I came to the Cult of Campbell rather late in life. I had seen him as the final face of Darkman, the doomed fiancé in Congo, and was like “eh, whatever.” Then I saw Army of Darkness and was like “holy snikes! That guy sure can carry a cult movie!” And, like most of macho-posturing-loving America, I never looked back. I bought the Ash figure, I dreamed of chopping off my hand for a metal replacement, and I continue to drop his unique delivery of “groovy” into everyday speech and term papers. It’s unnecessary to list his movie accomplishments, because The Bruce with the Chin has become so ingrained in our consciousness that we trade our movie memories of him like prisoners trade cigarettes. I haven’t gotten around to reading his book yet, but for all that his quips and tricks towards overconfidence have done for my social standing, I’m happy to add my voice to the cacophony of “Give that man an achievement award!” Bruce, I salute you!

‘Why on Earth does Bruce Campbell deserve a lifetime achievement award as prestigious and coveted as The Mutie?’ you might be wondering. Sure he’s got a chin the size of one of the smaller American states, and enough manliness to woo the entire heterosexual female populous of the world several times over. But as a close personal friend of Bruce’s, (by which I mean that I have a small four-room shrine dedicated to him with which I am very well acquainted) I can tell you that the only thing bigger than his chin is his compassion and dedication regarding that noblest of causes, The Cult B Film. Single-handedly (heh) did he pull himself out of obscurity to vault the then-soon-to-be Sam Raimi trilogy into the hearts of millions of cult horror fans. With the chainsaw that replaced his missing hand did he (metaphorically) decimate the disbelievers’ numbers, his gruff fly-by-the-seat-of-The-Classic charm and witty repartee winning even more followers to the ranks. To seal his cult status, His Chinness traveled back in time to first let loose evil, and then vanquish it, all with a stylish mechanical gauntlet and time left over to get the girl. Yes, it’s true he’s continued onto bigger and (some would argue) cultier things, but the cornerstone of his contribution to the Realm of the Weird, Feared and Generally Jeered will always be embodied in his portrayal of our beloved hero, Ash. So here’s to you, big guy: we Hail to the King!

Bruce Campbell deserves a lifetime achievement award for any number of good and just reasons. But I’d like to personalize my reasons for wanting him to have this award just in case he ever reads this and wonders what we’ve all been smoking.

A friend of mine and I have a theory that we pull out every once in a while and re-examine to make sure it still holds up. It goes like this: Perfection is a very difficult thing to attain. Maybe once or twice in each person’s life, if they’re lucky, they can look around them and realize that everything they can perceive is as it should be and that all is right with the world. And part of the reason human beings take in entertainment, or art in all its forms, is because we all strive to experience perfection. Standing in front of a painting that takes your breath away or hearing a piece of music that brings you to tears with its beauty reminds you that perfection is possible. And when we find a piece of art or entertainment that we can have that connection with, that can make us feel that way about the world, the person who created it takes on a somewhat mythical air.

A furtherance of this theory of perfection is that once a person has achieved it, anything that same person creates that is not perfect becomes irrelevant. Nobody remembers anything kind of half-assed that Leonardo Da Vinci ever did. They remember that he painted the Mona Lisa. And in many people’s eyes, that level of perfection, that connection and sense of marvel they feel towards something he created supercedes anything else.

Bruce Campbell, to me, achieved perfection in Evil Dead II, a film I saw for the first time when I was 13 years old. There are so many scenes in that film that are etched indelibly into my brain because I think they’re perfect that to recount them all here would take up too much time. It is one of my all time favorite films and a large part of the reason why is because Bruce Campbell was so damn perfect in it. So anytime I’ve ever seen him in anything else ever since then it doesn’t matter if it’s good, or bad or indifferent. I always hope for him to be in good stuff. Or for him to find a way to be good in bad stuff. But at the end of the day, I won’t remember anything kind of half-assed that Bruce Campbell has ever done. Because to me, Evil Dead II and his performance in it, is his Mona Lisa.

I think for me, the appeal of The Bruce is very, very simple. If I were to be a movie star one day (don't laugh! It could happen!), he's exactly the kind of guy I'd hope to be. Anything, any interview, any fan meeting, any appearance I've ever heard or seen him do, he comes across as the most approachable guy you could possibly imagine. He's aware he's famous, but from where I'm sitting, it never looks like's he's let it go to his head. Plus he wears about the most obnoxious shirts, and you've really got to respect a man for that. Ego under control and bad fashion, that'll earn my vote every time! Kudos, Bruce, on our being our first ever Mutant Lifetime Achievement Award winner! Couldn't go to a more deserving person.

I think the finest tribute to the man they call the Chin came when we discussed the inclusion of a lifetime award to cult movies in this years AMA. Despite the very different mindsets of the various Mutants, as soon as this category was announced, Bruce’s name followed it like night following day; and no sooner had we decided to have the award, we’d also unanimously decided that Bruce had to have it. That’s the kind of influence he has.

Bruce Campbell is the Icon of cult movies; the flag bearer, charging headlong into critics with his big stick with ‘Lighten Up’ written down the side and beating them senseless with it, Bruce is a guy for whom the movie business seems to be a big playground. Endless stories about what a nice guy he is seem to pour in, and I for one don’t doubt it for a second, and here’s why:

Bruce loves the movies we love. We relate to him because, in every interview, every commentary, he may be poking fun at these films, but he can do so because he likes them so much. Resigned to his status as the king of cult, Bruce doesn’t get all prissy and resent his fans; instead he turns to the world and screams “Gimme some sugar, baby”.

Bruce Campbell is a man with his tongue firmly in the cheek of modern movies; and we love him for it.

I'm very proud that we're presenting Bruce with this award, for many reasons. Not only is he a funny, talented and down-to-earth actor and human being, but his involvement with some of our favorite cult B-movies is one of the cornerstones of Mutant Reviewers From Hell itself. MRFH was built on films such as the Evil Dead and Kevin Smith movies, and we'd be much less without their influence.

Part of the cult genre allure is that many of the movies we grow to love passionately will never really be accepted in mainstream, and Bruce Campbell defines this definition. Anyone who's seen one of his films, his TV shows or read his auto-biography can attest to just how likable and witty he is, but he's been constantly ignored by the larger population of Hollywood -- and that's fine with us.

Bruce is the only actor to date who has ever replied to one of my e-mails, and I really cherished that. Whether he ever sees (or accepts) this award or not, I just want to lift a mug of hearty ale and toast his Chainsawness. Salut! Now get cracking on a new Evil Dead... um, please?

Bruce Campbell Greatest Achievements