Ch 2
‘I DECIDED WHEN I WAS NINE THAT I WANTED TO BE BRUCE LEE'
Miles Fielder bows down and takes his place in the circle opposite Asia’s biggest kung fu movie star STEPHEN CHOW.
tephen (‘how (pictured) is the new Jackie (hair.
And the new Jet Li. But he‘d rather be known
as the new Bruce Lee. ln lact. he‘s a rrrix ol‘ all three chop socky stars. corrrbirrirrg ('han‘s slapstick with Li's lighting skills and Lee‘s innoyations in trrriting various martial arts. With Lce long since gone to meet his maker and (Iran and Li making movies in the West. there was a place in the liast tor a new big screen ktrng in master. \\ hen the Mill comedy—sports- action moyie Slum/iii Soi‘i'r'i' which he wrote. directed and starred in broke box office records in Asia. ('how secured that title. His new lilm. Kung l-u Hus/Iv. looks set to break records once again. and with the backing of a Hollywood sttrdio it's likely to introduce Western audiences to the new ‘(‘han—l.i—l.ec'.
‘l atrr influenced by all nrartial arts films. and Kung I’ll Illisi/r' is a result ol‘ that.' says ('how who, in person. is the shy. retiring type. ‘lt‘s my chance to pay homage to the type ol‘ kung l‘u mmies I grew tip on. It‘s been my dream since I started rrraking movies to become a rrrartial arts herojust like Bruce Lee.’
(‘how' recalls his mother taking him to see Lee in 'I/ir' ('lrim'sr' ('omrvriion when he was nine. ‘I remember it as il~ it were yesterday.’ he says. ‘I was merwhelmed by the experience. I tell as ill my heart was going to burst. I had tears in my eyes. Bruce Lee was so incredible. not just because of his martial arts expertise. btrt also because of his l'urious spirit. I decided then that I wanted to be Bruce Lee.'
44 THE LIST 23 Jun—7 Jul 2005
('how immediately enrolled with a martial arts teacher. sttrdying the ‘wing chun’ moves that Lee specialised in. But his lamin were poor and. living in a cramped llorrg Kong apartment. couldn’t afford to keep the Lee w arrnahe in training. So (‘how practised alone and tried to teach himself moves from all the dil'l‘erent schools of martial arts. llis acting. initially in a children’s television show called 430 Spare Shuttle and then in a series ol‘ '.\lo Lei 'l'au‘ nonsense comedy lilms the (‘how Yun—l‘at spool All/Ur l/H’ lllllilt’l’. the
wonder'l‘ully titled .liisrir'i' .lly I’m)! and (for! of
(Vin/wry. King of ('oiimly. which Quentin 'l‘arantino loyes appears to hate been Chow‘s B-plan for martial arts. ‘I know that I can‘t becorrre a great kung ltr mastcr.‘ he say s. ‘but at least I can rrrake martial arts lllt)\ ies in which I am a ktrrrg l'u expert.’
Kung I’ll IIILsI/r’ is the realisation ol‘ (‘how‘s childhood dream. Referencing the Lee movies of the l97tls and the (hair lilms ol' the 1980s. it also features a cast of \eteran perl'ormers (such as Yuen Walt. who got his ass kicked by Lee in 1/16 (’liiiu'sr’ (intimation) and takes place largely within a layishly constructed l‘our storey set based on the kind of llong Kong apartment complex ('how grew tip in.
llte lilrn is. as ('how say s. ‘a childhood dream come true‘. Kung Fu Hustle is on selected release from Fri 24 Jun. See review, page 46.
THE BEsr'rii'iihé'BviiiiEiE'Asrs
* Torrernollnos 73 Hilarious. joyful and sexy Spanish comedy about salesmen. porn and Super 8 cameras. Highly recommended. See interview and review. page 45 and 47. Fi/mhouse. Edinburgh.
* Notre Muslque Jean-Luc Godard is back with another perplexingly brilliant meditation on power, greed. and warmongering. See review, page 47. Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh (from Fri 7 Jul).
>i< Guerllla: The Taking ol Patty Hearst Excellent documentary that is chock-a- block with previously unseen footage. See profile. listings and review. page 45. GFI', Glasgow. >i< Kung Fu Hustle Stephen Chow is the new Bruce Lee. OK? See preview, left and review. page 46. Cameo. Edinburgh and selected release.
>l< Kings and Queen Complexly realised tale of love. madness and culpability. GFlj Glasgow and Filmhouse, Edinburgh.
=i< Once Upon a Time In the West Sergio Leone’s brilliant death knell to the Italian spaghetti Western. GFT, Glasgow (Sun 26 Jun only).
>i< Dig! Overlong but fascinating rival bands rockumentary. See review. page 48. Cameo, Edinburgh.
=i= Undertow Messy but lyrically effective remake of Laughton's The Night of the Hunter. Selected release.
>i= Brotherhood Powerful Korean war drama. See review. page 45. UGC, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
>i< Belle De Jour Classic racy mid-period Bunuel film starring the beautiful Catherine Deneuve. Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh (Mon 27 and Tue 28 Jun only). >i< Moog DVD release of this revealing and enjoyable documentary about Bob Moog, the man who invented the legendary keyboard synthesiser. See interview,
page 49. Out now (Plexifi/m/Wal)