Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor

by Bruce Campbell, Craig Sanborn

It’s been 15 years since his first memoir but Bruce is still living the dream as a "B" movie king in an "A" movie world.

Bruce Campbell makes his triumphant return from where he left off in If Chins Could Kill with further hilarious, gut-wrenchingly honest confessions.

Bruce brings us through his life in the decade since his first memoir and his roles as varied as they are numerous- from his roles in the Spiderman movies to his self-referential My Name is Bruce to his role on #1 show Burn Notice and his new STARZ hit series Ash vs Evil Dead.

Over the last 15 years, Bruce has become a regular on the Wizard World convention circuit, has created his @GroovyBruce twitter account with over 400,000 followers and a Facebook page with almost 250,000 likes. His profile and reach is lightyears beyond where it was for Chins.

Hail to the Chin will be bursting with pictures and the signature humor that Bruce brought to If Chins Could Kill and will be devoured by his legions of fans across the country.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Humor, Autobiography, Audiobook, Biography Memoir

308 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 2017

About the author

Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American actor, producer, writer and director. He is best known for his starring role as Ash in the Evil Dead trilogy of horror/slapstick movies, and has since become a B-movie icon.

His acting style is an "over-the-top" machismo that lends itself well to roles such as that of Ash Williams, whom Campbell himself has dubbed "an idiot and a jerk like the rest of us". This style is parodied in the film The Majestic where Campbell appears as Roland the Intrepid Explorer in the B movie Sand Pirates of the Sahara, written by Jim Carrey's screenwriter character. Campbell also excels at "reverse acting", a frequent filming technique of Sam Raimi's where action sequences are filmed in reverse of how they will appear in the film. Campbell offers advice about getting into the film industry on his website.

Campbell is well-known for his trademark sense of humor, which he often couples with deadpan (and somewhat sarcastic) comic delivery.

Reviews

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The follow-up to If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor takes us through the next fifteen years of Bruce Campbell’s life, bringing us up to date (2017) on the progression of his acting career and life in general. It’s just as fun to read as the first one, filled with anecdotes about life as a B-movie actor/TV actor as well as his personal life’s triumphs and pitfalls.

As expected, if you’ve read the first one, we get lots of detail about what it was like to be involved with his better known roles during this period such as Burn Notice and Ash vs Evil Dead as well as cameos on all three Spider Man films (the Tobey MaGuire ones), and a host of other projects. We get to ride along on his location shoots in Bulgaria, New Zealand, New Mexico, and Miami, as well as an inspiring trip with Jeffrey Donovan to visit the troops in Iraq and at Walter Reed hospital. Through it all, his wit and his honest and humble approach and the fact that he doesn't take himself too seriously shines through. But it’s not all about the acting stuff. We also get to experience his move to Oregon and all the interesting back woods hi-jinks that happen there as well as other sorts of life events.

All in all, both books were enjoyable reads. If you haven’t read the first one, that’s OK since he provides a “PreRamble” at the beginning of this one. It was really cool to see the seat-of-the-pants first Evil Dead movie come full circle to the phenomenal reception of Ash vs. Evil Dead TV show premier at Comic-Con.

I’ll be looking forward to reading part three of his autobiography series after another fifteen years or so.

[Melissa McShane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having recently listened to the audiobook of Bruce Campbell's first memoir, If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor, I decided to take a chance on the sequel. I discovered something weird: Campbell released a revised edition in 2019 that I couldn't find for sale anywhere but Thriftbooks, and it made me wonder if it was a POD, given that it came from Ingram.

So, because I am a fangirl, I immediately went out and bought both the revised edition and the audiobook.

The audiobook was just as charming as the first, and I particularly enjoyed when Campbell would diverge from the "script" to drop in an anecdote that's not in the book. And there were a lot of things I hadn't known, particularly that Campbell and Jeffrey Donovan went to the Middle East to visit the soldiers because Burn Notice was really popular with the troops. They did it on their own dime, too. Very nice.

I was glad I'd bought both, because the audiobook is of the original release, so when I finished that I picked up the paperback for those final few chapters. They were definitely worth the search I'd had for the book. Campbell writes of his weariness with playing the iconic character Ash in a way that resonated with me. Writers are as prone as any creative type to become tired of repeating themselves, or feeling the push to keep writing a beloved series even though the creative well is dry. I've said I'm not an Evil Dead fan, but I've enjoyed hearing/reading about how that series has evolved over time. And Campbell's exhaustion is reasonable.

The book ends with the line, "End of Act Two." Campbell seems to be in semi-retirement from acting these days, and I appreciate that. But if he refills that creative well and returns to the screen, I'll be glad to see whatever he tries next.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun."

Bruce Campbell is one of those guys that you can't help but love. He's witty, he's hardworking, he carries around his boomstick, and let's not forget that he's the King. So I'll watch and read whatever he releases.

I was introduced to Bruce at a very young age. I wasn't even a thought when Evil Dead came out but once I saw that film, my life changed for the better. It was the film that made me become obsessed with horror films. After that, my viewings have been nothing but horror and anything with Bruce in it.

This memoir gives us a deeper look inside the life of Bruce. We get information that we never knew about when he starred in well-known movies and tv shows but also the roles we have never seen. He pulls no punches as he describes himself and others. He puts the truth out there and doesn't care who he offends. I love it. His witty banter is my favorite. You can't always treat things seriously.

Hail to the Chin was an amazing read and perfect for fans of Bruce and Horror films. This is an excellent follow-up. I can't wait to read more by Bruce because I know he has a lot more amazing stories swimming around in that head of his.

Hail to the King, Baby!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, I'm impressed by Campbell's second autobiography, an excellent follow up to If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor. If you haven't read that, he sums it up quickly in a PreRamble at the beginning. That sets the whole tone of the book. He doesn't take his life or work too seriously.

He seems like such a regular working guy & he seems very honest about his life. For instance, he's mouthing off after a party one night & John Carpenter tells him to shut up. Hey, it happens, but telling everyone about it? There's not a lot of ego working here, but there sure are a lot of interesting experiences.

I'm enough of a fan that I've watched most of his movies & TV series. I can't say I loved "The Man With The Screaming Brain", but it was fun. Stacy Keach (Mike Hammer) was a great mad scientist. To read about how & why it was made in Bulgaria was really interesting & contained a lot of great anecdotes. Ditto for "My Name Is Bruce" & "Ash Versus The Evil Dead".

It took me a while to get through this because I only read it during lunch. That means it wasn't enthralling enough for me to make time for it after work, so I can't give it 5 stars. I certainly looked forward to lunch time each day, though.

[Eli - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book from Bruce Campbell. Great stories with good humor!

[Armand Rosamilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! What's not to like about this B movie icon? His further stories are interesting and he has such a great humor. Hopefully one day I'll get to meet the man and share a beer or three.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Campbell has made a living being a likeable, somewhat campy actor. That affability comes through the pages of this book. It's an easy enjoyable read, much like Bruce's filmography.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want this to end.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good followup to If Chins Could Kill. Campbell's clearly found his voice already, and the book starts strong and continues with his directness and wit. Again, if you're strongly interested in actors' memoirs or this actor specifically, you probably know this book is for you. Otherwise I'm not sure whether you'd like it or not. It just might be witty and amusing enough in general to keep you going. Or it might be too specific to be worth reading.

Campbell follows up by talking about what's happened since his first book, namely a strong career resurgence where he revisits some of what he was known for (his character Ash in the Evil Dead movies) and significant other things he did, like Burn Notice. I also enjoyed his mentions of various pilots and other projects he did that didn't go anywhere. It's fun to read his good-natured humor about it, and to get some insight into how Hollywood works.

There are a lot of references to Bruce's wife Ida being with him when he travels for his work, and several mentions of his mother and her love of the American West, but I didn't see any references to his kids. Is he estranged from them? What are they doing with their lives? Maybe it's too painful a topic to address, or maybe they wanted their privacy, but it would be nice to know if either of those is the case.

Bonus points for Campbell spending a good amount of time in the book expounding on how much he enjoys living in Oregon, and then ups his game by specifically loving Portland :) Also bonus points for speaking glowingly of Jonathan Frakes ;)

[John Bruni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great autobiography from Bruce "Don't Call Me Ash" Campbell. I like his utter lack of BS when it comes to acting. He views it primarily as a job, and he pulls no punches about his financial needs when mulling over a job. But he also considers himself, well, maybe artist is too strong a word, but he values his opportunities to grow as an actor.

I also think it was pretty funny when he was talking about the drunk driver who crashed into his car, only to follow it up with a brief story about his own DUI later on. Again, no BS.

In particular, I enjoyed his stories about working on Burn Notice. I'm a huge fan of Sam Axe, and it's interesting to see how he got his own made-for-TV movie.

Also, I am a huge fan of the Dictator Pour.

I'm glad that Campbell considers his autobiographies as a three-act script. I can only assume we're going to get another volume when he's as old as, well, as Elvis in Bubba Ho-Tep.

(PS: I predict that by the time he's that old, he will probably be the wealthiest B-movie actor to have ever lived. His secret: buy land. Forget the flashy cars and the giant mansions. It's all about land. I heard him in an interview speaking about how he's got land in just about every state. So yeah, if you have the cash, buy land. Someone is going to pay a ridiculous amount for it someday.)

[Narilka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hail to the Chin is the second memoir by Bruce Campbell and an excellent follow up to If Chins Could Kill. Bruce treats us to a quick recap of his life so far and then picks up right where his first memoir leaves off, the years directly following Xena and Hercules. A good portion of the book is dedicated to his Burn Notice years, which I quite enjoyed as a fan of the show. Bruce tells his story in a humorous and down to earth way, as a regular working guy who has made it in the B Movie scene, his experiences with major movie franchises, both major and minor television roles and a bit of behind the scenes of the movie making process. He also gives insight into just how large the world of sci-fi conventions has gotten. The tale ends just as the show Ash vs the Evil Dead is taking off. I'm sure there will be a third memoir in another 10-15 years.

I listened to the audio book narrated by the author. This is hands down my favorite way to "read" memoirs. I love listening to authors tell their story in their own words. Also, Bruce is a fantastic narrator.

I highly recommend this book for any Bruce Campbell fans or for anyone looking for a slightly different celebrity memoir.

[Ace Boggess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Groovy.

This is a fascinating and, at times, hilarious take on the actor's further adventures. Well worth reading, this book is fun and insightful. It delves into the movie-making process, the creation of Syfy Channel cheese and, eventually, genuine cable and then pay-cable success. Oddly, it's the successful years that find Campbell writing the least interesting, at times devolving into lengthy acceptance-speech style thank-you lists. The low-budget B-movie years of the early 2000s when filming movies such as Bubba Hotep and Alien Apocalypse come across with so much color and comic misadventure that the book is worth reading just for those stories. All in all, this is a fun read ... with pictures, too, and a cameo from Shatner. How can you beat that?

[Amanik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook read by Bruce Campbell.
And man…he needs to do more voice acting, he’s fantastic. I can listen to him talk forever. Great book if you’re a fan of him and his work.

[Billie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Groovy.

[Kyle Burley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Said it before and I'll say it again. Bruce is a cool guy to hang out with for 300 pages, or so.

[Don H.M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Groovy

[Laurence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Campbell has an effortless storytelling charm that means these 7.5 hours (audiobook required) got chewed up in less than 24 hours. The guy is a legend.

[TraceyL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I am actually too much of a Bruce Campbell fan for this book. I've heard most of the stories before. In interviews, behind the scenes DVD content, or at comic cons. Meh.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Chins Could Kill is one of my favorite books of all time. I pull it off the shelf whenever I'm feeling down, and it always cheers me up. I wasted no time in reading this sequel when it was released in 2017, and it delivers the goods--more sarcasm, more anecdotes, more refreshing honesty from the man himself.

Bruce Campbell is the perfect example of "everybody is a dumbass including me". He doesn't pull his punches when excoriating the lousy behavior of others, but he's not standing on some podium above the rest of the unwashed masses, preaching about what's wrong with everybody else in the world except him. He casually--sometimes almost gleefully--outlines his own less-than-stellar behavior and sad self-reflection. In 2005, he finds himself lamenting his career choices as he runs around Bulgaria in prosthetic makeup, cutting himself on rusty metal in an attempt to bring the ludicrous script of Man with the Screaming Brain to life. He follows up a story about nearly being killed by a drunk driver in rural Oregon with his own tale of being arrested himself for the same reason--fortunately, when he was on the wrong end of a DUI, nobody got hurt.

He calls it as he sees it, Bruce does.

Other stories include a trip to Iraq with Burn Notice star Jeffery Donovan in support of the troops (if you listen to the audiobook, he includes a bonus story here about an amusing encounter with President Clinton), the profoundly independent creative hell of filming My Name is Bruce on his own property, almost giving up on filming a seemingly simple cameo in childhood buddy Sam Raimi's The Great and Powerful Oz, and returning to the character of Ash once more for the Starz series.

It's been five years since Hail to the Chin, which means we only have another decade until the promised third volume of his ongoing memoir. Something to look forward to.

[Nestor Rychtyckyj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Campbell is far more than the self-professed B-movie actor persona that seems to follow him around everywhere. The guy that brought Ash back to life in Evil Dead is back again with another best-selling autobiography that covers the last fifteen years or so of his career. His writing style mimics his acting style and the book is full of Bruce poking fun at himself as well as the entire business of making movies in Hollywood. Bruce is the kind of guy that you could have a few beers with and laugh at his stories for hours. This book just basically requires you to flip the pages between the laughs. His movie career takes him from New Zealand to Bulgaria making movies that only fans of the SciFi channel could appreciate, but then he stumbles into a genuine hit and spends 7 years in Miami doing “Burn Notice”. The movies and projects that fail are almost as interesting as his successes. Along the way Bruce takes us into rural Oregon where he builds a film set on his property and a poignant trip to visit American troops in Afghanistan and at the Walter Reed Hospital. The book is hard to put down – famous and not-so-famous people pop in and out and nothing seems to faze our chainsaw-wielding hero. As a fellow Michigander who also watched the Ghoul on Channel 50 in Detroit -I’m proud and honored that Bruce has gone on to such success without forgetting his Michigan roots. Enough of this review – time to watch the Ash vs. Evil Dead again even if Starz was silly enough to cancel it after season 3.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you read If Chins Could Kill? If not, then this book isn't for you. It picks up where that book concludes, telling the second half of Bruce Campbell's career as a B-Movie actor. Starting here would be unwise, since the bulk of what made Bruce Campbell a B-Movie star is covered in that book.

Also, if you haven't read If Chins Could Kill, then you're missing out on an entertaining yarn. It's not the most well-written memoir on the market, but it's honest, self-effacing, and a little bit egotistical (in other words, it's Pure Bruce). Hail to the Chin is written in that same style, complemented with the snarky pictures that made his previous book even more entertaining. It focuses on his life as an Oregonian home-owner, his time making Burn Notice and The Man with the Screaming Brain (among other, lesser-known shows and movies), and takes us up to the revival of Evil Dead with the Starz show Ash vs. Evil Dead. It is, true to its subtitle, further confessions of what it takes to be a B-Movie actor.

Do yourself a favor and read this book, but only if you've already read If Chins Could Kill. If you haven't do yourself an additional favor and read that book first.

[Orion Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell is an autobiography by the author detailing his experiences as an actor after becoming somewhat famous within the film industry. Before this book he wrote another autobiography titled If Chins Could Kill which details his early experiences growing up and why he eventually decided to be an actor. The purpose of Bruce Campbell's sequel is to speak more on the difficulties and trials that take place when you are working in the film industry. He speaks about his experiences with the USA TV series Burn Notice and the difficulties of being an actor within a TV series by including how many actors and actress usually do it once and stop because of how much work it takes. Bruce also speaks about how he moved to Oregon and how he decided he wanted to film a movie detailing the processes and hardship behind the filming to convey to the reader what it would be like should they want to film their own movie. I think that Bruce Campbell does a good job speaking about his experiences, he doesn't speak about them in a boring way and he uses his comedic charm to create engagement. Overall I enjoyed the content of Bruce Campbell's autobiography and think he did a great job conveying his experiences to the reader.

[Liesl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Equally as entertaining as its predecessor, and picks up right where If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor left off, complete with a "previously on" segment to get readers quickly up to speed! The material in this book covers parts of Campbell's career that I experienced as they happened and made me a fan of his, ranging from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films to Burn Notice to Fargo to Ash vs Evil Dead. I loved hearing all sorts of stories from behind the scenes on these projects as well as others that I either caught up on later or was unfamiliar with, and appreciated that he included a chapter devoted to conventions, as I was fortunate enough to see him at San Diego Comic-Con in 2010. Campbell doesn't stray too far from the entertainment world or delve much into his personal life, but the information relayed solidifies the aura that he's as cool as he appears to be onscreen and would be a very fun hang. As teased here, I hope that there is one more memoir to come in the future that will detail the final stage of his career and life.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining follow-up to IF CHINS COULD KILL. If, like me, you're a fan of Bruce, you'll definitely want to delve into some of his more recent escapades. That being said, I think virtually everyone would agree that Campbell's unlikely rise to semi-stardom is the most fascinating aspect of his career, and nothing in HAIL TO THE CHIN quite compares to the story of his early years in the business. Campbell's reminiscences are always interesting, though many of the projects he signed up for during this period are pretty awful. (I personally met him at a book signing for MAKE LOVE!, followed by a theatrical screening of THE MAN WITH THE SCREAMING BRAIN--both of which I found hugely disappointing.) Unfortunately, the book ends right as it gets to the ASH VS. EVIL DEAD era, which is the project fans most want to read about. Oh well, at least we still got BUBBA HO-TEP and BURN NOTICE.
Honestly, though, it hardly matters which project Campbell is writing about; the inside look into the life of a B-grade actor is worth the price of admission alone.

[Carolyn]

Ah Bruce Campbell, I'm sorry. I like your acting in Xena and Ash vs. Evil Dead, and I think you're funny and would love to meet you one day. But I'm just not a big enough fan to care about your life stories and work. I liked your mentions of Xena and Hercules and Lucy Lawless, and I read the last chapter about the reboot of AVED. It's an amazing show and I'm eagerly awaiting the new season in February.

I had all three of your books on my wishlist/TBR and you sassed me on Twitter that one time (which was AWESOME) buuuuuuut I can't. If I can't read your newest and most updated stories, I'm certainly not going to go back and read the oldies.

What makes this awkward is I made it though Kevin Sorbo's book and not yours... but shhhh. We just won't speak of that. Once again, I'm sorry! I'm still a bigger fan of you. 🙌🏻

[Jennifer Seyfried · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked his first book, If Chins Could Kill, then you will like this one too, which basically continues his story from where he left off 15 years ago, with lots of humor and a few silly pics. Lots of stories about filming syfy movies overseas, filming small roles in big budget pics with Sam Raimi, and filming Burn Notice in Miami. Also some interesting parts about his goodwill tour to the troops with Burn Notice co-star Jeffrey Donovan, some convention stories, and some stories about renovating and then filming on his wilderness land in Oregon. And, of course, the story of how Ash wound up starring in a series on Starz. Which I am quite disappointed is not coming back until February! But rest assured, it is coming back. But read this book in the meantime to tide you over.

[Sipovic · Rating 2 out of 5]

В одной из глав Кэмпбэлл говорит, что когда пишешь успешную книгу, издательство сразу хочет закабалить тебя на целую серию таких же. Именно это и произошло. В сиквеле своей успешной автобиографии Брюс Кэмпбэлл рассказывает про поздний этап карьеры (примерно 2002 -2015), совмещая с историями из повседневной жизни на ранчо, причём рассказывать про то, как он научился водить трактор, был присяжным или как встречался с представителями бюро по управлению государственными и общественными землями ему явно интереснее. Карьерные часть поначалу забавляет реакциями автора на встречу со странами третьего мира, но ближе к середине все начинает превращаться в достаточно монотонное перечисление событий с обязательным нахваливанием всех участвовавших, ну а про бытовуху можно услышать интереснее от соседа по даче. Читается легко, но если нет желания узнать, что Брюс делал в декабре 2007 года, то можно смело пропустить.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read If Chins Could Kill, you know exactly what you’re getting into, as this is basically the sequel. This provides a short recap of the first book and carries us through the completion of the first season of Ash vs. Evil Dead. I also had to grab the exclusive audio of Bruce reading it, since that was released. This one coasts along for a bit at the beginning, but I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes looks at Bubba Ho-Tep and My Name is Bruce.

Four stars for the story, but five groovy stars for the audiobook.

[Ashton Macaulay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Campbell is a pro at making sequels at this point, and this book does not disappoint. My only complaint is that it's shorter than the first one, and I want more. So, Bruce, if you could live a few lifetimes in between this book and the final in the trilogy, that'd be great.

This series is very fun, and I highly recommend the audiobooks as they are read by Bruce himself. For anyone who wants to know a little more about the life of a B-Movie actor, it's absolutely worth the read.

[Mal Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Campbell delivers again. This book is a great follow up to If Chins Could Kill. Campbell gives more personal insight to the life of an actor; the fun, adventure, and hardship of travel; and the pleasure that one gets from life long friendships. Being a fan of his work, I admit to being biased. However, his stories are truly entertaining.