Bruce Campbell: 5 most unusual onscreen deaths of his career

No one dies quite like Bruce Campbell onscreen. It was a daunting task but we managed to assemble what we think are some of his more colorful demises.

Bruce Campbell has had a prolific career. In over four decades, he has died multiple times in various films. Some deaths were touching, others were gory, funny and downright epic.

Just for fun and inspired by Screaming Soup’s Death Reel Countdown, we decided to compile a quick hit list of some of what we think are his best onscreen demises. Let’s face it, no one bites the dust quite like Bruce.

So, let’s dive in and look at some of Campbell’s most unusual deaths.

5. Crimewave

This 1985 effort directed by Sam Raimi and written by the fabulous Coen brothers doesn’t get the love we think it deserves. Watching this film is like seeing every 1940’s trope come to life and if you are a fan of those noir gems from that era, then put this production on your viewing list.

While Bruce didn’t get to play the lead, he did have a role that called for his ability to turn on the smarm. Renaldo is a heel. He’s gauche and inappropriate but enjoyable. When a dame tells him he’s cute, he replies, “Tell me something I don’t know.”

Those patent one liners roll off his tongue so easily that even though we dislike his character, we have to laugh at his antics. So, when he dies by a fire escape landing on top of him, it is befitting and makes us chuckle.

4. Menno’s Mind

Billy Campbell is Menno, a shy computer nerd who works at a virtual reality vacation spot known as The Resort. Evil security chief, Felix Medina (Corbin Bernsen) has designs on brainwashing customers in to voting for him in the presidential election.

Bruce plays rebel leader, Mick Dourif who gets wind of the plot and enlists his former colleague Menno into trying to thwart Medina’s plans. He ends up getting mortally wounded and downloads his brain into the database of The Resort.

The result is one spectacular death scene. Cue the above video to 51 seconds and watch Campbell meet his maker.

3. Within the Woods

This is the short proof of concept film from Sam Raimi that was designed to help secure investors to make the feature length version that became The Evil Dead. The plot goes something like this, Bruce and a bunch of his friends spend the weekend at a remote house only to have him desecrate an Indian burial ground and turn into a zombie.

One by one he kills his friends until he and Ellen Sandweiss face off. She ends up dismembering him with an ax. Needless to say, this scene is chaotic and a veritable blood fest. The gore factor is strong with this one. To view the scene, click on this link.

2. American Gothic – Meet the Beetles

Honestly, this has got to be one of the most creative ways of killing someone ever captured onscreen. Campbell plays Lt. Drey who shows up in Trinity, South Carolina to solve his brother-in-law’s mysterious murder.

Along the way, he becomes involved with the town vamp which is the beginning of the end for his character. Let’s just say that when he departs this earthly realm, it couldn’t be more disturbing or more torturous. To see what we are describing, hit this link, if you dare!

1. Mindwarp

Bruce Campbell starred in Fangoria’s first foray into motion pictures which was Mindwarp. For those of you that haven’t seen it, the actor stars opposite the late, great Angus Scrimm in a bloody dystopian future where mutated cannibals hunt humans at night.

A young rebel named Judy decides to disconnect from her cushy, AI existence and gets exiled to the nuclear wasteland above ground where she meets Stover (Bruce). The pair bond and eventually get kidnapped by the scary bloodthirsty maneaters.

Stover ends up being infected by parasites that brainwash their human hosts. What results is perhaps the grossest and messiest way to leave this mortal coil since Linda Blair vomited green pea soup in The Exorcist.

What is your favorite Bruce Campbell death scene? Let us know in the comments.