I don't know about you, but 'I Am Bruce Lee'

"If someone says that they can't watch a Bruce Lee film, then I can't talk to 'em."
- Reginald Hudlin

Word, Reggie. And 'nuff said... 'cause I can barely think...or speak...or write after seeing this trailer. To get more information on this amazing-looking film, visit the I Am Bruce Lee website.



P.S. I just popped by the Bruce Lee Facebook page and according Shannon (his daughter), the film will air on March 7th on Spike TV. Additional information about limited theatrical screenings are available at the I Am Bruce Lee website.

The Blackest Terror #1

Remember that scene in the movie Chasing Amy where the leather-clad black militant comic book creator whips out a fake pistol while he's on the stage at a comic book convention? And remember how he fires a blank round at a heckling audience member (his buddy Banksy), and then continues to fire off a few more rounds to the cackle-inducing call of "Black rage! Black rage!" Well, the debut issue of The Blackest Terror is a lot like that scene–except that when this guy's gat goes off, somebody catches a bad one.

Written by Eric M. Equivel and illustrated by Ander Sarabia, The Blackest Terror is a cool-looking book that I mostly just spotted on the rack at the local comic book shop some weeks ago. Unfortunately, that particular copy was the very last one on the rack and had been so manhandled by curious customers that I wasn't gonna fork over my hard-earned ducats for something that looked like sloppy seconds, or worse.

To my fanboy surprise, when I stopped in to visit the shop again yesterday there was a dozen or so new copies of The Blackest Terror on the rack. Right on. I promptly added one of the minty fresh copies to the short stack that I was carrying and made way for the cash register. When I got back to the lab, The Blackest Terror was the first book that I pulled from the pile.

Now, since I'm not one for spoilers you're just gonna have to do what I did and judge this handsome book by its cover: It's called The Blackest Terror, for Pete's sake, and boasts a mask-wearing brotha' with a skull and crossbones on his chest, passin' out knuckle sandwiches and free-toes at a Klu Klux Klan rally. (Well, I will actually say there aren't any Klansmen in the story, but do not let that keep you away from this righteously written and illustrated comic book.

Verdict: The Blackest Terror's kung fu does NOT suck.

St. Paco
Kung Fu Grip! zine

"There's no place like..."

"It's just about 12:30 in the morning and I'm on my way home from work. Great peaceful quiet walk to the Metra. Thought it was worth taking a picture. "



My new homie dirt_dog sent me this sweet snapshot from Chicago's downtown area. It's a great nighttime capture that almost makes me homesick–which is something I haven't felt in a while.

[Sigh]

Happy 'Subway Art' to Me

Image from Subway Art, 2009. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

At Barnes & Noble today, I chanced upon the 25th Anniversary Edition of Subway Art sellin' for the discounted price of $9.99. That's right, true believers, the super-sized version of Subway Art (original SRP $40.00) is sellin' for the low, low price of $9.99.

Well, the book had actually been in the virtual discount bins at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com since last year, if not even earlier. But it was still really cool to see it in the discount section of a brick-n-mortar store. This is especially true when considering that I've been draggin' my shell-toes about buying a copy since its release in 2009.

I know, I know. Blasphemous, right?

Well, after 'oohing and ahhing' through the copy that my homeboy Mikey picked up back when it first came out, I wasn't in any rush to get my own copy. Maybe it was stubborn sentimentality that just kept me referencing the original copy that I purchased way back in the 1980s, beat to utter crap though it may be.

With my birthday coming up (on Friday), and for the price, I figured it was finally time to make my move. But I still haven't cracked the cover yet. In fact, the book is still in the B&N bag. Like I said, my b-day is just around the corner and since I've waited nearly three years for it, I can wait another 48 hours, can't I?

NOW SHOWING...

Your Kung Fu Sucks! Desktop Cinemas proudly presents Return of the Kung-Fu Dragon (1976), starring the beautiful-but-deadly Sun-Kuan Rin-Feng, aka Polly Kuon (Dragon Gate Inn).



Free MP4 downloads of this film available courtesy of Archive.org.

The Art of Biting (What's Your Style?)

Enter the Dragon (1973)


Enter the Dragon (Production Still)


Fury of the Dragon (1979)


Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)


The Empire Strikes Back (1980)


The Dragon Strikes Back (1972)


Return of the Jedi (1983)


Return of the Dragon (1972)

Jim Jarmusch on originality.

The RZA & Jim Jarmusch

"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) with be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don't bother concealing your thievery–celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: 'It's not where you take things from–it's where you take them to.'"

–Jim Jarmusch