Enter the Clones of Bruce [Lee, Obviously]

Bruce Lee was so powerful, he created a new subgenre after his death. It was also proof of how many tickets he could sell, even posthumously. Bruceploitation was definitely exploitation, often at its sleaziest, but fans just couldn’t help hoping the next one might include some legitimate lost Bruce Lee footage. David Gregory looks back on the Bruceploitation films and the sometimes reluctant imposters who made them in Enter the Clones of Bruce Lee, which starts a nationwide screening tour this Friday.

Fans knew Lee had shot some scenes for Game of Death before he died, because they had seen the publicity photos that made his yellow track suit iconic. Initially, the Hong Kong studio Golden Harvest assumed their incomplete film was unreleasable, which left the field open to enterprising (and ethically flexible) exploitation producers to deceptively fill the void.

Soon, they released a slew of supposed Bruce Lee stories, which often rather ghoulishly incorporated footage of his funeral. Many of these films had a conspiratorial tone, promising to expose the real “truth” of his death. Another frequent trick was the inclusion flashbacks, using scenes Lee shot as a child actor in Hong Kong. For their own footage, they often hired vague lookalikes, whom they gave screen names that might deceive patrons if they were not paying close attention.

Ironically, many of the Bruce Lee clones were skilled martial artists, who might have otherwise had a distinctive screen identity of their own. Bruce Li was one of the first and he is still widely considered one of the most talented Bruces. Dragon Lee was Korean, but that hardly mattered. Burmese Bruce Le could have been the toughest, since knocked several actors silly during his first fight scene. He is also the only Bruce clone to appear opposite Enter the Dragon bad guy Shih Kien in his “Bruce Lee Story.” Not so shockingly, Yasuaki Kurata did not know he was a Bruce Lee clone until he saw the foreign distributor for one of his Japanese movies had dubbed him Bruce Lo on their English-language poster.

After watching Enter the Clones it is easy to understand why the Lee family is so protective of his image. Some of the things these sketchy outfits did were beyond tacky. However, the film also suggests some of the films designed to appeal to Bruce Lee fandom were not so exploitative. Gregory’s talking heads convincingly argue the popularity of both Jim Kelly and Angela Mao films were largely built on their appearances in Enter the Dragon. Gregory even scored an interview with Mao herself, which was a real coup.

Longstreet: The Way of the intercepting Fist

When you are blind and have a dangerous job, like insurance investigator, Zatoichi is a worthy role model. Who better to train Mike Longstreet in martial arts than the greatest ever? Not this week’s GOAT or last week’s GOAT, but the greatest, period. That would be Bruce Lee, whose guest-starring appearance on Longstreet grew into a four-episode recurring role. After thugs jump him on the waterfront, Longstreet asks Li Tsung to train his body, but he trains the detective’s mind instead in “The Way of the Intercepting Fist,” which screens Saturday at UCLA (along with Enter the Dragon).

The bomb that killed Longstreet’s wife in the pilot TV-movie also left him blind, but hardly defeated. He is working more cases than ever, but when he noses around a port-based cargo-theft operation, three longshoreman goons rough him up. Fortunately, Li comes along in time to return the favor. Suddenly feeling rather vulnerable, Longstreet asks the martial artist to help train him, which he does.

However, Li first must strip away Longstreet’s false preconceptions. Although this episode is credited to series creator Sterling Silliphant, it was written with extensive input from Lee (who previously worked with the writer on Marlowe). He consciously took advantage of the opportunity to spread his philosophy and conception of Jeet Kune Do. At one point, Li tells Longstreet to “Be Water,” so, mic-drop.

You can also see Lee’s influence in the way Longstreet’s big showdown with his knuckle-dragging assailant, Jim Bolte, shakes out. Frankly, Li is against it, because vengeance is not a worthy goal for a true martial artist. Anyone deeply steeped in the martial arts has the discipline and wisdom to prefer the path of peace. Then, when it finally comes, it is realistically messy, rather than a one-sided beat-down ballet.

Obviously, Lee has the moves and he is charismatic delivering the wisdom Longstreet does not always want to hear. It is easy to see why Silliphant found a way to bring him back three more times. As for the regulars, James Franciscus looks pretty blow-dried as Longstreet, but he takes a credible beating. Frankly, Quinn-Martin regular Peter Mark Richman was probably miscast as his colleague Duke Paige, because he looks and sounds like a TV corporate villain (at least in this episode). As a bonus, Louis Gossett Jr. also guest-stars as Sgt. Cory, the cops’ undercover eyes and ears on the docks.

Fist of Fear, Touch of Death: Feel the Bruceploitation

Bruceploitation does not get much more exploitative than this. If you love Bruce Lee, chances are you hate this cash-in cobbled together by the [in]famous grindhouse distributor Aquarius Releasing. Problems of authenticity abound, but there is still something appealing about the hucksterism of Matthew Mallinson’s Fistof Fear, Touch of Death, which is coming imminently (due to a CCP-virus delay) on DVD and limited-edition collector’s Blu-Ray, from the Film Detective.

Frankly, the behind-the-scenes making-of story of Fist is probably more interesting than its actual narrative, or really narratives. While cataloging some film canisters for Aquarius, Mallinson unearthed The Thunderstorm, an early family drama the teenaged Lee made before he left Hong Kong for the U.S.A. The entertaining bonus feature, “That’s Bruceploitation,” refers to it as “Bruce Lee: Death of a Salesman,” because of its apparently similar family dynamics. Regardless, Bruce Lee had been dead since 1973, so any new footage was a boon to you know, exploit.

Waste not, want not, so Mallinson and screenwriter Ron Harvey were tapped to create a contemporary film around the footage. They were also allowed to plunder the Taiwanese Kung Fu film, The Invincible Super Chan for footage of what became flashbacks to Lee’s celebrated martial artist ancestor (said to be a famous “samurai” in ancient China, which is just so embarrassing for fans to hear).

The film starts out with the eternally cool Fred Williamson (who starred in many blaxploitation distributed by Aquarius), playing himself as he tries to make his way to Madison Square Garden, where he is supposed to do some color commentary for a match promoted by real-life New York dojo-owner, promoter, and minor exploitation star, Aaron Banks. Supposedly, the main event will crown Lee’s successor. To drum up further publicity, Banks holds press conferences claiming Lee was in fact murdered, by someone using the titular technique. However, Williamson takes issue with Banks’ presumptiveness and baseless speculation during his interview with Adolph Ceasar, the actor playing himself (more or less) as a sportscaster, who supposedly discovered Bruce Lee.

Ostensibly, Caesar tells us the Bruce Lee story in flashbacks to the black-and-white Thunderstorm, which then flashes-back to color excerpts of Invincible Super Chan, none of which make much sense. Without question, the best parts of the film were the original contemporary action sequences featuring martial arts-blaxploitation cult favorite Ron van Clief and Bill Louie, who was then a promising potential martial arts star, assuming the mask and mantle of Kato. Both involve the Bruce Lee-disciples saving joggers from predatory street gangs in Manhattan parks, so you cannot accuse Harvey’s screenplay of excessive originality.

Sundance ’20: Be Water

Bruce Lee is one of handful of movie stars who are just as popular now as they were at the height of their careers. He even spawned a cottage industry of films about his first great Wing Chun master Ip Man, targeted at fans hungry for more, because his family so tightly controls rights to his likeness. With their cooperation, Bao Nguyen chronicles his life through the words of those who knew him best in the ESPN-produced documentary Be Water, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Action fans already know the broad strokes of Lee’s story, as well as many of the finer details. Lee was a cocky kid who was sent to America to avoid trouble. Despite the hardships of life as an immigrant, he gained some notoriety as a Kung Fu instructor, but struggled to translate it into a Hollywood acting career. Instead, Lee returned to Hong Kong, where his martial arts films produced by Golden Harvest launched him into international superstardom. Yet, he would tragically die just as he was poised to attain crossover-Hollywood stardom. None of this will be spoilery for anyone interested in this film.

Frankly, Be Water largely revisits the same biographical ground covered in Pete McCormack’s I am Bruce Lee. In fact, both films are structured around the famous “Be water, my friend” interview with Pierre Berton, but Nguyen takes a dramatically different stylistic approach. There are no talking-head shots in Be Water (aside from interview footage of Lee himself). Instead, the disembodied voices of colleagues and family reminisce over photos and video of Lee. It should keep the focus squarely on the legendary subject, yet Nguyen feels compelled to constantly put Lee’s career in the context of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s, as if he needs to justify our continuing interest. Seriously, he’s Bruce Lee—there’s no call for such defensiveness.

Warrior: From the Pen and Sword of Bruce Lee

From 1849 through 1851, San Francisco was a real tinder box that almost burnt to the ground seven times. Building methods were somewhat safer by 1878, but rival tong gangs still might just incinerate the city with their open warfare. Frankly, the city’s various white political factions would be only too happy to let them, because it would serve their secret agendas. A newcomer named Ah Sahm will walk headlong into this dangerous environment. If that name sounds familiar than you probably really know your Bruce Lee. The iconic martial arts star’s concept for an American Asian action television series finally hits small screens over forty-five years after his death when the first season of Warrior premieres on Cinemax.

Lee pitched the network a show about the title character, a hard-fighting recent immigrant navigating San Francisco’s rough-and-tumble Chinatown neighborhood. They passed, but soon thereafter, they greenlit the white-washed Kung Fu series, starring David Carradine. It was not a great moment in American media, so it is rather satisfying to see it finally get corrected.

Ah Sahm is still one cool customer. He has come to San Francisco in search of his sister Mai Ling. Unfortunately, he will find her quite easily, because she is the lover of the leader of a rival tong outfit. Thanks to her influence, the two major factions are poised on the brink of a major gang war. Initially, Mai Ling wants nothing to do with Ah Sahm, but they will furtively come to each other’ aid, even though their respective tongs are mortal enemies.

As the freshly-minted and less-than-thrilled leader of the department’s new Chinatown squad, it is Sgt Bill O’Hara’s’ job to keep the peace. He is not doing it well, but in his defense, he is somewhat distracted by his compulsive gambling. However, there are a few progressive San Fransciscans who might even become allies of Ah Sahm at some point down the line, including O’Hara’s Savannah-born junior officer, Richard Henry Lee and Penny Blake, the wife of the city’s corrupt Mayor (is the any other kind?).

As you would dearly hope from a series based on a Bruce Lee concept, Warrior features some absolutely terrific fight scenes. Stunt coordinator-fight choreographer Brett Chan does some first-class work in each episode. At one point, director Lin Oeding teases us with the promise of a big street battle at the end of episode seven, but he duly delivers it at the start of episode eight. Regardless, fans should not be disappointed by the level of action Warrior delivers. Plus, the main theme composed by Reza Safinia and H. Scott Salinas is seriously funky, but its definitely a man’s world in 1870s Frisco and a male-focused show, even though Olivia Cheng has some moments as the resourceful, morally complex Madam, Ah Toy.

Most fans will also appreciate the performance of Andrew Koji as the English-speaking Ah Sahm. Although he never tries to slavishly channel Bruce Lee, he plays the tong fighter with similar levels of cockiness and brooding intensity. Jason Tobin nicely offsets him as the roguishly hedonistic and recklessly energetic Young Jun, the heir apparent to Ah Sahm’s tong. Kieran Bew and Tom Weston-Jones (from Copper) play off each other well as the mutually distrustful O’Hara and Lee. Frankly, Joe Taslim (of The Raid) is mostly under-employed as Mai Ling’s lover and champion, but his promised big showdown with Ah Sahm has us looking forward to episode nine (one through eight were provided to media).

Indeed, the combination of original Bruce Lee material (an eight-page treatment and some sketches) combined with the presence of executive producers Shannon Lee (Lee’s daughter) and Justin Lin (from the Fast and Furious franchise and Finishing the Game) and Taslim from The Raid should have many fans giddy with anticipation. So far, it definitely delivers some strong fight scenes and plenty of hip attitude. Recommended for martial arts fans and connoisseurs of meathead TV shows, Warrior premieres tonight (4/5) on Cinemax.

Birth of the Dragon: Bruce Lee’s Legendary Fight with Wong Jack Man

Dateline: San Francisco, 1964. Bruce Lee is the most prominent martial artist on the West Coast, poised for motion picture superstardom. Just ask him, he’ll be happy to tell you. Wong Jack Man was a traditional Shaolin practitioner who came to America to do penance. He would find redemption by helping the cocky Lee reconnect with the spiritual dimension of Kung Fu. At least that is how their mythic behind-closed-doors martial arts match is framed in George Nolfi’s Birth of the Dragon (trailer here), which is now playing in New York.

The fight between Lee and Wong remains a real life martial arts Rashomon. Who won depends on who you ask. Lee partisans have a greater platform to make their case, but if you dive deep enough into San Francisco’s Chinatown, you will find old-timers who claim Wong really won.

According to Birth, Wong was not in San Francisco to serve as a Kung Fu cop, but to lower himself after disgracefully maiming an honorable opponent in an exhibition match. Some claim Wong was outraged to find Lee teaching dorky white guys. Initially, he does indeed have his reservations, yet he spends a heck of a lot of time trying to pass on some wisdom to Steve McKee, Lee’s former hotheaded Hoosier student. In fact, McKee will serve as a catalyst for the controversial match, when Wong finally agrees to fight Lee partly to secure the freedom of the student’s not-so-secret girlfriend Xiulan Quan from Chinatown human trafficker Auntie Blossom. However, he also hopes a dose of humility will do wonders for Lee’s karma.

Reportedly, Birth has been dramatically re-edited from the cut that screened at last year’s TIFF. At the time, the Lee family made their lack of amusement very clear. Yes, Nolfi and screenwriters Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson (adapting an article originally published in Official Karate, perhaps representing a motion picture first) portray Lee as being boastful and ambitious. However, nobody comes up through the mean streets to become an international movie icon if they’re a shrinking violet. Nevertheless, the film is obviously aligned with Team Wong (giving it a distinctly different perspective), but they eventually try bring the two masters into harmony, setting them against the villains of Chinatown. That might not satisfy Lee or Wong loyalists, but it is exactly what the rest of us want to see.

No matter which sifu you identify with, you have to admit Philip Ng Wan-lung is a spooky dead-ringer for Lee. If there was a curse, it might turn on him now. Plus, he is deeply steeped in Wing Chun, so the fight scenes he choreographed in collaboration with Cory Yuen (credited as “fight designer”) look spectacular, but there is also a grittiness to them that is in keeping with Lee’s classic films.

Yet, Yu Xia (somewhat ironically) takes ownership of the film as the self-effacing Shaolin master. He makes Wong’s complicated mixture guilt and enlightenment look pretty darn charismatic. He also forges some appealing mentor-student chemistry with Billy Magnussen’s McKee, whose likable screen presence will frustrate those who would resent his screen time. Of course, it is always fun to see Ron Yuan do his thing as Auntie Blossom’s chief enforcer.

All things considered, Birth has a nice feel for the period. Like any good martial artist, it reminds us the spiritual is more important than the physical, but when it comes time to throw down, it is all business. It is a little scruffy, but that is part of its charm. Recommended with surprising affection for neutrally-aligned martial arts fans, Birth of the Dragon is now playing in New York, at the AMC Empire.

New Year’s Binge Viewing ’16: Legend of Bruce Lee, Vol. One

There was a time when Ip Man movies were the closest the Bruce Lee family and estate would let filmmakers get to the icon. That is why there was such a bumper crop of films on the grandmaster. Ironically, Master Ip has probably been better served by Wong Kar Wai, Wilson Yip, and Herman Yau than various portrayals treated the Jeet Kune Do popularizer himself. The 50-episode Mainland CCTV series is a case in point. The ratings were sky high, but it takes its sweet time getting to the heart of the story, which will vex fans hoping to binge The Legend of Bruce Lee, Volume One, executive produced by his daughter Shannon Lee, now available on DVD from Well Go USA.

Lee always had good footwork, going back to his days as a teenage cha cha champion. That is where director Li Wen Qi and screenwriters Qian Linsen and Zhang Jianguang pick up the Lee tory, skipping over his childhood star turn in The Kid. That is about all they leave out of this conspicuously padded epic. Most of Vol. One dramatizes Lee’s high school years in Hong Kong and his college days in Seattle, culminating with the establishment of his first Kung Fu school (technically, we don’t quite make it to opening day, but at least we see Lee unpacking the wooden practice dummy).

Back in Hong Kong, Lee was initially bullied by entitled English snob Blair Lewis (played by a surprisingly good Ted Duran), until he learns boxing and trains under Master Ye (a.k.a. Ip Man). After ringing Lewis’s bell to become the school boxing champ, Lee’s former nemesis volunteers to coach the future legend when he squares off against David Koffer, the dreaded Hong Kong prep school boxing champ. This pattern will repeat throughout the series.

When Lee starts believing his own hype, he takes on the protection gang led by Wang Li Chao—pretty successfully all things considered, but his family still finds it prudent to ship him off to Uncle Shao (portrayed with real dignity and pathos by Wang Luoyong, who also appeared in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story) in Seattle, where evidently the clothes and cars always looked like the mid-2000s. There he meets his first student, Jesse Glover, wins over former karate master Taky Kimura the hard way, and starts romancing his future wife Linda. We finally start to get someplace when the Karate association recruits master Yamamoto (that would be Mark Dacascos), but episode ten ends before they can properly settle things.

Frankly, the opening credits are a bit of a bait and switch, promising Gary Daniels and Michael [Jai] White, as well as Dacascos, even though they never appear in Vol. 1. Previously, the entire series was cobbled together into a three-hour feature, which sounds like a harsh edit, but seems reasonable after watching the first ten episodes. It is draggy at times (episode eight is especially uneventful), but the biggest problem is the hardcoded English dubbing. Well Go USA usually does a first-rate job with their releases, but this time they do not allow consumers the option of the original Mandarin soundtrack with subtitles. Even the English-speaking characters are overdubbed. As a result, those disembodied voices make everyone sound like they are possessed by demons.

Baby-faced Danny Chan Kwok-kwan really is a dead ringer for Bruce Lee. He has the Kung Fu moves, but he sure seems awkward in romantic scenes. There are some decent martial arts scenes, but both Rob Cohen’s 1992 bio-pic and any and all Ip Man films are vastly superior.

The first ten episodes are entertaining in patches, but they are way more frustrating than they ought to be. Yet, if given an opportunity, we would probably keep going to see how they cover all those classic films, like Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon. It is also rather bizarre to hear Lee talking about the “Chinese people” in stilted, Mainland propagandistic terms, when he was about as Hong Kong as you could get, at a time when Hong Kongers were speaking Cantonese and pretending 1999 would never come. Regardless, as fans, we have to hope it builds in later episodes. For now, The Bruce Lee Story, Volume One is quite a mixed bag, now available on DVD, from Well Go USA.

Wing Chun at BAM: Enter the Dragon

It is the first true martial arts film selected for the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.  Bruce Lee’s first Hollywood star vehicle and his final fully completed film represents kung fu cinema at its most cross-overiest, yet it is still legit to the bone.  In honor of Ip Man and Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, Bruce Lee & director Robert Clouse’s Enter the Dragon (trailer here), begins a week of restored DCP screenings today, as part of BAM Cinematek’s Wing Chun classic film series.

Lee’s namesake is a Hong Kong Shaolin standard bearer knocking on the door of complete martial arts enlightenment.  While glory in the ring hardly interests him, he agrees to compete in the triannual martial arts tournament sponsored by Han, an international vice lord and general megalomaniac.  Sent in by British Intelligence sans back-up, Lee is to reconnoiter around Han’s pleasure palace and hopefully fight his way out of any trouble he might encounter.  It is not much of a plan, but it will suffice.

The stakes turn out to be unexpectedly personal for Lee.  Shortly before embarking, he learns Han’s thugs were responsible for the death of his sister, Su Lin.  As one might expect of Lee’s kin, she put up a heck of a fight.  Han’s chief enforcer O’Hara still bears his scars from the encounter.  He is due for some more pain. However, Lee will meet some friendly Americans en route, such as the well heeled Roper, who is looking to hustle some action to pay off his gambling debts, like a kung fu Fast Eddie Felson. In contrast, Roper’s former Army buddy Williams seems more interested in hedonistic pleasures supplied nightly to the fighters.

Enter might not sound earthshakingly original, but that is partly a function of how widely imitated it has been, especially the iconic hall of mirrors climax.  Scores of movies have copied its general template of the ostensibly upright kumite going on above ground, while armies of henchmen in color-coded gis labor towards nefarious ends below.  Without it, there is no way we would have guilty pleasures like the Steve Chase beatdown, Kill and Kill Again, which is a thoroughly depressing thought to contemplate.

All the elements come together, but there is still no question this is Lee’s show.  Almost supernaturally intense and charismatic, Lee was clearly at the peak of his powers throughout Enter.  It is a massively physical performance (featuring some impressive acrobatic feats), yet Lee still takes care to convey the philosophical side of Wing Chun.  The restored print includes more scenes of Lee as a spiritual teacher that work quite well. 

Even with Lee’s overpowering presence, Enter is the film that really put Jim “Black Belt Jones” Kelly on the map. As Williams, he contributes attitude and energy that further distinguished Enter from its genre predecessors.  In fact, the cast is loaded with notables, including John Saxon, hamming it up with relish as Roper.  Fans often wonder why so little was subsequently heard of Betty Chung, but she has some nice rapport with Lee as Mei Ling, a fellow undercover operative. 

There are also plenty of established and future action stars, most notably Angela Mao absolutely crushing Su Lin’s brief but pivotal flashback scene.  Bolo Yeung also appears in exactly the sort of role that would make him famous.  Sammo Hung has a briefer turn as a Shaolin martial artist who fairs poorly against Lee—but not as nearly as badly as blink-and-you-missed-him Jackie Chan, whose meat-for-the-grinder henchman gets his neck snapped by our hero.

But wait there’s more, including a classic funky eastern fusion soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin that opened up a lot of ears up to the Argentinean composer and former Dizzy Gillespie sideman.  Without question, this is a historically and culturally significant film, well worthy of being selected for the National Film Registry.  Logically, it anchors BAM’s Wing Chun series in honor of Lee’s revered master, Ip Man.  Highly recommended beyond martial arts enthusiasts, Enter the Dragon begins a week long run (8/30-9/5) today at the BAM Rose Cinemas.

Still the Baddest: I Am Bruce Lee

Here’s a Chuck Norris fact: Bruce Lee laid a monster beat-down on him in Way of the Dragon. Frankly, it was a good thing for the then reigning karate champion’s career. He was one of many world class martial artists who studied with Lee and were later recruited for roles in his films. There has only been one Bruce Lee though. His friends and admirers pay tribute to the master in Pete McCormack’s I Am Bruce Lee (trailer here), which has the first of two special screenings this Thursday throughout the country.

Lee was a man of destiny. A child star in Hong Kong, he learned the Wing Chun style of Kung Fu from master Ip (or Yip) Man, who has recently become the subject of a host of film treatments, including the internationally popular franchise starring Donnie Yen. Most viewers will know Lee’s story chapter and verse, but McCormack shoehorns in some interesting details. The 1957 Hong Kong cha-cha champion? But, of course.

In terms of format, I Am is not all that different from Fuel-TV’s recent tribute series Bruce Lee Lives, mixing film excerpts with reminiscences from his family and colleagues, as well as commentary from contemporary mixed martial arts fighters, nearly all of whom revere Lee. However, the participation of Lee’s widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, and breakout martial arts movie star Gina Carano distinguish I Am. Nearly all of Lee’s films are discussed in length, but clips of Lee’s epic battle with Norris in the Roman Coliseum take pride of place.

While celebrating Lee’s mystique, I Am tries to put to rest many of the rumors surrounding his life, particularly notions that an ancient curse or the triads were responsible for his untimely death. It also attempts to minimize the non-dogmatic approach of Lee’s Jeet Kune Do as a forerunner to mixed martial arts, but apparently UFC founder Dana White did not get that memo.

Nonetheless, it certainly seems Lee inspired most of his fighters, including Cung Le, who also appears in the film. Yet, perhaps the best advertisement for Lee’s Jeet Kune Do and related philosophy would be his friend and fellow teacher, seventy-something Dan Inosanto (the weapons master in Game of Death) who looks like he could be at least two decades younger in his I Am interview segments.

Built around Lee’s super cool “be like water” interview, I Am moves along at a quick pace, while emphasizing the spiritual aspects of his story. Just about every surviving figure in his life is heard from, except Norris. Granted, Lee fans have seen documentaries like this before, but we really cannot get enough of the icon. It might be hagiography, but it’s entertaining and appropriate. After all, this is Bruce Lee we are talking about. Proper respect must be paid. Recommended as a communal experience for fans (and isn’t that everyone?), I Am Bruce Lee screens this Thursday (2/9) and next Wednesday (2/15) nationwide, including the AMC Empire in New York and the AMC Metreon and 4 Star Theatre in San Francisco.

Fuel-TV Goes Jeet Kune Do: Bruce Lee Lives!

He was an icon of cool who could take out a brawling gang of dozens. The continuing fascination with the life and teachings of Bruce Lee eclipses James Dean’s cult following and rivals that of Charlie Parker for the mystical devotion they inspired. Continuing their commitment to cinematic martial arts begun with Late Night Kung Fu, Fuel-TV examines the man and his legacy through the eyes of his admirers in the six-part Bruce Lee Lives!, which kicks off this Wednesday.

As a home of mixed martial arts (MMA) and extreme sports, Fuel TV draws on many of their up-and-coming competitors for commentary. However, this is quite apt in the case of MMA, considering Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do is considered the original form of pragmatically selected mixed martial arts disciplines, as Lives! lucidly explains. Kenny Florian, the only fighter to compete in four of the UFC’s seven weight divisions, is particularly eloquent describing Lee as a personal source of motivation and a continuing influence for most of his colleagues. The BMX’ers and the like might not be of as much interest to Lee’s followers or his film fans, but everyone is entitled to take inspiration from Bruce Lee.

Perhaps the best sequences of the first episode feature his god-daughter Diana Inosanto, who convincingly positions Lee as a pioneer of independent filmmaking as well as a martial arts innovator. In fact, his self-produced Hong Kong films arguably blazed a trail for current HK action auteurs and festival favorites, like Wong Kar-wai and Johnnie To. Not surprisingly, Lives! will spur many viewers to revisit Lee’s signature films as well as the surprisingly good bio-drama Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story, whose director Rob Cohen also appears as a talking head.

At least in its first episode, Bruce Lee Lives’ combination of action-driven clips, colorful anecdotes, and caffeinated attitude is pretty compulsively watchable. Of course, it is ultimately due to the charisma and mystical significance of its subject. Frankly, the series would be perfect weekend afternoon hangover TV, but for now, it airs Wednesday nights at 10:00 PM EST, starting this week (7/13) on Fuel-TV.

NYAFF ’10: Ip Man 2

Ip Man is a peaceful warrior, but for some reason, people keep making him kick their butts. Not a good idea. After all, the Wing Chun master knows what he is doing. Even if you have not heard of Ip Man, everyone recognizes his most famous disciple: Bruce Lee. Immediately following the events of the previous film, the second chapter of Master Ip’s story finds him in Hong Kong, where he would eventually meet his destined pupil. First though, he will have to battle the entrenched local martial arts guild as well as some thoroughly ugly Brits in Wilson Yip’s Ip Man 2 (trailer here), with fight scenes directed by the legendary Sammo Hung who—hold the phone—will introduce the film in person when it opens the 2010 New York Asian Film Festival this Friday night.

Nobody enjoys sparring more than Master Ip, but he will do his best to avoid actual street brawling. Of course, he could deal with nearly any challenge, but with great power comes great responsibility. Indeed, he is as much attuned to the spiritual aspects of his discipline as its more awe-inspiring physical feats. Having successfully defending the honor of the Fushan martial arts community during the Japanese occupation, Master Ip and his family have relocated to Hong Kong. Times are tough though.

He tries to eke out a living teaching Wing Chun to disciples, but the local masters demand he respect their authority, which includes facing all challengers during an initiation rite. Master Ip hardly breaks a sweat on the first two comers, but then things get serious when Master Hung (played by Master Hung) steps into the ring. However, the rival masters will unite when a British boxer starts disrespecting their art in a series of supposed good will exhibition matches. A sneering monster, The Twister has no regard for tradition or human life. Obviously, Master Ip will have to teach him a good, hard lesson in Wing Chun.

Since his family scrupulously controls the use of Bruce Lee’s name and image, HK cinema green-lit competing Ip Man films as the next best thing to a Lee bio-pic. Yip’s Ip was first out of the gate and sets a high standard for future competitors (including a forthcoming take from art-house auteur Wong Kar-wai). While its period details are first-rate, it is Donnie Yen who really makes the series work as Master Ip. He is able to be charismatic and compelling, while faithfully maintaining the master’s quietly serene demeanor. He can certainly handle a fight scene too. Yet, his Master Ip is not a superman, showing signs of age and human fallibility in the second installment.

Yip’s Ips are essentially HK Rocky movies, each concluding with a climatic bout against a savage foreigner. However, Lynn Hung is way, way more attractive than Talia Shire as Ip’s wife, Zhang Yong Cheng. Unfortunately, she is not given much to do in 2 besides looking pregnant and concerned. Still, the addition of Sammo Hung really adds grit and verve to the proceedings.

Intended as an uplifting crowd-pleaser, Ip Man 2 delivers the goods, in large measure thanks to its winning cast, particularly including Yen and the two Hungs. Produced with a glossy sheen and featuring some very cool fight sequences choreographed by NYAFF’s distinguished guest, the second Ip Man should kick-off the festival on a high note. It screen’s at the Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater, as the NYAFF kicks it uptown style, this Friday (6/25) and Sunday (6/27) nights.

Lee/Gendary: Soomi Kim is Bruce Lee

It might sound like an invitation for bad karma to depict the all-time king of movie badness in a gender-bending theatrical piece, but there is a solid historical foundation for such poetic license. As a newborn, Bruce Lee’s mother gave him a female name to deceive the evil spirits thought responsible for the death of her first born son. Thus the Bruce Lee legend began, and also provided the seed of inspiration for Soomi Kim’s Lee/Gendary, in which she stars as Lee himself, now playing at the HERE Arts Center.

Set against a minimalist background with projected video images, Lee/Gendary recounts Lee’s life through his deathbed flashbacks, from a scrawny, bullied kid to the Kung Fu movie superstar. Some of the best sequences of Lee/Gendary involve clever recreations of scenes from classic Lee films, particularly the fight with a young Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon. Oddly, no specific scene from his final (and for many fans his greatest) film Enter the Dragon, gets such treatment, yet the film is an explicit touchstone for the play. Early dialogue from Enter is seamlessly integrated into Lee/Gendary, and the climatic scene parallels that of the film through its use of mirrors.

With Airon Armstrong, Kim choreographed some fantastic Kung Fu scenes, which she performs fearlessly. She executes some dazzling acrobatic feats and takes a number of falls on what looks like an awfully hard stage. With extensive performance experience as a martial artist and dancer, Kim is totally credible in the role of Lee. To use a term fraught with double-meaning, it seems like Lee/Gendary plays it straight. In the context of the work, Lee is a man, just played by a woman. The vibe here seems more Jungian than Freudian, with Kim representing the feminine yin to the masculine yang of Lee’s personality. Indeed, we come to see that symbolic conflict played out on the stage.

Despite its experimental nature, Lee/Gendary’s Kung Fu choreography has real crowd-pleasing potential and director Suzi Takahashi keeps things moving at a good pace—it could even prove successful in a larger, more commercial Off-Broadway venue. Kim is enormously talented and displays true stage presence. Her only problem in Lee/Gendary is that members of her supporting cast sometimes have trouble keeping up with her high level of performance (a problem Lee also faced in some of his films). The noteworthy exceptions are ensemble members Shing Ka, who eventually plays yang to Kim’s yin, and Constance Parng as Betty Tingpei, the Taiwanese actress in whose apartment Lee died, and with whom he was having an affair, at least according to Lee/Gendary.

Heightening the atmosphere of Lee/Gendary is the original (but pre-recorded) music, which will be of interest to jazz and experimental music listeners. Featuring work composed by Jen Shyu, best known for her work with Steve Coleman and Five Elements, as well as jazz guitarist Adam Rogers, whose extensive credits include the Mingus Orchestra, Lee/Gendary’s score is often moody and disconcerting, but at times suggests the funky soundtracks of Lee’s classic films. However, the live tabla accompaniment of Dibyarka Chatterjee most effectively lends urgency to the on-stage action.

Kim knows her Bruce Lee, which results in an adventurous but respectful treatment of his life. Her work here is very impressive and definitely recommended, especially if you already have a fondness for Lee’s films. It runs at HERE Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, through October 30th.