Xixax Film Forum

Film Discussion => News and Theory => Topic started by: Bruce Lee on March 08, 2004, 08:36:01 PM

Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 08, 2004, 08:36:01 PM
any fans?

Im more of a Bruce Lee man than Jackie or jet, also like classic samurai flicks.....erm like seven samurai.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: MacGuffin on March 08, 2004, 08:48:59 PM
Any reason to bring up...

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...I'll take.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: NEON MERCURY on March 08, 2004, 09:47:03 PM
these are my fav. 3 martial arts films..

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(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2FB0000696HW.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg&hash=49c32041b9bf8c9fe4538aeea8d3ca0417856eed)
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2FB00000I1KB.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg&hash=51797839a8b61cf7f2376e5968e6b574a62053a8)

....i these better than bruce lee films b/c the fighting is true to the code of the samurias and martial arts....
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: nix on March 08, 2004, 10:03:59 PM
since this thread is here...

Anyone else love Sho Kosugi movies when they were kids?

Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, Ninja 3, etc., etc.?

I rented those movies every weekend from ages 7 to 9.

I caught revenge on cable recently and holy shit is it bad.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 09, 2004, 07:15:30 AM
oh man ! i love ninja movies, remember watching them when i was small.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: cine on March 09, 2004, 07:46:29 AM
Gee, that Bruce Lee suit in your avatar looks mysteriously familiar. . . . .
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 09, 2004, 08:02:34 AM
yeah original and best
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Pas on March 09, 2004, 08:02:55 AM
I love martial arts stuff... fans should check out Dragon Inn (Maggie Chung, Donnie Yen), Twin Warriors (Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li) and the Once upon a time in China trilogy.

So excited about the upcoming release of Hero too.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 09, 2004, 08:04:40 AM
there's a movie coming out later this year, called Dragon Warrior.....starring Bruce Lee !?! lol
its all done in CGI, but the korean company say that you won't be able to tell if its real or not.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Pubrick on March 09, 2004, 09:07:48 AM
i only liked them when i was high.

neh.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: cine on March 09, 2004, 09:15:48 AM
Quote from: Bruce Leebut the korean company say that you won't be able to tell if its real or not.
Will they use CGI dogs too?
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Ravi on March 09, 2004, 11:08:14 AM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages-eu.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2FB00004W4G7.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg&hash=e2959a22b6971da2ee60635b6a811a96dbd2697b)
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Pas on March 09, 2004, 11:19:59 AM
Quote from: Pi only liked them when i was high.

neh.

That's the only way to thoroughly enjoy them indeed
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Raikus on March 09, 2004, 12:02:40 PM
I still like "Fistful of Zen" from "Kentucky Fried Movie."

Wanting to see "Shaolin Soccer" though.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Myxo on March 10, 2004, 11:27:39 AM
Quote from: Ravi(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages-eu.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2FB00004W4G7.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg&hash=e2959a22b6971da2ee60635b6a811a96dbd2697b)

Terrible DVD cover. There is a different cover that I like more with the "Master Killer" title on the front.

But, that said, this is one of the very best. The main actor in the film plays a big part in Tarantino's "Kill Bill", as he was a huge fan of this series.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: pete on March 10, 2004, 03:59:30 PM
the problem with the genre is that creatively it peaked in the late 70s, and since then it's been like horror movies, just trying to re-hash and recycle, with the exception of Jackie Chan and Tsui Hark, who is still pushing to be innovative.  They were both responsible for the several sudden "booms" in the genre since then, but it hasn't been all across-the-board, uniformly good since the late 70's.
and it's a shame that most of these movies introduced to the US, even the classics, have been heavily edited, dubbed, and cropped.  It really did the genre a huge disservice, so non-genre fans can't even genuflect it the way they do to the spaghetti westerns.  oh well, their loss I guess.
I recommend the following, as a good little survey to cover your bases that you can find on netflix:

a touch of zen
return of the dragon
mad monkey kungfu
magnificent butcher (you'll never seen a more graceful fat guy)
last hurrah for chivalry (john woo's gangsta film before he played with guns)
prodigal son
dragon lord
police story 1
once upon a time in china
dragon gate inn
drunken master 2
hero

and some titles that you really should watch because they're incredible pieces of filmmaking in any standard but knowing my luck on this board will just get ignored again:

pedicab driver
the blade (not the wesley snipes film)
ong bak
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 10, 2004, 05:34:40 PM
all you need is the entire bruce lee collection, then there's no need to see any other martial arts movies.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: pete on March 10, 2004, 05:38:07 PM
yeah everyone should order one from your site right?
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 10, 2004, 05:43:31 PM
they certainly should, i'll have to manufacture some first.

my site is a forum.....ie. not seling anything,
www.bruceleeforum.tk/
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Pas on March 10, 2004, 06:17:52 PM
Quote from: peteonce upon a time in china
dragon gate inn
drunken master 2
hero

YEESSSSS !!! The final fight in Dragon Inn kicks me in the balls and Hero looks like it's gonna be the greatest thing in a while, all genres together.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Ravi on March 10, 2004, 09:30:43 PM
Quote from: pete
drunken master 2

NOT The Legend of Drunken Master.  I like the first DM film too.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Myxo on March 11, 2004, 01:40:53 PM
Quote from: Bruce Leeall you need is the entire bruce lee collection, then there's no need to see any other martial arts movies.

Actually, to be perfectly honest, I was quite a bit dissapointed with a lot of Lee films. I saw Chinese Connection and Fist of Fury both, and I wasn't at all impressed. I'll admit that Enter the Dragon and Game of Death are both solid, but some of his earlier work is bad B-movie stuff. It's campy, and if thats yer thing, well, you'll like it.. but it really isn't that great.

Hell, Fist of Fury hardly has any fighting for a movie with such a tough title.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 11, 2004, 02:19:11 PM
QuoteI'll admit that Enter the Dragon and Game of Death are both solid

Erm....Game of death is about as solid as water, yeah the fight scene in the pagoda is brilliant but the film on the whole is an utter mess.
Making a mockery of Lee's death, using card board cut outs as stand-ins ?!? its a shambles.
What makes Enter the Dragon more solid than his previous films? it contains crap western actors (just put there for market reasons) that can't fight for shit and take up far too much valuable Bruce Lee screen time.

Big Boss (as its intended name) and the other 2 that follow have revolutionary fight choreography that was a first in its time, they are the Casablanca's of their genre.
Fist of Fury (you'll know it as Chinese Connection) first introduced the nunchaku like never before seen in a movie.
Way of the Dragon (you'll know it as Return of the Dragon) contains what true fans of martial arts recognise as one of the best fight scenes of all time involving Chuck Norris.

QuoteHell, Fist of Fury hardly has any fighting for a movie with such a tough title

Firstly that titled was changed by some dumb ass american, as its The Big Boss.
It has fighting all the way through it, the big pay off being in the end. it might not be as flashy as the rest but it set a benchmark for other movies to follow.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: pete on March 11, 2004, 06:26:37 PM
yeah his movies were kinda boring in a long cheesy kinda way, a lot of nationalism was injected in there.  But c'mon, the fight scenes are amazing, once he starts moving you're just like, yeah!  Bruce is never one for complicated moves, he shows off some quick wing chun hands and some high kicks, and nobody can move more crispy, more precisely than he does.  His biggest contribution to cinema is first of all the portrayal of a Chinese actor in hollywood, then it's the way he depicts and stages the fight scenes.
The production value was low on almost all of his films (except Enter the Dragon, which ironically had the least interesting fights) but it also goes to make Bruce Lee stand out even more.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 11, 2004, 07:11:11 PM
QuoteThe production value was low on almost all of his films (except Enter the Dragon, which ironically had the least interesting fights

Enter the Dragon had an extremely low budget for a hollywood film, 700,000 dollars.
The underground cave was made out of chicken wire and mud which kept falling apart.
The guys in the jail were actual bums off the street, the prostatutes were real prostatutes and were paid more per hour than any one else on the film.

Quoteleast interesting fights

This film has two iconic cinema scenes,
1) the underground cavern fight
2) maze of mirrors

I think the fights were quite excellent, not only does bruce look in the best physical shape of his past movies, but he also breaks Jackie Chan's neck :)
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Ravi on March 12, 2004, 03:54:48 PM
I think with the people behind ETD were trying for a broader scope with a few other characters besides Bruce, even though it was Bruce's film.  The scenes with John Saxon aren't that interesting, yet he gets quite a bit of screen time.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 12, 2004, 04:12:50 PM
QuoteI think with the people behind ETD were trying for a broader scope with a few other characters besides Bruce

Wrong Im afraid.

Just before Warner finally decided it was safe to cast an asian man in a lead role they sent a telegram to Lee saying that, even though Kung Fu was Bruce's conception their not casting him because he looks ''too chinese'' and instead opted for David Carradine.

Warner were crapping themselves as they thought no american blooded person is going to want to watch an asian outside the 'slanty eyed servant role' so they loaded the film with shit american actors.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Ravi on March 12, 2004, 04:25:55 PM
When were his previous films released in the US, after ETD or before?
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 12, 2004, 05:52:58 PM
After.
Bruce was already China's national hero and a record breaker before he was widely known in the west, apart from the Green Hornet.

they renamed 'Way of the Dragon' to 'Return of the Dragon' as it was shown after Enter.
The other titles were pointlessly changed as the americans may not grasp the meaning/concept....which is a lot of bull crap
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Pubrick on March 12, 2004, 11:48:14 PM
oh i get it, ur obsessed with bruce campbell.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 13, 2004, 07:14:51 AM
ermm not quite as much as Bruce LEE
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: reelistics07 on March 15, 2004, 03:03:55 PM
what about shaw brothers? gordon liu? sonny chiba?samo hung? the real oldschool cats that got martial arts films started in the first place. theres nothing worse than a bad martial arts film, cuz theyre directed like pornos and have no structure at all , and the audio is always fucked up with the visual...     but the shaw brothers really could direct well, there shots are well orchestrated. unfortunately, ive never seen any bruce lee films! i prolly should shouldnt i? ...ill get around to it
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: pete on March 15, 2004, 06:17:30 PM
shaw brothers are producers, they never directed shit.  they produced some of the best kungfu movies no doubt.  Sammo was really the start of the new school, with more slapstick comedy and colloquial dialogues.  He also brought a lot of korean martial arts in his choreography (like Bruce before him) with his training in hapkido.  Before that it was primarily a hung gar world, thanks to Gordon Liu and mainly his brother Lau KarLeung, even Bruce Lee was drawing heavily from Wing Chun.  Then Sammo and the Yuen clan came along and started incorporating long fist and very stylize northern kungfu, which was good and bad at the same time.  Good because the fights are more acrobatic and cinematic (Sammo also made famous the snap zooms in long dolly shots, which must've been such a pain in the ass to be zooming in and out of complex hand exchanges in the middle of a long fight sequence) but bad because it strayed away from real martial arts into the realm of "Shit that looks kinda cool but hoaky when done wrong".
But if we're just judging them as films, the most influencial and perhaps the greatest directors of martial arts movies were King Hu and Chang Cheh.
So Bruce Lee is not the end all be all of the martial arts genre.  He was amazing to watch, but have you seen his group fights?  20-50 guys just lining up to get beat up while the rest of them moved about in the background, dancing threateningly.  It was nothing like a Lau KarLeung or a Sammo fight where everyone ATTACKS AT ONCE and you watch the fighters (or the fight choreographer) figure out a way to fight his way outta this via distancing and weaponry and acrobatics.  And the argument over the title of his films are meaningless because no matter Return of the Dragon or Way of the Dragon, they're still just English translation of Chinese titles that didn't even mean remotely the same thing.
Plus, Fist of Fury was released in America before Enter the Dragon.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 15, 2004, 07:32:39 PM
If faced in a real situation of a group attack its doubtful that all would attack at the same time, you'd have a messy orgy of people kicking and pilling onto your own men.
I think its more realistic for say maybe 3 to run up and have ago whilst the others watch and see if their needed.....and when you're dealing with Bruce Lee, you'd be less eager to go screaming in like an indian
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: pete on March 15, 2004, 09:15:37 PM
I've been in group fights and have seen group fights--nobody eagerly waits his turn to get beat up.  people wanna grab you and sucker punch you, and you have to move around a lot to prevent this from happening.  this is not so in Bruce Lee's fight scenes.  it's poorly choreographed, there's no "in real life" excuse to cover it up.  Bruce still moves like the sharpest mofo in the world, but c'mon, the choreography sucks.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 16, 2004, 08:40:25 AM
His choreography is/was ground-braking. He even got work as a fight choreographer on the Wrecking Crew.
Bruce's fight choreography topped anything at the time in Hong Kong, the timing was awesome and highly realistic.

....You saying the underground cavern fight in Enter is not spectacular?

I've been/seen group fights also, and when theres already two people trying to get hold of one person, its quite hard to run in and not get elbowed in the face.

To say Bruce didn't do excellent fight choreography is like saying that Chuck Norris is a superb actor.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: pete on March 16, 2004, 09:36:49 PM
ah finally someone on this board who watches martial arts movies, then turns out he only does bruce lee.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 16, 2004, 09:57:37 PM
I do watch the HK Jet Li movies and some Jackie before he became a retarded comedian.
but when watching i can't help but think it would be better if Bruce would just happen to walk in and give everyone a little wake up slapping.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: reelistics07 on March 17, 2004, 11:26:48 AM
Quote from: peteshaw brothers are producers, they never directed shit.  they produced some of the best kungfu movies no doubt.  Sammo was really the start of the new school, with more slapstick comedy and colloquial dialogues.  He also brought a lot of korean martial arts in his choreography (like Bruce before him) with his training in hapkido.  Before that it was primarily a hung gar world, thanks to Gordon Liu and mainly his brother Lau KarLeung, even Bruce Lee was drawing heavily from Wing Chun.  Then Sammo and the Yuen clan came along and started incorporating long fist and very stylize northern kungfu, which was good and bad at the same time.  Good because the fights are more acrobatic and cinematic (Sammo also made famous the snap zooms in long dolly shots, which must've been such a pain in the ass to be zooming in and out of complex hand exchanges in the middle of a long fight sequence) but bad because it strayed away from real martial arts into the realm of "Shit that looks kinda cool but hoaky when done wrong".
But if we're just judging them as films, the most influencial and perhaps the greatest directors of martial arts movies were King Hu and Chang Cheh.
So Bruce Lee is not the end all be all of the martial arts genre.  He was amazing to watch, but have you seen his group fights?  20-50 guys just lining up to get beat up while the rest of them moved about in the background, dancing threateningly.  It was nothing like a Lau KarLeung or a Sammo fight where everyone ATTACKS AT ONCE and you watch the fighters (or the fight choreographer) figure out a way to fight his way outta this via distancing and weaponry and acrobatics.  And the argument over the title of his films are meaningless because no matter Return of the Dragon or Way of the Dragon, they're still just English translation of Chinese titles that didn't even mean remotely the same thing.
Plus, Fist of Fury was released in America before Enter the Dragon.


wow man , thats great that you know so much. and i like how you put out info like you want others to learn about it to, not just " i know this , you dont, you fuckin idiot" . yeah, and as far as choreography goes, it is very unrealistic to show 7 people basically waiting in line to get theirs. its show the lack of skill of the choreographers, and its still skillful though, still very well done, yet it doesnt compare to the scenes that play like actual scenarios , when the lead guy fighting will bust down some guy, skip to the next, and by the time hes done with the second guy the first is back up and ready to fight but he gets knocked on his ass again. and i shouldve know  that the shaw brothers were producers, it was two guys right?.......... im really not too well educated on martial arts films, but i should be .. anyways hit us with some knowledge, im willin to hear whatever you got to say. i hate it when people think they know theyre shit yet they think bruce lee is as deep as it goes, just because he was the first ( was he the first?) to star in mainstream films shown in the u.s
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: pete on March 17, 2004, 11:44:56 AM
yeah I try to learn a lotta arts, not to fight, but to put them in my movies.  I recently did one with my two friends where we tried to imitate the old skool style (very rhythmic exchanges with a lot of pauses and solid techniques) you can find it  here  (http://neo-modus.com/stuntpeople/pete/rehearsal2.mpg).  But there are plenty of people online right now all trying to make it with various styles.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: reelistics07 on March 17, 2004, 01:36:42 PM
so do you learn from training with an instructor or from observing the films? and how do your movies look? do you have the right people  playing the characters? it sucks when you got a great role for somebody but your  only friend willing to do it is some scrawny, little pasty white kid with glasses that no one would ever be afraid of is he busted out of some bushes , lockin his stance. anyways, how many films have you done? id love to do some martial arts films man, plus i know a  fair amount of people who practice and would probably be willing to do it. but i really wouldnt be able to elaborate with the choreography and everything , since im not as skilled as the people that i know in martial arts. but im catching on, if you got enough people working with you,under the right circumstances and everything, making a kung fu film would be some fuuuuuuuuun shit!
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: pete on March 17, 2004, 01:45:26 PM
I learned from instructors and friends for the actual techniques, but there are a lot of moves that are movie-specific.  Especially the fancy reaction falls--the hong kong spin, the gainer, the "front fall tiger"...etc., we'd watch the moves over and over again and practice on gymnastic mats.  Having friends who break or do capoera really help on the acrobatics stuff, but now the acrobatic stuff is so popular my friends and I are trying to do the 70's old skool style again.  I gave you a link to a small clip I made in my previous post, you can check that out.
If you wanna try your hand at shooting martial arts you should definitely pick up Jackie Chan's instructional dvd called "my stunts", he talked a lot about the rhythm, the camera, the editing, the reaction, and a list of don'ts.  It's entertaining and informative (ooh oh oh, "infotaning") to say the least.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 17, 2004, 02:10:38 PM
Quote...Fist of Fury was released in America before Enter the Dragon.

Erm no it wasn't it was 'return of the dragon' (actual name 'Way of the Dragon', hence adding the ''return'' to entice viewers.

And i don't know what Bruce Lee movies you've been watching but there are lots of scenes where he takes on more than 3 guys at the same time (Enter, cave scene with the Bo stick/Kali sticks) + towards the end of The Big Boss.
And the fact that Bruce could knock out the guy as quick as he could reach him might explain why it looks like a line up for hurt
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: reelistics07 on March 18, 2004, 01:27:39 PM
Bruce IS the man, ok but hes not the ONLY man!
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 18, 2004, 02:16:16 PM
well, there isn't anyone near of Bruce's callibre around, so yes he's the only one.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Just Withnail on March 18, 2004, 05:02:03 PM
Your avatar scares the shit out of me.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Bruce Lee on March 18, 2004, 05:05:25 PM
He does look like a man possesed there....and a bit kinda like Popeye
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: MacGuffin on October 30, 2004, 01:39:20 AM
Disney, Chabon retelling 'Snow'
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon will write "Snow and the Seven," an East-meets-West retelling of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," for Walt Disney Pictures. Hong Kong director Yuen Wo Ping will make his English-language directorial debut on the film, which Andrew Gunn is producing.

"Snow and the Seven" will be set in 1880s British colonial China and will have fantasy and martial arts elements, with the "seven" being Shaolin monks. The story also will hearken back to aspects of the original Grimm Brothers' fairy tale.

Brigham Taylor is the Disney exec on the project, and Gunnfilm's Ann Marie Sanderlin is executive producing.

Chabon is the author of "Wonder Boys" and "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," which won him the 2001 Pulitzer for literature. Chabon also was a writer on "Spider-Man 2."

Yuen Wo Ping is a veteran of the Hong King action scene, with almost 30 films to his credit, including "Iron Monkey" and "The Red Wolf." He also was the action choreographer on the "Kill Bill" movies and "The Matrix" films.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: matt35mm on October 30, 2004, 03:23:35 AM
How very odd.  Sounds like a Summer tent-pole Jackie Chan pic, but with Michael Chabon attached.

Chabon has never failed to deliver the goods as far as I'm concerned, so not only will I give him the benefit of the doubt, but I will go ahead and predict that this will be an incredible movie.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: pete on October 30, 2004, 12:48:55 PM
ah you americans still giving jackie chan crap.  that's like calling buster keaton a hack after watching only his talkies.
yuen wooping hasn't directed anything in a long time.  he's always been weird and funny and always delivers solid fight scenes.  I think it's time for him to stop playing monkey boy for big budget directors' eastern fantasies and become a monkey boy for big studio execs.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: cowboykurtis on October 30, 2004, 01:29:25 PM
see the movie GYM KATA if you want something worth fighting for
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: pete on October 30, 2004, 01:58:26 PM
:(
one day this thread will thrive like the horror thread and the porn thread.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: Stefen on October 30, 2004, 02:03:23 PM
Wheres the porn thread? I got some free passwords I can post.
Title: Martial Arts Films
Post by: matt35mm on October 30, 2004, 02:06:25 PM
Quote from: peteah you americans still giving jackie chan crap.
I wasn't giving Jackie Chan crap, I was giving Summer tent-pole Jackie Chan movies crap (i.e. Rush Hour 2, Shanghai Noon/Knights, The Medallion, The Tuxedo, Around The World in 80 Days...)

Everyone in my family loves Jackie Chan.  I just think he's worth more than the collection of stunts and ethnic-mismatch-buddy-comedy that his American movies are.  He knows this as well, and has been complaining about it in interviews.  No one wants to play second fiddle to Chris "I Only Do Rush Hour Movies Now" Tucker.
Title: Re: Martial Arts Films
Post by: MacGuffin on May 17, 2006, 01:22:47 PM
Jackie Chan, Jet Li set to star in new film

HONG KONG (AFP) - Chinese action stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li are set to star together for the first time in a new film, Chan's official website said.

"For years now, many producers have tried to put the two superstars together in a movie and both Jet and Jackie liked the idea very much," said Chan's manager Willie Chan.

Although both stars have agreed to a project, no date has been set for filming to begin and a script has yet to be finalised, the manager said.

"Let's keep our fingers crossed and who knows? Let's hope there will be a Jet Li/Jackie Chan project as soon as possible," he added.

A report on the Chinese news website Sina.com said the project would be formally announced at the Cannes Film Festival and shooting was expected to begin next year after Chan finishes filming "Rush Hour 3".

The report said that Li, star of "Fearless" and "Hero", has put all other offers on hold and stands to pocket 15 million US dollars from the film.
Title: Re: Martial Arts Films
Post by: MacGuffin on October 31, 2006, 01:40:19 AM
Chan, Li get kicks together
Duo to star together for first time
Source: Variety

Let the fight begin.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li will star together for the first time in a $70 million family pic that Relativity Media will finance and Casey Silver produces.

Robert Minkoff will direct, while martial arts expert Yuen Woo-Ping ("The Master") will create the action sequences. Shooting is set for April.

Film is one of two new big-budget projects that Relativity -- backed by hedge fund money -- will be offering to buyers at the American Film Market, which unspools Wednesday in Santa Monica. The second is Brian De Palma's $70 million prequel "The Untouchables: Capone Rising," which Paramount will distribute domestically.

Both films will be repped at AFM by Mario Kassar's Magnetik Media, which also will be selling Relativity's previously announced Russell Crowe-Christian Bale starrer "3:10 to Yuma," which James Mangold is shooting.

Chan-Li starrer, known as the untitled J&J project, has been rumored for some time, but Relativity, headed by Ryan Kavanaugh, boarded only recently. John Fusco script is based on the legend of the monkey king and his quest to achieve immortality.

Li is set to play two roles, that of the monkey king and the silent monk. Chan will play the monk T'sa-Ho. The two martial-arts masters have long said they would like to appear together in a film and fight each other.

Project is sure to garner keen interest at AFM, with Chan and Li enjoying superstar status in Asia and solid name recognition among teen action fans worldwide.

Talks are already under way between Relativity and U.S. distribs.

When promoting the U.S. bow of Li's most recent movie, "Fearless," Rogue Pictures touted it as his last martial-arts epic. Relativity describes its project as more of an action-adventure with martial-arts sequences.

Minkoff's credits include "The Lion King" and "Stuart Little." Fusco most recently penned "Hidalgo."

Silver is producer of the Chan-Li pic, while Kavanaugh will exec produce.

Kavanaugh also will take an exec producer credit on "The Untouchables" prequel, set to start shooting in June. Art Linson, who produced De Palma's original "Untouchables," is producing.

Prequel was originally set up at Paramount. Relativity recently struck a deal to finance and produce, with Par agreeing to distribute in the U.S.

Writing duo Brian Koppelman and David Levien penned the script for "Untouchables: Capone Rising," which charts Chicago mob boss Al Capone's rise to power and his relationship with police detective and nemesis Jimmy Malone.

Koppelman and Levien, who wrote "Ocean's Thirteen," also penned "Runaway Jury" and "Rounders."

Magnetik will rep overseas rights to "Yuma," "Untouchables" and the Chan-Li pic through its new nonexclusive deal with Relativity.