Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 29

Thread: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin - RZA live score

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    The 36th Chamber of Shaolin - RZA live score

    RZA to live score inspirational kung fu film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

    Bobby Digital will revisit the album that started it all

    BY COLLIN BRENNANON SEPTEMBER 08, 2016, 6:28PM



    Anyone searching for the sources of inspiration behind the Wu-Tang Clan will quickly stumble upon The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, the 1978 kung fu film that informed much of the group’s culture and aesthetic. As part of LA’s Beyond Fest on October 10th, RZA will pay homage to that film in the coolest way possible: by live-scoring the entire film “from opening sequence to closing credit.”

    According to the festival, the live score will feature “a vast array of over 40 instrumental tracks, beats, and vocals individually crafted and placed to amplify the narrative and electrifying action.” It’s a good bet that plenty of those tracks will be culled from the Wu-Tang catalog. RZA, a long-time fan of martial arts cinema, has chosen to screen a version of the film that he first saw when he was just a kid:

    “RZA first saw THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN on television when he was 12 years old and again 2 years later on the big screen of a seedy 42nd Street theater with his cousin, Unique (who went on to become Ol’ Dirty *******). Dazzled by Kar-leung’s rich kung-fu tapestry, RZA (then Robert Diggs) was most profoundly affected by something that ran much deeper: the struggle between oppressed Chinese villagers and the repressive Manchu authority. “Beyond the kung-fu, it was the reality of the situation that hit me. Growing up as a black kid in America, I didn’t know that that kind of story had existed anywhere else.”
    RZA: Live From the 36th Chamber of Shaolin will be held at the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Blvd on October 10th at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

    Watch a trailer for The 36th Chamber of Shaolin below.

    I was contacted about this project earlier this year. There was talk of doing a multi-city tour and having discussion panels. I hope that comes to pass because I'd love to see this.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    RZA & 36 Chambers + Russell & Big Trouble

    RZA to live-score The 36th Chamber of Shaolin at LA’s Beyond Fest
    BY CLAIRE LOBENFELD, SEP 8 2016



    A dream event for hardcore Wu-Tang fans.

    Los Angeles genre film festival Beyond Fest announced their 2016 lineup today, including a huge event for Wu-Tang Clan fans: RZA will live rescore The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, a pivotal movie for both martial arts film and the culture surrounding Wu.

    RZA will re-score the entire film “from opening sequence to closing credit” with an emphasis on 20 years of Wu-Tang’s catalogue. According to the festival, the “new score features a vast array of over 40 instrumental tracks, beats and vocals individually crafted and placed to amplify the narrative and electrifying action.”

    A dubbed version of the film that RZA saw for the first time when he was a 12-year-old growing up in Staten Island is the version that will screen. It will be presented with all of its original dialog intact.

    The screening will take place at the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Blvd on October 10 at 7PM PST. Tickets for this and other events – including a screening of John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China with a live Q&A with Kurt Russell – are on sale now.
    This event really sounds like a lot of fun. Wish I could make it.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    More shows added!

    Hoping for that SF show...



    Trailer Exclusive: RZA Will Live-Score 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin'
    BY KRISTEN YOONSOO KIM
    staff writer & resident horror creep. @kristenyoonsoo.
    SEP 15, 2016

    ATTENTION, here's something not to be missed: RZA will be live-scoring the 1978 martial arts film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin—namesake to Wu-Tang Clan and their iconic 1993 album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)—in Austin and L.A. RZA grew up obsessing over films from Shaw Brothers, the Hong Kong production studio that birthed many famous martial arts movies; most notably, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, from director Chia-Liang Liu, was particularly influential on the musician, who created his own clan in Staten Island using the movie to weave their own mythology with Enter the Wu-Tang.

    Finally, RZA will have a creative input in the film most seminal to bringing up his iconic rap group. The rapper/producer/director is re-scoring the entire movie from start to finish, re-purposing Wu-Tang music, which includes 40 instrumental tracks, beats, and vocals.

    Regarding why the movie was so impactful to him, RZA said, "Beyond the kung-fu, it was the reality of the situation that hit me. Growing up as a black kid in America, I didn’t know that that kind of story had existed anywhere else." He worked on the new score for a year and a half and is finally ready to bring the mother****in' ruckus at the following screenings (don't miss it):

    Thursday, Sept. 29 @ 10:45 a.m.
    Austin, TX
    Fantastic Fest at Alamo Drafthouse S. Lamar – festival attendees

    Thursday, Sept. 29 @ 7:00 p.m.
    Austin, TX
    Stateside Theatre at the Paramount – open to the public (Tickets)

    Wednesday, Oct. 12
    Los Angeles, CA
    Egyptian Theatre – open to the public (Tickets on sale soon)
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Word is a national tour is coming together

    It all depends on how this does in L.A. & Austin. Hope you peeps from there come out and support so the rest of us can experience this.

    Thursday, September 29, 2016
    Gabz 36th Chamber of Shaolin Poster Release From Mondo



    Award-winning musician and film director RZA (founder of the Wu-Tang Clan) is unleashing his hip hop genius on the mother of all martial arts masterpieces, Lau Kar-leung’s THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, in a live re-score for the ages.

    Now touring in the US, RZA: LIVE FROM THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN features RZA re-scoring the film from opening sequence to closing credit. Every frame of the original film has been revisited and will be re scored by RZA utilizing a Wu-Tang catalog over two decades deep. This new score features a vast array of over forty instrumental tracks, beats and vocals individually crafted and placed to amplify the narrative and electrifying action of Kar-leung’s enduring classic. A true, redefining assault on the senses, this is an experience not to be missed.

    Mondo are excited to be a part of the event with a new poster by Gabz, available in multiple versions: Online, Austin and Los Angeles (Beyond Fest). Check out each poster variant here.

    The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Online Version) by Gabz. 24"x36" screen print. Hand numbered. Edition of 250.

    Additionally, Mondo will have two awesome t-shirts designed by Jay Shaw. The online version of the poster and both t-shirts will be available online at a random time Thursday (9/29) via mondotees.com.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Austin show review

    RZA’s Live Score Of ‘The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’ Reveals An Artist In His Element
    BY: CHRISTIAN LONG 10.03.16


    GETTY IMAGE

    Since their inception, Kung Fu movies have played an integral part in the sound and culture of The Wu-Tang Clan. While the film genre has had an impact on hip hop since the 1970s, The Wu-Tang Clan were the first to make it central to their group’s philosophy. The Wu-Tang’s de facto leader, RZA, cites The 36th Chamber of Shaolin as a particularly strong influence on him growing up. “Beyond the Kung-Fu, it was the reality of the situation that hit me,” he said. “Growing up as a black kid in America, I didn’t know that kind of story had existed anywhere else.”

    One night, roughly 18 months ago, the idea came about to have RZA re-score all the music for the movie that had so much of a formative impact on him, while leaving the original dialogue and sound effects intact. After a year-and-a-half of meticulous planning, the Alamo Drafthouse helped make it a reality with RZA: Live From The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin, which made its debut at the Stateside Theater in Austin, Texas, last Thursday night. For two uninterrupted hours, RZA used his 20-plus years of sound archives like an arsenal, while meticulously composing an all-new soundtrack for the film, from the first frame all the way to the last.

    RZA walked onto the stage to a round of applause from a packed house of about 300 people, and took some time to explain how important the Kung Fu genre was to him, and how it was central to the inspiration for the Wu-Tang Clan. Then, just before the lights were dimmed, he declared that tonight he would give “[his] sound back to the Kung Fu movies.”

    Right from the opening credits, RZA’s take on the film was apparent, as star Chia Hui-Liu’s iconic, choreographed fight sequence, which had been accompanied by a much more conventional orchestration was now adorned with a fairly sparse, infectious bass-heavy backbeat and slight, wandering piano riff that set the tone for what was to come.

    While the movie began to unfold, RZA’s score was perfectly measured, weaving its way in and out of scenes, pausing on occasion just long enough to let the dialogue help punctuate the importance — or humor — of the moment, before dropping back in-step with the movie. At times the score would be so prominent it swallowed up the ambient sound of the movie, piling on layer after layer that, when stopped, would leave an almost deafening silence.

    RZA himself is no stranger to music in film — he’s composed soundtracks on movies like Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Ghost Dog, along with directing and scoring his own Kung Fu odyssey, Man With The Iron Fists, and its sequel. But there’s something about seeing and hearing) the man piece together a soundtrack live on stage that helped give real insight into where his own sound came from. The movie’s natural rhythm seemed to effortlessly complement the music, while RZA would alternate between new compositions and familiar hooks from Wu-Tang classics like “Bring Da Ruckus,” “C.R.E.A.M.,” and “M.E.T.H.O.D. Man” throughout.

    Most of RZA’s sonic landscape came from his personal archives, but he wasn’t afraid to throw an occasional curveball into the mix, including clips of old ’70s-era soul songs and, most surprisingly, a sizable excerpt from an old Ronettes tune, though he never left anything without an accompanying breakbeat. He’d also also throw in a handful of modern sounds, like the ****ing of a gun barrel or the blaring of a police siren, echoing his sentiments bout his connection to the story, further casting his long shadow over a film that had been so formative for him.

    A few surprises aside, RZA’s score was overall pretty conventional, revisiting familiar melodies, giving characters and settings their own distinctive themes, and relying on moments within the film for cues, like quick edits or the gesture of a particular character. While most played off without a hitch, there where a few transitions that would awkwardly overlap, though as an artist who seems to embrace the untidy, it was hard to tell if this was a minor misstep, or something that he’d done intentionally.

    By the time the movie reached its climactic final sequence, he was letting in fragments of the original score creep through the margins, which he would then work into the music he was making on stage. It reminded viewers of the stark contrast between the original soundtrack and the one that was being assembled onstage, even giving a sense of completion to the now-38-year-old Kung Fu classic.

    After the credits began to role and the crowd stoop up in a round of enthusiastic applause, RZA said a few words about the experience.

    “I’ve seen that movie about 300 times, and it never loses its magic,” he began. “Like I said, it was a privilege for me to have the Wu-Tang soundtrack as the backdrop of this film, a film which inspired us. You know, many days we cut school to smoke weed and was watching this mother****er. I hope you learned something from it. I hope you guys picked up not just the martial arts aspect of pressing things and hard training, [but] to me it was like a man with a determination, you know what I mean? He had to come back and take care of some business. This film was made in 1978, and I think it still holds its weight. Thank you gods for helping me spread the 36 chambers. I want to thank the Shaw brothers, and I look forward to coming back and get to play again. Thank you, Austin. Thank you. WU-TANG!”

    RZA will be performing RZA: Live From The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin live again on October 10th at the Beyond Fest in Los Angeles.
    Still hoping for more shows.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    New York

    RZA live-scoring Shaw Brothers kung fu classic ‘The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’ at Town Hall (tix on sale)
    By BrooklynVegan Staff October 6, 2016 11:49 AM



    Wu-Tang Clan, who just played The Roots Picnic, have kung fu films in their blood, particularly those of famed producers The Shaw Brothers. So it will be a special treat to see Shaw Brothers classic The 36th Chamber of Shoalin — a film intrinsic to the Staten Island crew’s debut album and mythology — on the big screen at Town Hall on November 10 with RZA providing a live score. “The influence of Shaw Brothers films on my work has been profound,” says RZA. “From the first time I saw their movies as a kid in Times Square I knew that this was something I had to do. For decades I’ve been dreaming of stepping into the 36th Chamber.” He’ll intertwine Wu-Tang’s catalogue with the film’s original audio track for a unique audiovisual experience. A Q&A with RZA will follow the screening.
    Tickets for this The 36th Chamber of Shoalin live score screening, which is being presented by Alamo Drafthouse, are on sale now.
    You can also catch GZA performing his classic solo LP Liquid Swords at two City Winery Shows.
    RZA is currently wrapping up his tour with Banks and Steelz, his project with Interpol’s Paul Banks. There may be more of these live-score screening events to come in other cities. Stay tuned. In the meantime, check out the trailer for The 36th Chamber of Shoalin and listen to Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (at the same time if you want), below.

    Still hoping for that SF show.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    The The Town Hall show

    RZA Live-Scores Legendary Kung Fu Film ‘The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’
    Nathaniel Ainley — Nov 10 2016


    RZA. Courtesy The Town Hall

    RZA, the legendary co-founder of Wu-Tang Clan, is coming from a beat-making workshop at Williamsburg’s new Apple Store. He sounds upbeat as he describes how far music production technology has evolved since he started out. But in a throwback to the late 70s, a halcyon era for kung fu cinema more than a decade before Wu-Tang was formed, RZA is traveling the country performing a live re-scoring of classic Shaw Brothers martial arts film, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.

    During a live screening of the film, RZA constructs his own score from a collection of custom audio files. Growing up in Brooklyn, RZA became a sort of expert on martial arts films from the 70s and 80s. This infatuation eventually leaked into his work as a music producer where he would construct beats that incorporated movie music and dialogue. Now, armed with a Wu-Tang catalog over two decades in the making, RZA is reimagining the film’s score in real time, creating a composite audio-visual experience blending genres, cultures, and eras.

    The Creators Project talked to RZA about his relationship to the film, his production process, and how he got into scoring cinema:


    Screenshots via

    The Creators Project: What’s your live-scoring setup like? Are you playing Wu-Tang samples over the original score?

    RZA: Well, check it out [on tour]. I’ve been hooked up the Shaw Brothers. They gave me the film and let me strip it down.

    They let you strip down the audio?

    Yeah, instead of using the original score. I mean, there’s a few pieces that I liked and kept, but the majority of it is me. There's about 90 sound cues in the film, and I’ll be manipulating those cues in real time.

    Wow, that sounds like a lot to manage.

    It took a minute to get it to where we got it. I had some good buddies help me on the technical side when we were putting it all together. But you know, when I was in about ninth grade, we were all DJing, battling each other, and trying to be the best. There was this one kid who couldn’t really DJ. He had the turntables, he had a system, he could mix, but he couldn't scratch. He was cool—he ran with us—but what he used to do was plug into a VCR and then dub the VCR to another tape. So, for example, you’d see Wile E. Coyote chasing The Road Runner, and then they’d fall off a cliff, and he would pause it and rewind it, like a pause tape. He was the first kid I ever seen do that. But when DVDs came out, I was like, “Wow, now we can really do the **** that he was doing.” It could physically be done.

    So I started practicing that, and I was probably one of the first guys to do that. Of course, I’ll say I learned it from my man Tom Shannon when I was a kid. I saw him do it. But now technology has caught up to where they got it all inside the software. When the time came for me to do this, I called Tom and had him come help me. He helped me break it down, decide on certain things, and help me get to a point where I could sit there and just do it. It’s crazy how full circle it is: from seeing this movie as a kid, to becoming a young adult and using it as the title for my first album. You never know what part of your childhood, or of your life, will inspire something else.



    What aspect of martial arts films inspires you musically? The writing, cinematography, or the action?

    The action was the first attraction. That’s a rhythm within itself. I became aware of the cinematography later on. 36th Chamber is one of the films that opened my eyes to cinematography and the vastness of what it could be. Take Into The Dragon, for example: Bruce Lee was great, and all that. But it was set way in the past, and the director happened to be considered one of the best directors of Asian cinema—of any cinema. But then the music happened. The emotions of the music started resonating with me. And for me, with hip-hop, I have to take that music and pin it to a groove—my drum pulse.

    So that’s what I started doing, started plugging my VCR into my sampler. I could sample a strange part, with a vibe-heavy rhythm. Or I could just take an intro, like in the song “Da Mystery Of Chessboxin,” where he’s like, “Toad style is immensely strong and immune to nearly any weapon. When it's properly used it's almost invincible.” That felt dangerous, deadly, and that’s what Wu-Tang was bringing: rugged, raw, deadly hip hop. And thinking about martial arts movies and the ideas of swordsmen, there was no better way to make the analogy of how deadly we are than through martial arts films.

    continued next post
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Continued from previous post

    What was your relationship to 36th Chamber when you were growing up in New York?

    Well, I grew up in the 70s, you know. When this movie came out and I saw it, at the top ot the 80s, I was becoming conscious of oppression and the black man’s struggle in the world. It seemed similar; it felt like, “Why us?”

    In the film, these people are being oppressed and are struggling. They came and killed [the main character’s] father for nothing—just stabbing people. He had to run for his life, and he was just a student, a college student, who wanted to make a change, you know? It made me think about college students in the 60s who tried to march and change the world and got fire hosed down and attacked, you know what I mean? At the time, I thought that stuff only happened in America, in this time period. But the film was one of the things that opened my mind to the fact that this happens around the world. I related to that ****. I was like, “Wow, I feel him. I understand his struggle.” I also wished there was something I could learn to help my people.


    Still from '36th Chamber.' Courtesy the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

    How is producing a song in the studio different from producing a score for a film?

    Let’s say I'm doing something for Wu-Tang: I’ll pick the music because I know the talent. When I did my first score with Jim Jarmusch for Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, I didn't really know what I was doing. I studied Peter and the Wolf, and I understood that I could pick different instruments to represent different characters, but I didn't really understand the whole post-production process. Jim didn't force me to sit there and go through that. But on Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino did make me sit there. I had to sit in the editing room for probably 60 days. It was cool, it was a great experience; you couldn’t beat me and Quentin in the editing room together. But at the same time, the amount of stuff I learned was wild. Instead of being the producer and the leader, I had to be more subservient to the director’s wishes.

    But it still took time, you know, for me to understand that I have to deliver that vision. Now, as a person who has the capability—who has proven himself—I can approach the production of songs like I approached the score for my own film, The Man with the Iron Fist. Now, I strive to make sure the artists are embellished, and when I’m scoring a film, I also strive to make sure the emotions of my characters are being embellished.



    How does the process change when you’re doing it live, as opposed to spending, for example, 60 days in the editing room ensuring everything is perfect?

    Well, it’s live in the sense that I’m doing it live, but it’s rehearsed. We’ve combed through what we think will work. This will be my fifth time doing this performance, and I think it only gets better every time, because I’ve learned what doesn’t work.

    I learned that 110 cues was too much. I was overkilling it. I’ve got to let it breathe. At one moment I’m just doing me, and then I’m like, “Wait a minute, I forgot about the film.” That happened in Austin, and even though the crowd gave a standing ovation, I felt like I forgot about the film. By the time I got to LA, I kind of had a better format, I let it breathe, and I think it performed better. I think in New York, it’s going to be even better.



    RZA: Live From The 36th Chamber plays at The Town Hall Thursday, November 10 at 8pm. Visit the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema website for future performance dates.
    Still hoping for more shows. Someone here has got to see this.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Coming to Montreal

    POP Montreal books the Dears, RZA, the Besnard Lakes
    BY MONTREAL GAZETTE, MONTREAL GAZETTE MAY 3, 2017 10:15 AM



    Montreal's the Besnard Lakes will perform their album The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse as part of the POP Montreal festival's 16th edition.
    Photograph by: John Kenney , Montreal Gazette
    POP Montreal has revealed the first wave of acts scheduled to perform at the festival’s 16th edition, taking place from Sept. 13 to 17.

    They include:

    Tickets for the above shows are on sale now.

    POP Montreal has also announced that the festival will feature performances by Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, who will present a live score of the kung-fu film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, and reactivated Montreal dance-pop band Think About Life.

    More than 350 other acts are expected to be confirmed for POP Montreal. For more information, visit popmontreal.com.
    I couldn't find the direct link on the popmontreal site - that site was too artsy to be navigable and the search function wasn't working for me.

    Time to split this into an indie thread - been posting it on the RZA thread and the The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (a.k.a. Master Killer) thread but now will only post on the The 36th Chamber of Shaolin RZA live score thread.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Today!

    RZA: Live From The 36th Chamber
    DATE Sep 15, 2017
    VENUE Théâtre Rialto : Salle St-Ambroise
    CITY Montreal, Canada
    SHOW 16h00
    DOOR 15h00
    BANDS RZA

    INFOS
    AT FULL CAPACITY

    POP Montreal and Sessions 375 present:
    RZA: Live From The 36th Chamber
    FREE!

    RSVP required: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/rza-live...ts-36963525901

    *Due to scheduling issues beyond our control, RZA: Live From the 36th Chamber has been moved to Friday, September 15th at 4pm. The event will remain at the Théâtre Rialto :: Salle St-Ambroise (5723 av. du Parc) and tickets for Saturday night's event will be honoured.
    The event will remain as part of the official programming of Sessions 375, unique experiences that took place during three major events this summer and that were created to celebrate Montréal.
    FREE!?! srsly?!?

    We don't have any active forum members in Montreal here, do we?
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    A review


    (shawbrothersuniverse.com)
    Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA live-scores classic kung fu film
    September 26, 2017 Arts & Entertainment/Film and TV/Music by Brandon Kaufman

    At the Rialto Theatre, on Friday, Sept. 15, Wu-Tang Clan frontman RZA hovered over his computer, smiling and quietly conversing with the DJ beside him. The two were positioned almost offstage that afternoon, preparing to provide a live-scoring of the 1978 kung fu movie The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. The crowd let out a roaring cheer as the hip-hop legend approached centre stage. He offered a few generic comments about the movie, apologized for the presence of a large timer on-screen—it was necessary for the “composers”—and returned to his shadowy booth.

    RZA began with some breezy soul instrumentals over the opening credits. Mere minutes after this period of calm, a meticulously choreographed action scene exploded onto the screen, as RZA spun one of his abrasive bangers. The audience rapped along with the record in sheer elation.

    The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is a fictionalized account of the life of San Te (Gordon Liu), a student living in 18th century China. After the brutal murders of his friends and family at the hands of the oppressive Manchu government, Te becomes determined to seek revenge—pleading for an opportunity to train at the famed temple of Shaolin. The exclusive sanctuary initially rejects the non-member, but the headmaster takes pity on him. He begins training persistently to join the temple as a master. RZA overlaid a montage of Te’s strenuous training with the downtempo “C.R.E.A.M,” setting the stage for an emotional climax.

    A story of dedication, rebellion, and most importantly, mastering the three section staff (a prestigious Chinese flail weapon) the movie is rightly considered the apotheosis of martial arts pictures. Te’s master immediately notices his remarkable progress. He asks him to choose one of the 35 chambers to head—each is dedicated to mastering a specific aspect of kung fu. He requests instead to create a new chamber, one devoted to training the common man. Te is initially rejected, the elitist temple accepts only the rich and noble. However, after leading his country to victory, he is granted his wish. The film concludes with Te training laymen in the hitherto elitist art of kung fu.

    The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is in command of its audience from the start. A palpable rush jolts the heart as the viewer watches the protagonist dodge the keen sword of his foe and quickly strike back. This adrenaline-like surge—which only the best action movies are able to bring about—heightened as RZA simultaneously played Wu-Tang’s “Bring Da Ruckus.”

    At the end of the film, RZA returned to the stage and spoke about his personal connection to the film. As a child, he, his brother, and cousin (GZA and Ol’ Dirty *******, both Wu-Tang members) watched the movie on repeat. From this, they developed insatiable appetites for art.

    Both the music and aesthetic of the Wu-Tang Clan are as fundamentally egalitarian as the concept of the 36th chamber. Their unpretentious songs are raw, simplistic, and to the point. Wu-Tang members don’t look or behave like platinum-selling superstars. They don hoodies and loose-fitting jeans, and rap about being on food stamps and mispronouncing words. The late Ol’ Dirty ******* summed it up best at the Grammy’s in 1998 when—10 years before Kanye—he interrupted Puff Daddy’s Best Rap Album of the Year acceptance speech to declare that “Wu-Tang is for the children.”

    RZA finished up his speech with some words about perseverance. He reminded the audience that only 25 years ago, he was unknown and destitute, trying to make his friends laugh by spitting absurd lyrics over stripped-down beats. When he closed the show, the audience shot to their feet and gave him a standing ovation. RZA and San Te are two souls separated only by two centuries.
    This sounds super fun. I want to hear how RZA scores the Iron Head training scene.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmit

    I've been waiting for two years for this show to come to SF. It finally comes on a night when I won't be available.



    APR 26
    RZA: Live from THE 36th CHAMBER @ The Castro Theatre (SF)
    by DJ DIALS + 15UTAH PRESENT
    $36 – $56
    Actions and Detail Panel

    NO GUESTLIST AVAILABLE

    Thursday April 26th, 7PM at The Castro Theatre in San Francisco.

    RZA: LIVE FROM THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN
    Director: Lau Kar-leung
    Country: Hong Kong / United States
    Runtime: 115 minutes
    Year: 1978 / 2016
    “Arguably the greatest martial arts film of all time.” Todd Gilchrist IGN

    After 18 months of careful planning, it's finally here.

    Award winning musician and film director RZA (founder of the Wu-Tang Clan) is unleashing his hip-hop genius on the mother of all martial arts masterpieces, Lau Kar-leung's THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN in a live re-score for the ages.

    Long before he was universally acknowledged as a guiding force in hip-hop by birthing Staten Island's fines clan, RZA was an obsessive encyclopedia of martial arts cinema, in particular the work of the famed Shaw Brothers studio out of Hong Kong. RZA first saw THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN on television when he was 12 years old and again 2 years later on the big screen of a seedy 42nd Street theater with his cousin, Unique (who went on to become Ol' Dirty *******). Dazzled by Kar-leung's rich kung-fu tapestry, RZA (then Robert Diggs) was most profoundly affected by something that ran much deeper: the struggle between oppressed Chinese villagers and the repressive Manchu authority. "Beyond the kung-fu, it was the reality of the situation that hit me. Growing up as a black kid in America, I didn't know that that kind of story had existed anywhere else," said RZA.

    In viewing THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN in this allegorical light, RZA was inspired to create a wildly complex mythology, transforming his immediate urban surroundings of Staten Island into a Shaolin and his cousins and childhood friends into the Wu-Tang Clan. The resulting effort is one that stands as one of the most important hip hop albums of all time; Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

    RZA: LIVE FROM THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN features RZA re-scoring the film from opening sequence to closing credit.

    Every frame of the original film has been revisited and will be re scored by RZA utilizing a Wu-Tang catalog over two decades deep. This new score features a vast array of over 50 instrumental tracks, beats and vocals individually crafted and placed to amplify the narrative and electrifying action of Kar-leung's enduring classic. A true, redefining assault on the senses, this is an experienced not to be missed.

    What happens when one of the most influential hiphop artists descends on one of the most influential martial arts movies? There’s only one way to find out.



    DATE AND TIME
    Thu, April 26, 2018
    7:00 PM – 10:00 PM PDT

    LOCATION
    The Castro Theatre
    429 Castro Street
    San Francisco, CA 94114

    REFUND POLICY
    No Refunds
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    5 show tour

    RZA Announces New Dates For Live From the 36th Chamber of Shaolin Tour
    3/22/2018 by Nerisha Penrose
    Stefan Hoederath/Redferns


    RZA performs at Postbahnhof on Nov. 14, 2016 in Berlin, Germany.

    In 2016, Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA paid tribute to the 1978 Shaw Brothers classic action film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin -- a movie that has shaped the artistry and overall aesthetic of Wu-Tang Clan -- by live-scoring the film from beginning to end at LA's Beyond Fest. Now, two years later, RZA is taking the concept back on the road for a string of new dates this April.

    With the group's repertoire spanning over two decades, including the Clan's latest album The Saga Continues, RZA will pull from the group's extensive catalog to give the film's score modern update. RZA's tour will begin on April 17 in Denver, CO and will make stops in Washington, DC, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco, where he'll wrap up the short jaunt.

    RZA was exposed to the world of martial arts cinema as a young kid growing up in New York City and saw The 36th Chamber of Shaolin at the age of 12. The multi-hyphenate became enthralled by the culture and affected by the film's story about the oppressed Chinese villagers and the Manchu authority.

    "Beyond the kung-fu, it was the reality of the situation that hit me," RZA said in a statement. "Growing up as a black kid in America, I didn’t know that that kind of story had existed anywhere else."

    Check out the dates for the RZA: Live From The 36th Chamber of Shaolin Tour.

    April 17 -- Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
    April 18 -- Washington DC @ Warner Theatre
    Aprl 20 -- Miami, FL @ Lemon City Studios (III Joints Fest)
    April 24 -- Los Angeles @ Palace Theater
    April 25 -- San Francisco, CA @ Castro Theatre
    Still bummed I'll be out of town for the SF show, but I will be in striking distance of LA, only I'm not sure if I'll be free by that time.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Theatrical showing for the 40th Anniversary

    40th anniversary of martial arts classic ‘The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’ at Alamo
    By G. Allen Johnson Published 12:57 pm, Monday, April 2, 2018


    Photo: Celestial Pictures Ltd. 1978
    Gordon Liu in “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” (1978)

    Forty years ago, director Liu Chia-ling and star Gordon Liu burst into the cultural consciousness in Asia with one of the greatest and most transcending martial arts films, “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin,” based on the legend of the 18th century Shaolin monk San Te.

    It took a while for the West to catch on, but in Asia, this was a watershed moment in the post-Bruce Lee, pre-Jackie Chan martial arts landscape.

    Many Americans first became aware of the film as one of the many chopped-up and badly dubbed kung fu movies that appeared on late-night shows such as “Kung Fu Theater” in the 1980s. Now restored for its 40th, it plays at the Alamo Drafthouse’s New Mission.

    Also, hip-hop artist RZA has written a score for the film and plans to premiere it live at the Castro Theatre on April 26.

    — G. Allen Johnson

    “36th Chamber of Shaolin”: 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 8. $11. Alamo Drafthouse’s New Mission, 2550 Mission St., S.F. (415) 549-5959. www.drafthouse.com/sf
    THREADS:
    The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (a.k.a. Master Killer)
    The 36th Chamber of Shaolin RZA live score
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    RZA speaks

    INTERVIEW – RZA ON LIFE, KUNG FU AND HIS UPCOMING LIVE-SCORING EVENT AT THE PARAMOUNT
    Colin Wrenn April 13, 2018
    Music



    The RZA has done it all. He founded the Wu-Tang Clan. He produced countless hit records. He wrote, directed, acted in and scored multiple major motion pictures. His influence is immeasurable. And lucky for us he will be here on Tuesday, April 17th live-scoring a film that has been integral to his creative process and personal journey, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. We spoke with the man about his love of kung fu and just what exactly it means to live-score a film.



    303 Magazine: Kung fu has always been a big part of your aesthetic. Can you tell me a bit about how you got into it and what it means for your artistic process?

    RZA: I got into kung fu movies as a young kid watching ’em. Watching Bruce Lee of course, Jim Kelly. That led on to the Shaw Brothers collection, Five Deadly Venoms of course being one of the greatest. But when I saw this film 36 Chambers (Shaw Brothers), it gave me a whole different perspective and view on history, and it gave me a unique inspiration. And actually out of probably all the films it probably sent me on the biggest quest, and that quest of course was to learn more about Buddhaism and what it meant. And that opened up so many doors for me as far as mentally.

    303: When did you first see the film?

    RZA: I think the first time I saw it was between 10 or 11 years old. But the time that it really penetrated me on a subconscious level and on a mental level was the age of 14. When I watched it during puberty it it really gave me a whole other perspective not just on kung fu but on history and on life. My idea to bring this film and to show it to other audiences, I’m looking to hopefully respark that same energy at different levels. His struggle, of the lead character, I think any man can be able to relate to it, knowing that if you go through a deep struggle and you perfect your chambers you really gonna come out better. If you put that dedication into it, and determination is important right? Dedication and determination is what punches a hole through the rock, and consistency, and the film shows that.

    What we do to enhance the film experience is we are rescoring it, and putting new tracks over it, new grooves over it, so you’ll see the kung fu with a different cadence. You’ll laugh a little differently as well, because we play around a little bit to with some of the music and some of the scenes. It’s definitely an enjoyable experience. Each time we’ve done it it’s probably an 80% standing ovation ratio, so it’s been fun and rewarding.

    303: You’ve done a lot of film scoring in your career, did you have any inclination when you started doing music that that would be the direction you wanted to take it?

    RZA: I didn’t know I was gonna end up composing films. It was actually this dude Jim Jarmusch helped me identify that particular quality. Jim Jarmusch had came to me and he said he’s doing a new film called Ghost Dog, he’s gonna write it, and he wants me to be the composer. And that just changed the game for me, just gave me an outlet for that kind of creativity.



    303: Have you switched anything up with the live-scoring since the Austin debut?

    RZA: Yeah. Some things will change, cuz it’s live some things may happen on the fly. We were able to, this particular run, we were able to remove 80% of the original score. We couldn’t remove all of it because some of the score is attached to the foley, so that’s a whole other chamber. We also was able to add subtitles, so it’s a dubbed version and it’s subtitled so you won’t lose the story no matter how much the music may change or you may be dancing or groovin’ and all. And of course there will be some unpredictable things that’s gonna happen, but that’s what makes it fun, the naturalism of it.

    303: Is there any reason you chose to open this leg of the tour in Denver?

    RZA: No that was all out of my hands. But when they said that Denver was interested — I haven’t been to Denver since the Democratic Convention was there. So I’m due to come back, I normally would like to come back and rock the microphone, I know Wu-Tang played the Fox Theatre last time we came out there. But I’m happy to come back to the city and show this particular form of art.

    One thing I’m sure of, I’m not worried about nobody not getting a chance to smoke their blunt or chew their edible. I’m sure we gonna have a good time. Because this a perfect audio-visual experience for that kind of brainwave.

    303: Do you have any plans for any other live-scoring projects?

    RZA: We’ll do this right now, and if we continue to have success with it and the fans are enjoying themselves and want to see me continue to do it — if they demand it we’ll supply it. Looking forward to seeing you in Denver. Peace.

    RZA: Live from the 36th Chamber will screen at the Paramount Theater Tuesday, April 17. Doors are at 7 p.m. with the show at 8. Tickets are available here.

    All photography courtesy of RZA’s Facebook and I N F A M O U S.
    I'm still super bummed that I won't be in town for this. RZA hasn't reached out to me about it like he did when this was still just a concept. In fact, we haven't had any communication in years. Although I'll add that a fanboy 'friend' asked me to introduce them to RZA - a dude I haven't heard from in some time and now he wants that kind of favor? Some people...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •