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Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

 
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 4:51 pm    Post subject: Big Trouble in Little China (1986) Reply with quote




I saw this movie when it first came out, after enjoying a big dinner with three friends at fancy Chinese restaurant in Atlanta!

It was a great night . . . Very Happy

This movie, of course, is a hoot-and-half! An action movie with a brave team of heroes who risked their lives to rescue two lovely ladies from a secret society of evil, magical, mystical, martial artists from China.

And it's a comedy!

The story runs like it's fueled by nitro, the characters act half stoned and highly caffeinated, the action blatantly breaks the laws of physics, and the special effects rain down on the movie like the sparks from a Chinese New Years fireworks celebration!

The FX include explosions of green fire, arcs of blue lightning bolts, stop-motion floating heads with multiple eyeballs, a hideous Chinese Yeti-creature, and a beefy henchmen who has extreme reactions when frustrated.





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And where else could could you find a story in which these are the heroes —


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— and this is the main villain.


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The jazzy music is very effective, and it's done by none other than John Carpenter, the director of this movie.

Yes, THAT John Carpenter, the same filmmaker who gave us The Thing, starring Kurt Russell. If you loved Kurt in that movie, you'll adore him in this one, because he demonstrates the same level of comic talent as his dramatic performance in that sci-fi classic.

Naturally a great hero needs a great heroine, and this movie certainly has one — Kim Cattrall, who smolders like sweet 'n sour chicken, hot off the stove!



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The chemistry between these two should come with a warning label which says, "Dangerous when mixed!" Shocked


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This is one of the few movies in Hollywood history with a poster which promises wondrous moments and spectacular scenes . . . and delivers on every promise!


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Look that the detail provided by Drew Struzan's amazing poster!





This is a movie which blends comedy, drama, action, and special effects like a master sushi chef who's well verse in ancient Chinese secrets!


___________ Big Trouble in Little China - trailer


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Fri Apr 23, 2021 7:24 am; edited 2 times in total
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orzel-w
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2017 2:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

After failing to make it through the entire film on two earlier attempts, I firmly resolved to stay awake last night all the way to the end.

Following the successful completion of this undertaking, I tossed the DVD in my recycling tub so I'm never tempted to make the same mistake again.

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2017 12:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Wayne, old friend, you certainly seem to buy a lot of movies . . . that you don't like well enough to stay awake through! Shocked

However, I understand that sometimes people don't share the positive feelings other folks have towards certain movies. For example, based on your recommendation, I tried to watch Maggie (2015) a few years ago.

I couldn't get through it. It was dull and depressing (to me, that is).

Ah, well . . . different strokes, eh? Rolling Eyes

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orzel-w
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2017 1:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
It was dull and depressing (to me, that is).

Well, it was meant to be depressing, at any rate.
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kolchak
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 4:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I loved it

definitely not standard Hollywood stuff. I'm not surprised they didn't know what to do with it.

in the 1950s they had a cowboy-and-dinosaur movie 'Valley of Gwangi'. studio didn't know what to do with it and it barely registered (a cult hit on the drive-in circuit in Texas).

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Robert (Butch) Day
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 6:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

James Hong , Who played David Lo Pan, was also the voice of Po's adopted father Mr. Png in the Kung Fu Panda franchise.
So … if David Lo Pan gets hungry for Chinese food does James Hing kill himself by cannibalism?
LaughingMr. Green

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scotpens
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 3:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kolchak wrote:

in the 1950s they had a cowboy-and-dinosaur movie 'Valley of Gwangi'. studio didn't know what to do with it and it barely registered (a cult hit on the drive-in circuit in Texas).

The Valley of Gwangi was based on an unproduced concept by Willis O'Brien from 1941, but the movie didn't actually get made and released until 1969.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2022 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

IMDB has 62 trivia items for this movie. Here's a few of the ones I found the most interesting. Very Happy
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Kurt Russell confessed on the DVD commentary that he was afraid of starring in the movie, because he had made a string of movies that flopped at the box-office. When he asked John Carpenter about it, he told Kurt that it didn't matter to him - he just wanted to make the movie with him.

Note from me: I listed to the commentary yesterday before enjoying the movie itself, and the relationship between John and Kurt was like too drinkin' buddies in a friendly bar, reminiscing about how much fun it was to make this movie.

In fact, they even commented at one point on how cold their beers were! Very Happy

The Chinese characters in the main title translate to "Evil Spirits Make a Big Scene in Little Spiritual State".

Note from me: Kudo's to the guys who came up with that, eh? Very Happy

Kurt Russell suffered a bad case of the flu during the scene just after the brothel, so the sweat on his body is real, caused by the fever.

Note from me: On the commentary, Kurt and John talked about how sick he was and how bad he looked. John shot the scenes with Kurt first and then sent him home. And Kurt does look sick in the scene where he's laying down after his friends take him back to their own place. Sad

This was the last studio film that John Carpenter worked on at the end of the 1980s, due to various problems he experienced during the production of the film, with then studio head Lawrence Gordon, who constantly interfered with the film up until its release date.

Note from me: John and Kurt discussed the fact that the studio didn't really promote the film very well, causing it to do poorly at the box office.

According to John Carpenter in the DVD Commentary, Carter Wong, who plays Thunder, actually worked as a martial arts instructor with the Hong Kong Police.

Note from me: After watching this guy's skilled moves in the film make this statement easy to believe.

According to John Carpenter, the opening of the film with Egg Shen (Victor Wong) in the lawyer's office was added in at the request of 20th Century Fox executives, in order to make Kurt Russell's character Jack Burton more heroic (they didn't get the idea of Jack being a sidekick rather than a hero). Without the added scene, the film would have started with Jack driving to San Francisco.

Note from me: I LOVE the scene with Victor Wong and the lawyer! It's the perfect opening for this movie. However, in the commentary, John Carpenter says that Victor Wong asked him to add that scene because HE didn't think the audience would view Jack Burton as a hero!

John Carpenter and Kurt Russell explain on the audio commentary that the test screening was so overwhelmingly positive, that both of them expected it to be a big hit. However, 20th Century Fox put little into promoting the movie, and it ended up being a box-office bomb. In addition, the film was released in the midst of the hype for Aliens (1986), which was released sixteen days afterwards.

However, it went on to be a huge cult hit through home video. Carpenter and Russell explained that the reason the studio did little to promote the film, was because they simply didn't know how to promote it.


Note from me: Yep, that's exactly what I heard in the commentary. Sad but true, as they say. Sad

According to John Carpenter and Kurt Russell in the DVD commentary, the story was originally written as a western, but Carpenter decided to set it during modern times. They even mention that instead of Jack Burton's truck being stolen, it was originally his horse.

Note from me: Again, that's exactly what the commentary says. Thank goodness the period of the film was changed! Very Happy

Jackie Chan was John Carpenter's first choice to play Wang Chi, but Producer Lawrence Gordon was highly against it, fearing Chan's English wasn't good enough after seeing his performances in Battle Creek Brawl (1980) and The Protector (1985), but Carpenter wanted Chan after the success of Police Story (1985). Chan declined and Dennis Dun was cast instead.

Note from me: I love Jackie Chan! But the Dennis Dun was perfect as Wang Chi, so I'm certainly glad Jackie turned down the role. Very Happy

This is the fourth of five movies John Carpenter and Kurt Russell have done together. Elvis (1979), Escape from New York (1981), The Thing (1982), and Escape from L.A. (1996) are the other ones.

Note from me: Well, here's a weird little fact! I've never cared for any of the the other four movies, although I've never seen all of the two "Escape from . . . " movies, so maybe I'm just judging them prematurely!

The ending song is written and sung by "The Coupe De Villes", a band formed by John Carpenter, Nick Castle, and Tommy Lee Wallace (Second Unit Director on this picture).

Note from me: On the commentary, John and Kurt discuss Mr. Carpenter's musical aspirations. I was surprised by what I learned. Very Happy (Buy the Blu-ray and find out for yourself.)

Although Kurt Russell was John Carpenter's only choice for the lead role, the studio suggested Jack Nicholson or Clint Eastwood. Once they proved unavailable, Carpenter was able to cast Russell.

Note from me: This proves that there is a God and He does make good things happen in Hollywood! Shocked

In the wedding scene where Lo Pan is putting the Needle of Love in Miao Yin, James Hong actually jabbed Suzee Pai too hard. You can see her flinch as he puts it in her.

Note from me: While watching the movie recently while listening to the commentary, I did indeed see the young lady flinch during that scene! Sad

John Carpenter envisioned the film as an inverse of traditional scenarios in action films with a Caucasian protagonist helped by a minority sidekick. Jack Burton, despite his bravado, is constantly portrayed as rather bumbling; in one fight sequence he even knocks himself unconscious before the fight begins. Wang Chi, on the other hand, is constantly portrayed as highly skilled and competent.

Note from me: The commentary with Kurt and John discusses the idea Jack Burton is actually the comic sidekick and Wang Chi is brave and capable hero! I'd never thought of this before, but it's true!

However, the climactic battle between David Lo Pan and Jack reverses this when Jack catches the knife tossed back at him and then throws it expertly into the head of Lo Pan, killing the villain!

It's the ultimate verification of Jack's heroic abilities at a key moment in the film. Very Happy

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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