The Greatest Bruce Campbell Films & TV Exhibits

Posted On Feb 28, 2024 By admin With Comments Off

Hail to the king, baby! With his good looks and even better sense of humor, Bruce Campbell enjoys a level of success any actor would envy despite a lack of Oscars and blockbuster leading roles. Since his early days making short films in Michigan with his childhood pal director Sam Raimi, Campbell has carved out a place for himself on the B-movie Walk of Fame. The average moviegoer may not know the name Bruce Campbell, but to devotees of Evil Dead, Burn Notice, or Brisco County Jr., no star in Hollywood shines brighter. Have a look here at the very best Bruce Campbell movies and TV shows.

1. Evil Dead II (1987)

evil dead 2resize — Image Credit: Rosebud Releasing Corp.

Evil Dead II wasn’t Bruce Campbell’s first run as Ashley J. Williams, having played the character in The Evil Dead. But with Evil Dead II, Campbell and director Sam Raimi perfect their formula, not just because they have a higher budget. Raimi laces the pure horror of the first film with pratfalls and Three Stooges gags and finds Campbell game for them all. In Evil Dead II, Campbell perfects his screen persona as a good-looking guy willing to make a fool of himself.

2. The Evil Dead (1981)

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Some might call The Evil Dead more of a Raimi showcase than one for star Campbell. After all, Raimi’s frantic and inventive camera catches the viewers’ attention more readily than even Campbell at his most handsome. The camera chases Ash through exploding doors and zooms up on him from a distance, suggesting that the hapless cabin-goer is little more than the Deadites’ plaything. That may be true within the world of the film, but in the world of filmmaking, Campbell must play along with Raimi’s shenanigans to sell the part, and that’s what he does throughout The Evil Dead, throwing himself into whatever nonsense Raimi devises.

3. Burn Notice (2007 – 2013)

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By 2007, Bruce Campbell had established himself as a bonafide B-movie star, a guy whose mere presence enticed cheers from fans. Burn Notice creator Matt Nix knew that when he chose Campbell for a supporting role as former Navy SEAL and retired spy Sam Axe, best friend of hero Michael Westen (Jeffery Donovan). Whenever Westen’s weekly adventures grew too self-seriousness, Axe swaggered onto the scene to put things into perspective with a million-dollar Bruce Campbell smile.

4. Army of Darkness (1992)

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If Campbell learned physical comedy on Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness taught him to be a lovable buffoon. Co-writing with his brother Ivan, director Sam Raimi sends Ash back to Medieval England for Army of Darkness, where he woes a princess, shoots at Deadites, and, of course, punches himself in the face. Rather than intimidate him, the unfamiliar setting gives Ash reason to indulge his braggadocio, tossing out cheesy one-liners while waiving around his boomstick.

5. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993 – 1994)

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Campbell may have made his name in B-horror, but he found himself at home in the Old West. Created by Jeffrey Boam and Carlton Cuse, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. stars Campbell as the titular lawyer-turned-bounty hunter on the trail of the murderer Robert Bly (Billy Drago). Along the way, he matches wits with his frenemy Lord Bowler (Julius Carry), who joins Brisco as they go on weird cyberpunk escapades. The show didn’t last more than a single season, but it remains a favorite among genre TV fans.

6. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

Sam Raimi and the Coen Brothers go way back, forming a bond as odd-ball Midwestern filmmakers long before they became household names. The trio collaborated earlier with the ramshackle Crimewave, but their best movie together came with the screwball comedy The Hudsucker Proxy, written by the three of them and directed by the Coens. In addition to top-name talent such as Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Newman, Campbell co-stars as smarmy reporter Smitty, who fits right in while spouting the movie’s Trace and Hepburn-inspired dialogue.

7. Ash Vs. Evil Dead (2015 – 2018)

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When Sam Raimi directed the pilot for the television series Ash vs. Evil Dead, he brought Ash back to the screen after a thirteen-year absence. In his old age, Ash grew less wise and more pathetic, an out-of-shape huckster bragged about his former glory. Over the course of three seasons, Ash doesn’t exactly grow up, but he does find his purpose again, letting Campbell bring the pathos in his early Ash performances back to a character who had become a joke.

8. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

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In addition to wry and self-aware direction from writers and directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the animated kid’s movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs boasts a strong cast to voice the denizens of its seaside setting, the island Swallow Falls. In addition to Bill Hader and Anna Farris as leads Flint Lockwood and Sam Sparks, the movie features Mr. T as a zealous cop and doting father, James Caan as Flint’s long-suffering father, and Andy Samberg as former child star Baby Brent. Somehow, Campbell finds a way to stand out as vain Swallow Falls mayor Shelbourne.

9. Spider-Man (2002)

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In addition to leading parts in B-movies and genre shows, Campbell’s cult status also nets him memorable cameos, such as those he does in his buddy Sam Raimi’s big-budget Spider-Man films. Campbell appears in all three of Raimi’s Spider-Man movies and would have played baddie Mysterio in an unproduced fourth. But his best part comes in the original from 2002, where he appears as the ring announcer who dismisses Peter Parker’s chosen name, “The Human Spider.” Instead, Campbell’s announcer christens the boy “The Amazing Spider-Man,” and the rest is history.

10. Xena: Warrior Princess (1996 – 1999) and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995 – 1999)

John Burgess — Image Credit: Universal Television.

After such a strong showing in The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., it was a no-brainer for Sam Raimi to put Campbell in the syndicated shows he produced, Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Campbell makes eighteen appearances between the two shows, playing the King of Thieves Autolycus. On the surface, Autolycus fits the ignorant blowhard model Campbell has done time and again. But unlike many of Campbell’s other characters, Autolycus has actual skill and charm, allowing the actor to be a dashing rogue instead of the usual goof.

11. My Name is Bruce (2007)

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Then again, Campbell does make a good goof. So when he decided to cash in on his popularity for the meta-textual movie My Name is Bruce, Campbell put his worst foot forward. Working from a script by Mark Verheiden, Campbell directs himself as himself, or at least a dumber, more vain version of himself. The Bruce of the movie leaves a b-flick shoot to visit rural Oregon, thinking he’s gone to meet adoring fans. Instead, Campbell finds himself facing off with Guan Di (James Peck), the real Chinese God of the Dead. Good-natured, if not always of good quality, My Name is Bruce invites fans to join in the fun of the star’s larger-than-life persona.

12. Maniac Cop (1988)

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Although it doesn’t outdo the Evil Dead series, Campbell fans shouldn’t overlook his other cheesy horror franchise from the 1980s, Maniac Cop. Directed by William Lustig and written by Larry Cohen, Maniac Cop stars fellow cult movie icons Tom Atkins, Robert Z’Dar, and Richard Roundtree as police officers dealing with a slasher who carries a gun and a badge. As the primary suspect in the Maniac Cop killings, Campbell doesn’t wink at the camera much, but that only reminds viewers of his solid action chops, even in a silly flick.

13. Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (2011)

burn notice sam — Image Credit: USA Network.

After years of playing second banana on Burn Notice, Campbell’s Sam Axe moved into the spotlight for the TV movie Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe. Directed by series star Jeffery Donavan and written by Burn Notice creator Matt Nix, The Fall of Sam Axe takes place two years before the series premiere, when the titular character still served in the Navy SEALS. Campbell still knows how to carry the film, and he gets help from a great supporting cast that includes Pedro Pascal. But Axe works better as a side character than a lead, and getting a solo adventure strips away some of his allure.

14. Escape from LA (1996)

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As this list demonstrates, Campbell has made many memorable cameos. But few will haunt viewers’ nightmares like his brief appearance in the lesser John Carpenter movie, Escape from LA. An unrecognizable Campbell plays the Surgeon General of Beverly Hills, one of the many obstacles Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) must overcome while searching for the president’s daughter. Campbell hams up his part, going bigger than he’s ever done before. But his uncanny visage, made grotesque by years of surgical treatment, will inspire more queasy stomachs than belly laughs.

15. Lodge 49 (2018)

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If there’s one thing Bruce Campbell loves, it’s a TV show that gets canceled before its time. Created by Jim Gavin, the uncategorizable series Lodge 49 starred Wyatt Russell as Dud, a good-natured surfer dude who joins the Order of the Lynx. Through the Order, Dud encounters all manner of phenomena and people, including Campbell as contractor Gary “The Captain” Green, who drops by for a few episodes in the first season. Although Lodge 49 enjoyed critical praise, the show received low ratings and was canceled after two seasons.

16. The Last Kids on Earth (2020 – 2021)

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Even when in nasty horror movies, Campbell felt like a human cartoon. So it was only a matter of time before he got regular work in an animated series like The Last Kids on Earth, based on the illustrated novels by Max Brallier and Douglas Holgate. Foster kid Jack (Nick Wolfhard) meets all sorts of people while teaming up with other youngsters during a zombie apocalypse. The squid monster Chef might look like one of the more dangerous creatures in Jack’s life, especially given his unpleasant demeanor. But one can almost hear Campbell winking as he voices the character, reminding kids that Chef is a good guy, even if he isn’t a guy at all.

17. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may be a lesser Sam Raimi film, but it’s still one of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe entries in recent memory. Campbell helps Raimi recover that old magic with a cameo as Pizza Poppa, an alternate-reality street vendor who runs afoul of Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). After Pizza Poppa accosts Strange for failing to follow his universe’s norms when taking food, the Sorcerer Supreme magically forces the vendor to punch himself in the face. What does this scene have to do with the movie’s reality-bending plot? Nothing! But it does show that Raimi still loves torturing Campbell, even after all of these years.

18. Sky High (2005)

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Sky High came to theaters in 2005, just a few years after the first Spider-Man movie and three years before the dawn of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it presaged the superhero boom with a fun story about teens at a school for superheroes, with supporting parts by Kurt Russell and TV’s Wonder Woman Lynda Carter. Director Mike Mitchell and screenwriters Paul Hernandez, Robert Schooley, and Mark McCorkle keep things largely sanitary for Sky High’s Disney-loving audience, but Campbell brings a spark of comic energy as Coach Boomer, a sound-based hero who now teaches gym at the titular school.

19. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

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Bubba Ho-Tep sounds amazing. Written and directed by Don Coscarelli, the mad genius behind the Phantasm films, Bubba Ho-Tep stars Bruce Campbell as an aged Elvis Presley, who teams up with John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis), now in the body of a Black man after the 1963 assassination attempt, to stop mummy from killing their fellow nursing home residents. While that outrageous premise, drawn from the novels of Joe R. Lansdale, promises a laugh riot, Coscarelli gives the film a brooding, almost dire tone. The approach lets Campbell flex his dramatic muscles but doesn’t always make for an enjoyable watch.

20. Jack of All Trades (2000)

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Hot off the success of his appearances in Xena and Hercules, Campbell once again got a TV series with Jack of All Trades. Channeling the roguish wit he developed while playing Autolycus, Campbell stars as Secret Agent Jack Stiles, working for Thomas Jefferson in 1801 America. Creator Eric A. Morris tries to recreate the magic of Brisco County Jr., working conspiracy and cyberpunk elements into the historical espionage plots. But at the end of the day, Jack of All Trades has little to offer beyond Campbell’s disarming smile.

21. The Man With the Screaming Brain (2005)

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Before My Name is Bruce, Campbell stepped into the director’s chair for The Man With the Screaming Brain. Working from a story by pals David Goodman and Sam Raimi (the latter credited as R.O.C. Sandstorm), Campbell combines 50s sci-fi and slapstick comedy with gnarly visuals. Campbell’s having fun as boor William Cole, whose bad behavior gets him cursed. But he proves to be less adept at managing his own performance, sometimes turning off viewers with the unbearable Cole.

22. Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)

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While not exactly a lost treasure, Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat will entertain any Campbell fan who hunts it down. Directed by journeyman horror hand Anthony Hickox, who co-wrote the script with John Burgess, Sundown follows a group of vampires living peacefully under the leadership of Count Jozek Mardulak (David Carradine) in the American Southwest. Just as tensions rise between some of the residents, Campbell shows up as Robert Van Helsing, an inept descendent of Dracula’s nemesis, Abraham Van Helsing. Campbell rarely gets to play the square, which makes Sundown worth watching, even if all of the jokes don’t land.

23. Ellen (1996 – 1997)

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In retrospect, it boggles the mind that Campbell never became a sitcom star. He’s got the good looks, the comic timing, and the work ethic needed to go through the grind of a weekly three-camera series. He came closest to the world of must-see TV with a short stint on Ellen, the sitcom starring Ellen Degeneres. Campbell plays a lot of familiar beats as Ellen’s boss Ed Billik, mistaking bluster for skill. Still, there’s something fun about watching him reign his persona in for the format, a glimpse at a career path from another world.

24. McHale’s Navy (1997)

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One of the lesser 90s film adaptations of a Baby Boomer sitcom, McHale’s Navy starred Tom Arnold in the title role, taking over from Ernest Borgnine. Neither director Bryan Spicer nor screenwriters Peter Crabbe and Andy Rose make a case for the movie’s existence beyond name recognition, but at least Campbell livens things up as Petty Officer 1st Class Virgil. True, Campbell could play pig-headed ladies man Virgil in his sleep. But as always, he commits to the role, bringing a welcome spark of comic energy to an otherwise dire film.

25. Ripley’s Believe It or Not (2019)

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Some fans may scoff at Campbell stepping away from sci-fi and horror flicks to host a reality TV show, especially one as corny as Ripley’s Believe It or Not. But like his predecessor Jonathan Frakes, Campbell proves to be a welcome presence, thanks to his rapport with the audience. He introduces every segment with a smirk and a wink, warning everyone against taking the subject matter too seriously and inviting them all to have fun as they watch some of the world’s weirdest phenomena.

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