This has been a very strange but good year for nerdy
comebacks, but none stranger than Ash vs.
Evil Dead. Ash vs. Evil Dead is a TV show sequel to
the cult classic film series by movie geek turned blockbuster hit maker Sam
Raimi. The fact that Ash vs. Evil Dead exists at all is a
miracle given that it’s a big budget premium show made out of a no-budget 1981
horror flick but the fact that’s it’s actually really good seems like some kind
of masterful alchemy or magic. A
big part of its charm definitely lies with Bruce Campbell, lord of sleaze and
cheese whose career also started with the original Evil Dead. What’s
impressive and still kind of shows through is that Campbell wasn’t really an
actor pre-Evil Dead, just a friend
that director Sam Raimi got to star in the movie.
That friendship has always proved strong and lucrative for
both men, so in the ‘90s when Raimi hit it big as a TV producer with shows like
Xena and Hercules he decided to give his old friend Bruce another shot with
the starring role in a historical comedy called Jack of All Trades.
Now that Bruce Campbell is back in a leading role on our televisions and
his place in our collective hearts has been reaffirmed I figure it’s a good
time to look back on Jack of All Trades.
