‘They Circled Me… And Began Poking My Ankle’: The Way Sam Raimi Tortured Bruce Campbell On The Evil Dead Sounds Horrifying (And Weirdly Hilarious)

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I’m a huge fan of The Evil Dead and love learning about the wild, messy making of this classic horror film. Before Bruce Campbell became a beloved horror icon and even had a memorable cameo in the MCU, he says he was Sam Raimi’s main outlet for stress during production. And it wasn’t just a figure of speech – Raimi would literally take out his stress on Campbell, even hitting him with sticks to get the movie made!

In his memoir, If Chins Could Kill, Campbell describes a moment so bizarre it sounds made up. After a particularly intense scene filmed in a graveyard, he was running down a hill when he tripped, badly twisting his ankle. This wasn’t the usual minor injury you get on a movie set; he was in genuine, debilitating pain, as he writes:

We’d just finished filming a scary scene in a graveyard, and I was relieved as I ran down a hill. Unfortunately, I tripped over a root and badly twisted my ankle. I fell and curled up, hurting a lot. Sam and Rob actually laughed and told me to get up – we still had more filming to do! I managed to stand, but that was all I could do. Then, Sam grabbed a fairly large stick.

So, apparently, when Bruce Campbell injured himself, Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert didn’t see it as a setback, but as an opportunity. It sounds crazy, but they decided to use the situation as the basis for a really low-budget, almost experimental film. As Bruce himself told it…

I wondered what on earth he was planning. Then Rob showed up with one too. They started circling me, playfully poking my ankle like a group of people surrounding something interesting, and I couldn’t help but laugh. But my reaction just encouraged them, and soon I was cornered in a back room, desperately asking – practically begging – them to stop.

Campbell’s story is already incredible, but what makes it even more remarkable is that the limp he has on camera isn’t acting. He genuinely injured himself during filming, and it seems like the production didn’t allow for any modified or lighter tasks, even after the injury occurred.

The story also changes how we see Ash in The Evil Dead. He’s not simply scared; his body is failing him, leaving him constantly unsteady and struggling to make it through the night. This adds a realistic edge to the wild events, making the film feel fueled by adrenaline and sheer determination.

The ankle injury wasn’t the only unpleasant experience Campbell went through while filming. She also faced a lot of fake blood! The actor, known for Black Friday, says she was constantly covered in the movie’s thick, sticky gore – so much so that it felt like super glue on her skin. Anyone who’s ever spilled syrup knows how annoying that can be. But imagine that syrup was colored, smeared all over you, reapplied again and again, and hardened while you were being thrown around a cabin set – all while being one of the main actors!

It’s striking to realize The Evil Dead didn’t just introduce a horror icon—it accidentally created one. Bruce Campbell’s on-set injuries actually became woven into the film’s feel, just like the fast-paced camera work and relentless energy. This rough-and-tumble, made-with-friends approach somehow resulted in a beloved classic.

Bruce Campbell’s experiences during the making of the Evil Dead films are both terrifying and surprisingly funny. He recounts his harrowing stories with a self-deprecating humor that makes you chuckle, even while imagining how much you’d avoid a similar situation – especially another take in the woods!

If you’re in the mood for Bruce Campbell’s classic horror action, The Evil Dead is a great free streaming option. Or, if you’d prefer the newest installment, Evil Dead Rise is available with an HBO Max subscription.

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2025-12-25 18:09