OMG Horror.com

Legendary B-movie actor Bruce Campbell ruled the 80s and 90s with cult horror masterpieces like The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness, and Maniac Cop, but has since been keeping a low profile, making few movies worth watching like Lucky McKee's The Woods and Phantasm director's Bubba Ho-tep.

While his latest low budget cheese-fest, where he plays himself, aptly titled My Name is Bruce, is certainly no substitute for Evil Dead IV, it'll likely appeal to die hard fans of Campbell and his wise-cracking arrogant Ash persona from The Evil Dead series. That said, it's non-existent budget, terrible effects, and silly plot may be more than you're willing to look past.

My Name is Bruce tells the story that's an extreme exaggeration of the real life Bruce Campell, who has since Army of Darkness become a washed up alcoholic who lives in a trailer and is forced to star in campy fictional movies like "Cave Alien" and it's sequel "Cave Alien 2." Campbell's life is falling apart in the movie, to the point where stagehands are pissing in his "lemon water," until things look like they are going to take a turn for the better when his agent (played by Ted Raimi) promises him the best birthday present ever.

Campbell is kidnapped and taken to a small town to fight the Chinese War God Guan Di (whose also the "patron saint of bean-curd") and mistakes this for an elaborate gift from his agent. The whole movie is hammy as hell and has its share of horrendously stupid moments, but it doesn't take itself seriously and is definitely a step up from the previous movie he directed, Man with the Screaming Brain (2005).

My Name is Bruce has zero budget--we're not trying to crack jokes when we tell you that there are Sci-Fi Channel original movies with larger budgets than My Name is Bruce. The effects are just atrocious. There really isn't anything scary in it other than the villain Guan Di. But none of this is really the point of the film. My Name is Bruce is a campy tribute to Bruce Campbell and his iconic Ash character (In the film, Campbell even adopts some of the mannerisms of Ash) and it works in that regard.

Campbell pokes fun at himself and his persona and it's funny. If you took him out of the equation, there'd be no reason at all to see My Name is Bruce. But for diehard Evil Dead fans, they'll want to see this flawed but entertaining film that answers the question: what would happen if we put the real life Bruce Campbell in a situation similar to the ones Ash Williams faced in The Evil Dead trilogy.

If you love Bruce Campbell and The Evil Dead films, see My Name is Bruce. Sure, it looks like it cost about $50 to make, has numerous flaws, and is no where as entertaining as the films he's loved for, but it's still worth a watch. If nothing else, see it for Campbell's hilarious performance as an exaggerated version of himself.

Terror Rating: 1 out of 5
Originality: 2 out of 5
Level of Gore: 1.75 out of 5
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

Recommendations: The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness, Bubba Ho-tep

My Name is Bruce is getting a limited run in theaters and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 10, 2009

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