My Name Is Bruce (2007)

40% of critics liked it
(42 reviews)
48% of users liked it
(7,770 ratings)

When an ancient curse besets the small town of Gold Lick (population 339), the naïve young fans of B-movie icon Bruce Campbell kidnap their larger-than-life cinema idol in hopes that he will save the terrified residents from the vengeful Chinese God of War. As the rampaging demon sets out to collect… More When an ancient curse besets the small town of Gold Lick (population 339), the naïve young fans of B-movie icon Bruce Campbell kidnap their larger-than-life cinema idol in hopes that he will save the terrified residents from the vengeful Chinese God of War. As the rampaging demon sets out to collect as many heads as possible, the cowardly but egotistical actor has no other choice but to square off against a supernatural force so powerful it may just swallow every last soul in town. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 26 min.
Directed By: Bruce Campbell
Written By: Mark Verheiden
Genres: Horror, Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 30, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Feb 10, 2009
Studio: Image Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
Perhaps the best thing that can be said about My Name Is Bruce is that Bruce Campbell has in fact appeared in worse movies.
Reyhan Harmanci, San Francisco Chronicle
Light as air, My Name Is Bruce is good for a mild chuckle, not a belly laugh. As any Campbell fan knows, managing expectations is key to getting the most from his work.
Dennis Harvey, Variety
Cheerfully embracing his status as cult B-movie genre megastar even as he sends it up, Bruce Campbell's sophomore directorial excursion, My Name is Bruce, is a big in-joke of definite if limited appeal.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
My Name is Bruce is spasmodically funny, but Campbell's counterpoint of cowardice and cockiness remains irresistible.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Low midrange in the Master's oeuvre.
Tom Long, Detroit News
Bruce is a thoroughly silly low-budget film made for people who revel in thoroughly silly low-budget films. Fanboys rejoice. Filmistas beware.
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Smug, silly, and forgettable, this vanity project wants to be the next cult hit but really is just another vehicle for Bruce Campbell...
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
"My Name is Bruce" won't give you sugar, baby. Not on its budget. But Splenda works fine as a substitute for this Kool-Aid, which Campbell knows fans will happily drink. A little bit of purposefully lousy filmmaking winds up going a long way.
Beth Accomando, KPBS.org
It's far better than any of the horror remake crap coming out and it earns its laughs honestly by actually intending to be funny.
David Edwards, Daily Mirror [UK]
I'm pretty sure this is his best effort in years.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
Pretty bad, but in a way, we'd be disappointed if it wasn't...it's all about Campbell, a limber linguist whose verbal sense seems straight out of the '40s, and a game physical comic. [Blu-ray]
Tom Ambrose, Empire Magazine
Doesn't really cut it as a horror or a comedy despite Campbell's undeniable charm.
Stephen Garrett, Time Out
Add two stars-or even three-if you're as passionate about cheesy B-actor Campbell as he is about himself.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead II, etc.) jumps on the post-modern bandwagon with this refreshingly low-key and absolutely hilarious horror comedy.
David Kronke, Los Angeles Daily News
It's an affably goofy riff on the headaches associated with being America's most underappreciated actor.
Stan Hall, Oregonian
It gets by on its concept for a little while but too often mistakes stupid-stupid for clever-stupid.
Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times
Subtract Campbell from this movie's idiot-friendly equation and you've got just about any dimwitted horror comedy that's gone straight to video.
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
As director, [Bruce Campbell] trips through gory gags and gallows humor with more tenacity than talent, while onscreen he mugs shamelessly.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Comedy/horror movies like Slither and the Evil Dead movies have already done this sort of thing a lot better.
Austin Kennedy, Sin Magazine
Just know going in that this isn't some hip satire. It's a straight-up B-flick. If that sounds cool, then "groovy"!

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Phil H

Truly hilarious film in places with some wicked lines from the man Campbell :) The plot, look and acting is really B-Movie and cheesy (almost like a 'Scooby Doo' episode) but that's how it suppose to be...just silly nonsense. I love the way the whole film is a send up… More
Truly hilarious film in places with some wicked lines from the man Campbell :) The plot, look and acting is really B-Movie and cheesy (almost like a 'Scooby Doo' episode) but that's how it suppose to be...just silly nonsense. I love the way the whole film is a send up of Campbells real life...in a sense, being famous for making tacky crap films that happen to do well basically, its not an ego trip atall its really witty, lose and Campbell has a laugh at himself which is good to see. Good funny stuff for all B-Movie Bruce lovers :)
Jens S

This parody on the "movie star is forced to safe the day" genre has one major problem: it uses all the plot elements it makes fun of. It's always the same: somehow the star assumes it's all an act, realizes the threat, feels and returns to safe the day. The fact… More
This parody on the "movie star is forced to safe the day" genre has one major problem: it uses all the plot elements it makes fun of. It's always the same: somehow the star assumes it's all an act, realizes the threat, feels and returns to safe the day. The fact that B-movie hero Bruce Campbell makes fun of his image and adds plenty of inside jokes from his career into the mix here is very likable, of course. And some of the gags are really funny. Others are pretty lame. Overall the film is way too predictable and silly to be fun. It feels more like a fan project than an actual motion picture. But at least a few really pretty goth kick the bucket.
Wahida K

Bruce Campbell movies make me always chuckle.
Anthony L

This should have been a great film. Unfortunately Bruce totally misses the mark. When spoofing your own films its important the film is a) Better than the ones your spoofing b) Funny c) Original. This film was none of the above. I still love Bruce Campbell, just a little less than I… More
This should have been a great film. Unfortunately Bruce totally misses the mark. When spoofing your own films its important the film is a) Better than the ones your spoofing b) Funny c) Original. This film was none of the above. I still love Bruce Campbell, just a little less than I did before :o(
Curtis L

2.5 stars simply because it's Bruce Campbell trying hard to make fun of his failed career, although he kind of fails at that too. The first 5 minutes had me real excited, but then it quickly turned into humor fit for people that liked Alien Apocalypse.
Bannan i

Totally and utterly spiffy, cheesy and awesome to the max. :D It's BRUCE, what else ya gotta know? :P Review....to be continued.
Steve K

The shame of this film is that if someone unfamiliar with The Chin were to watch it, they'd have no idea why Bruce is so adored by his fanbase. In fact, they might even be turned off from ever wanting to find out. Silly and low budget, and sure, a fun idea, but Bruce deserves… More
The shame of this film is that if someone unfamiliar with The Chin were to watch it, they'd have no idea why Bruce is so adored by his fanbase. In fact, they might even be turned off from ever wanting to find out. Silly and low budget, and sure, a fun idea, but Bruce deserves better self-parody than this.
Lafe F

Bad jokes, monster fighting and darkly lit scenes. It cannot touch the excellent "Evil Dead" films.
A.D. V

For Campbell fans (like me) its an in-joke treat. If your not a Bruce fan then SCREW YOU! No, I mean...you should still check it out because its a stupidly funny light-hearted horror/comedy that hits more than it misses.
Al S

A really enjoyable and ridicuosly entertaining comedy thats loaded with genuine laugh-out-load moments and outragiously violent deaths. Bruce Campbell is back bringing the silliness, charm and humor that is expected. Directing a real deal cult classic that you will have a blast… More
A really enjoyable and ridicuosly entertaining comedy thats loaded with genuine laugh-out-load moments and outragiously violent deaths. Bruce Campbell is back bringing the silliness, charm and humor that is expected. Directing a real deal cult classic that you will have a blast watching. The most original and brilliant comedy satire on the horror movie genre in some time. Campbell has a great time poking fun at his cult hero career and showing us something undeniablely fun. A hilarious romp of genious. A well-written and surprisingly well crafted flick.
Dr Blood

Having just watched the screener of "My Name Is Bruce", the latest comedy-horror starring Bruce Campbell as himself, all I really have to say is, no matter how big of a Bruce Campbell fan you are, you probably aren't going to like it. For those who don't know, the… More
Having just watched the screener of "My Name Is Bruce", the latest comedy-horror starring Bruce Campbell as himself, all I really have to say is, no matter how big of a Bruce Campbell fan you are, you probably aren't going to like it. For those who don't know, the plot basically consists of Bruce playing a not exactly true to life version of himself and taking on a murderous Chinese god of bean-curd called Guan-Di who was accidentally unleashed by a teenage Bruce Campbell fan. It's hardly up to the standard of "Army of Darkness" and for those expecting anything similar to "The Evil Dead", you'd better think again. This movie is total crap from beginning to end with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's very cheaply done, lines are delivered with no apparent comedic timing (just look at the "I can speak...what's the word... English" one in the trailer), and the gore scenes are substandard even for the worst independents out there. The monster, Guan-Di, is the most ludicrous thing I've seen outside of the CGI pinata in "Survival Island"! I really don't know why Bruce Campbell went ahead with this project since it's bound to be panned by everybody except his most extreme fanboys and, even then, anybody who praises anything in "My Name is Bruce" is just likely to lose all credibility in front of their peers. If this is supposed to be an example of bad filmmaking just to be funny then it has failed since it's not funny and is just bad. I suppose it could be defended by saying that it's all in fun and is a great big parody of one of Hollywood's most famous B movie actors as seen by himself but, if this is an example of Bruce Campbell's directorial skills then he'd be better off just sticking to cameo roles in "Spiderman". I'm sure he'll get them too since he let Sam Raimi's weird looking brother Ted appear in at least half a dozen roles in this film. I hated it. Like most of you reading this, I loved Bruce Campbell in "The Evil Dead" and "Evil Dead 2", wasn't so convinced by "Army of Darkness" and watched his numerous TV appearances with a mixture of delight and horror as he went from good roles like Autolycus in "Xena: Warrior Princess" to absolutely atrocious parts such as "Jack of All Trades". This was certainly nowhere near the quality of "Bubba Ho-Tep". I was really looking forward to seeing "My Name Is Bruce" but it turned out to be one of the most disappointing things that I've ever had the misfortune to watch. For that reason, I've given it the lowest rating possible.
Brian D

Very funny movie.Really for die hard BC fans.Few in jokes and friends of BC from some of he's early work.Its slapstick all the way and some really bad acting but that apart of the fun here.
Walter M

Directed by and starring Bruce Campbell as himself, "My Name is Bruce" is an amusing and silly movie about the difference between reality and fantasy. This would be a vanity project if there was any narcissism involved but Bruce Campbell portrays himself as a lecherous,… More
Directed by and starring Bruce Campbell as himself, "My Name is Bruce" is an amusing and silly movie about the difference between reality and fantasy. This would be a vanity project if there was any narcissism involved but Bruce Campbell portrays himself as a lecherous, cowardly and egotistical actor, usually found in B-movies playing on Saturday nights on Syfy.(And he still manages to get grief for "Serving Sara.") So despite usually playing heroic types fighting monsters, Bruce Campbell would be the last person to fight a supernatural menace but that is exactly what happens when Guan-Di(James J. Peck), guardian of the dead and bean curd, threatens the small town of Gold Lick, population 339.(Of course there is no such thing as monsters...) That does not stop Jeff(Taylor Sharpe), his biggest fan, from kidnapping him, allowing him to think this is all a part of a birthday surprise thought up by his agent(Ted Raimi).
Mike N

I could've been a song with no music. I could've been a cloud with no sky. I could've been a sea with no water. But those are hard costumes to create. Also, Coraline was really good.
Duncan R

Somehow, Bruce Campbell poking fun at himself wasn't as awesome as I thought it would be. It was a lot of fun towards the later half, though.
Jon O

It starts off strong, but ends up being constrained by an ultra-low budget. However, if you're a Bruce Campbell fan you could do a hell of a lot worse.
William G

Tongue-in-cheek, to be sure, but just not funny.
FanGirl B

This one is strictly for the Bruce fans. If you're not a Bruce Cambell fan the good stuff is gonna go right over your head.
Marcus W

I'm not part of the "I love Bruce Campbell" fan club. I've seen the Evil Dead films and I've nothing against the guy, but I don't get the fuss. In this film he self-effaces perfectly, but the film hits every single cliche imaginable which is a shame when… More
I'm not part of the "I love Bruce Campbell" fan club. I've seen the Evil Dead films and I've nothing against the guy, but I don't get the fuss. In this film he self-effaces perfectly, but the film hits every single cliche imaginable which is a shame when there's such comic gold to be mined from his B-movie career.
Sean S

Bruce Campbell laughs a bit at himself and the wacky industry he is in, in this low budget but highly entertaining movie. A must see for fans of the Evil Dead genre or just the man himself.