Jan
8
2004
man among men
I’m a Bruce Campbell fangirl.
And I don’t know that I can fully explain why. He’s a B-movie cult hero — certainly not an “important” actor. But he has a certain level of manic energy, and the ability to play heroic, brash, campy, self-aware and utterly sarcastic all at the same time. Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness aren’t great films, but they’re great entertainment.
For me, Campbell’s personality, and the way he relates to his fans, has a lot to do with the hero-worship.
A couple years ago, I went to a booksigning in Tempe for Campbell’s autobiography If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor. The bookstore was packed with Campbell fans — some wearing Evil Dead t-shirts and/or toting videos and action figures for signing. The audience cheered loudly when Campbell, wearing a bright yellow Hawaiian shirt, entered the room. He talked briefly, then did a Q-and-A with audience members about past, current and upcoming projects. He seemed (or at least pretended to be) surprised that people knew about his then-just-finished film Bubba Ho-Tep (which has only recently been released).
After the Q-and-A, he stepped over to a table, and all the assembled fans lined up in turn in groups of 20 (we’d been issued numbers when we first came into the bookstore). My number was in the 200s or so, and I waited a good two hours or more for my chance to step up and meet The Man. I was amazed at how good Campbell was with his fans. He would shake their hands, greet them personally, chit-chat a bit while signing the merchandise and smile for photos. And he promised to stay until everyone had had their turn in line, which impressed me to no end, as there were perhaps a hundred or more people in line behind me.
Tomorrow night, Bubba Ho-Tep is opening in DC, inagurating the newly-reopened Landmark Theatre on E Street — and Campbell is going to be there. Dan has organized a group outing to the movie. I’m so there.
![[Photo]](http://photos.morethanthis.net/images/2008-09-13/thumbs/IMG_0272.jpg)
Comments
Some of us don’t have the wide screen Macs ;)
Nice to see the layout change though…
Pb
That rocks! “Give me some sugar, baby!” ;-). Have a good time and I expect a full report afterwards!
Anyway… :)
Dari and I hiked the ten blocks from the office to the theatre, by way of the White House/Ellipse, to meet up with Dan, Vickie and Shawn. (And it was so cold out that by the time we arrived, my face and legs were totally numb.) It was the new Landmark Theatre’s opening night, and, aside from some layout/hallway weirdness (and the discovery of gum on my theatre seat), it’s a really nice, clean theatre.
Bubba Ho-Tep started promptly — no lame commercials or anything — and we settled in for an entertaining hour and a half. It wasn’t the world’s best movie — considering the premise, it’s an unlikely Oscar contender — but it was certainly entertaining. Bruce Campbell played it straight as Elvis, and he, Ossie Davis’s JFK and their friendship were all strangely affecting.
After the film, Campbell himself came out (amid cheers and flashing cameras) to answer questions from the fans. Like the last time I saw him, at the book signing, I was struck by just how normal he seems — he made a comment about having a car payment and told a story about taking a part in a sucky TV show because he needed to replace a water heater at home — and how well he seems to get along with the fans, alternately humoring and groaning at their often inane questions.
All in all, a great night!