Bruce Campbell released a new book this week, ‘Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor,’ and we talked with the actor about his career, friendship with filmmaker Sam Rami, and the evolution of Netflix.
Rami and Campbell met in junior high and became best friends. The duo eventually made a 30-minute film ‘Within the Woods’ which was used to attract financing for ‘Evil Dead.’ The rest is cinematic history. Who doesn’t want to see a Netflix series about a young Bruce and Sam running amuck in the early 70s?
If you’re still not sold on the idea, listen to Campbell describe his first encounter with Rami.
“I thought he was a little creepy kid. He was dressed like Sherlock Holmes playing with dolls sitting on the floor in the hallway blocking the hallway,” said Campbell.
When asked if there was enough material for Netflix series Cambell responded.“Funny thing is we could actually,” the actor then proceeded to reminisce about high school with Rami.
“I poked him in the eye with a pencil one time. We would rush at each other with a pencil, and you would try and stop right at the last minute. And I poked him. I just poked him in the eye. And then he would sit behind me in school; I’d go to answer a question this is in drama class. I’d answer a question, and he’s sitting behind me, and as I’m answering, I feel that there’s a tip of a pencil going into the back of my neck and slowly increasing the pressure as I’m answering the question. It became a massive test of wills of like you’re going to have to snap that thing off in the back of my neck before I give you, you son of a gun. He’s like, “You’re going to break. I’m going to break you.” So that was our relationship from the start,” said Campbell.
“I was his assistant at bar mitzvahs. We would go to bar mitzvahs, and he was a lame magician, and every time he hit me the kids would laugh. And I think he took a mental note. Hurting Bruce is good. So that’s where that came from,” said Campbell.
Do you think Campbells and Rami’s high school high-jinx carry enough weight for a Netflix series?
What is Bruce Campbell’s greatest role? Comment below.
