There are a few figures in American cinema who really stand out. Some for their looks, some for their style, some for their acting ability. And then there are some whose appeal is due to an enormous helping of charisma, a certain charm, and an ability to not take themselves too seriously.
Bruce Campbell, the king of American B-movies, is one of those. But now he's facing serious health issues, and has decided that the film that will likely be his swan song won't be written, filmed or released by any of the big studios. He has his reasons.
Bruce Campbell is taking a chainsaw to the Hollywood playbook.
The "Evil Dead" star is ditching the traditional studio system for "Ernie & Emma," his new independent film that puts him firmly in the driver's seat after decades of navigating Hollywood — and after one early studio experience left a bad taste.
"The first studio film I ever did, I got kicked out of the lead," Campbell told Fox News Digital. "The movie was re-edited, retitled and never came out. So, the taste in my mouth from studios is very sour."
That experience stuck with the cult-favorite actor, who said he has long wanted to make a project without studio executives calling the shots.
"It was time to be unbridled in my life," Campbell said.
I question how bridled Bruce ever was in his life, given his amazing record of movies and television, with memorable great films like Army of Darkness, and shows like Brisco County, Jr. and Jack of All Trades, not to mention his great supporting role in Burn Notice. He's never been the conventional sort, but far be it from me to question his experiences with the Hollywood establishment.
The good news is, Bruce has a new project. The bad news is, it may be his last.
The decision carries extra weight following Campbell's cancer diagnosis, which he disclosed in March.
Campbell said earlier this month on "The Adam Carolla Show" podcast that doctors had given him an estimated five years to live, but he remains focused on treatment and continuing his work.
The actor wrote, directed, produced and stars in "Ernie & Emma," which he made independently with his wife and longtime partner, Ida Gearon.
In his new film, made with his wife, Bruce plays a recently widowed Ernie Tyler, a pear salesman in Oregon, in a story of the recently widowed Ernie traveling about Oregon fulfilling his late wife's wishes to have her ashes scattered in specific places around the state — the state where Bruce and Ida live. It seems that Bruce's wife Ida convinced him to do so, so that he could sleep in his own bed at night.
The trailer looks terrific.
It's a typical Bruce Campbell piece in lots of ways; some memorable lines, some slapstick visual humor, but mostly, it looks to be a story of a man who is suffering a horrible loss, but finding some solace in fulfilling his lost loved one's wishes, and in so doing, finding a way to move ahead. It looks to be a touching piece about living and loving, and if it's Bruce's last work, then it looks like he'll be finishing his career up on a high note.Bruce Campbell, the king of B-movies, was the one guy could deliver lines like "This is my boomstick" and make us love them.
And, in Ernie & Emma, we may see Bruce's best work yet. I'll be looking forward to it.