Bruce Campbell: Highly Functional the forgotten film

Bruce Campbell has a hidden gem of a film called Highly Functional that may never see the light of day. However, at Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Con he divulged a few details about this elusive work.

Bruce Campbell made an independent film four years ago that as of yet no one but him and members of the cast and crew have seen. It’s called Highly Functional and I have written about it many times. Why would I do that?

Because it is interesting to me how producers could put forth an artistic endeavor and then not fight to have it released. Now, I am no Hollywood pundit or insider but if I poured my heart and soul into a project, I would want it to be seen. Call me crazy but isn’t that why we create for audiences to enjoy our efforts?

At FBW Horror Con last weekend, a fan asked Campbell what is your favorite project in media that you are least known for? Bruce responded with Highly Functional. This is actually a heartbreaking story, in my opinion.

According to the actor by the time he finished shooting, the director Marc Forby had been fired and the producer quit. Which is part of the reason why this production is in limbo among other convoluted issues.

In the film, Bruce plays a washed-up country singer named Chili Youngfield.  At one point, he was a successful entertainer who was known for the song, “It Ain’t the End.” The sad part is that Chili wrote tons of other tunes but he is remembered for the one track that someone else wrote. It is a sore point for him and he doesn’t like to perform it but it’s the only song anyone wants to hear.

We meet his character at a pharmaceutical convention on an Indian reservation. This is what his life is like now. After getting hassled by fans who want to hear his only hit, he leaves and is accosted at gun point by an autistic young man named, Bobby. As if Chili’s day couldn’t get worse…

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What has driven Bobby to such drastic measures? His guardian Dan, had a heart attack and is dying. So, he believes that if he can get Chili to sing Dan’s favorite song, (you can guess what it is) this will give him the will to carry on. The pair have to deal with each other from New Mexico to Colorado on what Bruce terms a “very twisted road trip.”

By all accounts, this dramedy sounds like a must-see for Campbell fans because he has never played a character like this before. Plus, we know he sings in it too so there is an extra bonus. This is the part that gets to me. His enthusiasm for the role was so much so that in his words, he said he didn’t want to “screw this up.”

Bruce felt like it was going to follow the same protocol as other movies and he didn’t want to disappoint his fans. Everyone from Highly Functional was fired and then some were rehired. The disappointing fact of the matter is, the actor has no idea where the movie is now.

He happens to have a copy of the film. I have heard from a colleague of his that saw it that it is well done. At the con, Campbell jokingly told the audience that he was going to “leak that son of a b****.”

In a perfect world, this film would find a distributor and be released. But it doesn’t sound like this is going to happen anytime soon. Until then, maybe we can keep our fingers crossed that it will “escape” someday…

Do you want to see Highly Functional? Let us know in the comments.