Bruce Campbell wrote, directed and starred in “Ernie & Emma,” a film set in Southern Oregon the place Campbell has lived because the ’90s. Campbell says the film allowed him to interrupt away from being typecast as simply the “Evil Dead guy.”
Courtesy of Bruce Campbell/Ernie & Emma
Bruce Campbell could greatest be identified to cinephiles as Ash, the protagonist of the traditional cult-horror franchise “Evil Dead” by director Sam Raimi. In the final 40 years because the first “Evil Dead” film, Campbell has been prolific, performing and producing in tv and film each single 12 months since.
Now, the Oregon-based actor has written, directed and stars in a brand new film referred to as “Ernie & Emma.” It was filmed totally in Southern Oregon, that includes iconic Pacific Northwest landmarks like Table Rock and the Rogue River.
“Southern Oregon just has not been overexposed. It’s a wonderfully diverse, beautiful area,” Campbell stated.
”And in case you catch it proper, it’s magic.”
At its core, “Ernie & Emma” is a narrative about processing grief: A widower is shipped on a highway journey — a scavenger hunt by way of letters from his late spouse, detailing the place she desires her ashes unfold.
Campbell stated writing a film that he was additionally going to star in gave him the flexibleness to take dangers.
The film premiered on Valentine’s Day in Medford, and can display in Portland on Saturday, April 4 on the Hollywood Theatre, earlier than a nationwide launch within the fall.
OPB “All Things Considered” host Crystal Ligori spoke with Campbell about his new film, and the fun and challenges of breaking away from conventional filmmaking.
This dialog has been edited for size and readability.
Crystal Ligori: Your film is unquestionably a departure from one thing like “Evil Dead,” however it nonetheless has a variety of humor and sass, which, as a fan, felt acquainted. But I used to be not anticipating to cry whereas watching it.
Bruce Campbell: I’m not a giant crier. I’ve performed a few Hallmark motion pictures, so I get it. I get the process, however the emotional aspect of me isn’t one thing that as an actor I’ve actually used lots. But it’s not like I can’t do it. And in case you decide a topic that’s near you, you’ll be able to see your self going there.
And on prime of it, it’s simply, “How do I write myself a big fat part?” Because I’ve been pigeonholed for a very long time. And if this type of helps break it out of the field, I’m the primary in line to say, “Yeah, baby!”
Ligori: Can you discuss how the thought for the script took place?
Campbell: The very nucleus of it was principally, “Could you actually do a movie with one person?” My spouse, Ida Gearon, and I had been speaking about if we might make a film off the grid [since] I self publish now.
I did three books by way of a writer in New York City, [a] New York Times bestseller. That was all very pleasant, however the numbers had been awful. Meaning that they maintain the majority of the cash and I’m doing all of the work. I write the e book, I journey, I tour. I’m like, “You guys, all you really did was distribute the book.”
So I took it upon myself [and] I simply put stuff out after I wish to and I get used to that freedom. So we realized the one option to ever have artistic freedom is that you need to put up the cash. So this was an opportunity to go, “Well, if we did do it off the grid, what would we do?”
Bruce Campbell attends the world premiere screening of his new film, Ernie & Emma on the historic Holly Theatre in Medford, Ore., Feb.14th, 2026. Campbell wrote, directed and starred within the film, and produced it with his spouse, Ida Gearon.
Mike Ditz / Courtesy of Bruce Campbell/Ernie & Emma
Ligori: This film has such a vivid sense of place. Not solely being filmed totally in Oregon, however it simply feels just like the Pacific Northwest. Not to spoil something, however I’m occupied with the Bigfoot scene.
Campbell: Oh yeah. And right here’s what’s enjoyable about that — one of many locations his spouse sends him is to return to return from once they had been younger. They obtained wasted and as a joke, [like] lots of people do, “Let’s go find Bigfoot!” And within the ’70s, they really constructed a Bigfoot trap that exists to this present day. So, let’s shoot a complete scene on the Bigfoot lure.
It [has] scenes that folks have simply by no means seen in motion pictures earlier than. It’ll be landscapes that they’ve by no means seen earlier than: Table Rock and the Rogue River, which occurs to be a fully beautiful river the place they shot “The River Wild” and stuff like that. It simply is a lot magnificence.
Bruce Campbell kayaks alongside the Rogue River in his new film, “Ernie & Emma.” Campbell says that Southern Oregon is an exquisite, various place that hasn’t been overexposed in motion pictures but — and that he needed to showcase its magic.
Courtesy of Bruce Campbell/Ernie & Emma
We additionally skilled the enjoyment of working with folks that weren’t jaded. That was a significantly better ambiance to play in the place it actually felt like we had been simply having enjoyable, enjoying round, capturing a film.
Ligori: The essential character Ernie is a neighborhood celeb of types, a spokesperson for a pear orchard. Throughout the film he’s acknowledged as “The Pear Guy.” I’m curious if that character ingredient is someway associated to your individual expertise being referred to as “Ash” from “Evil Dead”?
Campbell: Absolutely. People name me Ash. They holler “Ash! Hey, Ash!” Which is ok. It’s splendidly acquainted for them. It put my children by way of faculty. They can name me no matter they need, actually, however that represented X quantity of my life professionally and the remainder of it, overwhelming, was not the character Ash. So it amuses me greater than something. I may very well be doing Shakespeare within the Park and I’m the “Evil Dead” man. So Ernie Tyler is “The Pear Guy.”
In a nonetheless from the film “Ernie & Emma”, Bruce Campbell hikes alongside a scenic path at Table Rock in Jackson County, Ore. Campbell says the film gave him a chance to point out extra of his vary as an actor, as his character grieves the lack of his spouse.
Courtesy of Bruce Campbell/Ernie & Emma
Ligori: Bruce, what would you like an viewers to remove from this film?
Campbell: I need them to be comfortable. I need them to observe the film and have a contented expertise. I’ve seen too many motion pictures which can be simply drudgery. God bless the brand new horror filmmaker. Their favourite factor is so as to add a barely grey or inexperienced tint to the film the place the whole lot appears to be like sort of such as you’re in an emergency room.
And I’m like, no, I want to see coloration and faces! I wish to see all of their faces, and I wish to see their eyes so I can see their expression.
The “Evil Dead” motion pictures have been very grim over time. I swore up and down that I’d by no means enable myself to start out one other capturing day going through a mud ground lined in blood in some basement someplace. And it’s occurred a lot now that I’ll do the whole lot I can to keep away from ever letting that occur once more.
