IGN got to catch up with everybody's favorite B movie actor and absolute legend Bruce Campbell, were they talked about all things Ash from Evil Dead 4, musical, remake and Ash vs Freddy vs Jason:
Bruce on the success of the Evil Dead movies...
"This year it's 30 years old - we shot it in November of 1979. I think it's still around because the movies hit a chord with anyone who is irreverent. Anybody who is a little outside the box. Because the movies are all a little twisted, in different ways. Evil Dead 1 is its own thing, Evil Dead 2 is weird, Army of Darkness is its own beast. But I think it's really for the college kids who were out of the house for the first time and wanted to go get drunk and watch a movie and play drinking games and do whatever they want to do.
"The character of Ash is not your typical hero. And if you think of it in terms of horror series', Ash is the only good guy. Jason's a bad guy, Freddy's a bad guy - who gives a s**t about them? I don't - they're bad guys - f**k 'em. He's an idiot, but I think people can relate to him because he has no skills. He's not CIA, he's not FBI, he's not a Navy Seal - he's just a jerk. He could be your neighbour. He's the idiot next door who's playing the music too loud."
Bruce on Ash vs Freddy vs Jason....
"We actually had that five minute conversation with New Line cinema. And it went kind of like this:
'Hey, how about Ash vs. Jason vs. Freddy?'
We went 'Great idea - Ash can kill them both, right?'
And they went 'Well, actually you can't kill either one of them.'
And it was 'click'. That's how long the phone call went for. Because why on earth would you dilute a franchise with two other franchises? It made no business sense, because you're splitting that pie way too many ways. If it's New Line cinema, Freddy's their baby - you know it's going to get special treatment. And why else would Ash be in it unless he could kill both of those jerks? "
Bruce on Evil Dead: The Musical...
"I laughed my ass off. My favourite number was "What the f**k was that?" It's a tough thing to take all three movies and then cook 'em down. There were certain rights issues about the Ash character, because the movies were all made by different companies. So it was a very complicated thing to make that all happen. But I thought the tone was great, and the stage works were really good. They have blood flying 20 feet. The first three rows are the splatter zone - the cheap seats. People would come dressed heat-to-toe in white.
"When I was there a guy showed up in a white tuxedo, and when he left, it was pink. He walked out and his head was held so high - he was strutting out of that theatre. He was wearing it like a badge of honour, because he got slimed by The Evil Dead. I heard it was going to South Korea - I want to see that version. But it should come to London. Evil Dead was born here - you can trace it back to here."
Bruce on Evil Dead 4...
"Sam and I love those movies and we owe everything to them. They are what got us into this business. But Sam has five kids - he's a family man. And those movies are an absolute physical pain in the ass to make. So whenever we see each other, it's not like 'Man, we've got to make another one of those movies.' And I'm under a five-year contract for a TV show in the States [Burn Notice] which is doing well and it ain't going to get cancelled in the foreseeable future. So I have a day job that I can't just walk away from.
"I wouldn't make it if Sam didn't make it. I wouldn't do it if Sam didn't direct it - that would be ridiculous. But here's the real bottom line. We'd work for two years making that movie, working our asses off, then people would watch it and go 'It's OK, but not as good as Army of Darkness.' I know it, I just know it. Because look at Indiana Jones 4 - that movie was forced down people's throats. That was not brought back by popular demand. That was a couple of high-powered players going 'Let's try that again.' I took a poll because I was in 22 States with this movie [My Name is Bruce], and the Evil Dead 4 question always comes up. And I say 'One, two, three - raise your hands if you wanted Indiana Jones 4' and two hands would go up in a 300 seat theatre. That's your answer right there.
"But there wasn't supposed to be an Evil Dead II. Ash is dead at the end of the first one - completely dead. But our second movie Crimewave bombed, so we went 'Aw crap, we'd better make another Evil Dead movie.' So that's why it was created. And because we didn't have the rights to each subsequent movie - because they were made by different companies - we had to fake these re-caps and use different actors, and it just confused people. I don't think it was ever organically meant to be made into three movies anyway. So a fourth one would just be more confused and ridiculous. It's a little too muddled I think."
Bruce on The Evil Dead remake...
"The remake? Whatever. I'd be most interested if they went back with a 16mm camera and used no actors you've ever heard of. Because that's what The Evil Dead was - five kids in a cabin in rural Tennessee in 1979. So if that approach is taken, it might be alright. They can use some modern-day digital technology instead of cheesy garden hoses pumping blood. But you're bound to disappoint, and that's why I think we hesitate the most. The way to ruin the other three movies is to make a really bad part four, one that just sucked."
