Okay, so at least you're interested enough to pick up this book and look inside. I think you and I are going to get along just fine.
Life ... read full description
Life ... read full description
reviews
Jul 11, 2008
Richard
rated it: 
This book is refreshing in many, many ways--how to count them? For one, it is refreshing to see ample proof of the rumors that Bruce Campbell is a friendly and considerate man--how pleasant it is to see an autobiography of someone in the movie biz who seems as concerned about the crew and those he has worked with as with relating the story of his own climb. Campbell shows a real fascination for the process of filming stories as with his own stardom. A lot of time in this book is spent on the mak
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Apr 14, 2011
Davie
rated it: 
After hearing Bruce kick all this @$$ on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, was reminded to put this on at the top of the to-reads.
Having been raised on the Evil Dead (culminating in my official designation by Bruce Campbell himself as the "#1 fan", in writing, on my VHS copy), I was excited to read those parts of the book, and Bruce didn't disappoint. Fake blood recipe, dentist investment cabal, and all.
What I wasn't expecting, and really enjoyed, were the origin storie More...
Having been raised on the Evil Dead (culminating in my official designation by Bruce Campbell himself as the "#1 fan", in writing, on my VHS copy), I was excited to read those parts of the book, and Bruce didn't disappoint. Fake blood recipe, dentist investment cabal, and all.
What I wasn't expecting, and really enjoyed, were the origin storie More...
Sep 09, 2007
Shira
rated it:
I took this book out of the library on recommendation from a friend, but wasn't really expecting much out of it. Sure, I love Bruce Campbell as much as the next Hercules/Xena/Spiderman movies fan does, but I usually find these autobiographies dry and boring, filled with technical details of things I just don't care about. As much as I love memoirs, if it's in the autobiography section (as this was), I shy away. But I underestimated Bruce. Is that technical stuff in there? Sure it is, but he
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Apr 15, 2008
Joey
rated it:
So I met Bruce Campbell. He came to my high school because it was close to where he and Sam Rami would make 8mm films back when they were kids. Infact, areas that I grew up in were actually in the book. I have read a handful of biographies and most of them at some point were pompous and these writers spoke about themselves in a way to separate themselves from common people... with that said Bruce does not do that. He does not see himself as a huge star and pokes fun at himself along the way
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Jan 18, 2009
David
rated it:
This book is one of my pride and joys. I got this autographed by Bruce Campbell at a little book store in Mesa, AZ back in 2001. Campbell is one cool sonofabitch. He posed with my friends and I for a picture. Unfortunately the guy taking the picture was a retard and didn't understand how a crazy contraption like a camera operated, so the pictures didn't come out.
Anyway. This book was fun as hell to read. The subject matter would normally be boring, (unless you're a film student and More...
Anyway. This book was fun as hell to read. The subject matter would normally be boring, (unless you're a film student and More...
Jan 10, 2009
Chetley
rated it:
Excellent. Of course it's funny. Of course it's brilliant. But here's the rub. Campbell has starred in B-movies, been a bit actor in blockbusters, and has also both directed and written for film/t.v. Even more, his first films are on Super-8. Shot by himself and a group of friends, including Sam Raimi (Spiderman), starting at the ages of 18-21.
The book outlines the gangs' career from their garage,s to raising their own money for theatrically released independent films (Evil Dead et More...
The book outlines the gangs' career from their garage,s to raising their own money for theatrically released independent films (Evil Dead et More...
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Sep 03, 2011
Kathryn
rated it: 
This wasn't one of the books I'd usually pick to read (I'm not much for celebrity bio's or autobio's, and I'd never even seen a whole movie with Bruce Campbell before), but it was picked by someone in my reading group, so I decided to give it a shot.
Surprisingly, I liked it! Campbell's got a nicely self-deprecating style, and he tells a story well, especially if it's about one of those situations that you only get through by telling yourself, "This will make a great story if I sur More...
Surprisingly, I liked it! Campbell's got a nicely self-deprecating style, and he tells a story well, especially if it's about one of those situations that you only get through by telling yourself, "This will make a great story if I sur More...
Jan 26, 2011
Eva
rated it:
I enjoyed this book. Bruce Campbell is extremely charismatic in writing. Reading the book feels like you are listening to him dominate a dinner party with stories from his life. He goes into detail about his life, from childhood, where he planned sneak attacks on his brothers, to adulthood, where he was conned into bit roles by his friends. It takes a good look at the life of your less famous stars, the character actors or the secondary roles. It goes through the process of making a movie yourse
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Mar 15, 2010
Todd
rated it:
This is Bruce's auto-bio in a nutshell. From his youth to his latest misadventures in the acting world. Mostly this covers before his time in Burn Notice. But it does let people learn all about the man that is Bruce Campbell. Dry wit and wry humor make this a good read about those who life is on the big and small screen.
It breaks down the 4th wall and lets people see the bad side of Hollyweird that Bruce was exposed to and kept himself smartly away from. While he's a "B" m More...
It breaks down the 4th wall and lets people see the bad side of Hollyweird that Bruce was exposed to and kept himself smartly away from. While he's a "B" m More...
Jan 16, 2011
Jim
rated it:
I finally got all the Quarry books & was dying to read them, so why did I read this instead? Am I <shudder> a FAN? A Deadite? Yeah, sort of. I've loved the Evil Dead movies since... well, a really long time, and I've liked Bruce Campbell's acting. He doesn't seem to take himself too seriously & his on-screen sense of humor seems to mesh well with mine. After reading this book, I understand why.
Let me qualify this by saying I'm not much for following actors or famous peopl More...
Let me qualify this by saying I'm not much for following actors or famous peopl More...
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Sep 04, 2011
Patrick
rated it:
Great behind the scenes autobiography from one of my favorite B movie actors. Bruce Campbell has a huge cult following from the Evil Dead series and Hercules and Xena shows as well. In this book he tells of his humble beginnings and hunger to be an actor. It starts out like your average biography with tales of his youth and family in rural Detroit but then blossoms as he finds his true calling with a couple of high school buddies making little movies and "super-8" films. He eventually
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Sep 07, 2010
Alex
rated it:
Have you ever romanticized the notion of scrapping together as much money as possible, besting the odds stacked up against you and filming a low-budget movie purely because it was your dream to do so? Bruce Campbell's recounting of doing so in the late 70's, along with long-time friend and collaborator director Sam Raimi, will either encourage you or frighten you away. Vivid tales of grueling hours, on set antics and multiple injuries will draw you right in to life during pre-production, on lo
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Sep 04, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. It was autobiographical in nature and is more than anything a collection of short stories about Bruce Campbell's life from childhood up until his days on Hercules and Xena. I read the paperback version, which also included an addendum about his book tour. I appreciated the insight of an actor who is just glad to be working in the profession and having fun doing it. I think the book would be most appreciated by people who are already fans of Bruce Campbell's but there
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Jan 28, 2011
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it:
This is a good book. It's a "pre-Burn Notice" "memoir" from Bruce Campbell (the only person to ever "almost" convince me to try Old Spice). I'm not big on "showbiz", movie-star, "my climb to fame" or "my crash from fame" books. That's not what this is. It's just what Campbell says it is, the story of a "work-a-day actor"...and it includes a lot of laughs.
I think I was sold on this book early on as I could identify More...
I think I was sold on this book early on as I could identify More...
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Aug 03, 2011
This is very obviously written by Bruce Campbell (or at least a very good ghost writer), which is both a good thing and a bad thing. As much as I loved the material, some of the writing was a little weak and I definitely skimmed a few pages because I knew I was not missing much in them. That said, the book is an exhaustive biography, spanning the whole of his career. It's interesting in that it cover pretty much every thing he did in between his "big" movies. There's no glossing over
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Aug 18, 2010
Christina
rated it:
I've never really loved "Evil Dead" or many of Bruce Campbell's other movies. ("Bubba Ho-Tep," however, is totally awesome.)
I would kind of smile and nod whenever Jim or one of my other guy friends would talk about how great Bruce Campbell was.
And I only read "If Chins Could Kill" because I felt like I had to.
It turned out to be a great book, and it gave me a lot of respect for Bruce Campbell as a person and an actor.
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I would kind of smile and nod whenever Jim or one of my other guy friends would talk about how great Bruce Campbell was.
And I only read "If Chins Could Kill" because I felt like I had to.
It turned out to be a great book, and it gave me a lot of respect for Bruce Campbell as a person and an actor.
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Jan 18, 2009
TeraD
rated it:
Bruce Campbell is my hero and this book was excellent. I loved how it was written in his voice and learning the history behind all of his work starting back at day one was entertaining, especially since it was told by him. Now I have to Q up Briscoe, Hercules and Xena, as well as his filmography to view everything in light of this book!
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Sep 17, 2008
Snarkstress
rated it:
I adore Bruce Campbell and this book only helped deepen that adoration. He's a witty, fun read, with insights to the industry that only someone on the inside of Hollywood hoopla can provide.
It illustrates his journey from childhood to B-movie star with moments that are touching, hilarious, quirky, and just plain fun to read.
It illustrates his journey from childhood to B-movie star with moments that are touching, hilarious, quirky, and just plain fun to read.
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Jul 28, 2010
Matthew
rated it:
This book will most likely only be read by fans of Mr Campbell but this is actually a perfect book for people interested in the film or tv industry. The book focuses almost solely on Bruce's working life with only brief mentions of his personal life.
The story of how they made Evil Dead is the best part of the book from struggling to raise money to hell like conditions on the film set and I loved learning things about their film making such as the homemade cameras they made to the dif More...
The story of how they made Evil Dead is the best part of the book from struggling to raise money to hell like conditions on the film set and I loved learning things about their film making such as the homemade cameras they made to the dif More...
May 30, 2011
Bronwyn
rated it:
Look, there isn't really much I can say about this book; it pretty much confirms everything I've ever thought about Bruce Campbell, first and foremost that he is a guy who embraces the ridiculous and doesn't really take himself too seriously. I loved the insight into the horror (pun intended) of making movies with Sam Raimi when they were both just young guys who pretty much spent all their time messing around and seeing what would happen- I can't say I came out of this with the same good opini
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Oct 10, 2011
Nicola
rated it:
This was given to me by my colleague. When I first opened it, I thought "Bruce Who?". Having not seen The Evil Dead, I had no idea who Bruce Campbell was until I recognised him in Burn Notice.
I decided to give the book a read anyway and the thing that shocked me was just how modest Campbell is for an actor. For an auto-biography, it's amazing just how much of it is dedicated to the amazing people that he has worked with over the years. People which spend their lives behind More...
I decided to give the book a read anyway and the thing that shocked me was just how modest Campbell is for an actor. For an auto-biography, it's amazing just how much of it is dedicated to the amazing people that he has worked with over the years. People which spend their lives behind More...
Aug 04, 2009
Carla
rated it:
I'll admit to a little bias: I'm a big Bruce Campbell fan. I'm also a fan of Sam Raimi [director and longtime friend of Campbell:], so reading behind-the-scenes tales of their early careers was a special treat for me.
While no great work of literature, this autobiography did exactly what I wanted it to: I felt like I got a glimpse into what these men are really like, I learned more about moviemaking in general and making EVIL DEAD in particular, and I got to see plenty of snapshots ta More...
While no great work of literature, this autobiography did exactly what I wanted it to: I felt like I got a glimpse into what these men are really like, I learned more about moviemaking in general and making EVIL DEAD in particular, and I got to see plenty of snapshots ta More...
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Nov 28, 2011
Karla (Mossy Love Grotto)
rated it:
I have no idea why I requested this book through library loan so many years ago. Perhaps it was fate. I don't think I'd seen Evil Dead yet. Maybe I'd heard about the legendary Bruce Campbell and wondered what the hype was all about. No doubt I'd seen some Xena episodes and fell madly in love with Autolychus. At any rate, and needless to say, I've been a fan of BRUCE ever since.
My overwhelming memory of this book is that I'd had eye surgery and couldn't read, so I had it read to me wh More...
My overwhelming memory of this book is that I'd had eye surgery and couldn't read, so I had it read to me wh More...
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Dec 12, 2008
melydia
rated it:
This is an autobiography unlike most others. Campbell, star of the Evil Dead films, starts from his surprisingly industrious childhood, through the physical tortures of his friendship with Sam Raimi (who would go on to direct the Spiderman films, among others), and into his career as a full-time actor. Not only is it a fascinating look into the making of Evil Dead and Hercules, it's downright hilarious. Campbell writes the way he speaks, a sort of campy monologue full of entertaining anecdote
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Aug 25, 2011
Ben
rated it:
For those in the know, Bruce has been in some cult movies, the Evil Dead series, Maniac cop etc as well as the odd "mainstream" project, such as, the Hudsucker Proxy & several popular tv series including Xena and currently in Burn Notice.
This is neither a "glossy" tale of success or a "spill the beans" type auto, what it is, is an interesting, "nuts and bolts" insight into the world of a professional actor, not an A lister (as the sub title con More...
This is neither a "glossy" tale of success or a "spill the beans" type auto, what it is, is an interesting, "nuts and bolts" insight into the world of a professional actor, not an A lister (as the sub title con More...
Dec 01, 2010
Eli
rated it:
3.5 stars.
When most actors say that theirs is not a glamorous life, it's usually a hard line to swallow. When Bruce Campbell says that his is not a glamorous life, I believe him. Campbell describes all of the ups and downs and just plain slogging inherent in the film and TV biz in hilariously painful detail. This isn't a "movie star"; it's a guy with a kind of a grind of a job, like the rest of us--the only difference is that his grind of a job results in his face getting p More...
When most actors say that theirs is not a glamorous life, it's usually a hard line to swallow. When Bruce Campbell says that his is not a glamorous life, I believe him. Campbell describes all of the ups and downs and just plain slogging inherent in the film and TV biz in hilariously painful detail. This isn't a "movie star"; it's a guy with a kind of a grind of a job, like the rest of us--the only difference is that his grind of a job results in his face getting p More...
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Dec 22, 2011
mzd
rated it:
So. Awesome.
I have little to no interest in the lives of actors or their biographies and as much as I like Bruce Campbell, I had no intention of reading his biography either, but it found its way into my hands and I was pretty much hooked from the get go. Bruce Campbell has a great laid back charm, dry wit and refreshingly honest take on the world of acting, or at least his place in it. Though I chuckled my way through a lot of this book, I also found myself admiring this actor a lot for his ha More...
I have little to no interest in the lives of actors or their biographies and as much as I like Bruce Campbell, I had no intention of reading his biography either, but it found its way into my hands and I was pretty much hooked from the get go. Bruce Campbell has a great laid back charm, dry wit and refreshingly honest take on the world of acting, or at least his place in it. Though I chuckled my way through a lot of this book, I also found myself admiring this actor a lot for his ha More...
Jun 22, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
I read this because I had borrowed an iPad and this was my first chance to use an e-reader. For that experience, the book was interesting. As often happens with autobiographies, I find the early chapters honest and refreshing, because I think we give our childhoods more breathing space. The later chapters about one's work/accomplishments often try too hard. While I enjoy watching Mr. Campbell on the small screen, I had no idea he has started in the big screen horror genre (I never watch that
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Nov 12, 2008
Jess
rated it:
This is a really great book. Bruce Campbell is hilarious. It's especially interesting for fans of Evil Dead.
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Apr 06, 2009
Clare
rated it:
Highly entertaining and amusing, this book takes you on the journey of Bruce's career. I had never heard of this actor before picking up this book, but I feel I can say Bruce instead of Mr. Campbell because this reads like a story a friend would share with you. Starting out with very low budget films which unexpectedly become cult classics, to other films and television shows, we get a behind the scenes look at some not so glamorous filming. We also get a glimpse into some off-beat fan mail,an
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