Something Evil Dead-ish This Way Comes

MY NAME IS BRUCE (2007)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

It is very possible that my brain has the capacity to enjoy silly nonsense like "My Name is Bruce" without giving it a second thought. It's technically not a good movie but it is fun and, perhaps, could've been much improved upon. Let me put it this way - if anyone else had been cast in the lead role other than cult B-movie icon Bruce Campbell (and who in the name of Evil Dead could that be), I might have liked it a lot less.

Bruce Campbell plays an egotistical, drunk dullard version of the real Bruce Campbell (or so we hope). He makes brain-dead, grade Z sci-fi garbage movies, he pays alimony (the real Bruce had been married twice) and he lives in a trailer in the middle of the woods (doubtful the real Bruce lives in one). His mailbox (not the Internet kind) is always stuffed with movie scripts, his dog only gets hard liquor in his bowl, and his agent (Ted Raimi) would rather work with anyone else but Bruce Campbell. Lo and behold, something Ash-like and Evil Dead-ish this way comes. It turns that a small Oregon mining town called Gold Lick (not a real town but in fact Mr. Campbell's own real-life property) is cursed with an ancient Chinese monster known as Guan-di. This monster has glowing eyes and wields a kick-ass sword which he uses to decapitate most of the town's denizens. It seems to stop dead in its tracks when it sees a Chinese proverb or the translation of the words "bean curd" on some Chinese fast-food. A major fan of Bruce Campbell's (who lives in Gold Lick) finds Bruce's address (how did he manage that?) and kidnaps the big- chinned star who is then forced to fight this monster. Naturally, Bruce thinks his agent is pushing him to do this "Evil Dead" reenactment.

The only reason I enjoyed "My Name is Bruce" is because of Bruce Campbell. Most film fans, or Campbell fans, are aware of his larger-than-life, cartoonish persona who seems to immerse himself in any project with the greatest ease. What is interesting is how Campbell (who directs the film) makes himself into a conceited drunk who would rather make something else other than the fictitious "Cave Alien 2" (and parts 3 or 4).
The movie is not meant to be an accurate portrayal of Bruce Campbell, or an accurate assessment of his fans and the lengths they will go to remind him of his famous Ash character. Any fan will get a kick of seeing the references to his past work, including Campbell's own admission that if he can work in Bulgaria, he can fight a monster (his directorial debut "Man with the Screaming Brain" was filmed in Bulgaria). And you might spot Ellen Sandweiss as Bruce's ex-wife - she was in the first "Evil Dead."

It is a fun, cheerful little B-movie this "My Name is Bruce" - it is not meant to be anything else. Campbell clearly had fun making it and you might get a nice nostalgia kick out of it. The townspeople welcome the alleged hero by misspelling his name and greeting him with his own table...at a greasy spoon restaurant! It is that type of movie, and it left me with a silly grin on my face. Those who are not fans of Bruce Campbell or "Evil Dead" are advised to stay away from the big-chinned star.