Movie Talk - Bruceploitation Part 7: Bruce Lee's Deadly Manuals of Death!

Well, the Kato costume finally shows up on someone... I'm not counting that "documentary" either.

Well, it’s that time. Every January, I delve into the archives of kung fu movies and look for ones that fit within the phenomenon known as Bruceploitation. Now, I’ve explained what this is in previous posts, but if this is your first one, here’s a quick description. When Bruce Lee died in 1973, studios were trying to cash in on the craze. They’d churn out movies about his life, revamps of his previous movies, really weird movies, and movies that centered on his death. You had guys with stage names like Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Dragon Lee, and Bruce Lea kicking butt and taking names.

It’s a weird subgenre and I think I’m almost done. I’ve found some really bad ones, but there have been some nice gems here. When I do eventually end this segment, I’ll list the best ones off. I’m not there yet, though. Today, I got six movies for this post. I was going to do seven, but I think I had enough of these movies for now. I even got one that actually has no Bruce impersonator, though I don’t know if it makes it good or not. I also have one that has “Bruce Lee” fight “Superman.” Guess which one I’m going  to talk about first.

Movie Talk - Bruceploitation Part 6: Return to the Gauntlet of Imitation Movies!

This whole cover is a lie. There are no ninjas, no real Bruce Lee, and no AK-47's!

Well, it’s time for my favorite segment of this month: Bruceploitation! Heck, it was pretty much Bruceploitation week after work. I needed something to watch while exercising since these movies don’t require a lot of attention most of the times. For those who don’t know, Bruceploitation was a phenomenon that occurred after the death of martial arts star, Bruce Lee. Studios were trying to churn out kung-fu movies that had lookalikes in the place of Lee. You had stage names being thrown around like Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Bruce Leong, Dragon Lee, and others. Heck, even Jackie Chan was in one of these movies… and it actually wasn’t bad either.

While it is tacky and sometimes shameless, I kinda like this subgenre. You never know what you’ll find since these movies vary in terms of quality. You got some decent ones out there, and you have ones that make you wonder who got drunk that day. I found one last year (Bruce’s Fist of Vengeance) that took the cake in how laughably bad it was. This time, I got another variety of films. While I don’t have anything as weird as “Bruce Lee Fights Dracula and the Godfather along with Popeye,” I do have one with kung-fu little people, bronze Shaolin monks, and some crappy comedy…. I’m doing that one first, ain’t I?

Movie Talk - Bruceploitation Part 5 - Are We There Yet?

Hmm... so this is either Praying Mantis style, "Flipping the Bird" style, or "I'm Trying Not To Step On These  Full Rat-traps" style. 

Well, it’s time to get back into the weird subgenre known as Bruceploitation. It’s been a thing for years during this month. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Wikipedia has a good description. If you don’t like clicking on links, here’s a quick summary. Brucesploitation was a phenomenon that occurred in the 1970’s after Bruce Lee’s sudden death. Filmmakers were trying to milk Lee’s death by putting out movies with look-alikes. Even Jackie Chan, who I’ll get to later, was a “clone.” Even if the movie had nothing to do with Bruce Lee, they’d title it with some related to the dude.

When you get to the movies themselves, they tend to vary in quality. You’d get some that are pretty entertaining movies in their own right. While they’re not awesome movies, they are at least decent. Then, you would also get some that are dull, some that  are dreadful, and some that have pretty ridiculous. If you read previous posts, you’ll know which ones I’m talking about. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything like The Dragon Lives Again, but there is one that is somewhat close. Anyway, here are five movies from that weird genre.

Movie Talk - Bruceploitation 4: The Spinoff to the Sequel of the Remake of That One Bruce Lee Movie

It's a fake Bruce Lee vs. a fake Muhammad Ali!

Well, if there’s one thing January is going to bring, it’s going to be another trip to the genre know as Bruceploitation (BP). If you don’t know what that is, Wikipedia can help you there. If you don’t like actual research (like me), then here is a quick summation of the genre. BP was a phenomenon where producers tried to make money off the death of martial arts actor, Bruce Lee. Basically, they’d make movies that involved the name of Lee and it was in name only. I don’t think many who actually knew Lee were involved with them. Different martial artists were getting thrown into that “Next Bruce Lee” title and even the movies involved Lee’s name even though he never appeared in them. Some stock footage from previous movies would be used but that’s it.

For the last few years, I’ve gone into this swamp of weirdness and yells. Sometimes, there is some good to be found. You might get a decent movie or two. Then, you might get something so ludicrous that it needs to be seen. These movies can bring laughter in a “so bad it’s good” way. Today’s movies can end up on a scale of decent to “What in God’s Name Did I Watch.” So, sit down and read about how I spent most of my weekend getting to know these “movies.”

Movie Talk - Bruceploitation 3: Rise of the Bruce Lee Knockoffs!

From left: David Cairadine, Bruce Lee, and Robin Williams... at least that is what the movie wants you to believe.

Well, it’s finally time to start off Martial Arts Month with the awesomeness that is Bruceploitation. I’m starting a little late, but that happens when you spend the previous month writing about characters similar to that Gosh-Darn Batman. For those that are new here, Bruceploitation was a phenomenon that occurred in the 1970’s after Bruce Lee died. There were a lot of actors being thrown into that “Next Bruce Lee” title. Movies were even marketed to make it look like Lee was actually in them. Some movies even had footage from Lee’s earlier movies to make it look like he appeared in it. Does anyone remember the 1978 version of Game of Death? I do and man, it was bad especially when you see scenes of Lee from other movies in it.

I saw a couple of them when I was younger but decided to dip into this weird pool a couple of years ago. I have to say I was quite surprised. These movies actually tend to range from decent to “what in God’s name did I watch” pretty frequently. You might have “biographies,” original stuff, sequels/remakes, or really weird stuff. There is one I’ll talk about today that definitely fits in that last segment. I have five movies for today, so let’s start with Bruce’s trip to Purgatory… oh yes.

Movie Talk - Bruceploitation 2: Return of the Cash-Ins on Bruce Lee's Death!

Fists of Bruce Lee is the only place where you'll see a fake Bruce Lee fight a fake Napoleon Dynamite.

Well, it’s time to look at some movies that wanted to cash in on the death of martial arts actor, Bruce Lee. For those who don’t know, that’s the basic definition of Bruceploitation. Last year, I looked at some movies that tried to make money off his death. Some were rip-offs of his movies, some were unofficial sequels to movies, some were “biographical,” and some were just straight-up insane. I looked at The Clones of Bruce Lee last year and yes, there were actual clones. That should tell you how ludicrous this craze was.

Still, there is some fun to be had with these movies. While they may not be good works of cinema, they have their moments. They’re so diverse that they can go either way in quality. Some of the ones I looked at last year weren’t that bad in some areas. So, sit back while I spiel about five pieces of 70’s schlock.

Movie Talk - Bruceploitation

Yes, this movie exists... and no, Bruce Lee doesn't destroy his clones in the movie. He's dead, remember?

 Bruceploitation… yes, this word actually exists. Microsoft Word hates it though. According to Wikipedia, “Bruceploitation is a cultural phenomenon mostly seen in the 1970's after the 1973 death of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee.” Bruceploitation (BP for short, hee hee) is basically equivalent to those Elvis impersonators that pop up from time to time. You had guys going by names like Bruce Li, Bruce Leung, Dragon Lee, Bruce Le, and my favorite, Bronson Lee. If there was actually a “Bob Lee,” then this would be even more hilarious.

A lot of the movies were mostly rehashes on Lee’s pictures. Some were even unofficial sequels to those movies. There were also some “autobiographies” if you can call them that. Some would also go play “conspiracy theory” on how Lee died. Then, there are some really weird ones. Bruce Lee Fights Back From the Grave (yes, that’s the title!!!) is one of them. You’d be shocked to know that the movie isn’t even about that weird premise. I think there’s also one where “Bruce Lee” fights alongside Popeye, James Bond, and Clint Eastwood… Yeah.

Today, I’m going to talk about some of the ones I’ve seen. Yes, I’ve seen a few BP movies. Some are actually decent while others are pretty subpar. I was able to view them all on YouTube since I actually don’t own these. You’d be shocked to know that Jackie Chan was actually one of the many clones! Luckily, he only did one movie (New Fist of Fury) and decided to go in a better direction. Since there are a lot of these movies out there, I’m only going to look at five starting with The Clones of Bruce Lee… yes, The Clones of Bruce Lee.