How sad is this?

Don't listen to the negative reviews

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

I don't get it, what the Hell is this? Before I watched it I was hoping that this was going to be like the Evil Dead films but instead it's a broken mess that's so crap, we might as well actually be watching a pile of crap. Here Bruce Campbell plays himself who is nothing like his heroic and badass Evil Dead character Ash, instead he's a yellow-bellied couch potato coward who is a big wimp when a small town need his help to fight a monster for real. This film is full of unfunny jokes and racist remarks so that's the comedy down the toilet. I say, what the Hell possessed Bruce Campbell to do this movie like this is anyone's guess? But the worst thing of all is it's an absolute insult towards the fans and is a real let-down. Avoid like the plague because this film is really, really bad.

I remember seeing the DVD for this film, the title pretty much tells you what to expect, starring and directed by the star I know best as Ash from The Evil Dead trilogy, I knew this was going to be terrible, but I had to see why. Basically in the mining town of Gold Lick, Oregon, young Jeff (Taylor Sharpe) is a big fan of B-movie star Bruce Campbell, he is out with his friend Clayton (Logan Martin) to meet Big Debbie (Ariel Badenhop) and Little Debbie (Ali Akay) in the nineteenth-century cemetery. Jeff unintentionally removes a medallion off the mausoleum, unleashing the Chinese god of the dead, Guan-Di (James Peck), it kills Clayton and the girls, while Jeff flees, he panics and knows that the town needs to be saved, and he can think of only one person to help, his movie hero. Bruce Campbell is filming his latest naff looking science-fiction , blood-filled B-movie, Cave Alien II, with his drinking habits and rude nature he is not popular amongst the film crew, but his agent Mills Toddner (Ted Raimi) has promised a birthday surprise. Next thing he knows Bruce is knocked unconscious and wakes up inside the trunk of Jeff's car, Bruce assumes he is a mad stalker-like fan, he arrives in the town of Gold Lick and listens to the townspeople talk about the trouble with the ancient ghoul, he assumes this is his birthday surprise, a new movie, and despite no scripts and cameras in sight he agrees to "help". While "preparing" himself Bruce is trying to get in the good books of Jeff's mother Kelly Graham (Grace Thorsen), who initially finds his behaviour irritating, and he gears himself up in the town gun shop. Bruce joins some townspeople brave enough to venture into the woods and take on Guan- Di, he assumes it is all still just a movie, he then finds out it is all real and flees the town, a running gag is an Italian painter (Ted Raimi) constantly repaints the population sign every time someone dies, including himself. Returning to his own movie set Bruce, everyone on the set hates him, including his own dog, and his ex-wife Cheryl (The Evil Dead's Ellen Sandweiss) has a restraining order placed upon him, but the real birthday surprise does show up, a singing prostitute named Kasey (Janelle Farber). Bruce gets a call from Jeff, he informs him he is going up against Guan-Di, so Bruce goes back to Gold Lick, he is treated with contempt and tries to reconcile with Kelly, but ultimately he is back to save the town. Bruce and Jeff set up dynamite at the mausoleum, they try to lure Guan-Di inside, eventually Bruce sacrifices himself and the dynamite is blown, and the medallion is returned into the wall of the mausoleum to ease the spirit. But Guan-Di ha survived and comes out to attack, at the very last minute however, it turns out that this whole scenario is a movie, Bruce argues with Ted he doesn't want clichés, he wants a happy ending, so it is changed to Bruce marrying Kelly, and Jeff accepted into Harvard University, Bruce is pleased with this new ending, but again, this is not real, and Guan- Di appears and attacks Bruce. Also starring Ben McCain as Mayor and Timothy Patrick Quill as Frank. The whole is geared by Campbell parodying his own persona and movie roles, there are many in-jokes and spoofs based on The Evil Dead and his many other movies, but the story of the actor going against an awakened Chinese demon is silly, it hardly made me laugh, and the quality of special effects was low, the whole thing is just an awful mess, even for fans of Campbell, I would not bother with this boring and ridiculous comedy horror. Poor!

Try to swallow this. Adapted from a comic book by Dark Horse Comics, this R rated film sees B-List Movie actor Bruce Campbell being mistaken for a real-like monster hunter and forced to fight a real Chinese monster, Guan-Di in a small town in Oregon. Directed by Bruce Campbell, the movie is freaky deaky. It's not that good of a movie, but it was fun enough to watch. You really have to turn off your brain to get through the movie. There are tons of extreme meta-humor parody, here and most of it kinda works. Some of the in-jokes are slightly clever while others are just too blunt and insult the audience's intelligence. The film was made, cheaply to capitalize on that low budget meta-humor. The exteriors for the town of "Goldlick" were actually shot on Bruce Campbell's property where a back lot was built with the exteriors of all of the buildings. The interior shots were all done on a sound stage. The monster demon looks pretty fake looking, with a lots of unrealistic-looking gore to add to the over the top violence. Still, the plot written by Mark Verheiden & Bruce Campbell, was pretty interesting. It's rare to see actors played highly fictionalized version of themselves. For the most part, Bruce Campbell as Bruce Campbell was very entertaining with all with wits. So, kinda hail to the king, baby! The only thing, I didn't like about his character is how much, he lacks depth and act so mean-spirited. The bad thing about the story is that characters are written, in unsophisticated unlikeable ways that it's hard to get through the film. Most of the characters in the film, are jerks. I really didn't like any of the supporting cast, due to this. Women are written, so shallow-like, that it's a bit degrading. I feel bad, for the women in this film like Grace Thorsen. The Chinese Stereotypes are so offensive, that it's hard to get through. Seeing director Sam Raimi's younger brother, Ted Raimi act Asian was pretty insulting. It's worse than his other role in the film, as a Italian painter. I have to say, Guan-Di was a pretty cool villain. After all, you don't see, many Chinese ghosts haunting an America location. The whole bean curd gimmick was pretty OK for the most part. One thing, I love about the dialogue is all the mentions and references to Bruce Campbell's other films, such as 2002's Bubba Hotep, 1988's Maniac Cop & others. That was pretty much, the highlight of the film. Although Sam Raimi, with whom Bruce frequently collaborates, is not involved with this production, much of the film is in the vein of the Evil Dead series (1982-1992). I just wish, they mention more of his TV show, works like being a recurring characters in both the Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys series (1995-1999). Another good thing about the film is the song, 'The Legend of Guandi', by the McCain Brothers. It's a pretty catchy tune. The DVD extras are somewhat worth, buying the movie for. It was so funny to watch. The hour long Making-of documentary is one big inside joke with a lot of fake-history, awkward moments, and fake trailers for movies that will never, come out like Cave-alien 2. They even went so far, to make a behind the scenes documentary of the making of Cave-alien 2. It was so surreal. The DVD has also tons of Easter Eggs special features that you will have to check out. Lots of them, feature content that isn't worth watching, but it was still fun to find them. Supposedly, there's a sequel, as of this writing, on its way. It is in-titled, 'My Name is Still Bruce: Bruce vs. Frankenstein'. It might be OK, might not. So heads up on that. Overall: if you're a Bruce Campbell fan, you're going to see this movie regardless of what you read here; however, I'll save you the time and say it did has that pure id gonzo that keeps the spirit of 1980s grindhouse film mostly alive. If you like, those films, maybe you will love this. If not, the tiresome old jokes will kill you. In my opinion, it was watchable, but this film could have been better.

Directed co-produced and starring the main man Bruce Campbell, judging by the title and the whole premise of the film would you say this is a vanity project?. Well I kinda think it is really and whether you actually like the film or not depends completely on your personal preference to Mr Campbell.The plot is as old as the hills, a parody comedy on Campbell himself. BC plays an over the top unlikable version of himself, a big movie star fallen from grace and eking out an existence in B-movie trash, but not popular B-movie trash. He is brought to a small town to help them defeat a supernatural problem involving a Chinese demon. Of course everyone thinks BC is the brave hero he is in his movies, but alas he's a selfish coward.The concept is nice but overused, it really is. The idea that Bruce plays a narcissistic big headed coward who is nothing like his film persona is also a nice idea...but again totally overused. The majority of this film is merely showing how much of an idiot Bruce's character is, mocking what he obviously goes through in his daily life with fanboys and movie producers plus parodying his schlock horror film career. So yes BC can have a laugh at himself it seems which is good but at the same time you do feel the whole thing is a tad of an ego trip. You may as well of called the film 'Bruce Campbell: The Ultimate B-Movie Action Hero'...as that's almost what its implying. Yep its probably true but really?.The other thing is nothing really happens in the film, its not really very exciting or fun. Sure there is some decapitations and blood and the odd bit of amusing dialog but its really quite dull. Its not helped by the unadventurous sets and location which all seem so...not eerie. Its obviously meant to be along the lines of previous BC films with a low budget and cheesy effects, mocking the Evil Dead franchise mainly, but it just looks so bland. All you get is the odd swirl of mist here and there.Then there is the demon, a big samurai demon even though he's suppose to be Chinese?. This guy looks like a ghostie from the Scooby Doo live action films! really he just looks lame. Yes again he's not meant to be a top of the range boogeyman with excellent makeup and costume but I just feel more could of been done to up the anti a bit. I mean it really does feel like a live action Scooby Doo flick half the time, could of at least had some more harsh language guys. It really feels like they wanted the project to be done by Raimi, but he didn't, so they tried their best to make it as close to that as possible.The finale of the film does show us why everything does look as it does this is true, but I don't really like that twist honestly. Feels like a cop out when it could of been a straighter parody with BC being the douchebag and having a real adventure to cope with. In the end it just kinda feels like a waste of time with nothing much happening and another cult franchise for Campbell to lap up and take all the glory with. I do like the guy but this film just feels too self indulgent for me truth be told, regurgitating all his best one liners over and over. I know that's part of the parody but it feels excessive. Could of been a great spooky comedy but its very tepid at best.4/10