Remake Enter the Dragon???say it aint so scooby!

[Lucas]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117969988.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

I for one am against it.

[Lucas]

ok after calming down a bit....

it MIGHT....MIGHT...be cool.

if done properly and due credit is given as a remake in loving memory of Bruce Lee.

otherwise it will be super cheese

[The Xia]

One of the things I like about "Enter the Dragon" is its 70s charm, so it's awkward for me to envision a modern version. I think it might still work if given the right direction, script, acting, etc. I can picture one thing that will sink it in my eyes, if they try hard to be "hip." Since the link says it will be contemporized, I think that may be a possibly pitfall. I hope that the speedos and armbar in the original doesn't give them the idea to inject MMA into it. :D :rolleyes:

[Lucas]

One of the things I like about "Enter the Dragon" is its 70s charm, so it's awkward for me to envision a modern version. I think it might still work if given the right direction, script, acting, etc. I can picture one thing that will sink it in my eyes, if they try hard to be "hip." Since the link says it will be contemporized, I think that may be a possibly pitfall. I hope that the speedos and armbar in the original doesn't give them the idea to inject MMA into it. :D :rolleyes:

lol

ya, its totally one of those that you will have to wait and see. its going to be near impossible to give it the same feel as the original.

[mickey]

Greetings,

I hope the Asian community sees through this crap and absolutely REFUSE to cooperate with this film on any level.

Enter the Dragon was the only film where Bruce Lee played a VILLAIN. His character was a puppet/agent/hitman whose objective was to destroy Han's operation for those "interested," unnamed, parties who would eventually come in and do the same thing Han was doing all along. These people, again unnamed, were jealous of Han's $ucce$$ and wanted to take it over (you really have to read between the lines during the Lee/Braithwaite dialogue to understand what was going on). So, Lee's character also disgraced Shaolin. What was interesting was that Lee's film character in Enter the Dragon was not viewed as a positive one in Hong Kong: he was working for THE MAN.

Enter the Dragon was not, in any way, an original movie. Scenes from this flick were lifted from two wrestling movies that were made during the '60s.


mickey

[Jimbo]

What I can't understand is, why does everything need to be remade these days? The remakes are (IMO) never up to the standards of the originals, and when you "modernize" things, you make it into something it isn't. So why can't they think of something that's actually original?

Enter the Dragon (ETD) was the success it was because of mainly two things: The time period when it was filmed/released; and Bruce Lee.

These days, a guy like Han would be picked off easily with all the technology of offing someone at a distance. Plus, part of the movie's charm is the fact that it's so dated. Almost all the henchmen look like 98-pound kids, and now it seems kinda funny when Bolo flexes his muscles and struts around killing the 4 (comparatively) weak little guards. Even Bolo himself isn't that big by today's standards. But it's one of those movies that many have seen so many times you know the script and each scene by heart.

The basic concept has already been done to death, mainly in Van Damme's older films. And the film itself was based on the James Bond film Dr. No.

[SanSoo Student]

As stated above, it is just rediculous to remake a kung fu classic. It is classic for a reason (action jackson with an Afro) and yea only is novel because you practised martial arts as a kid or had a friend that did, or another friend that liked to sneak into those cheap showings of cheesy kung fu movies. It is cool because it is a childhood memory.

Those lines in the beginning when Bruce Lee is "philosophizing" was only classic in my eyes because my MA friends and I would make fun of it after Kung Fu class. I really don't think kids these days develop novelty as everything must be hip, fake and flashy. Instead of wide-shots, guys that can actually choreography MA, and Bruce Lee...you will have twitchy camera syndrome, CG, and overly poor action movie.

[The Xia]

lol

ya, its totally one of those that you will have to wait and see. its going to be near impossible to give it the same feel as the original.
So it looks like only myself and PangQuan are willing to give it a chance?

[The Xia]

Greetings,

I hope the Asian community sees through this crap and absolutely REFUSE to cooperate with this film on any level.
Huh? :confused:

Enter the Dragon was the only film where Bruce Lee played a VILLAIN. His character was a puppet/agent/hitman whose objective was to destroy Han's operation for those "interested," unnamed, parties who would eventually come in and do the same thing Han was doing all along. These people, again unnamed, were jealous of Han's $ucce$$ and wanted to take it over (you really have to read between the lines during the Lee/Braithwaite dialogue to understand what was going on). So, Lee's character also disgraced Shaolin. What was interesting was that Lee's film character in Enter the Dragon was not viewed as a positive one in Hong Kong: he was working for THE MAN.
I thought he was working for the govt. to shut down Han's operation.

Enter the Dragon was not, in any way, an original movie. Scenes from this flick were lifted from two wrestling movies that were made during the '60s.


mickey
I didn't know that. Which movies were those?

[unkokusai]

I hope the Asian community sees through this crap and absolutely REFUSE to cooperate with this film on any level.



What the hell are you talkin' about?

[unkokusai]

Enter the Dragon was the only film where Bruce Lee played a VILLAIN.

What the hell are you talkin' about?

[sanjuro_ronin]

In terms of the whole "MA championship on some remote place" there have already been many "remakes" of Enter the Dragon.

[GeneChing]

Who could possibly step into the little dragon's shoes for this? It would only work for me if Pam Anderson took over the role. Pam as a rogue Shaolin nun. I'm totally serious.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Who could possibly step into the little dragon's shoes for this? It would only work for me if Pam Anderson took over the role. Pam as a rogue Shaolin nun. I'm totally serious.

Donnie yen.

[mickey]

Greetings,

unkokusai:

The new synopsis suggests a resurgence of an old American Imperialist mndset that we just do not need anymore. Notice, they are looking for an American actor, as opposed to an Asian or Asian American actor to play the lead. I may be jumping the gun with my feelings.

unkokusai and The Xia:

Yes, the Lee character was a villain. Though, the heart of the character may have been noble, he was being used.


The two wrestling films that were used as a template for Enter the Dragon were "Superargo and the Faceless Mask" and "Superargo Versus Diabolico"


mickey

[Lucas]

Who could possibly step into the little dragon's shoes for this? It would only work for me if Pam Anderson took over the role. Pam as a rogue Shaolin Nacho Cheese Covered Ninjetta Nun (tm). I'm totally serious.

there ya go.

[GeneChing]

Are you saying you wouldn't watch that? Come on now. Be honest. ;)

[Nebuchadnezzar]

So it looks like only myself and PangQuan are willing to give it a chance?

No, I say let's see how it goes. How many of the people who object to the remake were even around when the original was made?

How many of you heard of Bruce Lee prior to 1980? I mean actually knew not second hand or told about him by older siblings or parents?

[mickey]

Greetings,

I was around when Bruce played a VILLAIN. His character beat up and killed an old, one handed man, who was just trying to make a little money for himself. :)



mickey

[SenseiShellie]

Greetings,

I was around when Bruce played a VILLAIN. His character beat up and killed an old, one handed man, who was just trying to make a little money for himself. :)



mickey

Did we seriously watch the same movie? If so, what were you smoking to have such a different perspective on the movie?

[NJM]

Yes, the Lee character was a villain. Though, the heart of the character may have been noble, he was being used.

Elaborate. How is working for a secret organization to help destroy an evil organization casting Bruce as a Villian? The interested parties were probably a government, not another organized crime setup.

[mickey]

Greetings,

I suggest you go back to the Lee/Braithwaite interview in ETD, where Lee is shown the film footage.

Braithwaite makes mention of interested parties, not concerned parties. If it was a government it should have been disclosed. The Lee character was foolish to work for people whose agenda he knew absolutely nothing about. That is more like the lifestyle of a contract killer.

The viewer makes the assumption that there is a secret government/organization with an honorable agenda that needs Lee's help in dealing with Han; but, these people may be just as thug as any other. Only their methods differ.

Check out the Lee/Braithwaite dialogue. Would you take that mission for unnamed parties who have an interest in this situation?



mickey

[Black Jack II]

The new synopsis suggests a resurgence of an old American Imperialist mndset that we just do not need anymore.

For the love of fake tits, whatever, this is so a joke post.

[GeneChing]

...if Pamela is in it. ;)

Lee's character is a villain the same way James Bond or the IMF in Mission Impossible are villains. If you really think about Black Ops Hitmen, they're pretty villainous. If you read the original Bond books, Bond is not nearly so heroic (this is accentuated by Ian Fleming's blatant racism). However, given the context of this fantasy films, calling Lee a villain in ETD is somewhat absurd. It's not like Jet in Lethal Weapon 4.

[NJM]

Greetings,

I suggest you go back to the Lee/Braithwaite interview in ETD, where Lee is shown the film footage.

Braithwaite makes mention of interested parties, not concerned parties. If it was a government it should have been disclosed. The Lee character was foolish to work for people whose agenda he knew absolutely nothing about. That is more like the lifestyle of a contract killer.

The viewer makes the assumption that there is a secret government/organization with an honorable agenda that needs Lee's help in dealing with Han; but, these people may be just as thug as any other. Only their methods differ.

Check out the Lee/Braithwaite dialogue. Would you take that mission for unnamed parties who have an interest in this situation?

mickey

Explain this to me. Why would the "interested parties" need proof that Han had weapons to move in on the island? Couldn't another crime syndicate just **** up the operation themselves? Since they "know everything" why would the criminal organizations need Lee to get evidence of Han's weapon, drug or slave stash? Redundant, don't you think? Your theory seems like a stretch, Mickey.

Here are the quotes from the dialogue relevant to the nature of the "interested parties":

“We know everything; we can prove nothing. We want you to go in there as our agent, get us our evidence.”

“Han’s island rests partly within our territorial waters. If we were given the slightest reason to believe that he has any kind of arsenal, we’d move in on him.”

“We aren’t an agency of enforcement. We function as… gatherers of information, evidence, upon which interested governments can act.”

[PunkRockMantis]

Re make city has got to cool it off a bit ( especially after seeing the trailer for Halloween this morning....is it charles manson...or is it Micheal Myeres..gimmie a flerkin break)
If they are going to re do any of Bruce Lee's films do the one that is in need of it..."Game of Death" the original plot Bruce wrote out for it is good i think it would make a great flick.
from the article that was linked it says this:

"Sutter said he's writing "Awaken the Dragon" as a contemporized drama about a lone FBI agent who pursues a rogue Shaolin monk into the bloody world of underground martial arts fight clubs.:confused:
" we already saw "Bloodsport" and i feel basically it's going to be a 90 minute commercial for the UFC, Pride and other Martial Art based programs,not that im against those shows or MMA.
instead of some one who follows the right Shaolin path, seeking out some one who has used Shaolins teaching for personal gain, corruption and financial gain..an FBI agent is going to be going after some big name actor brought in to put people in seats .plus the whole FBI agent thing got me worried, two words keep popping into my head when i read that, those words "BEN AFFLECK" (yaaaaar) also, If John Saxon is not going to reprise is role as "ROPER" fuggetabout it !
to me Enter The Dragon is not in need of any improvement or needs to be remade

[sanjuro_ronin]

Ben Assfleck, get it right.

[unkokusai]

This thread is embarrassing to read. Got a real 'star trek' convention feel to it.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Someone needs a double axe hammer to the jaw.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Greetings,

I suggest you go back to the Lee/Braithwaite interview in ETD, where Lee is shown the film footage.

Braithwaite makes mention of interested parties, not concerned parties. If it was a government it should have been disclosed. The Lee character was foolish to work for people whose agenda he knew absolutely nothing about. That is more like the lifestyle of a contract killer.

The viewer makes the assumption that there is a secret government/organization with an honorable agenda that needs Lee's help in dealing with Han; but, these people may be just as thug as any other. Only their methods differ.

Check out the Lee/Braithwaite dialogue. Would you take that mission for unnamed parties who have an interest in this situation?



mickey

Are you saying George Bush is running an evil organization? :D

He and his staff always say, "In the interest of the American Government" or "In the interest of the American people". :)

You ever heard of "Black Operations"?

[Jimbo]

I was around when Enter the Dragon was made. I'm in my mid-40s. I also watched the original Green Hornet when it was in its original TV run with my older brother in the mid-late 1960s.

I'm not an ETD geek; I simply believe a remake would not work.

[jethro]

I have heard about a remake for Avenging eagle, Come Drink with Me, A Touch of Zen, One armed Swordsman, and now this. They all sound stupid to me. Hopefully Donnie Yen's Flashpoint will show people that you can still do a low budget movie that is highly successful in the box office. You have to put effort into it!

[mickey]

Greetings,

Nebuchadnezzar,

You are beginning to catch on. :) For a moment, I thought there was no hope left for the world considering some of the responses I was getting. It was like I spat in the face of Jesus.


Gene,

Yes, James Bond is a VILLAIN as well. The only difference is that he knows who he is working for. The Lee character in ETD fell for the B.S. that was served to him by Braithwaite (Nebuchadnezzar, think about how we ended up in Iraq-- same modus operandi).

And only Nebuchadnezzar caught on to the method of my rant?

Haliburton anyone?


mickey

[GeneChing]

Can you imagine an ETD convention? We could all dress up like Bruce or Han or Roper. Where's Anna Capri?

I'd be too busy looking good. ;)

[Jimbo]

I think a lot of the reason ETD wasn't very popular in HK is that Lee's character had a stunted personality and of course WAS a tool of the British. Oddly enough, James Bond seemed very popular there, and the theater where I saw View to a Kill in 1985 was jam-packed. I heard his most successful films over there were Chinese Connection (actually titled Fist of Fury) and Return of the Dragon (orig. title: Way of the Dragon). The fights in those were much better staged and filmed than in ETD, with its choppy American-style editing and extreme close-ups that cut off much of the action. When I went to a theatrical re-release of Way of the Dragon in HK, also in '85, it actually drew quite a few people.

Gene:
I'd rather have Betty Chung ("the owner of this dart") than Ahna Capri. :D

[doug maverick]

And now to play devils advocate I think if it written casted correctly etd remake would be good(note its already been remade seriously stop b!tching; mortal komabt 1 anyone) I remember when killbill was announced everybody(including myself) was up in arms about saying it was going to be horrible blah blah blah. Then after it came the same people(including myself) praised the movie. That taught me something and something I’ll always keep with me I’ll never judge a film until I see it and I’ll say that for this one when and if it comes out I’ll see it just like the rest of you and if it sucks I’ll bash it like it was rush hour three but if its good I’ll praise it. So all I’m saying is wait till the **** thing comes out.

[Lucas]

Are you saying you wouldn't watch that? Come on now. Be honest. ;)

you just try and stop me!

[TenTigers]

what they should do, is remake Circle of Iron (The Silent Flute)
and put David Carradine in the pot of oil. (he deserves it)

[BruceSteveRoy]

i have been thinking about this for a while now. there are certain movies that are considered by many to be classic to a genre. I think it is too risky to remake certain films. this is one of them. its like trying to remake the original star wars trilogy. there is a) just no need and b) too much risk of alienating the fans of the original.

however, there will always be someone who says "this could make a fortune" with no reguard to the integrity. that being the case if they do remake ETD i think they should cast stephen chow in the leading role. it would be cool to see him in a serious role. i have only ever seen him do action/comedy. plus he has the look. just my thoughts on it.

[GeneChing]

And in our SF Chron (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/08/16/entertainment/e075113D68.DTL&hw=enter+the+dragon&sn=001&sc=1000) this morning, more of the AP release:

Lee's `Enter the Dragon' to Get Remake
Thursday, August 16, 2007
(08-16) 07:51 PDT HONG KONG, China (AP) --

Bruce Lee's classic 1973 film, "Enter the Dragon," will be remade by Warner Bros.

The remake, to be titled "Awaken the Dragon," will be written and directed by Kurt Sutter, producer of "The Shield" TV series. It will be released by Warner Independent Pictures.

In an e-mail Thursday to The Associated Press, Warner Bros. publicist Laura Kim said the movie will tell the story of an FBI agent who investigates a Shaolin monk and underground kung fu fight clubs.

China's Shaolin Temple is renowned for its martial-arts tradition.

Kim declined to reveal the casting choices, budget or shooting schedule.

Lee played a kung fu fighter who infiltrates an island occupied by a rogue martial arts artist in "Enter the Dragon."

He died in 1973, at 32, from swelling of the brain.

Lee was known for movies in which he portrayed characters that defend the Chinese and the working class from oppressors.

He was born in San Francisco but grew up in Hong Kong, where he made his name as an actor.


I totally agree with you, TenTigers, on the Silent Flute remake. It'd be even better with Pamela Anderson.

[@PLUGO]

wasn't CIRCLE (http://imdb.com/title/tt0078975/) OF IRON (http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=3790&buy=open&PID=10126350&Tab=reviews&CID=18#tabs) the "remake" of the Silent Flute?

[PunkRockMantis]

Can you imagine an ETD convention? We could all dress up like Bruce or Han or Roper. Where's Anna Capri?

I'd be too busy looking good. ;)

that would be a convention of "EXTRA ORDINARY MAGNITUDE!!!!!!":D

[NJM]

that would be a convention of "EXTRA ORDINARY MAGNITUDE!!!!!!":D

Would Gene be playing our Bolo?

[GeneChing]

First of all, I'm way too scrawny to be Bolo. I was more thinking I'd be Han. Maybe I could get a special attachment like in Kentucky Fried Movie. :eek:

Circle of Iron was the only version. Silent Flute was the original title, but the project never made it to screen, allegedly due to some conflict between Lee and Coburn. Stirling Silliphant, who was involved with Lee for Longstreet and Marlowe picked up the script and redid it to feature Carridine. It was truly ironic, given the situation with Carridine and Lee for Kung Fu the TV show.

Here's more about Lee projects:


Another Bruce Lee film in the works: Formative years in Hong Kong focus of Kowloon City (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2007/08/22/lee-bruce.html#skip300x250)
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 | 12:00 PM ET

Chinese filmmakers continue to sign up for projects honouring U.S.-born martial arts star Bruce Lee with news Wednesday of a film based on his early life.

Fruit Chan, the Guangdong-born director of Made in Hong Kong, Durian Durian and Dumplings, has announced he will direct Kowloon City.

Set in 1950s Hong Kong, where Lee grew up with his family after they returned from the U.S., the film will follow the fortunes of Lee and another kung fu student, Chan told Chinese website Sina.com.

No actor has yet been cast to play Lee, said Chan, who works out of Hong Kong and is known for movies portraying Hong Kong's working class.

The film will be produced by John Woo's producer Terence Chang.

It is the latest in a series of announcements this year about projects centring on Lee or reprising his work.
Continue Article

Last week, Warner announced a remake of the Lee classic Enter the Dragon.

Another Hong Kong director, Stanley Kwan, has said he is negotiating with Lee's family to create a biopic exploring how Lee was influenced by the absence of his father.

China has announced its CCTV station will create a 40-part series on the action star's short life.

Lee died in 1973 of a cerebral edema at age 33. He played Kato in the Green Hornet TV series and helped develop a taste for martial arts action movies in North America with Enter the Dragon.

[mickey]

Greetings,

Wasn't Mortal Combat another ETD remake?

mickey

[Ben Gash]

Mickey is somewhat missing the point in that Lee's primary motivation is not one but two personal agendas. Han is a murdering, drug dealing slaver, so it's pretty hard to paint him as a victim. I think Mickey is yanking our chains.
OK, flame retardant suit on, Enter the Dragon is a BAD MOVIE. The plot is weak, the direction is terrible, the dialogue is attrocious, only half a dozen people in the entire film can fight. I need to be drunk and nostalgic to even watch it these days, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to ANYONE as an introduction to martial arts cinema. The entire film is carried by Lee, his back injury must have been really playing up.
However, the basic concept does have some merit, and as such a reinvisioning could be good. This looks like it will be FAR from a straight remake, so I think we should wait and see, it could have some promise.

[mickey]

Ben Gash,

The Lee character still did not know who he was working for even though the character asked, "Who are 'We'?." He never got an answer. He got bamboozled.

Do you really think that the Han character would have been the only person on the planet doing that stuff at that time?


mickey

[Ben Gash]

Why do you say he was bamboozled? Maybe he just didn't care, just so long as they assisted him in his personal goals.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Mickey is somewhat missing the point in that Lee's primary motivation is not one but two personal agendas. Han is a murdering, drug dealing slaver, so it's pretty hard to paint him as a victim. I think Mickey is yanking our chains.
OK, flame retardant suit on, Enter the Dragon is a BAD MOVIE. The plot is weak, the direction is terrible, the dialogue is attrocious, only half a dozen people in the entire film can fight. I need to be drunk and nostalgic to even watch it these days, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to ANYONE as an introduction to martial arts cinema. The entire film is carried by Lee, his back injury must have been really playing up.
However, the basic concept does have some merit, and as such a reinvisioning could be good. This looks like it will be FAR from a straight remake, so I think we should wait and see, it could have some promise.

I agree with you 100% about Enter The Dragon (except for the drunk part as I don't drink). Do you have an extra suit for me to put on? :cool:

[mickey]

Ben Gash,

I can accept that the character did not care. It does not make the character a hero. You know, there were no heroes in the movie at all, kinda like The Wild Bunch.


mickey

[GeneChing]

Elsewhere, they're calling it Awaken the Dragon (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54928). I may merge these threads soon...

Warners offers Lee role to Rain (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3idb676dc68387c3ad21f21913dedc015f)
Korean singer-actor still mulling remake of 'Enter the Dragon'
By Park Soo-mee

Aug 6, 2009, 07:30 AM ET
SEOUL -- South Korean pop singer-actor Rain was offered by the lead role in the Warner Bros. remake of Bruce Lee’s kung-fu flick “Enter the Dragon,” J Tune Entertainment, Rain’s agency, confirmed Thursday.

J Tune, however, added that Rain hasn’t made a decision, and refused to discuss details.

The 27-year old actor stars as an assassin in the Wachowski Brothers' upcoming “Ninja Assassin” set for release in November.

“Enter the Dragon,” which is considered one of Bruce Lee’s most popular films in the West, and the last before his death, delves into a Shaolin monk (Lee) who is assigned to expose illegal activities on an island. For the film's contemporary take, the company has hired the writer Kirk Sutter (also the co-producer for "The Shield").

J Tune Entertainment said only that Rain is currently preparing for his next Asian concert tour later this year.

[solo1]

You know the thing with re-makes or "homage" films is it reinforces that there is nothing new in the world. Id be interested in seeing it even if the "star" is the Korean action guy Rain the other thing that might make the movie suck out loud is if some crap hip-hop or rap soundtrack.

[doug maverick]

You know the thing with re-makes or "homage" films is it reinforces that there is nothing new in the world. Id be interested in seeing it even if the "star" is the Korean action guy Rain the other thing that might make the movie suck out loud is if some crap hip-hop or rap soundtrack.

wait let me guess you would prefer some corny ass linkin park song???? considering that hip hop and kung fu go so well together i dont think a couple of rza beats on the soundtrack would hurt it in the least.


as for remake, come this storyline has been rehashed so many times, im interested to see how its going to be done different. rain as the shaolin monk is corny, wouldnt cast him at all. not saying he would suck just saying when i look at him i dont see rogue shaolin, colin chou would be a much better choice for that role. as for the fbi agent, i bet they're going to get jason statham, but i would go with luke goss, the guy has the chops and the skills. even thou i havent seen him act yet, cung le would also be a good choice for the monk.

[Lucas]

ya i like cung le as a choice. the monk has to have the air of a total ass kicker.

[Jimbo]

Mickey is somewhat missing the point in that Lee's primary motivation is not one but two personal agendas. Han is a murdering, drug dealing slaver, so it's pretty hard to paint him as a victim. I think Mickey is yanking our chains.
OK, flame retardant suit on, Enter the Dragon is a BAD MOVIE. The plot is weak, the direction is terrible, the dialogue is attrocious, only half a dozen people in the entire film can fight. I need to be drunk and nostalgic to even watch it these days, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to ANYONE as an introduction to martial arts cinema. The entire film is carried by Lee, his back injury must have been really playing up.
However, the basic concept does have some merit, and as such a reinvisioning could be good. This looks like it will be FAR from a straight remake, so I think we should wait and see, it could have some promise.

I'm not sure that ETD is a bad movie. It's simply a bit dated, though I do agree that Lee carried the film, and without him there is no ETD. At all. Lots of (esp. younger) people take it for granted that martial arts films were always a common part of American (or international) cinema. It's hard for many people to imagine just how unique and special it was to so many non-Chinese audiences when it came out. There were NO starring vehicles for Asians or Asian-Americans in U.S. movies at the time, yet Lee managed to get his name billed first (which Warner Bros originally was going to give John Saxon top billing). Ever since ETD, director Robert Clouse has been mostly trying to recapture the type of success he experienced with ETD, even though it was Lee's presence which was responsible for its success.

Sure, it's a ripoff of Dr. No. The Americanized view of 'Chinese' music by Sterling Silliphant always sounded to me way too much like the 'Asian' music in some episodes of the old 1960s Johnny Quest cartoon series. And compared to Lee's 2nd and 3rd MA movies, IMO the action of the fights in ETD is poorly shot, over-emphasizing facial close-ups while much of the action is cut off/lost off-screen. All that said, it was still a LOT of fun when it was new, and still is for many. But since then, a lot of better MA movies have come out. And lots of better action/cop movies than Dirty Harry have come out since that time, too.

If a remake is not a pure remake, then it should not be labeled as such. There really isn't a whole lot of originality in the genre, anyway.

[Ben Gash]

Dirty Harry still holds it's own as a movie though, and indeed still has the power to shock. While it is clearly of it's time, it still has obvious merit.

[GeneChing]

More in the wake of Wondercon. There's vid. Click the link.

Jim Kelly on "Enter The Dragon", Bruce Lee, discrimination - WonderCon SF (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/abraham/detail??blogid=95&entry_id=61043)

Jim Kelly is an American and Worldwide Martial Arts Star, who gained fame starring as "Williams" in Enter The Dragon with the legendary Bruce Lee. Enter The Dragon was the first American produced martial arts film. Released August 19th, 1973, Enter The Dragon quickly raised Bruce Lee to the level of cult figure. In 2004, Enter The Dragon was judged to be culturally significant, and selected for preservation in The National Film Registry.

Since Enter The Dragon, Jim Kelly himself has become an American icon. He's known for a number of "Blaxploitation" movies including Melinda and Black Belt Jones.

Jim Kelly, at WonderCon SF to meet fans, stopped to talk about what he remembered about Bruce Lee and how society has changed for African Americans and Chinese Americans. Kelly says he met Lee while making the film, but "I was looking for him before that. In 1970, I was looking to train with him, so I went down to Chinatown and I couldn't find his school. But on the set, between shoots, we trained a lot together."

Kelly says that the cast of Enter The Dragon didn't know they were making a cult film; they were just looking to make a "very good film."

What Kelly remembers about Bruce Lee is they both "had similar struggles" being people of color in America. Race relations in the United States have changed so much from the 70s that a whole generation has grown up without an intimate knowledge of the culture then. Kelly says that Bruce Lee had "caught hell" in Hollywood because he was Chinese. "They didn't want him in Hollywood," Kelly said.

Kelly asserts that Kung Fu, the TV show that starred the late David Carradine, was "made for Bruce Lee." That claim is backed by Bruce Lee's widow Linda Lee Cadwell, who in her book Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew said Bruce Lee created the concept in 1971 for the series which was then stolen by Warner Bros.

Kelly says the writer of the series Kung Fu took the script to Bruce Lee and Lee wanted to do it. The writer, Kelly explains, went to the major studios, who loved the project and "Hey, everything's good. We just can't have a Chinese guy that starred in an American (film). So we gotta get a white guy and make him look half-Chinese. But we don't want Bruce because he's Chinese."

This part of our discussion was the source of some controversy on YouTube because of the generational lack of education on what is called institutional racism in America, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. The lack of desire to hear a discussion of a racial issue is complicated by the fact that the Warner Bros-studio-related explanations of why Bruce Lee was not selected for Kung Fu are watered down to remove any obvious concern about Bruce Lee as a Chinese American. Thus, we have two views: the Asian and progressive view and the white studio explanation.

Jim Kelly said Bruce Lee went to Hong Kong to get a "break" in the movies.

When asked if society had improved racially since Enter The Dragon, he says things have improved but not near where they should be "Not even close." But he thinks President Obama is the sign of a new period in the World where it has a new image of black men. In fact, Kelly's vote for Obama for President was the first one he ever cast in his life.

Jim Kelly closed our talk by explaining some people though he was dead. Obviously that's not the case. In fact, in 2006 Kelly starred with LeBron James in a Nike Commercial that was ultimately considered "blasphemous" and banned in China called Chamber of Fear. Here it is:

Yes, Jim Kelly's still with us and meeting his fans at conventions around the country. Hopefully, Quentin Tarrentino will find a way to get Jim Kelly into one of his movies.

Stay tuned.

[Chief_Suicide]

http://www.thestudioexec.com/spike-lee-to-remake-enter-the-dragon/

Those of us that are of a certain age, whether we admit it or not, will have to concede that Enter the Dragon probably plays a role in why we study some Chinese martial art and not something else.

I'm not so sure I like this idea. Spike Lee I suppose is more than talented enough to direct, but who can fill Bruce's shoes on the big screen?

[Chief_Suicide]

http://www.thestudioexec.com/spike-lee-to-remake-enter-the-dragon/

Those of us that are of a certain age, whether we admit it or not, will have to concede that Enter the Dragon probably plays a role in why we study some Chinese martial art and not something else.

I'm not so sure I like this idea. Spike Lee I suppose is more than talented enough to direct, but who can fill Bruce's shoes on the big screen?

I guess I should have read the article. It is a joke and I failed to see it until I read who was going to play who.

Sorry for the mistake. :(

[Jimbo]

Those of us that are of a certain age, whether we admit it or not, will have to concede that Enter the Dragon probably plays a role in why we study some Chinese martial art and not something else.

I'm not so sure I like this idea. Spike Lee I suppose is more than talented enough to direct, but who can fill Bruce's shoes on the big screen?

I was definitely NOT influenced by Bruce Lee to study MA, Chinese style or otherwise, and I am within that age group. My reasons for taking up MA were out of an immediate need at the time. I never even saw a Bruce Lee movie until 1979, years after I'd started training. Sure, I'd seen a bit of Green Hornet on TV in the '60s, but I was too young and just thought it was something like the Batman series. When I got into CMA, it was mainly due to my Kenpo teacher's interest and respect for TCMA, as well as CMA books and magazine articles. Although I respect Bruce Lee for what he accomplished, he had zero influence on me in that regard. Besides, I didn't view him as a "pure" TCMAist anyway, and he himself certainly didn't. If any movies helped fuel my interest in CMA at all, they probably starred Chi Kuan-Chun, Fu Sheng, Wang Lung-Wei, Lau Kar-Leung, etc., but even back then, I always knew the difference between kung fu as presented in the movies and kung fu in real life.

[GeneChing]

Brett Ratner Is Trying To Remake ENTER THE DRAGON (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/70809)
Published at: March 21, 2015, 4 p.m. CST by mrbeaks

http://media.aintitcool.com/media/uploads/2015/beaks/bruceleeenterthedragon.jpg

Jeremy here...

Let's look on the bright side here: a world-class ass-kicker gets invited to participate in a martial arts tournament on the island of a reclusive drug lord, and is subsequently recruited by British Intelligence to infiltrate said drug lord's operation. That's a good premise for an action movie, right? I'd watch that.

So perhaps Brett Ratner isn't travestying cinema history by considering a remake of the most well-known Bruce Lee movie, ENTER THE DRAGON. Ratner briefly mentioned his idea at last night's screening of RUSH HOUR at the New Beverly, and, according to a few attendees I've spoken to, he reassured the audience that he wasn't trying to find the next Bruce Lee or anything crazy like that. Evidently, he only brought up the remake after professing his love for Lalo Schifrin's amazing score, and seemed to indicate that his film would be a reimagining of Robert Clouse's iconic showcase for Lee's talents. Would Ratner consider casting Scott Adkins in the Lee role? Ronda Rousey? Maybe go with Jackie Chan as the nefarious Han? He wouldn't get into specifics.

There's no shortage of great movie martial artists kicking around today, so Ratner could easily recruit a big-screen fighting force of extraordinary magnitude. At best, I think Ratner is capable of slopping his way into an entertaining movie. If he gets top-flight fight choreographers and stunt coordinators, he could end up with a pretty fun flick. And I wouldn't mind terribly because ENTER THE DRAGON, while obviously significant, ranks behind FIST OF FURY and THE BIG BOSS on my list of favorite Lee movies.

I need a facepalm icon. :rolleyes:

[boxerbilly]

What I can't understand is, why does everything need to be remade these days? The remakes are (IMO) never up to the standards of the originals, and when you "modernize" things, you make it into something it isn't. So why can't they think of something that's actually original?

Enter the Dragon (ETD) was the success it was because of mainly two things: The time period when it was filmed/released; and Bruce Lee.

These days, a guy like Han would be picked off easily with all the technology of offing someone at a distance. Plus, part of the movie's charm is the fact that it's so dated. Almost all the henchmen look like 98-pound kids, and now it seems kinda funny when Bolo flexes his muscles and struts around killing the 4 (comparatively) weak little guards. Even Bolo himself isn't that big by today's standards. But it's one of those movies that many have seen so many times you know the script and each scene by heart.

The basic concept has already been done to death, mainly in Van Damme's older films. And the film itself was based on the James Bond film Dr. No.

All the original ideas are used up ?

They can remake it but I doubt they will find anyone that could do what Lee could. Something will be lacking. The film may actually be a better movie. But, there was only one Bruce Lee.

How about steal from Jurassic Park. On another island. For the last 40 years the same thing has been happening without anyone's knowledge. But that is to be expected since Geoffrey Weeks it seems only ever made that one film. He was the only guy with the intel regarding Han's Island(s).

[GeneChing]

As much as I respect Leitch's work, this project just seems doomed to failure by comparison.


Remake Of Bruce Lee’s ‘Enter The Dragon’ Has ‘Deadpool 2’s David Leitch In Talks (https://deadline.com/2018/07/enter-the-dragon-bruce-lee-remake-david-leitch-deadpool-2-john-wick-warner-bros-1202431792/)
by Mike Fleming Jr
July 23, 2018 10:45am

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/david-leitch-enter-the-dragon.jpg?w=446&h=299&crop=1
REX/Shutterstock

EXCLUSIVE: Hot off Deadpool 2, David Leitch is in early talks to direct Enter the Dragon, the remake of the 1973 martial arts classic that cemented Bruce Lee’s iconic status. The original was a global hit out of Hong Kong, but its release was marked with tragedy as it came right after Lee’s death. The 45th anniversary of his death on July 20, 1973 was last Friday. They will now set a writer.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/enter-the-dragon.jpg
Warner Bros

In Enter the Dragon, a Shaolin martial artist is pressed to enter a karate tournament on the island owned by the secretive Han, who is suspected of using the gathering as a way to smuggle drugs around the world. The protagonist has his own motivation: revenge. He learns that his sister fought for her life and ultimately killed herself on Han’s island, rather than succumb to rape by a group of Han’s thugs.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/dragon.jpg
Warner Bros

John Saxon and martial artists Jim Kelly, Bob Wall and Bolo Yeung lent validity to the fighting scenes, and Kien Shih made a formidable villain in Han. Adding some of the sweep that existed in global thriller franchises like 007, the film expanded the template for martial arts movies of the period and it was a shame Lee wasn’t around to embrace it and the groundbreaking strides he made for actors of Asian descent, and continue a movie career that already bloomed in Hong Kong but was only just getting started in Hollywood.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/dragon2.jpg
Warner Bros

As it was, karate schools opened across the U.S. in the wake of the film’s release and saw a slew of movies with actors who looked like Lee but didn’t have anything close to his magnetism.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/dragon3.jpg?w=301&h=159&crop=1
Warner Bros

Warner Bros has been trying to figure out a way to recapture the magic of the Robert Clouse-directed film for years, with filmmakers like Spike Lee and Brett Ratner developing versions of the Golden Harvest release. Leitch is an intriguing choice.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/dragon4.jpg

Aside from being — as the opening credits boast in Deadpool 2–one of the guys who killed John Wick’s dog, the John Wick co-director helmed the Charlize Theron actioner Atomic Blonde and was second unit director on such films as Jurassic World and Captain America: Civil War. The WME-repped Leitch is also a former stuntman and was action unit director who understands the requirement for making the action look real. Still, he is stepping onto hallowed ground here. Doubt me? Have a look at the original trailer for the film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NKUZjfTESM

[GeneChing]

Rivera is spot on with this.


The ghoulish insensitivity of an Enter the Dragon reboot (http://theweek.com/articles/786514/ghoulish-insensitivity-enter-dragon-reboot)
Joshua Rivera

http://api.theweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/tw_image_9_4/public/mv5bmzuznmi2ntgtyji0ni00nwezlwfkmtitytdjodmxnmm2ng zhxkeyxkfqcgdeqxvynjuxmjc1otm._v1_.jpg?itok=Y9q5Iy 0m&resize=1260x560
Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon | Warner Bros
July 25, 2018

As you read this, something is being rebooted. Maybe it's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Roseanne. (Or Roseanne without Roseanne.) Reboots are a regular part of the entertainment business now, the natural result of a pop cultural landscape flooded with too many shows, movies, and video games. When chances are slim that anyone will pay attention at all, the logic goes, who wouldn't use a familiar name to juice the odds a bit?

It's foolish to make blanket statements about reboots being good or bad. All reboots aren't equal, and some are more suspect than others — like the potential Enter the Dragon reboot from Warner Bros.

On Monday, news broke that the studio was in talks with David Leitch, who most recently directed Deadpool 2, to helm a reboot of the martial arts classic. It's the latest in a long line of overtures Warner Bros. has made towards a remake, stretching back over a decade, when Kurt Sutter of Sons of Anarchy fame first developed a neo-noir take called Awaken the Dragon.

But rebooting Enter the Dragon — whether in 2007 or 2018 — is a uniquely fraught prospect. It's not even a matter of canon, despite the movie's status as the first martial arts film produced by Hollywood. Because while Enter the Dragon is historic for many reasons, what it is more than anything is synonymous with a person: Bruce Lee.

And so the very notion of rebooting Enter the Dragon is implicitly asking a question no modern reboot has really asked before — can you reboot a legacy? Or cash in on one in good taste?

This isn't like Solo, where an iconic character tied to an iconic actor was recast and we find it strange and uncomfortable but otherwise permissible — because Han Solo is a character owned by a company, and corporate-owned characters will always outlive their creators or the artists who made them famous. This is about a real person.

Enter the Dragon isn't famous because its premise of a Hong Kong martial artist conscripted by British intelligence to bring down a trafficking ring is the stuff of cinema legend (good as that hook may be); it's famous because it was a showcase for the man the world knew as Bruce Lee, the Hong Kong movie star and martial arts phenomenon. Enter the Dragon was a watershed moment in Hollywood, a movie that starred an Asian man as its hero and marked what could have been the beginning of a new chapter in a successful career if not for Lee's untimely death.

It's telling that Lee's character is just named "Lee" in the film — a tacit admission that Lee is what the movie was selling and what people wanted to buy. While it's true that Enter the Dragon was directed by Robert Clouse, a white man, its legacy and fame are unquestionably synonymous with its star.

And so any potential Enter the Dragon remake can't help but feel ghoulish right from the start. Given these circumstances, it only makes sense to approach it with a lot of sensitivity, which makes it that much stranger to see that the first name potentially attached to it is David Leitch, a white director. Especially in 2018, a year where the push for representation in front of and behind the camera is stronger than ever, the failure to appear to at least consider a director of color reads as hopelessly tone deaf.

[MartialDev]

No straight remake, but let's retell the story from Bolo's point of view. :p

[GeneChing]

Remake of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon could get complete overhaul in post-Black Panther world (https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/remake-of-bruce-lees-enter-the-dragon-could-get-complete-overhaul-in-post-black-panther-world-5056771.html)
Gautam Chintamani Aug,27 2018 19:37:56 IST

Remember the time you first saw a Bruce Lee film and how for the rest of the week you walked around feeling like the martial arts legend, looking for scores to settle. Well, for some actor, that childhood fantasy is about to come true. A proposed remake of the 1973 Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon is all set to take off and while David Leitch, the director of Deadpool 2, is to helm the film, the search for who would be the next 'Bruce Lee' is still on. The cult classic that forever enshrined Lee in the pantheon of the biggest stars in the world released a few months after Lee’s death at the age of 32 under mysterious circumstances and had tragedy not struck, Lee would have gone on to become much bigger than anyone could have ever imagined.

https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/EnterTheDBruceLee-825.jpg
Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. Image via FacebookBruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. Image via Facebook

Usually, the thought of revisiting any backlist, and especially when it comes to the likes of runaway hits, is thrown up every time a major studio witnesses a change at the highest levels. But a film such as Enter the Dragon is the kind of shark that keeps lurking in shallow waters waiting to pop up at the right time. The idea of reinterpreting Enter the Dragon, too, has been in the pipeline for many years. The first time an Enter the Dragon remake made headlines was in 2014 when it was announced that Spike Lee would be working on a new version. On the face of it, Lee sounds like the weirdest choice to remake Enter the Dragon but considering the way the idea was first pitched to him, anything is possible. Rumour has it that Bob Weinstein told Spike Lee that, “Your name is Lee. And Bruce Lee’s name is Lee! It’s meant to be," and in his own words, Spike Lee was “bowled over."

This was also around the same time as Lee was remaking the Park Chan-wook’s Old Boy (2003) in English and despite the lukewarm response that his version got, Lee was convinced that people found his film better than the Korean original. Lee also went to the extent of assuring that when it came to the Dragon remake, he would "direct the hell of it" and with Ken Yeong of the Hangover series as the lead, his film would be greater. Lee never got to make his great film, of course, and neither did Brett Ratner, who post-Rush Hour, was also trying to remake Enter the Dragon. In fact, the reason Ratner got Lalo Schifrin to score Rush Hour (1998) was his fascination with Enter the Dragon, which was also scored by Schifrin.

Some films are sacrosanct that ought to be left untouched and for many, Enter the Dragon falls into that category. Despite the purists’ argument that both Fist of Fury (1973) or The Big Boss (1971) probably have better character arcs or narrative, it’s unquestionably Enter the Dragon that brings greater joy. A large part of the audiences’ connection with Enter the Dragon is essentially emotional as this was the film that Lee never lived to see. Irrespective, a remake of the film might ultimately not be as controversial as ‘who would play Lee’s character’ in it. Although Leitch or the studio have not dropped any hints about who would fill the rather big boots of the greatest martial artist the world ever saw, the chances of someone from Asia making the cut would be slim.

In a post-Black Panther world, the Enter the Dragon remake possibly getting completely overhauled cannot be ruled out. Even when originally pitched in the 1970s, the film was supposed to be titled “Blood and Steel” and in the book, Racial Stigma on the Hollywood Screen from World War II to the Present author Brain Locke writes how it was also one of the first mainstream martial arts films that was multi-cultural with an Asian, white and black heroic protagonists as the producers felt that would appeal to the widest possible international audiences. But as this remake would be a typical summer release, the studio might not be too keen on letting some relatively little known Asian to ‘shoulder’ a big tent-pole movie.

In this respect, Leitch’s association with Ryan Reynolds thanks to Deadpool 2 could intrigue the actor to play the lead in Enter the Dragon or who knows it could be Keanu Reeves, who featured as the lead in the slick action franchise John Wick, the first of which was written by Leitch. Reeves, too, has a connection with martial arts where he directed his friend and stuntman Tiger Chen in Man of Tai Chi (2013), which was praised for its “old-school kinetic action.” As far as the prospects of the male lead go there is also Ryan Gosling as a possibility thanks to some experience of playing a somewhat Bruce Lee inspired character in Only God Forgives. In fact, Gosling’s portrayal of latent anger in Drive, too, might come in handy if he is cast in Enter the Dragon.

Updated Date: Aug 27, 2018 19:37 PM
The real overhaul this project needs is to be terminated.