FanSided 250: Why Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi deserve to be ranked

FanSided 250 dropped its annual fandom list yesterday and we couldn’t help but notice that Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi were nowhere to be found. We make a case for why they should have been considered for the cut.

FanSided 250 released its annual best of the best fandom list yesterday spotlighting every entertainment category under the sun from celebrities to music to movies and TV. Several horror personalities and TV series made the grade.

We noticed that Bill Hader, IT: Chapter Two, Stranger Things, Supernatural, The Walking Dead and Jordan Peele (just to name a few) were ranked highly by genre fans. However, we couldn’t help but notice that two icons were conspicuously absent.

Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi are consistently mentioned in top 10 lists for a variety of their collaborations throughout the 40 years that they have been working together. So, we have compiled some reasons why these two definitely deserve to be ranked on the FanSided 250.

Evil Dead Trilogy

The Evil Dead movies are classics. Quentin Tarantino credited Evil Dead 2 with opening his eyes to the fact that there were different ways to shoot a film.

Frankly, the first incarnation in the series starring a 21-year-old Bruce Campbell was also well-known for being innovative with the creation of the “shaky cam.” Basically, Sam Raimi instructed his cinematographer; Tim Philo to take a 2×4 and bolt a camera to it thus creating the illusion for the viewing audience of the “Dark Ones” roaming the woods near the cabin.

Raimi is also the inspiration behind what is now known as “splatstick” or gore mixed with humor. Bruce Campbell beating himself up in the impressively choreographed kitchen scene in Evil Dead 2 or the famous eyeball in the mouth moment are prime examples of Raimi’s signature type of horror. Even when Campbell’s alter ego, Ash Williams was getting tormented by tiny versions of his character in Army of Darkness, you can’t help but laugh.

The “Master Cylinder” Factor

Sam Raimi is known as “The Master Cylinder” among his friends. When he produced the 1989 film, The Dead Next Door that is how he appeared in the credits hence, “The Master Cylinder” Factor which we believe is the ingredient to some very profitable scary ventures.

Let’s discuss the director’s track record as a producer. This man has an eye for talent which is evident when you take a look at his filmography and the successful films that he has shepherded. Recently, he was involved with the summer box office smash, Crawl.

In the 2000’s, he brought us The Grudge series and now, there is a reboot on the way which will be in theaters on January 3. Let’s not forget Fede Alvarez’s successful, Don’t Breathe which was on Raimi’s watch along with Ash vs Evil Dead, Spartacus, Drag Me to Hell, 30 Days of Night, Xena: Warrior Princess and Darkman.

Plus, he is also behind the scenes on the upcoming Quibi venture, 50 States of Fright. As you can see, his credits as a producer alone warrant him a place on the FanSided 250 list.

Bruce Campbell: Jack of All Trades

As an actor, Bruce Campbell has given us hours of pleasure watching him embody various characters from Ash Williams, the chainsaw handed savior of the world to playing an aging Elvis in the Don Coscarelli/Joe Lansdale cult classic, Bubba Ho-Tep to a parody of himself in the very meta, My Name Is Bruce, he has earned his rightful place as horror royalty.

However, he doesn’t deserve to be on the FanSided 250 just for his contributions to the genre. He has also shown his prowess as an actor in Burn Notice, Brisco County, Jr., The X-Files, Xena, Hercules and more recently, the quirky dramedy, Lodge 49. Plus, he is the host of the latest incarnation of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

A number one draw at conventions all over the world, a New York Times bestselling author with an acting career spanning four decades, he is a solid choice to be ranked, in our humble opinion.

Do you agree with us that Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi should have made the FanSided 250 list? Let us know in the comments.