If Chins Could Kill

I first started reading this book back in 2003, taking turns with my then-boyfriend. He was the one who got me into the Evil Dead movies in which the line “Gimme some sugar, baby” has always been my favorite example of ludicrosity (I'm going with that word for now) in film. Also in 2003, said boyfriend and I broke up and he kept the book. I never got to finish it.

Now, more than a decade later, Bruce Campbell is coming to Denver Comic Con, and I remembered enjoying the hell out of this book. My cosplay conspirator, knowing my tragic tale, got me a copy, and I've been enjoying reliving the downright unbelievable antics within.

Bruce Campbell is a charming guy and the book is just as campy and candid as his B movies. It's very different from other actor biographies out there in that Bruce doesn't seem to have ever set out to be an Actor. He just liked making movies and got his hand into every part of the process. Thus, the book is not just about what it's like to act in everything from Evil Dead to Ellen, but about what it's like to do sound effects, to write your own dialogue, and of course to be covered in Karo syrup in a fly-infested climate.

It also details the downright diabolical relationship between Bruce and Sam Raimi, which I think could make a fantastic film in and of itself.

Bruce touches on some elements of his personal life (his wife, ex-wife, birth of children etc.) but the book is primarily about his professional one with a personal touch. I enjoy that this book never gets overly personal (actors are entitled to private lives too, yo), and that Bruce keeps the focus on his experiences crafting the movies and series his fans have come to love. If you're a Campbell fan, this is a must read. Even if you aren't, it's still a great look at Hollywood's B-side.

Now to see if I can work up the courage to ask him to sign it with a request for sugar...

I was initially a little letdown that this book wasn't lingering on Bruce Campbell's time making The Evil Dead and its sequels enough. I just assumed it would be a deep dive on that experience specifically, more akin to Gunnar Hansen's excellent book on the making of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and it isn't that at all. He covers it plenty, don't get me wrong! I just expected more. And that irked me a little at first, but the more I read of this the more I warmed to the traditional, surface level autobiography approach he went with, because he's definitely an actor who has seen and done enough to justify broadening the scope.

My main takeaway from reading this book was that Campbell comes across as a really personable, humble guy; the whole book seems to be his attempt to illustrate that actors aren't Gods and that most of them are just working stiffs getting by like most people. It was a really endearing read and he's lowkey pretty good at this writing thing! I'll probably end up checking out his other memoirs.