The New York Times called CHAINS “Harrowing.” The New York Daily News called it “A brutal eye opener. A shocking, disturbing movie.” Daniel Ruth, critic for the Chicago Sun Times said: “Now in the grand tradition of COOL HAND LUKE, PAPILLON and THE DEFIANT ONES comes the gripping cable movie THE MAN WHO BROKE 1,000 CHAINS. A rip roaring adventure that unfolds at breakneck, tension-filled pace.”

Peter Farrell in the Portland Oregonian commented “It is a story that grabs injustice by the collar and shows its ugliness to the light – and the kind of movie you have to admire.”

The film was nominated for eight Cable ACE Awards, including best movie or mini-series. The eight nominations were the most ever received by a cable movie at that time.

 It has been the subject of a prestigious History Channel show studying its value. An airing of the film on that Channel was followed by a round table discussion with leading scholars, analyzing its importance. HBO has since aired the film more than fifty times and it has had a long and successful run in syndication.

 

In 1987, Mr. Campus formed Journey Entertainment and acted as Executive Producer and Writer of THE MAN WHO BROKE 1000 CHAINS for HBO. The film starred Val Kilmer, Charles Durning, Kyra Sedgwick and Sonia Braga.

Because of the incapacity of the director at the end of production, Mr. Campus directed extensive second unit filming and completely oversaw all aspects of post production, including editing, music and sound and mixing.