If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor
by Bruce Campbell

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Book Reviews of If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor

Book Review: Couldn't put it down
Summary: 5 Stars

This novel is more of a tongue-in-cheek biography of Campbell's life than a confessional "tell all" about Hollywood. While Campbell does mention 2 or 3 tidbits about some well known actors in Hollywood, don't expect a "tell-all" book filled with gossip. The second thing this book is not, is a "how-to" guide for beginning actors. Campbell provides some pointers and suggestions for new actors, as well as tips that have helped him, but they are mainly given in context with his experience in the industry.

That being said, "If Chins Could Kill" has a lot of appeal for anyone who's currently trying to get into showbiz or has any interest in Hollywood. Campbell's anecdotes kept me entertained for hours and I found my fascination for this industry increasing with each page. The book reminded me of a better written version of William Goldman's "Adventures in the Screen Trade" It will apeal to die hard Campbell fan, as well as budding thespians and anyone who enjoys watching E! Television.

I was very surprised with the quality of this book. Campbell is an excellent writer and I found myself admiring his journalistic abilities even more than his acting. The chapters are short and flow very well together. The book starts out rather slow as he describes his childhood, but after the first few chapters he meets up with the Raimis and his adventures in film really begin. I found myself appreciating "The Evil Dead" so much more after hearing Campbell describe what went into the making of this cult film. Campbell also does an exceelent job of porvinding an honest look at the struggles of "B" actors. I've always looked on actors as having great jobs: do something you love and then take home a huge paycheck, a notion which was dispelled for me after hearing him break down what happens to his salary after the check is cut.

My only problems with the book, was that Campbell seems to jump from story to story in many of the chapters, and some anecdotes seem out of place. Campbell will be discussing a movie in one paragraph, and then in the very next, will discuss something completely different. This can seem a little unusual with no use of line spacing after paragraphs, but doesn't necessarily detract from the book. Some tales are thrown in this way and only discussed for a few sentences, and seem out of place when looking at the book as a whole. But this also has the apeal of apearing very informal, almost as if Campbell is relating the stories to you in person. Some better quality photgraphs would have been nice, ands more picture of Bruce as well. The book is loaded with pictures but they can appear a bit grainy, and many are irrelevant. This especially seems strange given how beautiful the book jacket is, and the high quality paper used in it. That seems like a wierd thing to say, but this is just one of those books that you just like to feel and flip the pages because it's put together so well.

Overall, I found this to be one of the most entertaining biographies I've ever read, and definately the best look at Hollywood I've seen. Even if you have no idea who Bruce Campbell is and no interest in acting, I'd recommend picking up this book to get an honest, entertaining, inside look at the life of a successful B movie actor.

Summary of If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor

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