If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor (Paperback)

by Bruce Campbell (Author) "There is an L-shaped scar on the left side of my chin..." (more)
Key Phrases: Evil Dead, Los Angeles, Sam Raimi (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Though it offers few revelations about the details of Campbell's personal life, this entertaining and witty Hollywood memoir combines his life story with how-to guidance on making independent films and becoming a pop culture cult hero. Campbell began working in show business as a teenager, and in high school became friends with future director Sam Raimi, with whom he eventually co-produced the 1982 cult horror hit Evil Dead, in which Campbell starred. Despite his wry, modest sense of humor Campbell recognizes the peculiar place that Evil Dead holds in contemporary culture he sincerely conveys the enormous commitment and work that went into making and marketing the movie. By the time he describes the film's premiere, Campbell's sense of triumph is palpable: we share his excitement when the film makes back its money and by 2000 becomes number three on the all-time video charts after Lady and the Tramp and Titanic. When Campbell isn't starring in new films like Evil Dead II and Moontrap, he is desperately often hilariously looking for investors for his new projects. His subtitle aside, Campbell's career has gone mainstream: he has appeared in Homicide and Ellen, is a regular on Hercules and Xena, and has started directing as well. (June)Forecast: While a boon to film cultists and to Campbell's many fans, this book also has enough insights and smarts to appeal to readers with a serious interest in popular culture. A planned author tour and national print advertising will help it capitalize on Campbell's cult following.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal
This engaging memoir offers much more than the standard, glamorous "and then I did..." show business autobiography. In an informal and entertaining style, Campbell describes his suburban childhood in 1950s Detroit, his introduction to acting at 13 via a summer stock production of The King and I, his involvement in theatrics and an 8mm movie production in high school, a semester-long foray into higher education, and his adult career as an actor. A large portion of the work is devoted to his friendship and working relationship with director Sam Raimi, who was a high school classmate and whose successful film Evil Dead brought them both to public attention. The book offers insights into the world of independent filmmaking and the life of a "B" actor, but most importantly it succeeds as an evocative memoir that allows the reader to know Campbell. Highly recommended for large public and academic libraries with film collections. Bruce Henson, Georgia Tech Lib., Atlanta
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: L.A. Weekly Books (August 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312291450
• ISBN-13: 978-0312291457
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (216 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,517 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bruce is Loose, February 5, 2002

By	A. Liebling (Long Island City, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor (Hardcover)

If you only read one book this year, then you are an illiterate fool. But this should be the book you read. Bruce Campbell, cult hero (and actor), wrote the perfect book for his fans - it drips with charisma, his clever and self-depreciating humor, and a genuine personal and honest touch you rarely find in your run-of-the-mill, ghost-written Hollywood memoir. And it has everything a Deadite could want - very amusing anecdotes of his early childhood and teen years, tons and tons of photos, fascinating behind-the-scenes info about the making (and funding) of the Evil Dead movies, and tons of valuable insight into the Hollywood system, from the point of view of the low man on the totem pole.

I found his casual, anecdotal writing style really fun, although I agree with critics that he doesn't get too detailed or self-analytical about his personal life. He also breezes over his television work, which might frustrate Brisco and Xena fans. But in general, Bruce Campbell - an extremely likeable guy - succeeds with this extremely likeable book.

Hail to the king!

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Grade-A Look at B-Movies and More, August 3, 2004

By	C. T. Mikesell (near Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bruce Campbell's autobiography is an immensely fun read. Written conversationally (admittedly one-sided, unless you're given to talking to inanimate objects), the book provides a frank and surprisingly objective look at Campbell's life and career.

The book begins with Campbell's childhood in rural/suburban Michigan and the transformation that took place in high school when he met the Raimi brothers. How Campbell's career intersects time and again with the Raimi's and other high school cohorts is presented throughout the book. When one thinks of Hollywood bigshots, backstabbing and betrayal come to mind before lifelong friendships. Perhaps that explains why Bruce Campbell isn't a Hollywood bigshot - but why he has a huge fan following nonetheless.

In detailing the blood (Karo syrup-based and real), sweat and tears that went into making the first Evil Dead feature, the book presents scenes that are as horrifying as anything in the movie itself (it also provides the best tangential recipe I've come across since I read Clifford Stoll's The Cuckoo's Egg), but it also makes it seem like a ton of fun. Probably a quarter of the book is devoted to the Evil Dead process: conception, prototype, capital-raising, filming, editing, distribution, etc. Even with the documentary features on the Evil Dead DVDs, there's plenty of new information here. If you're not aware of what goes into making a feature film, this is an eye opener.

Campbell doesn't go into as much detail about what goes into TV production, but he does share some interesting and amusing anecdotes (including details of David Duchovny's embarrassing flatulence problems).

Perhaps the most interesting part of the autobiography deals with the impact the 9/11 attack had on the promotional tour for the first edition of the book. Three years later, when most discussion of the event involves finger-pointing and blame-placing, it is interesting to read Campbell's take on how he and his wife did their best to keep their lives on course in the days and weeks after the WTC bombings. If you hadn't already gotten that Campbell is a do-whatever-it-takes trouper in the main body of the book, it becomes eminently clear in the appendix.

If you're a Bruce Campbell fan like I am, buy this book. Even if you don't want to make it big in the film industry, you'll find yourself yearning for a digital camera and a couple gullible friends by the time you finish reading it.

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A witty, breezy read!, June 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor (Hardcover)

This book is just plain fun to read.

Okay, sure... you get some interesting insight into the struggles it takes to be a working actor in Stage, Film, TV and that spore-infested place called Hollywood. I certainly enjoyed anecdotes about the Evil Dead films, Brisco County Jr., Congo, Hercules, Xena, the X-files and more... But lets face it, Bruce Campbell brings one thing to his roles that got me interested enough to buy the book in the first place: a sense of fun. And *that* is represented in his writing in spades. For proof, I merely had to catch my wife (whose usual reaction to any Bruce Campbell masterpiece is to groan in despair) happily reading this book herself... This turned out to be fairly easy, since every other page had her laughing out loud.

I didn't complain, since I had already finished it... I read the entire thing cover to cover (a fairly meaty 300 pages) the same day it arrived. It's written in such a lively, engaging style that it was never put down for long.

If you're interested enough to read these reviews, then you're interested enough to buy the book and enjoy the heck out of it.