BRUCE CAMPBELL- BASED ON A GROOVY STORY- PT. III
So what’s the big deal? Is it some kind of irrational obsession, or maniacal fanaticism, with a false idol? I don’t think so. Somehow, Bruce gives RJT and I a good measure of vicarious escapism, because above all, he’s human, he’s fallible…big time.
In the days leading up to our much anticipated meeting with the king of all deadite slayers, RJT and I did the deep dive into Bruce’s first Novel; If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor.
What I took most from the book were the friendships he formed through high school and college with creative partners, especially Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert. I had similar friendships during a comparable time in my life (EH, SLB, & JJ). We had our share of creative misadventures, but it never amounted to anything more than good times and a lot of “Did I really do that?”s. Remember the original M.O.E. (Monsters Of Evolution)? Of course not. How can you remember something you never heard of?
I would have to wait another 20 years, and a new creative partner and muse (RJT), to even start fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming a published author (Still workin’ on it!)
The other main takeaway from Bruce’s first autobiography was the tremendous energy, passion, and pain that went into the making, and eventual success, of the original Evil Dead. This is textbook never give up and fight for your vision stuff. If you’ve never watched ED without knowing the story behind what went into making it, give it another shot. It’s nothing short of a miracle of perseverance. I have to keep that in mind when feeling daunted by my own spiraling writing career.
RJT and also binged both seasons of Ash vs Evil Dead at our rustic cabin in the woods the weekend before our big date with Bruce. I mentioned in the last post the main reason I love this show is its relatability. And I imagined you said, “Huh?”
SUPPORT ASH VS EVIL DEAD! NOW!
One of my favorite lines.
Consider Ash’s character arc. A bunch of shit goes down in his 20s. He fights a bunch of demons, loses a bunch of friends, and may or may not have died on at least one occasion. Jump forward 25 years. He’s living alone, has a pretty crappy job, doesn’t have many friends or family, and lives with the crimes of his past haunting him at every turn. Then, some more shit starts going down, and he has to fight his demons all over again.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, we all have demons to fight, and they are immortal. They cannot be killed. All we can do is try our best to keep them at bay, or train them to do our bidding. Sorry if I’m getting a little deep here, but I tend to write what’s on my mind, sometimes to my detriment. That is my chalyvas maul, you see. The hurting truth.
If there’s one more thing I’ve learned, no one can do this alone and hope to survive. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without RJT, MMM, and my family. Thanks, my Jefes and Brujos!
Anyway, enough of that. I hope you at least have a better understanding of why I’m devoting so much time to RJT and my Thursday with Bruce. This shit is important.
So, the day has finally arrived. We were about to meet Bruce f**king Campbell! But you’ll have to wait.
Until next time, don’t bother me. I’m imagining my own character arc.
