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If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of A B Movie Actor

If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of A B Movie Actor

List Price: $13.95
Your Price: $10.46
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Interesting, funny, and a good read.
Review: When I stood in line at Borders waiting to get this beast signed, Bruce himself past the line virtually unnoticed. He stopped, turned around and said, "What are you people standing around for?"

A humorous moment for me. And this book is filled with quite a bit of funny, a lot of insight, and it kinda turns into a guide on the ins and outs of Hollywood and stardom. There's a major look into the young Campbell and Raimi trying to pick up enough dough to make their first REAL movie, and then the hell they went through to get it done.

All in all, a great look at his film and television career's ins and outs (boy howdy, the outs are many!). Well worth whatever you pay for it. I got it and read it front to back in less than a day. Which isn't to say it's short, it's like 300 pages long, I was just engrossed to no end. In the car, in the car some more, at a friends house, and finished just before I went to bed. Great stuff. I highly recommend it. 5 stars, 10/10, whatever review form you go through it's at the peak.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: For all the "working" actors
Review: Although Bruce Campbell claims to be a B movie actor, he has actually risen above the B movies although he has neither abandoned nor forgotten them. There are no deep personal insights here; nor are they expected. This is the life of the average man who happens to work as an actor, producer, writer, etc. Yes, he does know the business from the inside, and he obviously loves the business that he has chosen. This is the story of the working actor. Not the big name on the marquee, but the actor who makes up most of the industry. The actor that the industry couldn't do without. This book is never boring, always witty, and most of all, always Bruce Campbell. Groovy.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Entertaining, suprisingly NOT focused on the Evil Dead films
Review: I pre-ordered this book on an impulse and nearly read the entire thing in one sitting. Campbell's tales are wildly entertaining and provide an interesting view of the 'B' side of Hollywood. Some readers may be turned off by an almost rambling writing style, but I found that it lent a certain energy to the book.

As the title of this review indicates it is NOT merely a behind the scenes look at the Evil Dead movies, but more of an autobiography and chronicle of Bruce's journey as an actor, writer, producer, director, and sometime unintentional stuntman. Personally, I'd love to see some of those childhood Super 8 films show up as extras on a DVD...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If Chins Could Kill Definetely Delivers!!
Review: As an advid Bruce Campbell fan, like others I couldnt wait for the release of this book, I counted down the days until it was finally here. "If Chins Could Kill, Confessions Of A B-Movie Actor" is a tale of humor, fame, and the not so glorious side of Hollywood. You will read about Bruce's adventures with his brothers as a child, his unique relationship with Sam Raimi, and of course..The Evil Dead Films. Bruce comes across as an honest man just telling it how it is, this book had a riot of laughs, but also hits a sensitive side showing how dark Hollywood can be. This book is a must read, 5 out of 5 stars...Heres to Bruce being on the best sellers list!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Chins can Kill!
Review: I really liked this book. I found it whitty and over all very fun to read. True This book is not for the mainstream readers out there but for those of use who hold Bruce Campbell to be our favorite B actor this is a blessing. This is the perfect book for all of the pop culture fanatics out there. Its also great for anyone that loved the Evil Dead films. its a great read buy it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Your Antidote to Hollywood Memoirs
Review: Bruce Campbell has etched an incredible career for himself, but by popular Hollywood standards, he's still on the lower rung - a "B" actor as he proudly calls himself. This status has stuck him in low-budget films and somewhat trashy television shows. However, Campbell has a large and (obsessively) devoted fanbase. The beginning of most chapters start with a strange e-mail he received from one of his fans, ranging from marriage proposals to an invitation to a girl's senior prom.

Campbell keeps this light-hearted feeling throughout the book, which makes it incredibly accessible for those not looking to get into the nitty gritty of a huge Hollywood star. He is not a star, nor does he have much in the realm of personal details to share. It's his technically detailed and hilarious explanations on how "Evil Dead" and "Evil Dead II" were made that give this book an added flair for budding filmmakers. His experiences on the set prove to be inspiring and touching - a lesson for all those who harbor self-doubt in the face of daunting tasks.

Though I'm not a fan of "Hercules" or "Xena" by any means, I really enjoyed his briefly on-air television show, "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.," and that is where my Campbell fascination began. Then I saw his "Evil Dead" films, and, being a horror fan as well as a huge admirer of Sam Raimi's directorial aesthetic, my love for Campbell was solidified. His campy, overacted performances in those films directly match his writing style, which makes for an entertaining read.

I recommend this book for all those interested in film, or anyone that wants to celebrate a proud B-grade actor who is hasn't been given the chances of many other A-list stars. Just to hear how happy he is with his near-inadequacy is enough to drive an artist to never give up hope in the face of intimidating Hollywood pillars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant and Hysterical
Review: Bruce Campbell has done a magnificent job of writing his autobiography with a twinkle in his eye. He covers his life in Suburban Detroit with his family and his future co-workers in the Evil Dead. What comes across is a man that both loves his craft as well as understands his position in the "B" list position of Hollywood. Campbell Spends a great deal of time writing about his experiences from both the Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2. The movie is fun to watch, but it certainly not fun to make. Campbell gives an inside look at the whole process and how unglamorous it actually is. Campbell also writes how tough the acting life is on families. He writes about his divorce and why she left him. He also writes about how there are long periods of time between the work and dealing with this. He does not name names as some books do on the dirt, but he does mention some of his personal peeves of some actors and if you know the movies he writes about, you can figure out the actor. Mostly this book is alot of fun, full of pictures, and it is truly a nice way of passing time. Highly Recommended

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Groovy ride through the life of a cult icon
Review: The B movie actor Bruce Campbell invites his readers to ride with him through the choppy waters of blue-collar Hollywood. By opening If Chins Could Kill you get exactly what he promises: a glimpse of the crazy world of cinema. Moreover, the centerpiece of the book -and as such of Bruce's "rich" acting career- is the creation of a real low budget cult phenomenon that made the foundations of Hollywood shiver. At the age of 21, Bruce and his friend Sam Raimi started working on their first full-feature movie, assisted by a bunch of naïve, but highly enthusiastic youngsters. That first feature would become know as The Evil Dead. Sam Raimi would turn out to be a really great director who gave birth to films like Spider-man and A Simple Plan. And Bruce? Well, he did what he did best: playing the actor eternally doomed on being on the verge of a major breakthrough... and proud of it!

But Bruce is more than a B-movie actor. He is also a great storyteller. The memoirs he has put down to paper mostly break down to a sum of quite hilarious anecdotes, but at the same time overwhelm you with a feeling of genuineness and admiration for the art of filmmaking. Although quite some of his adventures in that strange celluloid world turn out differently than he had hoped for, Bruce maintains a light-hearted perspective throughout his story. He tells his story in an amusingly self depreciating manner, but never fails to convince the reader that whatever he did, he had an absolutely groovy time!

For everyone who is interested in how movies come to life, If Chins Could Kill is also a very insightful book. But even if the movie business does not tickle your fancy, this book might be one of the funniest autobiographies you'll ever read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You wanna title? I'll give you a title...
Review: Chins is a fun read plain and simple. The back of the book (or in this case product description) will tell you all you need to know about what you're getting into.

Bruce Campbell is down to earth, and funny. Instead of being boring and clinical or dramatic and wallowing in the things that went wrong, this book is more 'bad things happen, good things happen, and, sometimes, REALLY bizarre things happen: Here's what and how'. This anecdotal approach makes the book easy to either pick up and put down (like breaks and lulls at work) because of the short chapters and stopping points within the chapters, or sit down and read for hours because of it's easy conversational tone.

Want to learn more about Bruce Campbell? Read this book. Independant films? Cult fandom? Television? Ups and downs of acting? Book signings? Cross country traveling? Scurvy? Its all covered.

My only complaint is there's no list of his roles. He speaks about them (including commercials, bless 'im), but it would have been nice to have an actual list in the back somewhere. That's the only thing and, really, that's nitpicking.

Recommended for Bruce fans, movie fans, and people in search of a great read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Titles are hard to think up...........
Review: I haven't read this book yet, but wanted to throw a little piece of trivia out. Campbell was also the star of the best TV series that nobody has ever seen (IMHO) - The Adventures of Briscoe County, from about 10 years ago, or so. The man is a true character...... ;-)


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