Directed by Robert Clouse with some action scenes by Sammo Hung and written by Clouse and Raymond Chow under the Jan Spears pseudonym, Game of Death is the story of a martial arts movie star who is targeted by a crime syndicate as he fakes his death to go after them and protect his girlfriend. Originally meant to be Bruce Lee’s directorial debut in the same name, the film incorporates some of the footage from the film Lee was making before his death into a new story that would include scenes with Lee and basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with a lot of new footage from Clouse. Also starring Colleen Camp, Gig Young, Dean Jagger, and Hugh O’Brian. Game of Death is a riveting though messy film from Robert Clouse and Sammo Hung.
After refusing to do more work for a syndicate for a legitimate life as an action film star, the film revolves around this man who has been targeted by a Hong Kong crime syndicate who wants him dead as well as threatening the life of his singer girlfriend. After being shot on a film set where he was presumed death, the actor Billy Lo would survive as he fakes his death so he can deal with the syndicate head on. The screenplay that Clouse and Chow write would follow a simple storyline as it plays into this actor going after the crime boss Dr. Land (Dean Jagger) and his main henchman Steiner (Hugh O’Brian) while the few that knows he’s alive is the journalist Jim Marshall (Gig Young) who also watches over Lo’s girlfriend Anne (Colleen Camp).
Robert Clouse’s direction does have moments that are exciting as well as scenes and compositions that help tell the story. Yet, it’s messy due to the fact that he only uses very little of what Bruce Lee was doing with the original film with the exception of three scenes where Billy Lo was fighting Dr. Land’s three henchmen though it’s truncated in some spots. Shot on location in Hong Kong and parts of Macau, Clouse’s direction is quite straightforward though many of his shots involving the Lo character are often seen in wide and medium shots with Kim Tai-Jong and Chen Yao-po as doubles for Lee where they would often wear big sunglasses or seen from afar though there’s time you do see their faces where it’s obvious that it’s not Bruce Lee. Hung’s direction for the fight scenes is also similar in terms of trying not to have the close-ups of the doubles that include Yuen Baio for some of the acrobatic stunts of Lo.
Clouse would use footage from other films that Lee was in such as Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon for a few scenes of the film that Lo is making as the latter feature bits of Lee fighting Chuck Norris for the film’s opening sequence. There are moments in the film that do feel awkward at times where there’s Lee’s head superimposed on an actor’s head in one shot for a scene where Lo is being lectured by Steiner. It’s a moment that does take out some of drama and suspense while there are a few other parts of the film that would feature close-up of Lee from other films that don’t fit in with the footage that Clouse and Hung are creating in the action and suspense as it does create a sense of continuity errors that do become noticeable. Even as Clouse would use footage from Lee’s funeral for a scene is something that feels wrong and very unnecessary. Despite these flaws, Clouse and Hung do manage to create something that Lee would’ve made though the actual film by Lee in its in-completed form is more entrancing in its sense of fluidity and careful choreography through the fight scenes. Overall, Clouse and Hung create an engaging but flawed film about a movie star faking his death to fight a crime syndicate.
Cinematographer Godfrey A. Godar does nice work with the cinematography despite some of the visual continuities in matching the unfinished footage with the finished footage visually. Editor Alan Pattillo does some fine work with the editing although it does dwell into some fast-cutting to take out some of the things in the fight that does raises question into its continuity. Sound recordist Danny Daniels does superb work with the sound in capturing some of the action and sound effects despite some of the fake yells for the Lo character. The film’s music by John Barry does some excellent work with the usage of strings and bombastic percussions to play into the action and suspense as it’s one of the highlights of the final film.
The film’s cast does feature some notable small roles from Mel Novak as an assassin named Stick, Robert Wall as a brutish fighter/henchman of Dr. Land in Carl Miller, Sammo Hung as Miller’s opponent in a fight, Dan Inosanto and Ji Han-jae as a couple of men that Lo would fight, and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar as the tall henchman known as Hakim. Gig Young is excellent as Lo’s journalist friend Jim Marshall as one of the few that Lo can really trust while Colleen Camp is wonderful as Lo’s girlfriend Anne as this singer who is forced to see the actions of the syndicate up close. Dean Jagger’s performance as Dr. Land is weak as he’s just this old man that just orders people and feed his fish while Hugh O’Brien is terrific as his lead henchman Steiner as a guy with a blade inside his cane. The performances of the men playing Billy Lo can do cool stunts but they don’t really showcase the essence of Bruce Lee while Chris Kent’s dubbing as Lo is pretty lame.
The unfinished version of Game of Death that was written, directed, and starring Lee that was shot by cinematographer Tadashi Nishimoto and edited by Peter Cheung with music by Joseph Koo and Peter Thomas is a very different film from what Clouse and Hung created. Though Clouse and Hung used 11-minutes of what Lee had filmed, the thirty-eight minutes of material that Lee had filmed is way more compelling than the final product. It revolves around a retired martial arts champion named Hai Tien who is coerced out of retirement to enter a game of death at a South Korean pagoda where he is to face five masters as each level feature a master that is very difficult. Three of the five levels were filmed as it features a Dan Inosanto as the third-floor guardian, Ji Han-jae as the fourth-floor guardian, and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar as the fifth-floor guardian Mantis though he’s re-named as Hakim in the final version of the film. Tien is joined by two other men in this game in Mr. Tien (James Tien) and Mr. Yuan (Chieh Yuan) who would participate in fighting the fourth and fifth guardians.
Whereas Hung’s direction for the fights are messy due to the mixture of footage with Lee and the recreated footage with the doubles. The fight scenes by Lee is more engaging as Cheung’s editing offers so much in terms of what is happening as well as getting the sense of rhythm in the fighting to play into its suspense and drama. Even in the climatic showdown with Mantis where there’s so much attention to detail in the drama as well as the room where the fight is happening. The performances of Jabbar, Inosanto, and Han-jae are given more attention as they show not just their skills but also the sense of respect in the fight itself. Especially as Lee showcase what it at stake as an example of what he was aiming to do as he also gives this incredible performance as a fighter where Lee displays that air of charm and toughness.
The finished version of Game of Death is a stellar but flawed film from Robert Clouse and Sammo Hung. Despite its good intentions along with some nice action sequences, it’s a film that is bogged down by some continuity issues as well as the fact that the doubles playing Bruce Lee aren’t that good. Lee’s unfinished version of the film is far more interesting as it show what Lee was hoping to do as it has something much grander. In the end, the final version of Game of Death is a good film while the unfinished version of the film is spectacular all from the mind of the legendary Bruce Lee.
Related: The Big Boss - Fist of Fury - The Way of the Dragon – Enter the Dragon
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel The Terrible Game by Dan Tyler Moore, Gymkata is the story of a gymnast who travels to a mysterious country of where he combines martial arts with his gymnastic abilities to enter a deadly game of endurance and survival. Directed by Robert Clouse and screenplay by Charles Robert Carner, the film is martial arts movie mixed in with adventure and comedy in a low-budget setting. Starring Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, Richard Norton, and Edward Bell. Gymkata is a ridiculous yet enjoyable film from Robert Clouse.
Set in a fictional country called Parimistan near the Hindu Kush mountain ranges in Asia, the film is about a gymnast who is asked by the American government to enter a deadly competition where the winner is granted life and a request. The gymnast is reluctant at first but since his father was at the country and hasn’t been found, he decides to take the mission as well as learn some martial art techniques and fuse it with his gymnastics. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it blends all sorts of genres from the action/adventure film with the martial arts genre though it also bear elements of the B-movie as it is set during the Cold War. The screenplay does have some cheesy dialogue and the motivation relating to wanting to install a satellite over the country and gain the country’s allegiance to the U.S. during the Cold War isn’t well-thought of. Yet, it’s in the action and what this gymnast does to help a princess in dealing with a military leader who is secretly planning to stage a coup.
Robert Clouse’s direction is definitely stylish as it bear many elements that is so typical of 1980s B-movie action films yet it doesn’t apologize for it. Shot on location in the former Yugoslavia, the film definitely play into this tense atmosphere of the Cold War but with an old sense of rules in a country that hasn’t been formally introduced to the 20th Century. While there’s some wide shots in the film to establish the locations, much of it presented with medium shots and close-ups to play into the action as well as in some of the fighting. Some of it looks quite cheesy such as a training sequence early in the film yet Clouse doesn’t waste time as he just simplifies the story and goes for what is eventually going to happen. The film’s second half in the game is quite eerie as it involve a group of crazies and such where the film’s protagonist has to try and survive it as the suspense is engaging as well as the action which does lead to a thrilling climax. Overall, Clouse creates a silly yet fun film about a gymnast who learns martial arts and survive a deadly endurance game.
Cinematographer Godfrey A. Godar does excellent work with the cinematography as it is mostly straightforward with the exception of the climatic sequence of a damned village featuring cannibals and crazies. Editor Robert A. Ferretti does nice work with the editing as it has some stylish slow-motion cuts and some montage-like sequences as much of it is straightforward. Production designer Veljko Despotovic, with art directors William Maynard and Nemanja Petrovic and set decorator Sheree Stivers, does fantastic work with the look of the castle that the ruler of Parmistan live in as well as the training camp. Costume designer Drago Habazin does terrific work with the costumes from the cheesy clothes that the film‘s protagonist wears to the ninja-like clothing of the bad guys. Sound designer Richard Dwan Jr. does superb work with the sound from the way some of the weapons are presented as well as in the action scenes. The film’s music by Alfi Kabiljo is wonderful as it has this element of bombastic orchestral music to play into the action and suspense.
The film’s cast is brilliant for the most part as it feature some notable small roles from Eric Lawson as Colonel Cabot who is presumed missing, Edward Bell and John Berrett as a couple of American competitors of the game, Conan Lee as an Asian competitor, Bob Schott as a huge and violent competitor called Thorg, and Buck Kartalian as the king of Parmistan. Tetchie Agbayani is good as Princess Rubali who would oversee Jonathan Cabot’s training while trying to tell her father that Commander Zamir is plotting to overthrow him. Richard Norton is superb as the antagonist Commander Zamir as a military leader and game organizer who is trying to marry the princess as he sees Jonathan as a major threat and tries to have him kill and plan his coup though it‘s hard to take him seriously considering that he sports a weird rattail look. Finally, there’s Kurt Thomas in a good but not-so-great performance as the film’s protagonist Jonathan Cabot as a young gymnast who is given a mission to help the American government stop a coup as well as play a deadly game as his line delivery is mediocre but he does kick ass despite his mini-mullet.
Gymkata is an incredibly silly but very entertaining film from Robert Clouse. While it has a simple though ridiculous premise and is very flawed, it doesn’t hold back on the fact that it’s meant not to be taken seriously as it’s just a whole lot of fun. In the end, Gymkata is a pretty good film from Robert Clouse.
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Robert Clouse and Bruce Lee and written by Lee and Michael Allin, Enter the Dragon is the story of a martial arts expert who travels to attend an invitational tournament as he goes undercover to uncover some crimes as well as find the man who killed his sister. The film isn’t just a suspense-mystery where a man tries to uncover a dark plot from a crime boss but also a film that is filled with lots of action led by its star Bruce Lee. Also starring John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Jim Kelly, Bolo Yeung, Robert Wall, and Shih Kein. Enter the Dragon is an enthralling and gripping film from Robert Clouse and Bruce Lee.
Invited to take part in a secret tournament along with many martial arts master, the film revolves around a master who is asked to go undercover to attend the tournament where he would uncover many secret things by its organizer as well as find the man who killed his sister. While it is a story that is quite simple, it plays into a man who isn’t seeking vengeance but also restore honor into the Shaolin temple he was trained at and stop this man from unleashing evil into the world. The film’s script doesn’t just play into the motivation of Lee (Bruce Lee) who knows not whom he has to go after in this crime lord named Han (Shih Kein) but also what Han had done that has brought disgrace to the temple Lee trains at. Joining Lee are two Americans who both enter the tournament to hide from their own problems back home as they hope to find some redemption yet become suspicious of what Han is doing. Even as the script reveals what must be done prompting Lee to stop Han once and for all.
The film’s direction by Robert Clouse not only captures the energy of the action as well as knowing how to create intrigue and drama that occurs on the film. Especially in how he establishes the motivations of the characters in the film and why they’re in the tournament like Roper (John Saxon) and Williams (Jim Kelly) though Lee’s motivation is broadened more not just through flashbacks but also in the film’s opening sequence as the latter is directed by Bruce Lee. Clouse’s usage of wide shots for the scenes in Hong Kong would add to the tone of the film as it’s very exotic but also entrancing despite some of the darker moments that goes on inside Han’s house. Even in some of the intimate moments that play into the suspense and drama while there are a few moments that are light-hearted.
For the fight scenes which were choreographed by Lee, Clouse knows where to place the camera for the scenes where he uses a few close-ups but also some medium and wide shots to establish the setting and locations. Clouse also knows when to build the tension for the suspense such as the film’s climax that includes a showdown between Lee and Han inside a mirrored room. It’s definitely one of the most gripping sequences captured on film where it’s a room full of mirrors as it’s about where the enemy is and who will strike. More importantly, it ponders where the camera is shot and how the hell the camera or the cameraman was able to not be seen in the mirror which only makes the sequence even more astonishing. Overall, Clouse and Lee create an exciting and engaging film about a man who goes to a tournament to kick ass and save the world from corruption and evil.
Cinematographer Gilbert Hubbs does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of lights for some of the interior scenes at the prison to the lights for the scenes set at night. Editors Yao Chung Chang, Kurt Hirschler, and George Watters do amazing work with the editing as it features some unique rhythms for the fights and knowing when to cut for a certain moment of action as well as the usage of stylish transition for the flashback sequences. Art director Shen Chien does brilliant work with the set design from the home of Han and his many rooms including the room of mirrors as well as the prison and factory where he does his secret work.
Costume designer Sheng-Hsi Chu does nice work with the costumes from the look of the men in what they wear to the clothes the women wear where they please the men. The sound work of Ping Wong is superb as much of it is post-production work that features some sound effects in the kicks and hits as well as in some of the moments that occur in Han‘s underground prison/factory. The film’s music by Lalo Schifrin is fantastic with its mixture of jazz, orchestral music, and funk as it plays into the energy of the film as well as some of its suspense as it’s definitely a major highlight of the film.
The film’s incredible cast features appearances from such future martial arts icons as Sammo Hung as the man Lee fights in the opening sequence, Pat E. Johnson as a mob hood trying to kill Roper, and Jackie Chan as a prison thug who tries to attack Lee. Other notable small roles include Peter Archer as a New Zealand fighter named Archer, Angelo Mao as Lee’s sister, Betty Chung as a spy named Mei Ling who works undercover as one of Han’s women, Geoffrey Weeks as a British government agent named Braithwaite, Roy Chiao as Lee’s Shaolin master, and Bolo Yeung as one of Han’s top fighters in Bolo. Robert Wall is terrific as Han’s bodyguard O’Hara who is the man that likes to intimidate people as he is also the man who killed Lee’s sister. Ahna Capri is wonderful as Han’s assistant Tania who falls for Roper while being the one to lead the women into sleeping with the men.
Jim Kelly is fantastic as Williams as this African-American activist who is on the run after beating some racist policeman as he’s a man that is cool and knows how to kick some ass. Shih Kien is superb as Han as this crime lord that doesn’t seem intimidating until he proves to be a formidable fighter with a special handicap that allows him to beat his opponents as his voice is dubbed by Keye Luke. John Saxon is excellent as Roper as this gambling playboy who flees to Hong Kong over debt payments as he is a man that likes a good time until he learns more about what Han does. Finally, there’s Bruce Lee in a magnificent performance as Lee as this man who is a true master in martial arts as he strives to do what is right in the world while avenging his sister and bring honor back to his temple. Even as Lee proves to be a complete and total badass without the need to do much as he just lets his skills do the talking as it is an iconic performance from the legend.
Enter the Dragon is a phenomenal film from Robert Clouse and Bruce Lee that features an outstanding performance from Lee in one of his final film roles. The film isn’t just one of the finest films of the martial arts genre but also an adventurous film that has a lot of action, suspense, humor, and drama rolled into one. Even as it takes a story that is very simple and make it bigger to get audiences excited to see guys kick some ass. In the end, Enter the Dragon is a spectacular film from Robert Clouse and Bruce Lee.
Related: The Big Boss - Fist of Fury - The Way of the Dragon - Game of Death
© thevoid99 2015
