Bruce Campbell is a police chief in a small town where evil and madness begin to take root Hysteria!. Campbell is arguably best known for his work in the horror genre as Ash Williams in Sam Raimi. Evil Dead franchise, starring as the character in three films, a post-credits cameo and the three-season TV show continuity, Ash vs. Beyond the franchise, Campbell has also found acclaim for his work in the horror comedy Bubba Ho-TepThe cult classic show The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. And as one of the main stars in the spy comedy Burning notice Over its seven-season run and prequel movie spinoff.
Campbell stars in Hysteria! As Chief Dandridge, the police chief of a fictional town in Michigan in the 1980s, who is swept up to investigate the sudden disappearance of the local varsity quarterback, including the iconic satanic images left by the kidnappers. All the while, Dandridge tries to keep the townspeople from allowing their feelings to bubble into a complete anarchy, something was the more different when a trio of teen outkas rebranded their heavy metal band in a satanic band, which could also have unleashed something. Really angry.
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Along with Campbell, the ensemble Hysteria! throw incl Modern familyS Julie Bowen, Krampus' Emjay Anthony, Fear Street Alum Chiara Aurelia, Kezzi Curtis, Nikki Hahn, Pitch perfect Vet Anna Camp, iconic voice actor Nolan North and Garret Dillahunt. Walking a fine line between a horror comedy and a coming-of-age teen drama, the show is equal parts hilarious, chilling and gripping ride in its eight-episode first season.
In anticipation of its premiere, Screen Rant Interviewed Bruce Campbell to discuss Hysteria!As he found both his character and the overall scripts for the show to be “Very refreshing", returning to the analog world of the '80s for its setting, as well as addressing as the next two Evil Dead Movies in the works will tie into the overall timeline of the franchise.
Campbell has a "Higher bar for horror” & was thrilled by Hysteria!
"Writing, that's all there was these days."
Screen Rant: I'm in six episodes Hysteria! And I can't wait to watch the last two, it's so good. Obviously, we know you're no stranger to the horror genre, but what was Matthew's vision for this world that really drew you to want to be a part of it?
Bruce Campbell: Writing, that's all that matters these days. Budget doesn't matter, the director doesn't even matter, the producers don't even matter, the studio doesn't even matter. Writing is the only thing, because if you don't have it, you can have the greatest talent on the planet, no actor will give you a bad script, and I know that for a fact. So, it was great to read it.
It was very refreshing, because I have a higher bar for horror than even a normal script, and there weren't too many shows that dealt with the concept of Satanic panic in the 80s. And in my case, I'm from Michigan, so it was quite strange that the show was set there. So, there was a lot that got my attention, and it is universal. These are my Bear Note and Hercules friends from the past few days.
The show's non-clichéd depiction of a police chief really caught Campbell's attention
"... They're usually much more one-note, they're very dismissive, they're very rude, they're not that bright."
I really like how your character walks that line between being the kind of smart-a-- sheriff, but also being a very compassionate person to people like Spud. I'd like to hear what it's like walking that line between these two very different personalities in a world like this?
Bruce Campbell: Well, that's what makes the character interesting, and that's what caught my attention, because most couples are very dismissive. And I say the police as portrayed in movies and TV shows, they are usually much more one-note, they are very dismissive, they are very rude, they are not that bright. All the clichés, the cigarette, the coffee, the exhausted [outlook]Alcoholism, you know, whatever you want to do with a cup. I thought, "You know, most of the cops I've met working on movies and TV shows over the years were actually real people who were funny as hell sometimes and were very dedicated, brave people, a lot of them."
All you see are the clips [of bad cops]Because it's good media. The guy talking the guy from the ledge? This is a bore. I mean, it's, who's going to watch that, a guy save somebody's life, unless it's dramatic, you know? So, when I saw that he didn't talk down to teenagers, he was bright, rational, approachable, he was a man, I thought, "No problem, I can do it," because you want to do it. I want to involve a person of authority - because our authority figures aren't really hitting the home run right now. We have weird politicians, we have weird people running the show right now, and some of it quite questionable.
So, it's nice to be able to have a positive image, even in a horror show, of a person of authority, because you have a gun, which gives you a lot of power. You really do have a license to kill if you're a cop. And look, it's clever writing, because it's much more realistic. I think some people will go, "Yeah, I know a cop like that. They're not all [bad]My local police wasn't that bad." We had boys, when we did our Super 8 movies when we were kids on Sundays in our town of Birmingham, Michigan, we could go down all the alleys and throw dummies away and stuff. Like that.
And the police always showed up, because they said that someone had thrown a body off a building, and it was me throwing a cheek. The police would show up, and he'd say, "Oh, it's you again. Get out of there, clean up your mess." And that was it. Nobody died, you know? So, anyway, it's good writing, and that's what got my attention, because there's not tons of good writing out there.
Campbell loves 1 specific detail about the show's '80s setting
"... It's just funny to see them come back and haunt me."
So, I love how practical a lot of the effects are in this show. It really feels like that old, back-to-roots horror. What's it like for you to see a lot of that on the show, since you get some of that with the crime scenes and what not?
Bruce Campbell: I just like how boxy the cars are, and engaged. They were crazy American vehicles at the time. I was an actor who did sales videos for the Chrysler Q car in the late 80s, so I know how crazy those cars were, so it's just funny to see them come back and haunt me. Cars that sucked 30 years ago, now we have a 30-year-old car that sucks. It's fun to see the cigarettes, the ashtrays on the tables and the pens and pencils. It was an analog world, and it was fun to watch.
Do not expect for Evil Dead Movies to join anytime soon
The Ash vs. Evil Dead Revival is also a way off
I see I'm almost out of time so I really wanted to ask you a real quick question. You see it over my shoulder, a big one Evil Dead Fan here. I love that there are some new movies in the works. But can you give me some insight into how they might fit into the overarching timeline of the franchise?
Bruce Campbell: Well, we're always going to make them pay some respect to the franchise. It's not even a franchise. This thing really came out of nowhere. It has been percolating for years in different directions. They just have to pay some respect. And it will always be a threat. So, it's not the George Lucas intricate, you know, Jabba the Hutt and Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12, told in reverse.
It's not that, but there will be some of it. It had to be. Hey, we're out of the cabin. We are now well out of the cabin. We are far from Ash. We are two movies away from Ash. So, the old guy, people don't talk about him anymore. So, it's fine. It works well.
I still say Ash, I will always take care of Ash!
Bruce Campbell: [Laughs] Well, we're developing an animated series, so I can still do that. Things like this take forever, though. So check back in about five years. [Chuckles]
About Hysteria!
When a beloved varsity quarterback disappears during the "Satanic Panic" of the late 1980s, a struggling high school heavy metal band from Outkas realizes they can capitalize on the town's sudden interest in the occult by building a reputation as a Satanic metal band. , until a strange series of murders, kidnappings and reported "supernatural activity" triggers a leather-studded witch hunt that leads directly back to them.
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Source: Screen Rant Plus