Bruce Campbell: 3 hidden gems every fan needs to see

Bruce Campbell is one of the most prolific working actors in the business. The King of B movies has a pretty impressive resume however, here are 3 hidden gems that his fans should check out.

Bruce Campbell is known for being a horror icon but that isn’t all he can do. A champion of indie filmmaking, on occasion, he appears in special projects for his friends and colleagues that fly under the radar.

After some extensive research, we unearthed 3 movies of the actor’s that every fan should put on their list. Plus, if you plan on seeing Bruce at one of his upcoming con gigs, think of these titles as conversation starters.

The List

1. Kingdom Come

Kingdom Come is a 2011 documentary film chronicling the ordeal of Daniel Gillies (The Vampire Diaries) as he embarked upon his bid to become a first-time director. Seeking advice on what to do from veterans in the business, he talks to actors who have appeared in several independent features like Don Cheadle, Mark Ruffalo and Edward Burns.

Guess who else appears in this effort? Bruce Campbell. Of course, he is a natural for this topic because that is how he made his name, in perhaps one of the finest ventures of guerilla filmmaking known to cinema, The Evil Dead.

Bruce Campbell – Kingdom Come Doc – Courtesy of Official page for Broken Kingdom Film

He informs the directors  Paiman Kalayeh and John Lyons Murphy that “you find yourself doing risky things, financially.” As every fan of the Sam Raimi film knows, The Evil Dead took 4 years to make because they kept running out of money.

Bruce is sought after for these types of endeavors because he can always be counted upon to provide lively discourse and insightful soundbites. It is also admirable that he is willing to participate in projects like this because it shows that he hasn’t forgotten his roots and that is rare in Hollywood.

This film is available to rent on Amazon Prime.

Kingdom Come Official Trailer from Kingdom Come on Vimeo.

2. Dinner with Leatherface

Bruce Campbell – Dinner with Leatherface- Courtesy of Michael Kallio

This documentary, a retrospective of the late Gunnar Hansen comes to us from Michael Kallio who happens to be a friend of Bruce’s. In the past, the actor was a producer on Kallio’s feature, Hatred of a Minute in which the legendary Hansen starred in for the filmmaker.

Dinner with Leatherface boasts an impressive list of industry professionals who are well known in the horror genre. All of the cast shares their anecdotes and memories of the beloved actor. This effort has taken Kallio a while to assemble but the hard work has paid off because the target release date is Sept. 1 of this year.

In addition to Campbell, Linnea Quigley, Debbie Rochon, Tiffany Shepis, Betsy Baker, Gary Jones and Tony Timpone are just a few of the recognizable names involved in this production.

Michael has helmed many behind the scenes efforts for Bruce as well. He has done the sizzle reel for Last Fan Standing as well as all of the actor’s Hail to the Chin promos and the Making of My Name Is Bruce featurette. This is definitely one for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre fans to mark on their calendars.

To stay up to date with Dinner with Leatherface, follow Michael on Facebook.

“Dinner with Leatherface” teaser trailer (rough)- The Life of Original Leatherface, Gunnar Hansen from Michael Kallio on Vimeo.

3. The Color of Time

Ash Wednesday – Bruce Campbell – The Color of Time – Courtesy of RabbitBandini Productions, Victorino Noval Productions, Elysium Bandini Studios

C.K. Williams is a Pulitzer Prize winning poet and author whose life is depicted in this interesting treatise on alternating timelines. James Franco plays the scribe. As every fan of Bruce knows, he was in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy with Franco and Oz the Great and Powerful as well.

The film takes place in Detroit as well as New York and examines Williams’ interactions with the women in his life. Dennis Hopper’s son, Henry portrays the poet as a young man. Campbell shares a scene with Franco in a convenience store.

He plays Goody, one of the locals who hangs out with his friend while swilling coffee. His character reminds you of the constant fixtures in small establishments throughout America. Even in this brief interlude, Bruce is still compelling to watch.

NEGLECT (excerpt from THE COLOR OF TIME) from Gabrielle Demeestere on Vimeo.

It says something about him as an actor that he is totally invested in the scene despite the fact that Franco is the focus. This is really a worthwhile production and a fascinating exploration on relationships. This 2014 release can be seen on Amazon Prime.

Have you seen Kingdom Come and The Color of Time? Were you aware of Dinner with Leatherface? Let us know in the comments. We want to hear from you.