Fist of Feat, Touch of Death | Blu-ray (The Film Detective)
RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2020
If you’re one of those (Donnie, Mike, Shannon, China, etc) who think Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood was disrespectful to the legacy of Bruce Lee, then the following news is a must-have in your collection! (read our review for the 40th Anniversary Edition)
On May 15, 2020, The Film Detective, the company that released Black Dragon’s Revenge in 2017, has announced the Blu-ray for the 40th Anniversary Edition of 1980’s Fist of Fear, Touch of Death (aka The Dragon and the Cobra).
Read the details below (via CA):
A video staple since its Wizard Video VHS release in the early ‘80s, Fist of Fear, Touch of Death is now getting a surprise 4K restoration from The Film Detective, straight from its original camera negative!
The pseudo-documentary’s plotline ostensibly surrounds a martial arts tournament conceived to find the heir to Bruce Lee’s kung fu throne. Along the way several contemporaries, like Fred Williamson and Ron Van Clief, must traverse inquisitive fans and New York muggers to get to the event. Older footage of Lee is repurposed as events from his life, while narrator Adolph Caesar apparently has no idea that Japan and China are different cultures. Grandmaster Bill Louie dresses up like Kato and protects some female joggers from assault. Film from the Madison Square Garden competition is shown, including a match of World Kickboxing Champion Lou Neglia. Williamson condemns the whole idea of replacing Bruce – not that that stopped anyone.
Special Features:
- 4K Restoration from the original 35mm camera negative
- Interviews with producer Terry Levene, scriptwriter Ron Harvey, and actor Ron Van Clief (Black Dragon’s Revenge)
- Liner notes by film historian Don Stradley
- Limited pressing of 1,500 Blu-rays
- Original Theatrical Trailer
Pre-order Fist of Fear, Touch of Death from Amazon.com today!
I am guessing if they offer Shannon a cut of the profit then suddenly the idea of Bruce Lee’s Samurai Ancestors will become part of the new Bruce Lee Estate approved version of Bruce Lee’s life
I mean, they did put a demonic “samurai”-looking thing in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (aka The Bruce Lee Estate movie)
Featuring a short introduction to the film by Cliff Booth.
LOL! And a clip of Jan-Michael Vincent saying he can beat up Bruce Lee. Or was that Michael Jai White who said that?
That depends on whether you want to take the blue pill, or the red pill.
LMAO!!! I thought the Blue Pill for sure would be that other “Bruce Lee Estate” project that White started in.
brilliant news, i am probably the only person in the world who loves this movie. Pity they couldn’t get the director,Matthew Mallinson involved.
Nothing says “must buy” like that accompanying 0/10 review.
Bad reviews are great marketing material. =)
It just baffles me that films like these, however much value they might have as historical artifacts, are getting such respectful treatment and restoration (and loaded with special features like historian featurettes wtf!) while so much of Hong Kong’s action classics from the 80s and 90s, which contain actual classics or at least superior action flicks are left on DVD or worse. And no one seems to give a shit! I just don’t get it.
Is it because the rights on them are easy to acquire and have run out? When am I getting the likes of Beyond Hypothermia, Beast Cops, Big Bullet on Blu Ray, or a Girls with Guns collection?
My guess is also “because the rights on them are easy to acquire and have run out?” If you can find a print of some obscure movie that’s in public domain, why not make some money off it? There are some HK flicks that will never see the light of day (like some of the early Milkyway Image catalog), due to politics.
But it seems like more and more labels are picking up some HK gems, so time might be on our sides.
I agree. And I also wonder how much money it’s costing to clean up these prints and make them look so good. I’ve heard of “polishing turds,” but these Brucesploitation restorations take it to a new level.
its such a bizarre movie from Aaron banks plucking out peoples eyes in the ring, Bill Louie running around Central Park fighting crime dressed as Kato and the bizarre Ron van Clief goes jogging, saves a girl from being assaulted and then takes her home himself! The insane interviews with Bruce Lee etc….. not my favourite slice of Bruceploitation but am a big fan of a lot of the Bruce Li’s, Bruce Le’s etc from back in the day….
A lot of Hk movies there are rights issues, or the price being asked for is high compared to what companies want to pay, i often get asked by people “hey i want to buy this HK movie for North America or for UK, but you gotta tell them to lower the price, there’s no market for it!”…which of course gets the HK response of “if there’s no market, why do you want to buy it?”
Ref Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s take on Bruce Lee, i was not a fan, i like the movie, a tad overlong and self indulgent but hey its QT, but the Bruce Lee section especially given all the pre-release hype from QT & Mike Moh himself about how this was the right portrayal of Bruce Lee, and how important the role was to the movie and thats what we got? I have met various Bruce Lee students and people who’ve worked with him over the years who admit he was cocky but he could back it up… i still think QT’s take was the result of Bruce Lee Estate… i have a feeling originally Bruce was supposed to be a much bigger part in the movie and the Estate did its normal “MONEY MONEY MONEY” approach and QT’s response was he’s a public figure and i’ll do it this way now
I just added your name to the opening paragraph. But yeah, this makes sense: “i have a feeling originally Bruce was supposed to be a much bigger part in the movie and the Estate did its normal “MONEY MONEY MONEY” approach and QT’s response was he’s a public figure and i’ll do it this way now”
well i think you can add a shitoad of peoples names to those who think the Bruce Lee scene was piss poor…. it was i think the most disappointing aspect of the movie, not because i think Bruce Lee is so unfallible god figure, but especially considering just how much BS sorry Hype there was including from Mike Moh about how integral and important the role was etc…
The film was not banned in China, and especially not because of the Bruce Lee scene… the film would have had to be heavily edited for China, especially the ending, and QT had the option to edit or because of his standing in the industry to say no, and he said no he wasn’t going to cut it
A lot of movies don’t officially make it into China, Kill Bill for instance never got an official release just as a shit ton of Asian movies don’t get official releases in the west, but of course its easier to sell the hype that China banned it right?
“A lot of movies don’t officially make it into China, Kill Bill for instance never got an official release just as a shit ton of Asian movies don’t get official releases in the west, but of course its easier to sell the hype that China banned it right?”
Indeed, in the more obscure corners of the internet I’ve seen it mentioned that the Philip Ng/Andy On vehicle ‘Undercover Punch and Gun’ was delayed in China even longer than it already was because it features a small role from your buddy Captain Expat, due to his visibility of being on the “front line” during the Hong Kong protests. I guess if anyone could put paid to the rumor, it would be your good self!