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if i look back, i am lost
we're not kids anymore.
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@chrismeek
We Stan Pearl in this house
Nerrrrdd! https://www.instagram.com/p/CqFLWExJcOK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
50 Years of Kung Fu Movies
There’s an overlooked anniversary that hasn’t been widely reported much yet: as of March 2023, it’s been 50 years of Kung Fu movies in the United States.
Bruce Lee was not the first big international Kung Fu movie star. Rather, the first English-dubbed breakout Chinese martial arts movie to become a hit in the greater US (apart from Hawaii) was “5 Fingers of Death” (also called “King Boxer”) in 1973 starring Lo Lieh, six months before Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” and posthumous fame, making Lo Lieh the first true international Kung Fu star. There were lines halfway around the block at Times Square to see “5 Fingers of Death,” thanks to a radio giveaway in the New York area, and to those who first saw the movie, they remember the very first scene when the 63 year old Kung Fu master started backflipping and kicking out of nowhere and everyone watching this started losing their minds. “Five Fingers of Death” was like “Star Wars” in that it was a movie people saw over and over, minds blown, never having seen a film like this before.
Because Kung Fu movies were shown in less expensive grindhouse cinemas in urban areas, like seedy, pre-gentrification Times Square in New York, the audience for these films was disproportionately black, and to this day, the black community has a strong connection to 70s Kung Fu movies. Every middle aged black dad today loves this stuff. It isn’t just due to them being shown in inner city theaters, however, or on UHF stations where they were replayed cheaply on Saturdays. Rather, the success of Kung Fu movies in the black community is based on the themes of the movies. Most Kung Fu movies are about poor dishwashing working class underdogs in an unjust system, usually either Japanese Imperial Occupied China, or during the Manchu Dynasty, where China was ruled by despotic foreign conquerors. The heroes bow in humiliation at first, but who secretly take the power back through intensive personal training, blood and sweat and a montage, that lets them stand up to oppressors. As RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan explained: “when we saw these movies about opposing the Manchu Dynasty, it made us think we weren’t the only people in world history that ever went through this.”
When it comes to introducing the genre, “Five Fingers of Death” is a great “first movie,” a pure, emblematic example of what these movies look like. In the very first scene, in Japanese occupied China, an old Kung Fu Master who is our hero’s teacher is pursued by Japanese karate killers, enforcers of the occupation. His student, Lo Lieh, has to learn the iron palm technique in a brutal, bloody, visceral series of training montages to harden his palms to iron, which involve him excruciatingly breaking every finger in them. The themes of vengeance, pursuing justice under occupation, training montages that are as important as the action, and the theme of failing brutally over and over until it “clicks” and you have a miraculous “Eureka!” moment that every teacher recognizes and lives for. It helped it started with the Kung Fu right away….imagine seeing flips and flying kicks for the first time when you’re used to western bar brawls.
It’s worth noting that, despite being a hugely important moment in pop culture, 5 Fingers of Death was not a hit in Hong Kong, and was not even in the top 10 highest grossing movies of the year. It reminds me of Voltron, which is absolutely unknown and completely obscure in Japan, when elsewhere, it is THE giant robot show. The fact 5 Fingers was a big hit in the US absolutely baffled the Shaw Brothers, who were convinced to part with the rights for their movies for cheap, leading to a flood of Kung Fu movies. Notably, Lo Lieh, though he was the first Kung Fu movie star and a reliable martial arts leading man, did not have much of a career after this in lead roles. His character skills were best served playing villains in Shaw Films, notably as the evil Kung Fu eunuch supervillain, Pai Mei, in “Executioners from Shaolin” and “Clan of the White Lotus.” Tarantino wanted Lo Lieh to reprise his role of Pai Mei in Kill Bill Part 2, only to discover that he died just before filming.
Fresh March 2023. Can’t thank @beerswithtom enough for sending this through to me. He’s a real gentleman and proof that the NZ beer community is cool as fuck. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpwfx8CpKz2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
@mychemicalromance Western Springs - Outer fields March 11 2023 Set list: The Foundations of Decay I'm Not Okay (I Promise) Boy Division Give 'Em Hell, Kid This Is How I Disappear The Ghost of You Our Lady of Sorrows Teenagers Thank You for the Venom DESTROYA Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na) Vampire Money Planetary (GO!) Helena Mama Famous Last Words The Kids From Yesterday Encore: Welcome to the Black Parade (at Western Springs, New Zealand) https://www.instagram.com/p/CprQVb6JGGm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
@garageproject class photo. Swipe for 500mls, FreshIPA/haze and bottles. 11+ years of art in can form. Missed my first FreshIPA Series, March sold out too fast. Not a bad run 2018-2022 all complete. If anyone does have a spare empty of Fresh March, I would be very happy to add it to the 2023 box. Otherwise I’ll wait for the rebrew to get the can art😉🍻 https://www.instagram.com/p/CpYv-XCywll/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
@isthmusbrewing #Typhoon2 things are stabilizing for us here in Auckland but my heart goes out to all my Family in Napier and Whangarei 🥺 It’s not over for them by a long shot, but they are all somehow staying positive.❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cotbk8Np0ly/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Dark fruit spice and bourbon. It’s has heaps of flavour and a bit of a sharp edge. May need to grab another and put some age on it. Perfect wet Sunday beer. @threeboysbrewery #DarkStave https://www.instagram.com/p/Coi0rRwSzde/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
#ReturnOfTheJedi40thAnniversary was one secured. Boba due next week. #StarWarsTheBlackSeries https://www.instagram.com/p/CoeSpRpJo1-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Supreme Harmony #001 - Resolute from @newnewnewnz deep pull from the back of the fridge (aka 2020). Some booze but I think it’s mellowed a bit. Really smooth with warmth, spice and a little smoke. Barrel aged beers are my bag. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoBUoP-ypfc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
A classic by any other name would taste as sweet. #GarageProjectDFA https://www.instagram.com/p/CntPAW0px4f/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Also picked up this week a #ZombieStrike #SledgeFire https://www.instagram.com/p/CntOU_YJCDM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Two additions to the #nerfreconcs6 collection. #Clear and #GearUp both missing accessories but still happy to have one of each for 15.50NZD a piece. https://www.instagram.com/p/CntN1_9pIOs/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
@behemothbrewingcompany Christmas Quintology. 😉 posted favourite to least. https://www.instagram.com/p/CnDwtonpk-2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Look who I ran into on a walk around the hood. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm6GPTrJnJ_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Big finish. @ninkasibrewing #groundcontrolbarrelagedstout https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm0wwrZJ0p7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=