Monday, September 22, 2008

Nerd Man of the Month: Bruce Campbell


There are legendary men...and then there are the men who make the legendary men feel so inadequate they have to hold each other and cry. Bruce Campbell is one of those men, a cult icon like no other. He's done it all. He's played Elvis. He's sung a Duran Duran song and woofed on national television. He's played a guy with a chainsaw for a hand and yes, he's even played himself. Those are just a few of the reasons why Bruce Campbell -- the man, the myth -- is this month's Nerd Man of the Month.

For those of us who love underdogs, Bruce is totally the man. He's like the Humphrey Bogart of B movies, with an on-screen persona so laid back and goofy that he seemingly draws the spotlight without even trying. He probably could have gone the traditional handsome leading man route, but he stayed true to his oddball nature with the Evil Dead movies, carving up cheesy skeletons as Ash. He did TV series like "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr." and "Xena: Warrior Princess." And when he wasn't acting in films that completely screw with people's brains like "Bubba Ho-Tep" (in a perfect Elvis turn), he wrote the books, "If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor" and "Make Love The Bruce Campbell Way."

These days, he's sunning himself on the shores of Mainstream Land as the lovablely smarmy and dissolute sidekick Sam Axe in the USA series, "Burn Notice," managing to steal pretty much every scene he's in. And now he's touring the country promoting his upcoming indie film, "My Name Is Bruce," written by "Battlestar Galactica"'s own Mark Verheiden. Check out the preview:



Seriously, how many other dudes would star as a version of themselves who takes advantage of innocent townspeople and generally acts like a coward until manning up and (presumably) saving the day? Okay, probably like 12 guys but he's totally the coolest of the bunch. And, of course, Bruce rocks because he never, ever seems to take himself seriously. He's like the cool kid in class who's so cool he doesn't need to prove it to anyone, rendering him instantly sexy to pretty much anybody and everybody. Just check out this New York Times article for proof.

Plus, Bruce deserves this recognition because he's a hometown boy for us southeast Michiganders. Taller than Eminem, classier than Kid Rock, just as manly as Madonna and way more of a winner than our football team, Bruce is someone all of us here in the Economic Backwaters of the North can be proud of.

And because there can never be enough Bruce love in the world, here he is singing Hungry Like the Wolf:



And on that note, let's wave our chainsaw-hands high and tip our groovy hats to September's Nerd Man of the Month Bruce Campbell and all his transcendent greatness. Hail to the king, baby.

11 comments:

Geek Girl said...

hail hail!

Four words: Jack of All Trades, both in terms of his career and the TV show. Spooky timing for this to com up, I just spent the weekend alternating between Army of Darkness, Jack of All Trades and Burn Notice.

Liz said...

Hey, how don't I know about Jack of All Trades? What's that and how did I miss it?

Any weekend spent with Army of Darkness and Burn Notice is a good weekend indeed. :)

Nightfall said...

He is by far the best part of Burn Notice.

I can't even hear the word "sidekick" without hearing him from Sky High.

Siiiiiiiiiiide-kick!

Unknown said...

I love this man. Bubba Ho-Tep pretty much made me pee my pants. Great choice Liz!

Anonymous said...

Jack of All Trades is the best show ever! It was a half hour show that played after Cleopatra 2525 and lasted a season and a half (21 episodes). It's set 1901 and he's a spy for the US in Palau Palau fighting against Napaleons people as the masked avenger The Daring Dragoon!

And the theme song for it is hands down the greatest theme song of all time!

Liz said...

Nakki and moony, thank you for telling me about this show. It's starting to ring a bell but I know I never saw it. I think I now have a date with YouTube for tonight...

techtigger said...

I loved Jack of All Trades - Verne Troyer (Mini Me from Austin Powers) played Napoleon. Trust me, if you had ever seen it, you'd remember it :) Brilliantly campy show!

Anonymous said...

Bruce Campbell FTMFW! Best Nerd Man choice yet, Liz! Is it at all creepy that I have a serious crush on the man, despite the fact that he's almost old enough to be my dad?

Marie Cloutier said...

I heart Bruce!

agent57 said...

I remember watching Brisco County Jr. with my dad when I was younger... I knew Bruce from that before I had even heard of Ashley J. Williams. (I know, it's heresy!) And I'm also from Michigan, and have to show love for actors that hail from that fine state. It's like a rule or something.

M said...

Great choice! I am loving him in Burn Notice right now. He plays that character perfectly.

What a great actor!