going to assume you all are fans of El Bruce-o. This movie is absurd. And I mean that in the most positive way possible. Bruce Campbell not only directed this movie but was also a writer on the film. Its full of a lot of in jokes for the fans as well as plays off of Bruce's most famous character persona, Ash. So Bruce portrays himself as a blustering, self centered, egomaniac in his usual charming manner. You're really not getting a movie about Bruce Campbell but a movie about the crazy persona that Bruce Campbell puts out there on the screen....which really makes me wonder what the real Bruce Campbell is really like. I'm pretty sure he doesn't live in a trailer...or drinks hooch out of a dog bowl.

The movie is low budget and when I mean low budget, I mean LOW BUDGET. The special effects are awful and scenery chewing is epic. Yet I'm positive it was all done on purpose. The amount of camp and wackiness this film unloads is fantastic from the fake blood to Ted Raimi playing multiple parts in a bad wig and moustache. It all fits in with Bruce Campbell's King of Schlock title. Not only fits in, but milks the shit out of it! It does get a little slow in parts and at times is a bit all over the place with its cheesiness. But El Bruce-o keeps you interested with his charm and chin...even when he's playing himself as a big ol' douche bag.

Its a really fun film overall. If you're in the mood for a silly movie and lots of Bruce love this is worth the rental. But if you're not a fan, best to skip this one.