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Au·rens!
Joined: Oct 07, 2006
Posts: 839 Threads: 345
Located: In accidental position  
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 Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:43 pm Post subject: Enter the Dragon is awesome |
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I've always admired Bruce Lee's intensity, but his films often have me on the borderline when it comes to appreciation. This last Bruce Lee flick (Clouse, 1973) certainly is non-sensical and lacking in any noble artsy fartsy purpose, but who needs all of that when you've got Bruce Lee's tearing down everybody in sight? Cliche ensues, you can be certain of that. The dubbing is hilarious, but not distractingly so. *SPOILERS* And sure the black dude gets it first, but he goes down fighting in a full Elvis-inspired outfit AND an Afro.*SPOILERS* But you gotta ask yourself, are you entertained? I surely was.
For the film enthusiasts (genre enthusiasts excluded), the film does feature the best final mirrored showdown that I've seen since Welles' The Lady from Shanghai (1947). It also is rawly energetic, weirdly nostalgic, and Bruce Lee does not disappoint whenever he's on screen. I have seen Fists of Fury, and (don't hurt me, genre geeks) I prefer this gentler version to Fury - only because I HATE seeing women running around being wimps, which Fists of Fury features plenty of and Enter the Dragon thankfully ignores (the portrayal of women in the Bruce Lee films is pretty lacking, but I'm going to put that aside for the sake of AWESOMESAUCE MARTIAL ARTS!). I say gentler, but I don't really mean gentle butt kicking. There's this awesome scene in which Bruce Lee kicks not one but TWO dudes with ONE sweeping kick. Dudette!
And from the black and white picture shown here, you can imagine the world of hurt about to befall that flying dude. I had no idea, but apparently Jackie Chan is an extra in this film. So is Sammo Hung. Famous martial artists cum international superstars? (Bruce would prefer to be called Superactor instead, thank you very much!)
The best thing about Enter the Dragon for me actually occurs after the film is over. I got to hear Bruce Lee speaks about his philosophy on martial arts, acting, life, as well as his assessment about his own shortcomings. Bloody charming, that guy. My new hero?
_________________
Cool Kids Belong Together
I would like to investigate the area in between your thighs. -astor
*pops* multiple times - flea
You sweat cool. - DS
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D_Davis
Joined: Nov 01, 2006
Posts: 5747 Threads: 252
Located: Seattle
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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Nice write up. 
While I am a huge fan of martial arts films, and I totally respect Bruce Lee, he was a great thinker and martial artist, I don't care much for any of his films. I feel as though no one was ever able to really capture Lee's amazing abilities on film. The action in Enter the Dragon is horribly framed, the camera is pushed too far in, and the editing is atrocious. Much of the action is framed from the waist up, and the editing completely destroys any kind of fluid movement. And it's not that the filmmakers were going for more montage-based action, emulating King Hu's techniques, either. They just messed up.
I often wish that Lee would have signed on with the Shaw Brothers rather than Golden Harvest (but the Shaw's horrible artist-contracts drove Lee to the Golden Harvest camp - if only Run Run and Run Me weren't so damn cheep!). Golden Harvest really didn't start producing great martial arts flicks until the late '70s, with Jackie, Sammo, and Yuen Biao, and during the early part of the decade, the Shaw Brothers were tops. To have seen Lee work with Chang Cheh or Lau Kar Leung would have been amazing.
The best of Bruce Lee will always be Game of Death - the uncut 30-40 minutes on the documentary included with the EtD DVD are amazing. I will be forever sad that he chose to make EtD first, and put his epic, personal vision of GoD on hold. Had he completed GoD, it probably would have been the greatest martial arts film ever made, but as it stands, it is only a dream of impossible things in my mind. To be teased with the little amount of finished footage is the cruelest kind of joke.
As far as his completed films go, I think the only one to really capture Lee's amazing persona, and his physical abilities, is Fist of Fury. It is a film I greatly respect, and I totally understand its place as a landmark for the genre, but I still think that as a movie it is not nearly as good as the best the Shaw's were making at the same time. Compare it to The Boxer From Shantung, a thematically similar film made only months later, and Fist of Fury really does pale in comparison. I would have loved to see Bruce Lee team up with Chen Kuan-tai. That would have been amazing.
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Miscreation
Joined: Apr 04, 2006
Posts: 10557 Threads: 81
Located: Here.
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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I'd agree that Lee's talent exceeded the quality of the films that he made. Too bad his biopic wasn't that good.
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CKBT | Robots, etc.
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Au·rens!
Joined: Oct 07, 2006
Posts: 839 Threads: 345
Located: In accidental position
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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| D_Davis wrote: | Nice write up.
While I am a huge fan of martial arts films, and I totally respect Bruce Lee, he was a great thinker and martial artist, I don't care much for any of his films. I feel as though no one was ever able to really capture Lee's amazing abilities on film. The action in Enter the Dragon is horribly framed, the camera is pushed too far in, and the editing is atrocious. Much of the action is framed from the waist up, and the editing completely destroys any kind of fluid movement. And it's not that the filmmakers were going for more montage-based action, emulating King Hu's techniques, either. They just messed up.
I often wish that Lee would have signed on with the Shaw Brothers rather than Golden Harvest (but the Shaw's horrible artist-contracts drove Lee to the Golden Harvest camp - if only Run Run and Run Me weren't so damn cheep!). Golden Harvest really didn't start producing great martial arts flicks until the late '70s, with Jackie, Sammo, and Yuen Biao, and during the early part of the decade, the Shaw Brothers were tops. To have seen Lee work with Chang Cheh or Lau Kar Leung would have been amazing.
The best of Bruce Lee will always be Game of Death - the uncut 30-40 minutes on the documentary included with the EtD DVD are amazing. I will be forever sad that he chose to make EtD first, and put his epic, personal vision of GoD on hold. Had he completed GoD, it probably would have been the greatest martial arts film ever made, but as it stands, it is only a dream of impossible things in my mind. To be teased with the little amount of finished footage is the cruelest kind of joke.
As far as his completed films go, I think the only one to really capture Lee's amazing persona, and his physical abilities, is Fist of Fury. It is a film I greatly respect, and I totally understand its place as a landmark for the genre, but I still think that as a movie it is not nearly as good as the best the Shaw's were making at the same time. Compare it to The Boxer From Shantung, a thematically similar film made only months later, and Fist of Fury really does pale in comparison. I would have loved to see Bruce Lee team up with Chen Kuan-tai. That would have been amazing. |
Yeah I agree that the film is very choppy, but I liked it. It was as though I was watching some old films and some parts were missing. For some reason, this tickled my interest. It can't be said to be a great film, but it's just bad/good enough to be enjoyed on a B-entertainment level.
Where can I get this Game of Death?
I haven't seen a Bruce Lee film that I would actually consider 'good', legitimately. It's always been, look, Bruce Lee! AWESOME! and that's the end of that. I think I only watch it to see kungfu kicks. And I'm delighted with odd little things like mechanical claws and little bad guys whose kungfu skillz are so bad they only come up to the good guys and grab them and stand still for like 5 seconds before getting their butt busted. 
_________________
Cool Kids Belong Together
I would like to investigate the area in between your thighs. -astor
*pops* multiple times - flea
You sweat cool. - DS
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Vandal Randell
Joined: Oct 03, 2006
Posts: 4646 Threads: 14
Located: Stark Industries
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Miscreation wrote: | | I'd agree that Lee's talent exceeded the quality of the films that he made. Too bad his biopic wasn't that good. |
I thought it was entertaining. 
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D_Davis
Joined: Nov 01, 2006
Posts: 5747 Threads: 252
Located: Seattle
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Aurens wrote: |
Where can I get this Game of Death?
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On disc 2 of the 2-disc SE of EtD.
The doc is called The Warrior's Journey, and it is put together by the world's foremost Bruce Lee expert. It is really good.
However, EtD also gave us the incredible A Fistful of Yen segment in The Kentucky Fried Movie (which I just watched, again, the other night).
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D_Davis
Joined: Nov 01, 2006
Posts: 5747 Threads: 252
Located: Seattle
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Vandal Randell wrote: | | Miscreation wrote: | | I'd agree that Lee's talent exceeded the quality of the films that he made. Too bad his biopic wasn't that good. |
I thought it was entertaining. |
I, too, enjoy Dragon: The Bruce Lee story. Much more so than I do any of Lee's actual films. Jason Lee Scott totally captured Lee's mythological persona.
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Rico
Joined: Jun 18, 2005
Posts: 22444 Threads: 711
Located: Angels Win!
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Tycho
Joined: Oct 04, 2006
Posts: 12622 Threads: 299
Located: S.S. Crabby Pants
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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Were you outside my window watching this while I was watching it a few days ago?
Because if you were, I can explain why I wasn't wearing pants.
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amberlita
Joined: Jun 17, 2005
Posts: 17485 Threads: 291
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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| D_Davis wrote: |
The best of Bruce Lee will always be Game of Death - the uncut 30-40 minutes on the documentary included with the EtD DVD are amazing. I will be forever sad that he chose to make EtD first, and put his epic, personal vision of GoD on hold. Had he completed GoD, it probably would have been the greatest martial arts film ever made, but as it stands, it is only a dream of impossible things in my mind. To be teased with the little amount of finished footage is the cruelest kind of joke.
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Heh, I was about to mention this very thing. I'm nothing even near an expert on Bruce Lee or the martial arts genre, but I've seen a handful of Lee films and this is the only one I've seen more than once. Half a dozen times in fact. I think it showcases Lee the most, and his ability and charisma was always the draw for me to watch anything of his. I can't even tell you the plot of any of his films other than Game of Death. It's a great premise and wonderfully executed for what we've got. I'd give 85% of the other martial arts films I've seen in my life if I could only have that movie finished.
And I thought his biopic was okay. Mostly just cause the score is awesome though.
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Rico
Joined: Jun 18, 2005
Posts: 22444 Threads: 711
Located: Angels Win!
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Au·rens!
Joined: Oct 07, 2006
Posts: 839 Threads: 345
Located: In accidental position
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| D_Davis wrote: | | Aurens wrote: |
Where can I get this Game of Death?
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On disc 2 of the 2-disc SE of EtD.
The doc is called The Warrior's Journey, and it is put together by the world's foremost Bruce Lee expert. It is really good.
However, EtD also gave us the incredible A Fistful of Yen segment in The Kentucky Fried Movie (which I just watched, again, the other night). |
I have the SE of EtD but there's only one disc (double sided). 
_________________
Cool Kids Belong Together
I would like to investigate the area in between your thighs. -astor
*pops* multiple times - flea
You sweat cool. - DS
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Au·rens!
Joined: Oct 07, 2006
Posts: 839 Threads: 345
Located: In accidental position
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Tycho wrote: | Were you outside my window watching this while I was watching it a few days ago?
Because if you were, I can explain why I wasn't wearing pants. |
But can you explain the boa?
_________________
Cool Kids Belong Together
I would like to investigate the area in between your thighs. -astor
*pops* multiple times - flea
You sweat cool. - DS
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D_Davis
Joined: Nov 01, 2006
Posts: 5747 Threads: 252
Located: Seattle
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Aurens wrote: | | D_Davis wrote: | | Aurens wrote: |
Where can I get this Game of Death?
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On disc 2 of the 2-disc SE of EtD.
The doc is called The Warrior's Journey, and it is put together by the world's foremost Bruce Lee expert. It is really good.
However, EtD also gave us the incredible A Fistful of Yen segment in The Kentucky Fried Movie (which I just watched, again, the other night). |
I have the SE of EtD but there's only one disc (double sided). |
Hmmm....maybe they took it out on the newer versions?
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Au·rens!
Joined: Oct 07, 2006
Posts: 839 Threads: 345
Located: In accidental position
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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| D_Davis wrote: |
Hmmm....maybe they took it out on the newer versions? |
I have here the 1998 SE version. There's only one disc and I don't see any Game of death. 
_________________
Cool Kids Belong Together
I would like to investigate the area in between your thighs. -astor
*pops* multiple times - flea
You sweat cool. - DS
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D_Davis
Joined: Nov 01, 2006
Posts: 5747 Threads: 252
Located: Seattle
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Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Aurens wrote: | | D_Davis wrote: |
Hmmm....maybe they took it out on the newer versions? |
I have here the 1998 SE version. There's only one disc and I don't see any Game of death. |
It would be on the documentary included called The Warrior's Journey. On this DVD:
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Au·rens!
Joined: Oct 07, 2006
Posts: 839 Threads: 345
Located: In accidental position
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:01 am Post subject: |
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Dang. I don't have that version.  I guess I'm going to have to look elsewhere?
_________________
Cool Kids Belong Together
I would like to investigate the area in between your thighs. -astor
*pops* multiple times - flea
You sweat cool. - DS
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Juss
Joined: May 02, 2006
Posts: 8740 Threads: 168
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colliric
Joined: Nov 06, 2006
Posts: 631 Threads: 43
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:53 am Post subject: |
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dang.... Jackie got owned!![/img]
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The Lord's My Shepard, I shall not want - Psalm 23:1
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AxPrentes
Joined: Oct 02, 2006
Posts: 5180 Threads: 201
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:22 am Post subject: |
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^ So did Chuck Norris.
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Well, time to hit the ol' dusty trail...
so long, my friends. It was a fun ride.
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Fentablar
Joined: Dec 16, 2005
Posts: 17922 Threads: 147
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Juss wrote: | | The final scene in the hall of mirrors is masterfullly shot. It's worth it for that. |
Yeah, but when it comes, I don't even notice. I'm too busy lookin' good.
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If you're looking for me, try here: 
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Sho'nuff
Joined: Nov 06, 2005
Posts: 13274 Threads: 212
Located: ROOF
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Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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That final sequence is beautifully shot and very tense. The rest of the film is very by-the-numbers, and doesn't quite capture Bruce's charisma, intelligence, or pure physical abilities as well as it possible could have.
There's a great drinking game you can play called "Spot Jackie Chan". He's in a number of scenes, and everytime he appears, you take a shot. Take two during the legendary moment in the cave where Bruce Lee breaks his neck with a thunderous "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
_________________
Recent films:
The Cabin in the Woods (2011) - 9/10 21 Jump Street (2012) - 6/10 The Hunger Games (2012) - 8/10 Game Change (2012) - 8/10 Hugo (3-D) (2011) - 9/10 The Artist (2011) - 10/10 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - 8/10 Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991) - 9/10 All That Jazz (1979) - 8/10 The Apple (1980) - Film: 1/10, Enjoyability: 10/10 The Muppets (2011) - 8/10 Cabaret (1972) - 9/10 Piranha 3D (2010) - 6/10 Lenny (1974) - 8/10 Straw Dogs (1971) - 8/10 A Single Man (2009) - 8/10
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