جمعه بیست و سوم فروردین 1387

2007 Black Belt Magazine (February 2008) (December 2007) Already forging ahead into the New Year, the February 2008 issue of Black Belt comes with a selection of Bruce Lee-related features, including: 'The Jeet Kune Do Professor' - Discover Bruce Lee's fighting art as seen through the eyes of Gary Dill, James Lee's most prominent student; 'Jeet Kune Do Source' - Teri Tom offers a discourse on how strain energy affects the execution of JKD techniques; 'Celebrity Watch' - A lifelong martial artist, John Saxon has enjoyed a career that extends far beyond Enter the Dragon. Also of interest is a new piece on Joe Lewis: 'Next Generation' - Before he started in karate, Joe Lewis respected only wrestling and weightlifting. Read how he learned to love the martial arts. This issue is on Stateside newsstands now and will no doubt be available in the UK in the opening weeks of January. Due Feb 2008: The Guiding Light/An Orphan's Tragedy (December 2007) Following on from the release of The Kid on December 4th, February 5th 2008 sees the next in the series of Bruce Lee's childhood movies - a double-bill no less: The Guiding Light and An Orphan's Tragedy! Press guff as follows: "Double feature containing two of Bruce Lee's early works, available for the first time on DVD. In The Guiding Light, a thiretten year old Lee plays San, a child who is given up for adoption. Finally accepted by his surrogate parents, he is suddenly faced with a dilemma when his real parents show up and want him back. Loosely based on Great Expectations, An Orphan's Tragedy follows a young Lee, an orphan, who meets and befriends an escaped convict, little knowing that their paths will cross again years later and bring about a series of fateful events and reveal a secret about the boy's past." To pre-order click here. Biography Channel Celebrates Bruce Lee's Life and Birthday (November 2007) To coincide with Bruce Lee's birthday, the Biography channel (Sky 156, Virgin 242) will be showing a documentary on 27th November at 11pm. For more information click here. As a teaser, Biography will air a documentary on James Coburn at 6pm on 26th November, which will include mention of Bruce Lee and his collaboration on The Silent Flute. Again, for more information click here. Latest Combat/Black Belt Magazines (November 2007) The striking cover of December 2007's issue of Combat magazine features a four-page interview, first announced back in July, with highly respected senior Bruce Lee student Taky Kimura, as well as a discussion with his son Andy. There is also a big annoucement as Combat joins forces with the Bruce Lee Estate and Steve Kerridge is unveiled as their new European representative. Across the Atlantic, Black Belt's January 2008 issue again sees focus on Jeet Kune Do, with Teri Tom's Jeet Kune Do Source column discussing 'the science of energy'. Bruce Lee Calendar 2008 (November 2007) As another year draws to a close we look forward to the future and what 2008 will bring. On the face of it it holds great promise indeed, so what better way to mark off the big Bruce Lee events as they unfold than an official calendar? Published by Slow Dazzle, each month promises a high-grade image of Bruce Lee in action. Click here to order. New Book: Legends of the Dragon (November 2007) We last reported on this volume way back in July 2006. The cover may have changed to stylish black and the focus shifted from Way of the Dragon but Steve Kerridge's eagerly awaited labour of love is finally set to see release in January 2008, published by Tao Publishing, a division of Tao Sports based in London, England. The book, the first of three volumes will retail at £19.95 and pre-orders are now being taken. Contact details as follows: Tao Publishing, Unit 1, Blenheim Court, Brownfields, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL7 1AD, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 1707 331001 or visit: Tao Publishing's website. Latest Black Belt/Jade Screen Magazines (October 2007) As well as the regular Bruce Lee column in the latest Jade Screen I have the distinct honour of realising an ambition by having something published within the hallowed pages of Black Belt magazine. To be in a publication Bruce Lee once wrote articles for is something else! Self-interest aside, the December issue went on sale on October 23rd in the US but as I'm waiting on the issue to make its flight across the North Atlantic I can only offer a preview in terms of content, with perhaps the most pertinent material in the shape of Teri Tom's look at the need to stay in touch with current trends in the arts in 'The JKD Source' column. Bruce Lee in 'The Kid' on DVD (October 2007) December 4th heralds the arrival of the first major Western release for one of Bruce Lee's childhood films, distributed by Cinema Epoch under the 'Bruce Lee - The Early Years' banner. A ten-year-old Bruce Lee stars in his first major role as Kid Cheung, an orphan boy who sells comics in a little stall in the slums to survive. When the local gang takes over the slum, it is up to young Bruce to tell them who's the Big Boss. Based upon the comic strip, "Kiddy Cheung" by Yuen Po-Wan, who also plays the role of Hung's spoiled son. For technical details and to order this release click here. BLF Celebrates 40 Years of Jeet Kune Do (October 2007) The Bruce Lee Foundation will be hosting an Official Bruce Lee Foundation Dinner and Seminar on October 27th, 2007 and October 28th, 2007 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bruce Lee's coining of the term Jeet Kune Do. The festivities will kick off on Saturday, October 27th, 2007 with seminars from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the National Wushu Training Center in Los Angeles. Later that night, all are invited to attend a dinner at 7 p.m. in Chinatown at The Golden Dragon Restaurant, The night will include several special guests, a presentation by Shannon Lee regarding the exciting future plans for the Bruce Lee Foundation, a question-and-answer session with Linda Lee Cadwell and Shannon Lee, raffles for special prizes, a display of Bruce Lee memorabilia, a traditional Chinese dinner, and much more. Sunday, October 28, 2007, seminars will continue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the National Wushu Training Center. Bruce Lee Foundation Advisory Members who have already committed to teaching include Ted Wong, Tim Tackett, Bob Bremer, Tommy Gong, Greg Smith, Gary Cangaanon, Mario Magdangal and Allen Magdangal. Also scheduled is a brief presentation by Advisory Member George Lee about the magnificent equipment he custom built to Bruce Lee's specifications. The costs for attending the seminars and dinner are as follows: October 27th, 2007 (seminars only) $65 Price includes T-shirt and certification of attendance. October 27th, 2007 (dinner only) $35 Price includes admission to dinner and one (1) raffle ticket. October 28th, 2007 (seminars only) $65 Price includes T-shirt and certification of attendance. October 27th and 28th, 2007 (seminars only) $110 Price includes T-shirt and certification of attendance. Both October 27th and 28th, 2007 (seminars and dinner) $135 Price includes T-shirt, certification of attendance, admission to October 27 dinner and one (1) raffle ticket. All proceeds go to benefit the mission of the Bruce Lee Foundation to preserve and perpetuate the teachings, art and legacy of Bruce Lee. To reserve your spot now, or for more information, please visit The Bruce Lee Foundation or e-mail nfo@bruceleefoundation.org. Longstreet Comes to DVD (September 2007) News comes from Japan, via Norway, of a long-awaited Longstreet DVD box-set; containing the pilot and twenty-three episodes over eight discs. The set is due for release on 30th November, other details are scarce at the moment, amounting to some rough information about language options and subtitles. This release ties in neatly with our Q&A session with French director Jeannot Szwarc. He has had a long and varied career and is still prominent today, directing episodes of Heroes, Bones, JAG, CSI and many, many other shows and films going back to the 1960s and 1970s... including Longstreet. He directed the Wednesday's Child episode (one of four featuring Bruce Lee as a martial arts instructor), Latest Black Belt/Inside Kung fu Magazines (September 2007) The latest editions of these US-based magazines both continue to build on ever-increasing Bruce Lee content with Black Belt's November edition carrying a regular 'Jeet Kune Do Source' column by Shannon Lee, updating readers with the Bruce Lee Foundation's recent accomplishments and future projects as well as 'Jeet Kune Do's Four Corner Defence' by renowned JKD authority Tim Tackett, who teaches one of the art's best defensive methods. Inside Kung fu runs with a fan-pleasing archive interview with Bolo Yeung and Tim Tackett crops up again, this time 'Mastering JKD's Straight Lead'. Sifu Larry Hartsell Passes Away (August 2007) Bruce Lee Review is sad to report the death of original Bruce Lee student Sifu Larry Hartsell. He passed away on the 20th August, a few days after turning sixty seven years old. He was a student at Bruce Lee's Chinatown school and also trained privately with Bruce Lee in his Bel Air backyard. He was a Jeet Kune Do instructor under Guro Dan Inosanto with decades of martial arts experience and the founder of the Jeet Kune Do Grappling Association. For more on the life and legacy of Sifu Hartsell, please click here. Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Seminar (UK) (August 2007) A Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Seminar, officially sanctioned by the Bruce Lee Foundation, is to take place in the UK this September. Tommy Gong, certified student of Ted Wong, former member of the board of directors of the Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Nucleus and a current member of the Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Advisory Committee to the Bruce Lee Foundation will be hosting with fellow instructor Greg Smith. The seminar will take place at Tiga Martial Arts Academy, Hammersmith, London, W6. For more information click the banner below: Enter the Dragon: The Remake! (August 2007) August 11th saw the unusual news that Enter the Dragon is to be remade; this first hit BLR via our forum when one of our visitors spotted it on UK Teletext (below). Five days later more details began to emerge: the film will be renamed Awaken the Dragon and will be written and directed by by Kurt Sutter, who brought us gritty TV cop drama The Shield, in association with the original film's production team of Fred Weintraub and Paul Heller. Fingers crossed for this one! Bruce Lee TV Series: Update! (August 2007) Following news in April that production of the forty-episode Legnd of Bruce Lee series was underway, footage has begun to emerge on YouTube and images have appeared of Mark Dacascos in his role of a Thai boxer challenging Bruce Lee on the set of The Big Boss. Added to that is the release of this poster. Let's hope this gets an official release in the West: MAI: The Green Hornet Stings Again! (July 2007) The August edition of Martial Arts Illustrated featured our interview with The Green Hornet short-film director Aurelien Poitrimoult, Click here, here and here for The Green Hornet article in its entirety. Meanwhile, Combat ran with a nice two-page piece by Scott McQuaid about Betty Ting Pei, no imagery to speak of save a background image to the article of the author in front of Bruce Lee's Hong Kong statue. There's some interesting information to be had about a stalled documentary by the BBC which was meant to be filmed and also a change of heart about her book which she says she won't be doing. BLF Museum Event in Japan (June 2007) On July 29th 2007, the Bruce Lee Foundation will be hosting 'Enter the Museum' an event in Tokyo, Japan to raise funds and awareness for the Bruce Lee Museum. The event will include a presentation and Q&A with Shannon Lee, an exhibit of Bruce Lee photographs and memorabilia, a special, very limited edition T-shirt available exclusively at the event, and other fun activities. This is the kind of event BLR would welcome in the UK; if the Japanese one is a success perhaps a tour of Europe, finishing in the UK at SENI08 could be arranged? Food for thought! This news c/o The Bruce Lee Foundation, image c/o 20th Century Warriors. New Special Edition BLF T-shirt (June 2007) On June 23rd 2007, the Bruce Lee Foundation in conjunction with the UFC, will unveil a new special edition Bruce Lee t-shirt during the Ultimate Fighter 5 finale airing on Spike TV. The shirt will be available exclusively online. Proceeds go to benefit the foundation and its programmes. This news c/o The Bruce Lee Foundation. Bruce Lee Day on Spike TV (June 2007) Spike TV paid tribute to Bruce Lee on Sunday 24th June with 'Bruce Lee Day'. The homage to Bruce Lee consisted of nearly ten hours of programming and rare digital content highlighted by Shannon Lee hosting a presentation of her father's classic Enter the Dragon, the greatest martial arts film of all time. This news c/o The Bruce Lee Foundation. Martial Arts Illustrated June 2007 (May 2007) Issue by issue Martial Arts Illustrated is rebuilding its reputation as the best printed, periodical source for Bruce Lee material here in the UK. The June edition is certainly no exception, nicely tapping into coverage of SENI07 and features an exclusive interview with Bruce Lee's senior student in Jun Fan JKD, the living legend that is Taky Kimura; Diana Lee Inosanto talks about her directorial efforts on The Sensei, for more about this film, you should check out the official site; Paul Obinna deconstructs Enter the Dragon. While BLR was just a ninety-minute journey from SENI07 we couldn't break family commitments to attend but one of our trustees managed to give us the inside track at our forum. Be Water, My Friend (Signed) Competition (April 2007) BLR is pleased to offer one lucky fan the opportunity to win a signed hardback copy of the recently released Be Water, My Friend: The Early Years of Bruce Lee. This competition is running in the latest Jade Screen magazine, at the close of BLR's regular Bruce Lee column. All you need to do is send your name and address details to 'office@jade-screen.com' or by conventional mail to: Jade Screen Book Competition, Po Box 1989, Bath, BA2 2YE, UK. Closing date for entries is 30th August. Enter the Dragon (Blu-ray) (April 2007) Another month, another release of Enter the Dragon, however this edition marks its arrival on HD-DVD's rival Blu-ray. We've not been paying too much attention to the new super-digital format war, as BLR hails from a time when there were multiple tape formats vying for supremacy, with perhaps the worst winning through. So, if you don't mind we'll wait for the dust to settle before upgrading. Anyone who loves the latest gadgets and needs some software for their new Blu-ray player/recorder, you certainly could do worse than this. For more information and to order click here. SENI07: Bruce Lee @ Longbeach ... in colour! (April 2007) This excerpt from SENI07's 'Fighting Spirit Film Festival' press release: "Seni has gone the extra mile and has procured vintage footage of the King of Kung Fu and the King of Rock and Roll sparring. In footage which was supposed lost until 2002, you can see Bruce Lee performing an amazing demonstration at the Long Beach Internationals in 1967. In it Bruce Lee performs his famous three-inch punch, twelve-inch punch and his one finger push ups. Fighting Spirit visitors can also see what is thought to be the only footage ever recorded of Bruce Lee sparring. Rising Sun Productions has come across this exceptionally rare and mint condition 16 mm colour film of the 1967 competition as well as a 16mm film of Elvis Presley performing a fabulous demonstration of Kenpo Karate in the early 1970s. The two pieces of footage have been edited together into a short film entitled The Two Kings: The King of Rock and Roll, and The King Of Kung Fu. The last time this footage was shown four years ago in the United States and now 40 Years after its filming Seni 2007 will be showcasing this footage for fans from Europe to see for the very first time." SENI07 is due to take place at London Docklands' EXCel centre on 19th and 20th May. For more information, visit the SENIShow web-site. Martial Arts Illustrated/Combat Magazines May 2007 (April 2007) MAI's latest Jun Fan Journal leads with the news that a pristine copy of Bruce Lee's martial arts demonstration in 1967 at Ed Parker's Longbeach Tournament will be screened at the up and coming SENI07 Expo in London on the 19-20th of May. To pave the way for the event, the world of Ed Parker, Bruce Lee and the Longbeach Tournaments is exposed. For more on this and the next issue's content, click here. After the last couple of issues of Bruce Lee/Sylvia Lai the Bruce Lee column in Combat is a little more low-key; a look at JKD Memorabilia with Richard Bustillo, which runs for three pages with some nice images of Bruce Lee's training equipment etc. Bruce Lee TV Series Underway (April 2007) This, from Associated Press on 10th April: "China's national broadcaster has started filming a 40-part series on Bruce Lee, part of an apparent bid to promote Chinese culture in the run-up to next year's Beijing Summer Olympics. China Central Television started shooting "The Legend of Bruce Lee" over the weekend in Shunde in Guangdong province in southern China, Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday. Shunde is the ancestral home of the martial arts icon, who was born in San Francisco in 1940. Xinhua said the $6.4 million production will also be filmed in Hong Kong and the United States, where Lee studied and aunched his acting career. Chen Guokun, who plays Lee, said he has mixed feelings about playing the role. "I'm nervous and also excited, but I will do my best," Chen, who is also known as Chan Kwok-kwan, was quoted as saying. Chen, best known for his role in the action comedy Kung Fu Hustle, said Lee has been his role model since he was a child, and that he has practiced kung fu for many years. Lee died in 1973 at age 32 from swelling of the brain. His action films include Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon. The TV series is due to be aired in 2008, the year Beijing hosts the Olympic Games." Bruce Lee Poker Chips (April 2007) Yes, poker chips. Here at BLR, we're not too big on cards (save Solitaire) or gambling but for those with a penchant for poker and our mutual hero, collectablesmania.com have produced two sets, one a starter pack and the other a complete set retailing at £23.99 and £94.99 respectively. Individual chips can be purchased to spread the cost but the starter pack must be acquired in order to secure a reservation for all chips in the set. For more information, click here. Support The Green Hornet 2! (March 2007) This message from The Green Hornet's director Aurelien Poitrimoult and The Green Hornet himself Manu Lanzi: "Thanks to the support and help of many Hornet fans, we were able to accomplish part of our dream. We are surprised and proud to say that there's already been 700 000 downloads of the first Green Hornet, not counting YouTube and other Dailymotions. But it's only the beginning. We know we can do much better. The Green Hornet 2 will be a direct sequel to the first one, but bigger, louder and better! Since it's auto-produced, with non lucrative goals, we are trying to get people to help us financially through our web site. We have posted a small video announcing our project. We're aware it's an innovative way of producing films, but we were so surprised by the success and the support we got from all our friends and fans, that we strongly believe we can make this film happen, together.Thank you in advance for your help. We've started the ball rolling and made a small donation, so please click here to help and here to watch a training featurette. New EnterBay Way of the Dragon Figure! (March 2007) This intricate new design boasts an 'interchangeable eye system; 360 degree movement is now possible' and comes with these accessories: 10 different posing hands, 2x nunchaku, 4x darts, long weapon stick, outfit with fine material, an authenticity certificate, deluxe box which when opened turns into a very high quality diorama. The weight and the size of the total packaging is almost the same as the Game Of Death Bruce Lee figure, but the packaging and quality on this one is even better. Anyone who pre-orders this figure before April 12th 2007 will exclusively get the special premium album Bruce Lee in Italy 2007, Behind the scenes of The Way of the Dragon. Most of the photos were taken at the same location where Bruce Lee shot the film in 1972. Descendents of the Dragon (March 2007) 'The Second Generation of Jeet Kune Do and Beyond'; this new volume by Paul Bax, author of Disciples of the Dragon contains interviews with second and third generation students of Bruce Lee's students. Find out the history of their martial arts training and their thoughts on the past and future of Jeet Kune Do! Who are the men who will lead Bruce Lee's art into the future? All interpretations of Lee's art are covered such as Wing Chun, Wing Chun Do, Wu Wei, Jun Fan Gung Fu, JKD Concepts and Jeet Kune Do! Discover many unheard stories as related by first generation Lee students through the words of their top students! For more information, click here. New Martial Arts Illustrated & Combat Magazines (March 2007) The latest Martial Arts Illustrated contains the first Jun Fan Journal column by Andrew Staton, with coverage of the latest Bruce Lee news and releases as well as a nice article on Bruce Lee's relationship with Unicorn Chan and carries some nice Unicorn images; a review of the recent 2-disc Fist of Unicorn DVD will follow in the next edition. The April edition of Combat concludes the Sylvia Lai article with still more fascinating candid images of Bruce Lee. New Combat, Jade Screen & Vengeance Magazines! (February 2007) The next issue of Jade Screen, due April 9th, will include our regular Bruce Lee column, featuring our delayed review of 'Be Water, My Friend' plus an interview with its author and illustrator. The final issue of Vengeance magazine is out now and includes coverage of The Big Boss Platinum Edition and our interview with the director of The Crow and Dark City Alex Proyas. Of more interest is the March edition of Combat with its eye-catching Enter the Dragon cover, four-page Sylvia Lai article and interview dripping with incredible images, with the promise of more to come in the April issue! New Books and Magazines for 2007 (January 2007) With the release date of Davis Miller's Last Days of Bruce Lee having come and gone with no sign of the book itself, and yet still strangely listed for sale from many retailers, we instead turn our attention to other printed matter due shortly: Bruce Lee (Asian Americans of Achievement) (Hardcover) by Rachel A. Koestler-Grack is due February 28th 2007. No finer detail other than page count (128) at this stage. Bruce Lee & Me (Paperback) by Brian Preston is also due 8th March 2007, with a 12th April UK release scheduled. Moving to magazines; Martial Arts Illustrated is to boost its Bruce Lee content with the 'Jun Fan Journal' and Combat's February issue hailed big things for future issues with a 'previously unpublished' poster of Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, partially reproduced below. Martial Arts Master DVD (January 2007) Due 5th February 2007 is the latest release of Bruce Lee Martial Arts Master; released on DVD as recently as 2004 by Warner Brothers, having made many appearances since 1993, this edition comes c/o Optimum, here's hoping they've remastered it at least. No word on extras, if any, as yet but the sleeve artwork is effective. 2006 Actor Cast for new Bruce Lee TV Show (December 2006) Looking like Bruce Lee has paid off for Hong Kong actor Chan Kwok-kwan. The actor played a Lee look-alike in the 2001 comedy Shaolin Soccer and has now landed the lead role in a new Chinese television series on the late kung fu star, newspapers reported Saturday. Chan got the role because Lee's wife and daughter, who were consulted on the casting for the series, were impressed by his physical likeness to the late star, the Apple Daily said. In the Hong Kong martial arts comedy Shaolin Soccer, Chan played a goalkeeper who sported Lee's signature yellow track suit and had the late star's gestures and expressions. Chan has also played Lee in television commercials. Chan said he worked out and learned Jeet Kune Do - or the Way of the Intercepting Fist, a fighting style pioneered by Lee - to show his determination to get the role in the new TV series, the Ming Pao Daily newspaper said. He has even sent monthly tapes of his kung fu classes and clips of him mimicking Lee to Lee's wife and daughter, the paper said. "I'm really very happy that I got the lead role. This isn't about the money. I'm really excited to play Bruce Lee," the paper quoted Chan as saying. The mainland Chinese television series will tell Bruce Lee's story in 40 episodes, and is due to begin filming in February, the Apple Daily said. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. Tao of Jeet Kune Do Limited Collector's Edition (October 2006) News has reached BLR of the Tao of Jeet Kune Do Limited Collector's Edition, touted as 'the quintessential Bruce Lee treatise on his martial art, Jeet Kune Do, brought to you in this spectacular hardback edition!' This new edition includes: * philosophy of Jeet Kune Do * mental training and discipline * physical workouts * qualities of the martial artist * attack and defence strategies * introduction by Linda Lee * original drawings and sketches by Bruce Lee Limited Collector's Edition features: * hard cover * imprinted dust sleeve * hard cloth slipcase * each copy personally signed by Linda Lee Cadwell and Shannon Lee * official numbered certificate of authenticity signed by Black Belt and the Bruce Lee Foundation. Available for a limited time, only 500 copies! $99.99 (£52) (plus shipping and handling) 50% of all proceeds go to the Bruce Lee Foundation. Click here for more information and to order. Jade Screen Vol 4 #2 (October 2006) Originally due September 30th 2006, the arrival of the latest issue of Jade Screen crept into the second week of October, arriving with perhaps the coolest cover since its inception and much improved binding, powerfully announcing an interview with the legendary Dan Inosanto. As well as our regular Bruce Lee column, which features 'The Films of Brandon Lee' other content includes: The Seoul Raider: Jingle Ma interviewed, The Lucky Star: Richard Ng profiled, The 36th Chamber: new Shaw Brothers column. Fist of Unicorn - 66th Birthday Edition! (October 2006) Due 27th November courtesy of Soulblade, to tie in with Bruce Lee's sixty-sixth birthday, is an updated wide-screen edition of one of our guilty pleasures Fist of Unicorn. Expect this version to be more in tune with the region one edition which emerged a few years ago and not its cut-down cousin. Thanks to the BBLA for this exclusive news snippet. Jade Screen Vol 4 #3 (October 2006) The next issue of Jade Screen is scheduled for December 18th and will contain our regular Bruce Lee column alongside The Lucky Star: Richard Ng Interviewed, The Life & Films of Donnie Yen, Heroic Bloodshed Examined, The 36th Chamber: new Shaw Brothers Column. Plus: The 2006 Jade Tour Profiled, Jade Files, Competions, Letters Page, Merchandise and all the news, reviews and happenings in the Hong Kong Movie World! Neo Magazine #24 (September 2006) As a fine pre-cursor to the release of The Big Boss Platinum Edition, the latest issue of Neo magazine, available from September 14th, ran with a three-page retrospective of Bruce Lee's life and art, subtitled 'the martial arts master uncovered'. This one slipped below our radar, so thanks to the BBLA for bringing it to our attention. The Last Days of Bruce Lee - 'Delayed Indefinitely' (September 2006) Following news via our discussion board that Davis Miller's long awaited book had been shelved, BLR contacted Vintage, a divsion of Random House and asked for clarification regarding the book's intended publication date in December. They replied: "We definitely have this title down for future release, but as yet there is no confirmed pub[lication] date on our system. This suggests that publication won't be for some considerable time yet.". The Big Boss Platinum Edition: Latest! (September 2006) Finer details have emerged about this latest incarnation of The Big Boss, a trailer for which appeared on HKL's web-site at the end of August; with a teasing, animated blood-splash over a clip of the truncated 'saw scene', a snippet of a BBLA-driven commentary, the curious inclusion of interviews with Enter the Dragon's Paul Heller and Fred Weintraub and much chest-beating of a remastered print we're clinging onto the hope that this will be as good as, if not better, than previous Platinum Bruce Lee releases. This 2-disc set breaks down as follows: Disc One - widescreen feature presentation; feature length audio commentary by Andrew Staton and Will Johnston; Cantonese mono; Cantonese stereo; optional English and Dutch subtitles; further attractions. Disc Two - Paul Heller: Breaking The West; Fred Weintraub: A Rising Star; Tom Kuhn: What Might Have Been; The History Of The Big Boss - a photographic retrospective; Deleted Scenes Examined - the story of the elusive original uncut print; Bruce Lee biography; UK Platinum trailer; UK promotional trailer; original theatrical trailer; Hong Kong promotional trailer; rare uncut 8mm UK trailer; original 35mm UK title sequence; textless 35mm title sequence; original lobby cards. Lee Siu Loong: Memories of the Dragon Volume 2 (August 2006) As reported back in February, a deluxe edition saw release at the end of the month. Lee Siu Loong - Memories Of the Dragon Volume 2 is compiled once more by David Tadman working closely with the Lee Family Association. This heavyweight, limited edition costs approximately £95 but some fans are already exploiting its limited availability and selling it at inflated prices. If you have the cash then this is an essential purchase from legitimate outlets. Disciples of the Dragon - Revised! (August 2006) Paul Bax is back! The second edition of Disciples... has a new cover, includes a new interview with Bob Wall and re-edited content. Each book will be numbered and signed by the author. Although we haven't seen a copy, we're hoping that all the comments we made in our review regarding production values have been taken on-board and will cement its reputation as one of the premier Bruce Lee books available right now. The Big Boss Platinum Edition: Artwork (August 2006) There's very little buzz surrounding this release, surprising given the level of expectation. HKL remain tight-lipped, with only a hint of what's to come care of those purveyors of DVD Play.com who posted what appears to be the final sleeve artwork for this 2-disc makeover. Personally, we'll resist double-dipping in favour of a mouth-watering Platinum boxset due 26th March 2007. Red Lizard Summer Special (July 2006) Here's a nice little offer c/o Red Lizard, buy Twelve Weeks in Hong Kong by John Saxon this summer and receive the following products free: Enter the Dragon John Saxon Seni 2006 A2 Poster - this poster was produced specifically for the 'Audience with John Saxon' show at Seni 06 in the UK. Only a small number of these were printed to advertise the event, making it very collectable. Limited edition numbered audience with John Saxon Seni 2006 brochure - this 12 page brochure contains many rare photos and an exclusive in-depth interview with John Saxon. The brochure was limited to a 500 print run and each one is individually numbered. Also very collectable. Enter the Dragon (English) postcard set, this postcard set contains 8 rare photos Limited stocks are available and this special offer ends 30/9/06, click here to order. Double Enter the Dragon (July 2006) Summer 2006 sees not one, but two new releases of Enter the Dragon; a standard budget re-release of the 2-disc edition will re-emerge on August 7th while American fans got the HD-DVD equivalent in mid-July, with the latter receiving reasonable reviews from many quarters. New Book: Way of the Dragon (July 2006) Popular British 'Superfan' Steve Kerridge is set to release a 'labour of love' in the shape of his new book about Way of the Dragon's production. With a shifting title and little information being given away by all involved it's easy to see why Bruce Lee enthusiasts are getting jittery and salivating at everything this volume might be, especially as it looks to be endorsed by the Bruce Lee Estate. Jade Screen Vol 4 #1 (July 2006) The latest issue of Jade Screen includes our review of Disciples of the Dragon as well as a Q&A with its author, the one and only Paul Bax. Other Bruce Lee highlights include David Tadman's interview with Lalo Schifrin, the man behind Enter the Dragon's music as well as Dominic Peppiatt's chin-wag with John Saxon during his promotional appearance at SENI 06. All this, plus all the usual features and happenings in the Hong Kong movie world. Remembering the Master: Delayed again! (July 2006) In December of last year we reported the arrival of this new book from the BBLA's Andrew Staton which, to our dismay slipped from its late March release and was on track to appear at the end of July. Sadly, it's now slipped again to the end of September. Truth be told, we're still really psyched for this one, as it breathes new life into our Will Hutchins Blondie Q&A and will no doubt contain all manner of similar quality material. To pre-order your copy of the book, simply click the image to be magically transported to Amazon. New DVD: Bruce Lee - 2 Fists of Fury (Update) (June 2006) It's been surprisingly quiet on the UK DVD market where Bruce Lee is concerned, especially with The Big Boss - Platinum Edition delayed. Filling the gap nicely on June 26th is a new 2-disc DVD courtesy of WHE Europe, which had us curious about the content for quite some time until finer details began to emerge just two weeks before its release date. This twin-set documentary consists of The Immortal Dragon and The Legend Lives On. You can now pre-order via amazon. New DVD: Fist of Fear, Touch of Death (June 2006) Absolute stinker Fist of Fear, Touch of Death is with us once again; released on June 13th. To add insult to injury this time it's coupled with the equally awful The Real Bruce Lee, crammed onto a single Region 0 DVD courtesy of the Pop Flix label. If you're beyond desperate for a Bruce Lee fix this Summer then you can pre-order via amazon. New Green Hornet Soundtrack CD (May 2006) Billy May's music for these 1966 episodes is said to be one of the most sought-after of its genre. Here it is then on a limited edition CD with a 20 page booklet packed with notes, facts and photos. The disc features eleven tracks from the show (Green Hornet, Four Hornets, Casy, Horneted House, Kato, Do the Hornet, Black Beauty, Guadarahornet, Activate the Scanner, The Green Hornet, Main Title) and will hopefully open the doors to a legitimate DVD box-set. For sample tracks and further information, go to Harkit Records. Vengeance Magazine Vol.3 #3 (May 2006) The new issue of Vengeance Magazine features the second half of our John Saxon interview; well illustrated, this closing instalment focuses more on John Saxon's career before and after Enter the Dragon, making it worthy of investigation for anyone wishing to look past the Roper character and at the work of a genuine movie icon. The issue also features a DVD review of Brandon Lee's opening gambit, Kung Fu - The Movie. New Book: Be Water My Friend (April 2006) Many thanks to Jason Low from Lee and Low Books (NY) for press information regarding this new children's book. An excellent step in the right direction for perpetuating Bruce Lee's Legacy: "Be Water, My Friend: The Early Years of Bruce Lee will be published in Fall 2006. I expect the book to be available by September of this year. The author Ken Mochizuki and illustrator Dom Lee are an award winning children's book team that has depicted Bruce in a sensitive, realistic portrayal as a flawed individual, searching for personal enlightenment while growing up in Hong Kong. To my knowledge there have been many books on Bruce Lee, but none that have been illustrated, and none that are specifically for young readers. We intend to bring you more on this as it comes in. HKL Magazine: Enter the Dragon (April 2006) Issue 8 of the Hong Kong Legends/Deagostini collaboration features Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. A curious inclusion given that Bruce Lee fans would probably love to see HKL get their claws into it and give it the kind of treatment that Warner Brothers generally fall short of. The disc itself includes all the extras of the recent Special Edition while the magazine charts the production; with a breakdown of plot-points, leading characters and an illustrated section examining Bruce Lee's pole-fighting skills and the face-off with Bob Wall. Delayed! The Big Boss Platinum Edition (April 2006) News reached BLR in mid-April that the release date of Bruce Lee's explosive re-entry into Hong Kong cinema has been pushed back again, this time to 16th October 2006. This will no doubt further fuel speculation of what Hong Kong Legends have in store for the die-hard fans eagerly anticipating restored scenes, the most infamous of which has to be the 'saw in the head' sequence. The build-up to a near definitive version of the film, that will do the Platinum Edition tag justice, starts here. Martial Arts Illustrated - John Saxon (March 2006) The build-up to SENI06 sees John Saxon on the cover of this month's Martial Arts Illustrated, with an in-depth interview c/o of Andrew Staton. Also of interest to Bruce Lee fans is the article 'Bruce Lee's Armbars', investigating grappling moves Bruce Lee was using in his lifetime that are only just emerging today. Amazing new Game of Death figure (March 2006) Enterbay in Hong Kong are planning to release an exclusive series of figures sculpted by Korean artist Arnie Kim. These figures will be of the highest quality to produce an authentic likeness to Bruce Lee's face and physique, with a removable hair-piece that allows quick access for 'eyes-interchange'! The first one will be released in July and will be Bruce Lee in Game of Death! This particular figure will be twelve inches in size (1/6 scale) and come in deluxe packaging with a booklet and numbered certificate of authenticity as well as these accessories: nunchaku with case, green bamboo, bracelet, sport shoes, tailor-made jumpsuit and a display base with backgroud. They will be available through Enterbay in Hong Kong and also through specially selected retailers around the world. It's worth a note to say that the image shown are of an impressive prototype model, the final product may differ. For more, visit Enterbay. Here Come the Brides on DVD! (March 2006) Following months of speculation things were none too clear towards the end of 2005, when the rumour mill did little to address timescales or content of a possible boxset. They might not know it, but Sony have made Bruce Lee fans very happy indeed with this release now confirmed for May 16th. No doubt this will be bootlegged to death by those interested in the single episode featuring Bruce Lee, but it's still another release worthy of praise for bringing high-quality Bruce Lee footage to the fore. This update c/o The Temple of the Unknown. An Audience with John Saxon May 2006 (March 2006) Red Lizard Martial Arts productions will be hosting An Audience with John Saxon at the SENI 06 Combat Sports Show. The twice daily session will feature an in-depth talk by John Saxon about his Twelve Weeks in Hong Kong on the set of iconic martial arts film Enter the Dragon and a photographic presentation displaying rare images from the film. There will also be a question and answer session with full audience participation enabling you to get involved and ask John any particular questions you may have. The show will be at 12.30pm & 3.30pm on 6th & 7th May 2006 within the SENI 06 Show at the NEC Birmingham UK. An individually numbered limited edition collector's brochure which will include your ticket for this event will be available from the Red Lizard Stand no. 850. As we expect high demand for this event they will also be available to pre-order on the Red Lizard web site soon. John Saxon will also be available throughout the 2 day show on the Red Lizard Stand no. 850 to sign autographs. The unique limited edition collectors book Twelve weeks in Hong Kong by John Saxon and Red Lizard will also be available to purchase at the Show on the Red Lizard Stand. For more, visit Red Lizard. HKL Magazine: Way of the Dragon (March 2006) The latest issue (#6) of the Deagostini/HKL tie-in features Bruce Lee's directorial debut Way of the Dragon. The magazine itself includes an illustrated deconstruction of the famous double-nunchaku scene and the battle between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, a two-page feature on the life and career of Chuck Norris and the 'making of a masterpiece'. Martial Arts Illustrated / Fist of Fury Platinum Edition (February 2006) The latest Martial Arts Illustrated continues widespread coverage of Fist of Fury Platinum Edition. MAI's web-blurb previews Damian Howden's review of "...a film that needs no introduction. Anyone with a passing interest in martial arts films will certainly have seen it at least once, and fans of the genre will probably have seen it many more times. The second of Bruce Lee's films for Golden Harvest, it is often considered to be his finest work, combining some amazing martial arts set-pieces with a powerful storyline". Other Bruce Lee related features include Andy Gibney's piece 'Bruce Lee Has Died' about the next generation of martial arts icons. Due July 10th - The Big Boss Platinum Edition (February 2006) In the build up to and beyond the release of HKL's Fist of Fury Platinum Edition, speculation began in earnest about The Big Boss receiving a similar upgrade. Fanning the flames of whether this is actually a worthwhile exercise is the sad fact that many of the key indviduals integral to previous releases have moved onto other things. So far, only one major online distributor is carrying a listing with a release date of 29th May 2006 but this has now slipped to July 10th and there is currently a big question mark over the level of quality that would justify Platinum Edition status. The Dragon & The Tiger Volumes 3 & 4 (February 2006) Due in 2006, following on from their next book Remembering the Master are the final two volumes of The Dragon & the Tiger series: Volume 3 is subtitled 'The Warrior's Way' and details the chronicled accounts of Bruce Lee returning to Hong Kong (Kowloon) to visit his family after a long time away in the United States. It also details Doug Palmers visit for the summer to Hong Kong to spend his vacation with Bruce and his family. You'll discover the details leading up to Bruce Lee marrying Linda Emery and their relationship prior to moving to Oakland and sharing the household with James Yimm Lee's family. It takes you through many of the day-to-day routines and regimens in Bruce's life a relative stranger to the Greater Bay Area. It also features several trips prior to Bruce and Linda's relocation. Volume 4 is subtitled 'An Uncertain Destiny' and provides a very insightful glimpse into the personal lives of Bruce Lee and James Lee as they struggle with the their own destinies while supporting each other in every way imaginable. James Lee's wife Katherine's untimely demise after being diagnosed with breast cancer, Linda and Bruce helping James raise the children Greglon and Karena, Linda giving birth to their first child Brandon Bruce Lee, and a myriad of dilemmas that push both men to their limits.During it all, James, Linda and Bruce still looked forward to grand things happening in the future. But truly not knowing what was destined to happen in their lives. The break came for Bruce and Linda when James suggested to Ed Parker, the promoter of his first International Karate Championships in Long Beach, California that he invite his good friend Bruce Lee to perform a gung-fu demonstration at his premiere event. Naturally, Ed Parker agreed and like they say in Hollywood, "The rest is history." This text c/o www.oaklandjkd.com More Memories of the Dragon! (February 2006) Exclusively revealed at the 20th Century Warriors forum, the next two volumes in this series were unveiled with some absoluely cracking cover images. Seemingly only available in Japan, release dates have yet to be confirmed by David Tadman and the Lee Family Association. We anticipate the production problems that did little to detract from the first volume will not be present and these will soon be as equally collectible and sought after by Bruce Lee fans all over the world. Vengeance Magazine Vol 3 # 2 (January 2006) The latest Vengeance - The X-treme Movie Magazine includes our recent interview with John Saxon, a heavily edited version of which appeared in Jade Screen. This issue also features an article, 'Platinum Dragon', its strap line screaming 'The legendary Bruce Lee returns as the martial arts maelstrom, Fist Of Fury gets the ultimate DVD treatment!'. The magazine and its web-site carry a content warning due to adult orientated material. Bruce Lee in 'Jonathon Ross's Asian Invasion' on BBC 4 (January 2006) January 17th saw the second instalment of Jonathon Ross's Asian Invasion, a documentary series that underpins BBC Four's Asian Cinema Season (began January 9th and concludes Janaury 24th). There were some stock Bruce Lee clips from The Big Boss and Way of the Dragon as well as a discussion with Stephen Chow Sing Chi about his idol as well as a broad cross-section of classic Hong Kong movies and how the film industry has fared since 1997's handover of Hong Kong to China. For more, click here. New Magazines January 2006 (January 2006) Although due the week before Christmas, it wasn't until nigh on the second week in January that the latest Jade Screen arrived, with an edited version of our John Saxon interview as the cover feature, a preview of Fist of Fury Platinum Edition and news of Bruce Lee's 65th birthday tributes in Hong Kong and Bosnia. For a former anime-phile like myself, it's always pleasing to find an excuse to buy a new magazine, and Neo's Game of Death pop-art cover (where you can win the artwork!) is certainly worth a look for its Bruce Lee coverage ('How Fist of Fury Defined Martial Arts Movies') that builds on the exclusive review that featured in the previous issue, discusses the numerous sequels and prequels and charts its influence to the present day. Martial Arts Illustrated's 200 page year book ran with 'Diana Inosanto: Hollywood Actress and Stuntwoman'. For those of you who have been living under a rock the PR blurb ran like this: "Diana Lee Inosanto, the daughter of martial arts legend and Bruce Lee's best friend and training partner Dan Inosanto, is a multifaceted, talented professional. Hollywood actress and stuntwoman, model, martial artist and a genuinely nice human being, Diana Inosanto was a first hand witness to the Bruce Lee phenomenon. In this rare and exclusive interview by Fiaz Rafiq, Diana sheds light on her Uncle Bruce, her friendship with Brandon Lee, revealing never before told stories and which path her intriguing career has taken. In life, people are inspired by certain human beings who leave a lasting impression on them forever. Diana is a rare and talented individual who is the perfect role model for women in today's society who want to get up and do something fascinating and better themselves." Still available and doing very well, comparing the newsstands sat side-by-side with all new collectible DVD/magazine releases in them, is the HKL/Deagostini collaboration Hong Kong Legends; "a superb magazine and DVD collection of some of the best Martial Arts movies from the Far East". Issue #1 is just £2.99 with each issue thereafter retailing at £7.99. If it's simply the Bruce Lee issues you're into, then look out for Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon further into the release schedule. To see a sample of the magazine, click here 2005 Jade Screen Volume 3 #6 (December 2005) The next issue of Jade Screen will be released on 28th February 2006 and feature Cynthia Rothrock: The Queen of Kung Fu Cinema interviewed, Sammo Hung Speaks Out! The Stuntman: Jude Poyer talks to Jade. Our Bruce Lee column is likely to include our classic Norman Borine interview... but may well be replaced at the eleventh hour with a new interview we're working on right now. Other content includes the usual suspects: Jade Files, competions, letters page, merchandise and all the news, reviews and happenings in the Hong Kong Movie World! Virgin Film: Martial Arts (December 2005) Published on 8th December by Virgin Books we have what is billed as 'The Essential Guide to the films that define the martial arts genre'. The press release states: "Martial Arts has expanded from a cult market to the mainstream with successes such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The late 60s and 70s saw a massive surge in the release of martial arts films, spawning a cult following that continues to grow. This comprehensive guide explores in detail twenty seminal films in the martial arts genre, with particular focus on recurring themes, directors and stars. Each chapter covers a different branch of the genre from Hong Kong Legends such as Once Upon a Time in China and Enter the Dragon to modern Asian classics like House of the Flying Daggers to incursion into Hollywood films such as The Karate Kid and The Matrix. The development of the genre from 1920s China to the present is traced with analysis and explanations of the different martial arts seen in these films in an entertaining guide to the vast array of martial arts movies and their role in modern cinema. A fascinating must-have read for any kick-flick fanatic". New Hong Legends DVD Magazine! Issue #1 - Fist of Fury (December 2005) 2006 will see the arrival of a new magazine, where HKL and Deagostini join forces to bring you "Hong Kong Legends - a superb magazine and DVD collection of some of the best Martial Arts movies from the Far East. Starring Legendary artists: Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li and many more in an awesome display of Martial Arts Mastery, this collection is yours to own as part of a fortnightly series. Each movie is accompanied by a superb colour magazine detailing every aspect of the film, the cast and the action.  Making of a Masterpiece - All of the movies in the series became classic martial arts films.  Excellence in Action - See how the stunts, weapons, acrobatics and key moves were choreographed.  Star Profile - Find out about the stars, director and supporting cast of each film.  Film File - Read how this film fits within the Hong Kong legends genre." Issue #1 is just £2.99 with each issue thereafter retailing at £7.99. For more and to see a sample of the magazine, click here Bruce Lee: Memories of a Master (December 2005) Due in March 2006 from Health 'n' Life Publishing, the cover carries the sub-heading 'Legendary Conversations', which gives an indication of the kind of material we can expect. Also, we're proud to announce that an abridged version of our very own Will Hutchins Blondie Q&A will be included in this compendium of articles. Edited and compiled by the BBLA's Andrew Staton it will feature a wealth of material from the last 18 years along with fresh additions from different authors. Click the image for more detail and to pre-order. Fist of Fury Platinum Edition: Latest (December 2005) The release schedule for HKL's shiny, new version of Fist of Fury is akin to a bar of wet soap it would seem, having slipped from its August 05 date to early January 06. Last Summer we predicted that it would slip again... only to change our tune in October when a revised press release forced us to reconsider. And so, here we go again, with the release falling back once more, this time by a mere two weeks to January 23rd. We'll keep you posted should this move into February and beyond and hope to give you a preview when review copies become available. Bruce Lee's 65th Birthday Celebrations (November 2005) Bruce Lee's 65th birthday was commemorated in style by the unveiling of not one, but two statues; one in Hong Kong on 27th November (with members of the Lee Family Association present) and one in the Bosnian city of Mostar the day before, the latter erected to transcend political and ethnic tensions in the region but subsequently vandalised, with one nunchaku stick and the chain removed from the bronze tribute [VIDEO: Watch the BBC News Report]. The Hong Kong unveiling tied in with a week of events that began with 'Bruce Lee Night', martial arts demonstrations, a Bruce Lee quiz and a lucky draw. 'Bruce Lee's Footsteps Tours' (in association with the Hong Kong Tourist Board) gave fans the chance to walk in the 'Footsteps of Bruce Lee's Life' (taking in Hong Kong locations where he lived, studied, learned Kung fu as well as movie locations) as did 'Bruce Lee's Home Town Tours', in Shunde, China; an opportunity to dig deeper still into the origins of Bruce Lee's family in Jun-an village, with visits to Shunde's Bruce Lee Museum, Master Wong Fei-Hung's Lion Dance School, Fo-Shan Temple and Master Yip Man's Memorial Hall. In addition, there was a Bruce Lee walk-in movie show, featuring Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend, The Kid, Dragon: Since 1973, A Myriad Homes, A Son is Born, An Orphan's Tragedy and a Bruce Lee Special from Celestial Pictures. In the UK, the Bruce and Brandon Lee Association held a convention in Bradford showcasing Bruce Lee's appearances in the 1971 television show Longstreet as well as filmed interviews with cast members and the director of the show, a Brandon Lee tribute room (featuring a selection of his rare on-screen appearances) and the presentation of a young Bruce Lee film and recent Hong Kong documentaries. City Screen cinemas in London also ran screenings of Enter the Dragon in association with Tiger Beer, while Channel 5 held a Bruce Lee weekend, showing Fist of Fury and The Big Boss before a re-run of last year's setup of Bruce Lee: Martial Arts Superstar, Enter the Dragon and Bruce Lee: The Lost Interview and even the likes of Channel 4's 'youth' show T4 briefly mentioned the occasion. Disciples Of The Dragon: Reflections Of Bruce Lee's Students (November 2005) What better way to cap the end of 2005 than with this long awaited volume from Paul Bax, Disciples Of The Dragon: Reflections Of Bruce Lee's Students, which will be available late November/early December. Each book will be numbered up to the first 100 and signed for orders placed before December 1st 2005. The interviews include: Taky Kimura, Jesse Glover, Pat Strong, James DeMile, Ed Hart, Doug Palmer, Leo Fong, Gary Dill (James Lee student), Gary Cannagan, Howard Williams (two interviews), George Dillman, Richard Bustillo, Bob Bremer, Steve Golden, Ted Wong, Joe Lewis and John Little. To pre-order, go to www.paypal.com and make your payment for $25.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling ($10.00 if out of the USA) to pauljbax@aol.com. Also in the pipeline from Bax next year is his hardbound book on JKD: The Death Of Jeet Kune Do - In Memory of a Once Fluid Martial Art due in the Spring. Fist of Fury Platinum Edition: Latest (October 2005) It would seem our speculation of further delay to the Platinum edition of Fist of Fury was unfounded. The latest press release from HKL confirms the release date as 9th January 2006 and the extras as follows: a new audio commentary from Asian film expert Bey Logan, The First Lady: an interview with Nora Miao, Blade of Fury: an interview with Riki Hashimoto, Master of Bushido: an interview with Jun Katsumura, The Fist of Fury location guide with Bey Logan, First Amongst Equals: an interview with the world's number one Jeet Kune Do instructor, Sifu Dan Inosanto, Legacy of a Master: an interview with acclaimed action-director, Jeff Imada, Tracking the Dragon: an interview with Bruce Lee's personal photographer Linda Palmer, Friend to the Stars: an interview with Bruce Lee confidante, Joe Torreneuva, trailer gallery, The Magic Lantern: a rare photo archive. The film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic taken from a brand new high-definition master. Audio options are Dolby Digital 5.1 (Cantonese and English) and original Mandarin mono track. Remembering the Master (October 2005) The next book from Greglon Yimm Lee and Sid Campbell will be Remembering the Master - Bruce Lee, Jimmy Yimm Lee, and the Creation of Jeet Kune Do. As with their previous work, this will be a sizeable volume published by Frog and will appear in March 2006, which should make for an interesting head to head with Andrew Staton's book which is due around the same time. 2006 is shaping up to be an interesting year for Bruce Lee book collectors, what with Davis Miller's long awaited Last Days of Bruce Lee due in fourteen months or so and David Tadman's proposed book with Sylvia Lai. Brucelee.com Changes Hands (October 2005) Since the collapse of the Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Nucleus and the rise of the the Bruce Lee Foundation, it's long been hoped that fans would finally have an official place to visit to help perpetuate the legacy of Bruce Lee in a strong, positive, yet realistic light. The reality of an official web-site moved a step closer with the recent announcement that the domain name www.brucelee.com has transferred from the existing owner, one Martin Eng, to the Bruce Lee Estate. Full details of these proceedings held at the National Arbitration Forum in August can be found here. What this means for long established web-sites like BLR is undetermined at this stage. We can but wait and see what will happen once the Bruce Lee Foundation firmly establishes its presence on the Internet. 'Lee Siu Loong - Memories of the Dragon' hits Japan (October 2005) Ten months has simply flown by and on October 3rd 2005 this flawed, yet unique Lee Family Association volume gets a makeover and presumably all its faults corrected in this new deluxe, extended edition befitting the Japanese fanbase, regarded by many as the most dedicated on the planet. Perhaps this will go some way toward healing the wounds left by the original, troubled publication and set the bar for the next volume in this four-part series. Bruce Lee 'Finger Pointing to The Moon' T-Shirt (September 2005) The latest Bruce Lee output from Red Lizard is "This stylish new black Bruce Lee T-Shirt features an emotive illustration of Bruce Lee complete with one of the most famous lines out of the film Enter The Dragon. 'Don't think, Feel . . . It is like a finger pointing a way to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory'. The design also incorporates Bruce Lee's signature with the dragon Kanji and as always is double printed in red and white onto a high quality black Red Lizard branded T-Shirt". To place your order click here. Boycott Bruce Lee Bootleggers (September 2005) For too long this parasitic element of the fan base has remained unchecked. BLR encourages all fans to buy legitimate goods where available; boycott the purchase of bootleg goods, promote free trade of unavailable wares (often seen as an acceptable way of perpetuating Bruce Lee's legacy) and upgrade when wares become legally available! Whether it's eBay, Katoman.com or other dubious sources, Bruce Lee fans unite against the illegal sale of copyrighted material! Bruce Lee Statue Design Unveiled (September 2005) Bruce Lee fans have chosen the design for a statue of the kung-fu icon, to be unveiled in Hong Kong in November. But the Bruce Lee Club has asked the government to contribute towards the cost of casting the bronze tribute. More than 57,000 fans took part in the internet vote. The winning design shows a bare-chested Lee in a pose from his 1972 film Fists of Fury [sic]. However, organisers say they only have half of the HK$1.2m (£85,000) they need to construct the 2.5 metre statue. "It's impossible for us to bear the whole responsibility for the fund," said Hew Kuan-yau, a member of the club's committee. "We're not asking the government to pay the total sum, but at least part of it." The club has government approval to unveil the statue on 27 November on the Avenue of Stars, a tourist attraction on the city's harbour front, to mark Lee's 65th birthday. The statue will be made by Chinese sculptor Cao Chongen, whose works include a statue of China's former leader Deng Xiaoping. There are also plans to erect a statue of the star in the Bosnian city of Mostar. This text and image c/o on-line BBC News UK Edition. Jade Screen Vol 3 #5 (September 2005) Released December 19th 2005, the Christmas edition of Jade Screen will see Bruce Lee on the cover with our recent John Saxon interview as the main feature. Other content includes: Shaw Brothers: Home of Kung Fu Cinema, Hong Kong's Writer turned Director: Aubrey Lam Interview, Scott Adkins Unleashed: The UK's Super Kicker Interviewed, Richard Norton VIP Celebrity Dinner: Full Report & Photos from Los Angeles, plus regular columns, news etc. New Books for 2006 (September 2005) As we slide into Autumn, news of two new Bruce Lee books has reached BLR, the more interesting of which has to be Andrew Staton's Bruce Lee: Memories of a Master. There are few details as yet, the 208 page book will be produced by HNL Publishing and released in April 2006. We'll bring you updates on content as and when we get them. Elsewhere, David Tadman's new project is set to be Lady and the Dragon, which we're assuming is a photo book charting Bruce Lee and Sylvia Lai's friendship. Again, more on this as we get it. Twelve Weeks in Hong Kong - Now Available! (August 2005) Released on the 19th August 2005 to celebrate the 32nd Anniversary of the US release of Enter The Dragon, Red Lizard Productions are proud to announce their first major Bruce Lee production in conjunction with the John Saxon estate. Thirty-two years ago, John Saxon was commissioned for twelve weeks in Hong Kong to work on the first Hollywood produced martial arts motion picture Enter The Dragon. He was to co-star with a little known Chinese actor called, Bruce Lee, who was a box office success in Hong Kong, but the West was totally ignorant of his skill as a screen entertainer. Then once the film was released in the United States in August 1973, the film became a box office smash hit, and sent a tidal wave around the world which started what was to be known as the Kung fu Craze of the seventies. Unfortunately, only a few weeks before the film was released Bruce Lee died suddenly, this was to rock the martial arts phenomenon and make the film the ultimate martial arts film ever to be made, but it never made up for the loss of the King of Kung Fu, Bruce Lee. Now thirty two years on, John Saxon, a keen photographer, has for the first time allowed the world to share some of his photographic diary, which he shot whilst filming for twelve weeks in Hong Kong on the set of the legendary movie, Enter The Dragon. This beautifully red bound A4 diary contains some of the rarest photos of Bruce Lee ever taken. It contains:-   Six unique unseen Enter The Dragon high gloss quality photographs from the John Saxon photographic archive showing Bruce Lee in action on the set of Enter The Dragon. All photos are embossed and stamped to ensure authenticity.   The diary contains a foreword by John Saxon and a exclusive in-depth interview with Hollywood legend John Saxon, discussing his twelve weeks in Hong Kong and his time on the set of Enter The Dragon with Bruce Lee, plus how these rare photos came into being.   With every deluxe hardbound volume of this rare photographic diary, is an embossed and numbered certificate of authenticity.   John Saxon has personally autographed every volume of this limited collectors item, showing his personal endorsement of the product.   This very special diary is a true celebration to the ultimate martial arts movie, Enter The Dragon and John Saxon's personal tribute to his late co-star and friend, Bruce Lee.   Unfortunately due to regulations, the diary is a limited edition to only 2500 copies, which have been published, after these are sold, it cannot be re-printed again.   Due to the nature of this product not only is it an ideal collectable for martial artists and Bruce Lee admirers, but also it is a profitable investment to any memorabilia entrepreneurs, and has the value that matches any of the similar product investments that are in the market place today.   To obtain this once in a lifetime ultimate martial arts movie collectable, it is available from Red Lizard Productions, or phone sales on:- (UK) 01924 272512 Twelve Weeks In Hong Kong rrp £79.95 plus p&p (price on application). Fist of Fury - Collectible Supplement (August 2005): This months' issues of Martial Arts Illustrated and Impact (September cover date) include a free, collectible supplement all about Fist of Fury and its influences. Content includes a three-page feature on the Bruce Lee original with analysis of remakes by Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Stephen Chow Sing Chi, Bruce Li and Tong Lung. Presumably this was produced to tie in the with HKL Platinum DVD that's now pushed back to 2006. Regardless of this mistiming, this supplement is still worth checking out. For more information, click here. Regards from a Friend - Signed Edition (August 2005): Red Lizard seem to be making a real push to corner the market in unique Bruce Lee merchandise and this signed edition of George Lee's Regards from a Friend is no exception. For more information about your opportunity to own a signed copy of the book simply click here. Fist of Fury DVD - Donnie Yen (August 2005) This early 1990s interpretation of the Bruce Lee classic comes to UK DVD c/o Tai Seng in late August and includes an audio commentary By Donnie Yen and Robin Shou. There's also a 'Making Of' featurette, Biographies, Trailers, Dolby Digital 5.1 Cantonese soundtrack with English subtitles. PR guff as follows: "The legend lives on! Donnie Yen reprises his idol Bruce Lee's role as Chen Jun, a budding martial arts master. When Chen's mastered is killed by the Japanese, Chen vows revenge and sets off to find the murderer. Featuring recreations of the amazing fight scenes from the original as well as new ones choreographed by Yen, Fist Of Fury is an exciting re-imagining of the Bruce Lee classic!" Mind, Body and Kick Ass Moves on DVD (August 2005) Contender Home Entertainment does everyone a favour and releases Mind, Body and Kick Ass Moves on DVD from 5th September. Chris Crudelli has been described as one of the top ten martial arts practitioners alive today. Now, Chris' hit BBC TV series is coming to DVD as a special two-disc edition featuring all ten episodes of the show's first season. Taking a look at the reality behind the martial arts techniques that are fast becoming a global phenomenon thanks to mega-hit movies such as Ong-Bak, House Of Flying Daggers and Kung Fu Hustle, Mind, Body and Kick Ass Moves sees Chris going on a journey to the far-flung corners on Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Beijing and Taiwan to meet the real-life martial arts masters and teachers whose extraordinary skills we are more used to seeing in a fictional and simulated context. From the secret fight clubs in Taiwan, to the Special Action Force in the Philippines, who volunteered 90 of their best fighters to show off their weapon techniques, Chris gains access to this notoriously secretive world. Along the way, he meets Dr Hatsumi, one of the last living Ninjas, Hong Kong movie star Sammo Hung, and 80-year-old masters more agile and sprightly than many people a quarter of their age. This 2-disc set will be of great interest to Bruce Lee fans; the second episode features Yip Man's son Ip Chun, Yip Man student and Wing Chun practitioner Leung Ting, as well as some background on Bruce Lee's rooftop Wing Chun confrontations. We hope to run a competition to tie in with this release very soon! Fighting Words (August 2005) The Bruce Thomas follow up to Fighting Spirit, Fighting Words, hits paperback on October 31st. Weighing in at 160 pages and retailing at £11.99, the synopis for this release is nothing if not pretentious: "a series of short, pithy selections, including anecdotes, interviews, and short essays, reflects the many facets of a complex man with two distinctly different sides that were often in conflict. Original.". Perhaps an early entry on your Christmas list if you're a fan of the author's work. Jade Screen Vol 3 #4 (August 2005) Jade Screen time is almost with us once again, set for release on September 19th. The Bruce Lee column features perhaps one of our better scoops, an edited version of our interview with Bruce Lee's Blondie co-star Will Hutchins. In addition, we get the inspired Fist of Fury piece by Carl Jones as well as: Stephen Chow: Kung Fu Hustler Interviewed, Ong Bak's Tony Jaa: Exclusive Kickin' Interview!, Gordon Liu: Jade Readers Questions Answered, House of Fury's Jake Strickland Interviewed, Scott Adkins UK Event Profile, and more. Official Bruce Lee 2006 Calendar (August 2005) Although Summer is at its peak here in the UK, those forward-thinking types at Slow Dazzle Worldwide have already mapped out the year ahead in true Bruce Lee style with this officially licensed calendar for 2006. An alternative unofficial version is also available. Nora Miao hosts Fist of Fury Screening (July 2005) This news release of this July 25th event comes c/o the Fantasia festival web-site: "To celebrate 100 years of Chinese cinema, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office have chosen the most well-known Chinese films to be screened at this edition of the festival. Among these selections, Fist of Fury was showcased with the presence of Bruce Lee's frequent co-star, Nora Miao. At the end of the screening, she gave the crowd an opportunity to ask questions about her career. Moreover, she took some time to sign autographs and took some photographs with her fans". Image of Nora Miao copyright Pierre Roussel 2005. Fist of Fury Platinum - Further Delay? (July 2005) Our latest chin-wag with a source close to the project revealed that this new edition of Fist of Fury has definitely slipped due to creative concerns and the possiblity of it being overshadowed by other, more prominent releases. It's likely to slip again from its January 2006 slot but there is an air of confidence from those involved, with the extra pre-release time fortifying the prospect of 'previously unseen material' and a level of excellence that surpasses all previous Bruce Lee DVD releases. HKL is currently running a trailer which gives some insight into the interesting supplemental material. The Wrecking Crew on DVD (July 2005) Released as part of a four-disc Region 1 boxset containing Matt Helm movies The Silencers, Murderers Row, The Ambushers and, our reason for this news snippet, The Wrecking Crew, which has its own unique place in Bruce Lee history as he was on fight choreohgraphy duties for this production just a couple of years before making it big in Hong Kong, and is also of interest for a Chuck Norris cameo. No news on a UK release at all, but The Wrecking Crew can usually be found on terrestrial TV (Channel 5) due to lazy programme scheduling. New Red Lizard/Lee Family Association T-Shirt! (June 2005) Latest PR guff from Red Lizard: "Robert Lee is helping Red Lizard create various new Special Edition T-shirts using material left to him by his brother, the legendary Bruce Lee. Bruce's youngest brother Robert recently received a gift of a Red Lizard t-shirt from a good friend. Robert was impressed with both the design and quality for the T-shirt and even more importantly to him, felt that it reflected the way the Lee Family Association would like Bruce to be represented. It is well known that Bruce was a great philosopher as well as an incredible martial artist. It is perhaps not so well known that he was also a very competent artist and poet. Robert has kindly provided materials which The Lee Family Association owns. Working in partnership with Red Lizard, Robert is helping to create unique Special Edition T-shirts which will be released in the near future. Robert himself is an accomplished musical artist and is keen to ensure that the T-shirts are of the highest quality in terms of design and materials." Fist of Fury Platinum - Delayed? (June 2005) Latest rumour on the grapevine is that this new release has been pushed from its August slot to January 2006! The reason for this is unclear at this time, although first shots of the artwork have begun to emerge the disc isn't on HKL's release schedule for the Summer/Autumn period. Could this delay have something to do with a sprited backlash by some fans at the lack of fresh material to justify the release. Personally, we're just thrilled to learn of the Nora Miao interview and have every confidence that HKL will have learned from their 'mistakes' with the Platinum Edition of Way of the Dragon. Update: Ong-Bak - Bruce Lee for the 21st Century! (June 2005) HKL's newsletter heralded the arrival of 'the martial arts smash hit of the Summer', Ong-Bak, in their latest e-newsletter, loudly bleating that "it would be released on DVD on 19th September and is available to preorder now. Not only that, but if you pre-order now you will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win exclusive Ong-bak merchandise". For more, pay a visit to HKL's web-site. New Joe Lewis DVD (June 2005) Released far too quietly for our liking we have what we can only assume is a companion to Joe Lewis's excellent book The World's Greatest Fighter Teaches You: How to Master Bruce Lee's Fighting System. Sporting the title 'Joe Lewis Fighting Systems: What Bruce Lee Taught Me', proclaiming on the cover that you will learn "the best weapons from Jeet Kune Do and what Bruce Lee taught Joe Lewis to make him the greatest full contact fighter in the world". If it's as half as good as the book then it'll be worth checking out. Enter the Dragon BBC Interview (June 2005) As we last spoke to BBC Archives about this in 2001, we thought we'd have another go at locating the on-set Enter the Dragon interview and guess what, they have no record of it. They are 'very confident that they've catalogued everything they have from this era in terms of news and even if specific details were provided, such as the name of the news show and air-date, they maintain that they don't have it.... We did query whether a record would have been kept if it had been retrieved, damaged or destroyed but the answer was vague at best. So it looks like this one really is lost. Before we went through to the research team we got costings for use of the footage and it would cost £1800 per min to license for Worldwide use on DVD (for a period of ten years) and £300 per 20 seconds if used on a web-site. New Japanese DVD (May 2005) Released on 25th May, a new Japanese DVD is available charting screen legend Yasuaki Kurata's relationship with Bruce Lee. Details on content are scarce, save for a 65 minute running time, Region 2 encoding and 4:3 aspect ratio. One can only hope it's resplendent with the kind of personal experiences that would make this one to own, regardless of the Bruce Lee angle. We're praying for decent subtitles on the interview footage and will bring you more on this as we get it. Fist of Fury Platinum: More Details Emerge (May 2005) More information has filtered through by way of HKL's e-newsletter about Fist of Fury which revealed: "We are currently working on our Fist of Fury Platinum Edition due for release 15th August. we are happy to tell you that you can expect the following great extras: Hi-definition DVD transfer, animated photo gallery featuring never-before-seen photographs from the Lee Family private collection, exclusive interactive tour of the real-life Jing Woo-mun School in Shanghai, an exclusive series of revealing interviews with Bruce Lee confidantes and friends, including personal photographer Linda Palmer, and hairdresser, Joe Torreneuva, 'Behind the art of Jeet Kune Do' with Sifu Dan Inosanto and top Hollywood Stunt coordinator Jeff Imada, an exclusive interview with leading-lady and close personal friend, Nora Miao (who has not spoken about Bruce Lee since 1978).". Twelve Weeks in Hong Kong (May 2005) News of another book care of David Tadman, this one in association with Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon co-star John Saxon. Twelve weeks in Hong Kong photographically charts Saxon's time on and off-set. UK pre-orders can be made with Red Lizard, who are exclusively stocking the book, PR blurb herewith: "Coming soon exclusive unseen images from Enter the Dragon. Red Lizard are proud to present in partnership with John Saxon a brand new exclusive product. This is called Twelve Weeks in Hong Kong and contains unseen photographs of Bruce Lee taken by John Saxon whilst filming the martial arts epic Enter The Dragon. The portfolio will be released in August 2005....". Jade Screen Vol 3 #3 (May 2005) The new issue of Jade Screen is set for release on June 27th, Bruce Lee content this time around consists of our Davis Miller Q&A. Additional content takes the shape of "Sho Kosugi: A life in Martial Arts inspired movies, House of Fury: The latest from JCE Movies, Stephen Chow: Kung Fu Hustler, Scott Adkins: UK Britkicker in Hong Kong, Shaw Brothers: From the Vaults and plenty more". DVD Bootlegs paving the way...? (April 2005) With Longstreet and The Green Hornet DVD sets lining the pockets of bootleggers on eBay, can it now only be a question of time before the relevant studios wake up to the worldwide demand for Bruce Lee product? The likes of Marlowe and even Blondie (the rights for which we've been heavily researching for some time now) are literally waiting to be snapped up, the footage remastered and issued having long languished in the archives of unwitting corporations. Perhaps we can expect these releases to coincide with the 40th anniversary of their production!? Fist of Fury: Platinum Edition (April 2005) With recent news of David Tadman's involvement in a new edition of Fist of Fury and the April Hong Kong Legends newsletter revealing some interesting new extras ("Sifu Dan Inosanto and world-acclaimed action-director, Jeff Imada, have both appeared in front of the HKL cameras recently to record two fascinating interviews on the life, philosophy and fighting techniques of the late, great Bruce Lee"), things seem to be picking up in the UK scene. More on this as we get it. Jade Screen Vol 3 #2 (March 2005) After a noticeable absence it's a genuine pleasure to see the work of Carl Jones stepping back into the spotlight in the latest Jade Screen; his Way of the Dragon article makes this issue worth the cover price on its own. Released March 28th, other features include 'Yuen Biao: The Little Dragon Profiled', 'Ninja Wars: The video boom of the 80s' and an interview with Hong Kong action coordinator Andy Cheng. BLR's Bruce Lee column finally gets around to reproducing our Andy Koopmans Q&A and review of The Importance of Bruce Lee from early 2003. Click here for ordering info. ...'Enter the Dragon meets Association Football' (March 2005) Stephen Chow Sing Chi's devotion to Bruce Lee is well documented, even injecting it into his films; from his turn in Fist of Fury '91 to the recent delights of Kung-fu Hustle. Shaolin Soccer, with its subtle nods to Bruce Lee and blatantly in-your-face Game of Death Bruce Lee goalkeeper, is billed as: "a deliciously over- the-top football comedy... fusing ancient martial arts with hard-hitting physical comedy and the high-flying energy of competitive sports". Shaolin Soccer had a fleeting theatrical release in November 2004 and is coming to UK DVD, complete with the extended Hong Kong version and English dubbed version, outtakes, special effects featurette and 'The making of Shaolin Soccer. This criminally long overdue release is yours to own from 14th March 2005 c/o Optimum Asia. Brandon Lee Fanzine Delayed (March 2005) BLR is disappointed to learn that publication of the first issue of Brandon's Spirit has been suspended due to trouble at the printers. Aside from the disappointment at not seeing our regenerated etchings, the finer details of publication problems made us shudder, as it invoked nightmares of our own small-press days. Never fear, if you wish to support the fanzine and the admirable work of the Brandon Lee Movement all you need do is contact the editor. Ong-Bak - Bruce Lee for the 21st Century! (March 2005) 'Introducing the greatest martial arts movie star since Bruce Lee' bleats the PR machine for Ong-Bak, which is due to receive a UK theatrical release mid-May before hitting UK DVD on HKL's sister label 'Premier Asia' later this year. The press machine clatters along: "Tony Jaa is the name, Ong-Bak is the movie which is taking the world by storm. Not for 30 years has a martial arts movie star made such an impact as in this awesome 'Bruce Lee meets Jackie Chan meets Fight Club' debut. In an age where screen action is all about illusion powered by wire work and CGI, where action stardom is simply moulded to fit the right face - here's the reality check. Two years in training for this role. No CGI, no wirework and no illusion; prepare for a return to exhilarating fight action in the shape of Tony Jaa. Every generation needs a truly skilled action icon and the kids of the 21st Century have just found theirs. Ong-Bak is an exceptional showcase for the bone-crunching close range style of martial arts unique to Thailand which features heavy use of knees, elbows and foreheads - resulting in brutally exciting fight scenes". At BLR, we're hoping this does well but our pessimism dictates anticipation of the BBFC's 'contribution' when the film moves to the rental and sell-through markets. The Dragon and the Tiger Volume 2 (February 2005) Last October we reported the 30th April 2005 release of Volume 2 of The Dragon and the Tiger: Bruce Lee, the Oakland Years, subtitled 'the Untold Story of Yip Man, Wing Chun and Jun Fan Kung Fu'. Well, the book has slipped its shackles and is now available a full two months early, with news of Volume 3 due later this year! We're scraping together some loose change to get our order in at Amazon. 'Lee Siu Loong - Memories of the Dragon' hits the UK! (January 2005) Tao Sports has been appointed Official UK Distributor for the Lee Siu Loong- Memories of the Dragon (hardback) edition. Each copy comes with a signed Certificate of Authenticity as proof of this rare book's limited 1,000 copy worldwide print-run. The book is on special offer for £35 instead of the rrp of £39.99. Call Tao's sales team on 020 8348 0870 for more information, or visit their site. Top Fighter - Budget Edition (January 2005) Last seen on UK DVD back in 2000, January 25th sees the budget release of Top Fighter, from the same stable that brought you Death By Misadventure and Cinema of Vengeance. Billed as "An in-depth, action-filled look at the superstars of martial combat. For the first time, the best of the best meet in an arena where they are able to show their specialties to the full". There's some quality Kung-fu on offer here and Bruce Lee is featured, as you might expect, so it's worth a look at £5.99 if you don't already own it on VHS or DVD. Intercepting Fist Expanded Edition (January 2005) Originally released way back in 1999, Summer 2005 sees the release of this updated edition of Intercepting Fist, with the subtitle extended to build in 'The Golden Age of Kung Fu Cinema'. We're unsure whether this bodes well or not, and here's hoping they've corrected the book's imaging, which was the original's only real failing. To read our classic review, click here. 2004 The Last Days Of Bruce Lee Delayed (December 2004) We end the year as we began with news of Davis Miller's highly anticipated follow-up to The Tao of Bruce Lee. The release date has drifted from the close of 2005 to December 2006! This is either good news for the book in terms of research, development and quality... or acknowledgement that it's doomed to stay on the back-burner for ever more. Jade Screen Vol 3 #1 (December 2004) BLR ends the year on a high with the publication of our Enter the Dragon Q&A, with the film's prdoucer, Paul Heller, in the latest Jade Screen magazine. At the time of this news update, we're also eagerly anticipating publication of our edited Bruce Lee: The Lost Interviews DVD review in Vengeance magazine. Who knows? This may suitably inspire us to get back in the self-publishing game and get BLR off your screen and into print! Bruce Lee Night on Five (UK) (December 2004) All credit to terrestrial TV channel Five for dedicating their night-time programming on December 1st to two Bruce Lee movies (Enter the Dragon and The Big Boss) and an hour-long documentary, Bruce Lee - Martial Arts Superstar, which looked strangely familiar to us. It had a similar whiff about it to Five's terrible edit of A Warrior's Journey in 2001. Here at BLR, we're trawling old tapes trying to pin down what appears to be a British reworking of a US-made biography. Still, it was nice (brave, even) of Five to thrust Bruce Lee back into the limelight and for this we doff our cap in their direction. Lee Siu Loong - Memories of the Dragon (November 2004) As reported last month, we're pleased to confirm the release of the Lee Family Association's first book, albeit with a minor title change, which coincides with what would have been Bruce Lee's 64th birthday. Nine pictorial chapters convey a largely uncharted section of Bruce Lee's life from 1963 to 1965. At a cost of $50 a copy, this volume has a lot to live up to but we're confident it'll be a hit with the fans and pave the way for more quality output from Bruce Lee's siblings c/o David Tadman and Steve Kerridge. Pierre Berton Dies, Aged 84 (November 2004) Prolific author, Canadian historian and media legend Pierre Berton died on November 30th aged 84, best known to fans of The Little Dragon for the excellent 1971 Hong Kong interview, recently released on UK DVD as the main feature of Bruce Lee: The Lost Interviews. He leaves behind his wife of 58 years and eight children. Bruce Lee, L'Homme Derrière La Lègende (October 2004) The French edition of Marcos Ocaña's book, which we reported on way back in May 2003, will be published on November 15th. Already in its third print in Spain, we're curious at BLR when an English language version will rear its head. Fingers crossed for 2005, yes? Lee Siu Loong - The Dragon Memoirs by Robert Lee (October 2004) The first of four planned books by Robert Lee has been completed! The release date is set for November 27th, Bruce Lee's birthday. This first volume will be called Lee Siu Loong, The Dragon Memoirs - 1963 & 1965. It will be a simple and humble book by the family, pictorial, almost like a photo album. Unstructured with warmth and soul. Personally, we can't wait for this one! The Dragon and the Tiger Volume 2 (October 2004) How times flies, almost a year has passed since we reported on Volume 1! Having barely dented the first book, along comes Volume 2 of The Dragon and the Tiger: Bruce Lee, the Oakland Years which boasts an extended title 'the Untold Story of Yip Man, Wing Chun and Jun Fan Kung Fu'. The book is set for release on April 30th 2005. For more information and to pre-order, click here. The Dragon 2004 Anniversary Convention (October 2004) This text c/o the BBLA: The Bruce and Brandon Lee Association in conjunction with Warner Brothers, are proud to present The Dragon 2004 Anniversary Convention. Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Enter the Dragon and the 10th Anniversary of The Crow, plus all of Bruce Lee's English language interviews. The convention will be held on Saturday 27th November 2004 at Horsforth College, Calverley Lane, Leeds, LS18 4RQ. We will be showing Widescreen Presentations of Enter The Dragon (very Special Edition), The Crow (Workprint Edition) plus rare footage from both Bruce and Brandon Lee's film and TV careers. The Bruce & Brandon Lee Association's annual auction will be returning, plus merchandise will be available on the day, which is not readily available to buy in the shops. Ticket Prices are: Pre-booked BBLA Member - £5.00 Pre-booked Non-BBLA Member - £7.00 On The Door - £10.00 To obtain tickets, please send a cheque or postal order made payable to "Bruce Lee Association", and send to:- The Dragon 2004 Convention, PO Box 25, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 5TG. For further information, email us or call the Convention Hotline (Information Only!) on 07973 375972. Please note: there will be no guests this year. Jade Screen Vol 2 #6 (September 2004) The latest Jade Screen was a diet Bruce Lee edition, with little more than a minor news snippet regarding a Bruce Lee statue to be errected in Bosnia and news of Wong Kar-Wai's proposed new movie about Yip Man. HK movie fans were well catered for as usual, but the main compensation for me was the Brad Allan interview. Fingers crossed for an increase in Bruce Lee coverage next issue and the return of the always entertaining 'Fists from the Past' column. New on DVD (September 2004) With seemingly no end to the almost constant stream of Bruce Lee DVDs released this year, we now have two more discs to look forward to, this time in the shape of two old favourites, previously only available on VHS. Due October 11th is Story of Chinese Gods, featuring an animated Bruce Lee, and Bruce Lee: The Lost Interviews, a repackaged and long overdue release of the Pierre Burton face-off, with some Bruce Lee radio interviews bolted on for good measure. It almost goes without saying that the former is a 'take it or leave it' kind of purchase while the latter is almost certainly worth snapping up. It was kind of remiss of us here at BLR not to mention the Legacy Boxset (aka The Ultimate Box Set) when Ventura Distribution ejaculated their most recent Bruce Lee releases. This set collects the interesting Death By Misadventure documentary, the passable and infamous Fist of Unicorn, the extrememly poor Young Bruce Lee - The Little Drgaon and a wedge of cheese in the form of Dragon - True Story. Ideal for those looking for a mixed bag of Bruce Lee material. Dragon Since 1973 Divides Fans (August 2004) This past month has seen a clear division among Bruce Lee fans concerning the quality of the new documentary, Dragon Since 1973 with many singing its praises and others deriding it for being really rather dull. Having waited patiently for a copy to arrive, it was disappointing to find it not only depressing but a real chore to watch, despite the producers managing to capture so many of Bruce Lee's HK comrades and co-stars. It plays like a bloated version of Century Hero with really awful subtitles, but may eventually prove rewarding if patience prevails and is watched in very, very small portions. Within hours of watching the 'Making of...' DVD extra I actually wanted to quit the scene! Mind, Body & Kick Ass Moves (August 2004) An interesting 10-part series on the UK-based BBC3 digital channel, Mind, Body & Kick Ass Moves is an essential viewing experience for martial artists and Kung-fu movie fans alike. Bruce Lee content is limited: the second episode featuring Yip Man's son Ip Chun, Yip Man student and Wing Tsun practitioner Leung Ting, as well as some background on Bruce Lee's rooftop Wing Chun confrontations. For more information, click here. New Publications (August 2004) To tie in with the 31st anniversary of Bruce Lee's passing, Black Belt Magazine issued a Bruce Lee Special, as did the boys over at Impact. Of considerably more interest to us, ever the advocate of 'proper' film fandom, we have Boss!, a French Fanzine due in September. All three are worth your time and any spare shrapnel kicking about in your pockets. New 'Silent Flute' DVD (August 2004) A fresh release of the interpretation of Bruce Lee's Silent Flute script, Circle of Iron is due September 28th on the blue Underground label. On face value alone, this looks like an excellent package. Features as follows:  Dolby Digital Mono English  Richard Moore (Director) audio commentary  "Playing The Silent Flute" with David Carradine  Alternate Title Sequence  Original theatrical trailer  Original TV spots  Photo Galleries  "Bruce Lee's The Silent Flute: A History" text feature  Bruce Lee, James Coburn, Stirling Silliphant Original Concept Enter the Dragon 2-Disc DVD (August 2004) A year overdue, the new double-disc edition of Enter the Dragon arrived on Region 2 DVD on the 2nd of August, we're currently in the throws of updating our review for what looks likely to be the best edition of the film to date, with our sights firmly set on multiple viewings of the new documentary Blood & Steel - Making Enter the Dragon. Century Hero and Fist of Unicorn DVDs (July 2004) July 5th saw these budget discs released accompanied by a Bruce Lee clone movie that doesn't merit a mention. Fist of Unicorn is watered down from its R1 counterpart, missing the Mandarin subtitled version of the film as well as some of its extras. Century Hero is a different story coming with bolt-on features of varying quality, as well as an 'Easter Egg' of rare, rolling images of Bruce Lee all of which make it decent value for money. More care could have been taken with the 'Milton Berle Show' footage seen legally for the first time outside of bootlegging circles, lazily captured by pointing a video camera at a television. Jade Screen Vol 2 #5 (June 2004) Arriving a little later than usual, its publication scraping the arse-end of June and plopping through letterboxes in early July, the welcome sight of Jade Screen saw the publication of our Joe Lewis book review and Q&A plus all the usual HK-movie content, including the always excellent 'Fists from the Past' by Carl Jones who is currently working on a warts 'n' all piece on Way of the Dragon. Something for all Bruce Lee fans to look forward to. Dynamic Becoming - Revised Edition (May 2004) Mid-May saw the arrival of an updated edition of James Bishop's 'serious scholastic examination of [Bruce] Lee's philosophy'. PR blurb herewith: "There are several books on Bruce Lee, but almost all of them deal with the mechanics of his martial art or are repetitive biographies. To date, only one book has ever been published that reflects on his philosophy. That book, The Warrior Within, was published five years ago and during the time after its publication a great deal of new information has come to light regarding the philosophy of Bruce Lee. Not only will Dynamic Becoming take advantage of the new information, it will also be the only book to ever take a critical look at Lee's philosophy, for the first time revealing never before released information regarding the sources from which Lee derived it. The book will include interviews with fans and friends of Bruce Lee who were profoundly impacted by his philosophy and will be the only writing on the philosophy of Bruce Lee that includes commentary on the subject by noted scholars in the mainstream philosophical and scholastic community". A full review will appear before the year is out. Bruce Lee DVD Overload! (May 2004) Rumours abound that George Tan's July 20th releases of The Big Boss and Fist of Fury have been shelved because of quibbles over rights to the films. Ventura Distribution may have removed them from their site but they are still available to order via Amazon. The more cynical among you may smell a marketing ploy. From the same camp, we have The Real Bruce Lee 2. Details are unclear if this is a reworking of the original or a 'sequel', either way lets hope it's better than The Real Bruce Lee, which must qualify as one of the worst Bruce Lee documentaries ever produced. Still with documentaries, Century Hero is available in the UK for the first time and Fist of Unicorn is set to see a UK release in July, some twenty one years after it was last available in this country. Continuing a blitz of discs from across the globe, a new 7-disc DVD boxset from Hong Kong has been causing something of a stir, with excited fans talking up its superiority, in terms of image quality at least, to the HKL releases of recent times. More box-sets abound with the Australian Platinum release of The Bruce Lee Collection, bundling The Intercepting Fist, Jeet Kune Do and Path of the Dragon, a set that saw its UK release in August 2003. We also have the arrival of two separate sets of Bruce Lee's childhood films, a Japanese 5-disc DVD set (containing The Kid, The Guiding Light, Myriad Homes, An Orphan's Tragedy and a bonus disc Dragon: Since 1973) and a 6-VCD set from China (made up of The Guiding Light, The Kid, Myriad Homes, In The Face Of Demolition, The Thunderstorm and An Orphan's Tragedy). Also released on DVD is Darling Girl. Many of the titles are available individually or clustered in sets bundled with additional tat, such as a keychain and limited edition prints. Hopefully, this will set the scene for the release of the colour version of The Orphan and a complete set of Bruce Lee's childhood output. The new 2-disc edition of Enter the Dragon arrived on Region 1 DVD this month, with equal acclaim and dissatisfaction aimed at the set, a lot of fans felt shortchanged at the lack of new material and much has been made of the fact that Warner Brothers could have done a better job. We're reserving judgement at BLR while we patiently await the Region 2 release. Jade Screen Vol 2 #4 (April 2004) Early April saw the welcome arrival of another issue of Jade Screen. This issue's Bruce Lee content features our very own George Lee Q&A, Regards from a Friend review and the publication of one of the Robert Lee PR images we submitted c/o David Tadman back in January. Also of note in this issue is a good piece on 'Bruceploitation' by Carl Jones. Ventura to release 'Ultimate' Bruce Lee DVDs (March 2004) The 31st anniversary of Bruce Lee's passing will see Ventura release The Big Boss and Fist Of Fury, both priced at $14.99 each. Fist Of Fury Features: Photo archive With over 100 unpublished photos, special music section featuring Fist of Fury songs, various trailers from around the world, man of fury (interviews With Bruce Lee's co-stars), fights of fury (analysis of Lee's fight scenes by his students), the stuntmen remember (working with Bruce Lee on Fist Of Fury). The Big Boss Features: trailers from around the world featuring deleted scenes, photo Archive with over 100 Unpublished Shots, special music section featuring the songs of The Big Boss, Thailand The Big Boss Way (a visit to the locations of The Big Boss), The Big Boss Fights (analysis of Lee's fight scenes by his students), That Guy Bruce (The Big Boss co-stars Remember Bruce Lee), the stuntmen speak (Working with Bruce Lee on The Big Boss).   Enter the Dragon: 2-Disc DVD at last! (March 2004) A year overdue, this is understandably no longer being touted as the 30th Anniversary edition. However, August will finally see the release of the Enter the Dragon 2-disc DVD, the highlight of which has to be the new documentary Blood & Steel - Making Enter the Dragon. Aside from this gem, this release is a less-than-slick reworking of previous editions: Disc 1  Commentary by producer Paul Heller  Blood and Steel: Making Enter the Dragon (new)  Bruce Lee: In His Own Words (vintage)  Linda Lee Cadwell Interview Gallery  Lair of the Dragon: Includes 1973 featurette and "Backyard Workout with Bruce Lee" (selection only) Disc 2  Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey (vintage)  Curse of the Dragon (vintage)  Theatrical trailers  Television spots The information c/o DVD Times by way of Bouch at the Rare Bruce Lee Pictures forum. The Crow: The Story Behind the Film (March 2004) Coinciding with the timely re-release of Bridget Baiss's book and the eleventh anniversary of Brandon Lee's passing, this month's Total Film magazine includes a five-page 'flashback' spread about Brandon Lee and The Crow: The Story Behind the Film, including a scene breakdown relating to Brandon Lee's digital resurrection, tabloid newspaper snippets and the film's influences and legacies. Bruce Lee - Martial Arts Master (March 2004) Bruce Lee - Martial Arts Master is to receive its UK DVD debut c/o Warner Home Video on April 19th. The PR blurb helpfully states: Martial Arts Master presents a revealing look at Lee's life through the people who knew him best. From his on-screen co-stars and martial arts students to his school teacher, this documentary presents a fascinating mixture of exclusive interviews, demonstrations and spectacular footage from Bruce's greatest fight scenes. Basic extras take the shape of an Enter The Dragon photo gallery with captions, a belated '30th Anniversary of Bruce Lee' text feature and 'The History of A Martial Arts Master' text feature. The 67-minute disc retails at £12.99 but there are some good deals to be had on pre-orders from the usual high-profile DVD purveyors. Saturday the 24th April will see the BBLA holding a tie-in promotional mini-convention at Seni 2004 (Birmingham NEC). There will be a special screening of the original Bruce Lee Martial Arts Master documentary, entitled Memories of Bruce Lee. Plus:  Full interviews with James Coburn plus footage of Bruce Lee on and off the big screen.  On the spot prizes will be given of the new DVD "Bruce Lee Martial Arts Master" with thanks to Warner Brothers.  On stage Q&A with Andrew Staton on the making of Martial Arts Master This info c/o The BBLA. How to Master Bruce Lee's Fighting System (February 2004) Having originally been plugged by this very site way back in October 2002, the PR machine for Joe Lewis's long overdue book (about Bruce Lee's method of fighting) went up a gear in February. With the book at the printers, we went all proactive at BLR and arranged for a review copy and the odd signed edition to be given away to lucky site visitors. Competition and review to follow! Jade Screen Volume 2 #3 (February 2004) Something of a Bruce Lee lite issue, but featuring a timely reflection on Brandon Lee's short life and career... with part of BLR's superior article about Brandon Lee's movie output shamelessly stolen and mixed in by the author. In terms of Bruce Lee coverage, this issue was the weakest to date but continues its ascent in quality coverage of Eastern film reviews, news and interviews. Robert Lee to appear in Jade Screen (January 2004) With a behind the scenes effort from BLR in association with the ever amiable David Tadman, Bruce Lee's younger brother Robert Lee graciously agreed to appear in a forthcoming issue of Jade Screen to endorse the magazine. Hopefully, the charm offensive which began in earnest with last Summer's Memorial Dinner in LA will see the Lee Family Association realise a number of projects to continue their solid work in honouring Bruce Lee's memory. 2003 The Last Days Of Bruce Lee (January 2004) First surprise of the year came in the form of Amazon's listing of Davis Miller's book The Last Days of Bruce Lee. With the publication date of December 2005 a long way off, this potentially controversial tome could well be Unsettled Matters for the 21st Century. We won't be holding our breath for this one, as we can only assume the Bruce Lee Estate's lawyer's will be all over it before it can see light of day. Jade Screen Vol.2 #2 (December 2003) Jade Screen (Vol.2 #2) arrived in the build up to Christmas, with coverage of Kill Bill: Volume 1, last Summer's Lee Family Association Memorial Dinner, an interview with Bruce Lee A&E Biography author Linda Tagliaferro among the usual Hong Kong movie reviews and interviews. The Dragon and the Tiger: First Look (November 2003) The first volume in this series arrived and forum regular Mark Gray reported: "Picked up a copy of this book... written partly by Greglon Yimm Lee, son of James Yimm Lee. So far, the book has some very good background info on James Yimm Lee, who seems to have been very influentual on a young Bruce Lee, especially with some of the custom-made training equipment James Yimm Lee created (he was a talented welder). It's easy to see how Bruce Lee would have been impressed with Mr. James Lee's physique too.... likely one of the inspirations for Bruce to develop his body" Mark has since finished reading the book and kindly forwarded it to me for review, which will appear in 2004. Korean Bruce Lee DVD Boxset (November 2003) Details c/o 20th Century Warriors: Bruce Lee Collection Box Set Set includes the following titles: The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, Game of Death Subtitle(s): English, Korean Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Surround, DTS Release date: 29th November 2003 Company: Spectrum DVD Country: South Korea Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Region Code: 3, NTSC Single Side, Dual Layer Special Features: Trailers (Original & New Edit Ver.) Movies Photo Gallery Bruce Lee Photo Gallery & Biography Exclusive Interviews French Bruce Lee DVD Boxset (November 2003) Details c/o 20th Century Warriors: Bruce Lee - Coffret Collector Retrospective 30' Anniversaire Big Boss, La Fureur de vaincre, La Fureur du dragon, Le jeu de la mort. Street date: 20/11/2003, reference: 180804, code: 3512391808044, number of discs: 5, case: Digipack, Video format: 2.35 16/9 Anamorphique (compatible with screen 4:3), region: 2, audio: Francais: Dolby Digital 5.1, Anglais: Dolby Digital 2.0 mono, Francais: DTS 5.1, subtitles: Francais Bonus DVD: 108 page press kit, The Legend of Bruce Lee, documentary on the life and the work of the "Petit Dragon", trailers, catalogue of films of Bruce Lee Kill Bill: Game of Death Lives! (October 2003) Early October saw Kill Bill - Volume 1 pushed to the fore in just about all major UK movie magazines, with Empire perhaps offering the most eye-catching cover (even though Total Film's coverage was slightly superior in my opinion). Given the Game of Death-style imagery throughout, can we expect a resurgence in interest in Bruce Lee's magnetic pagoda asecent? Jade Screen Vol.2 #1 (September 2003) The latest issue of Jade Screen (Vol.2 #1) appeared in late September with some new contributors, including yours truly I'm proud to say, bumping up the Bruce Lee and classic Hong Kong movie content. With detailed coverage of the Official Bruce Lee Convention and reviews of Bruce Thomas's Fighting Talk and most of the 30th Anniversary Bruce Lee DVDs made available this Summer. Although I'm ever so slightly biased, I'm inclined to say that magazine is starting to find its feet in terms of design and material and will hopefully begin to reach a wider audience. Enter the Game of Death DVD (September 2003) Enter the Game of Death quietly made its DVD debut on 22nd September c/o Vengeance Video; a Bruce Le vehicle purporting to be an accurate remake of Bruce Lee's Game of Death, complete with a host of pagoda fighters that have long added fuel to the arguments about Bruce Lee's unfinished project. Worth checking out at its budget price of £5.99. The Dragon and the Tiger: Delayed? (September 2003) Rumours of Amazon pulling the plug on orders for the forthcoming volume The Dragon and the Tiger: The Birth of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do: The Oakland Years have yet to be confirmed. The book is still listed for sale, albeit with a surcharge as the book has been branded by the company as 'hard to find'. We'll be watching the publication date, 30th October, with some interest. Bruce Lee Childhood VCDs in the UK! (August 2003) Recent mail from Oriental Film Distribution relayed encouraging news that a three-film VCD set of Bruce Lee's early films will be available for import into the UK via them this coming September. Details as follows: Bruce Lee Childhood Film Set ( PS / SUB ) £22.99. The set features the following titles: My Son Ah Chang aka The Kid. Starring Fong Feng, Lee Hoi Chuen, Chan Wai Yue, Bruce Lee Siu Lung, Yee Chau Sui, Yuen Biu Wan, Ko Lo Chuen, Helena Law Lan. Directed by Fong Fung. 1950. Guiding Light. Starring Cheung Ying, Ng Cho Fan, Pak Yin, Cheung Wood Yau, Bruce Lee Siu Lung, Lee Ching, Wong Man Lei, Siu Yin Fei, Mui Yee, Lee Yuet Ching, Wong Cho San. Directed by Chun Kim. 1953. Am Orphan's Tragedy. Starring Ng Cho Fan, Cheung Wood Yau, Yung Siu Yi, Yeung Yee, Bruce Lee Siu Lung. Directed by Chu Kei. 1955. Also, available individually: In the Face of Demolition. £7.99. Starring Ng Cho Fan, Tsi Law Lin, Cheung Ying, Lo Tun, Bruce Lee Siu Lung. Directed by Lee Tit. 1953. A Myriad Homes. £7.99. Starring Ng Cho Fan, Tsi Law Lin, Yung Siu Yi, Wong Man Lei, Bruce Lee Siu Lung. Directed by Chu Kei. 1953. Thunderstorm. £7.99. Starring Pak Yin, Cheung Ying, Mui Yee, Wong Man Lei, Bruce Lee Siu Lung, Ng Wui. Directed by Ng Wui.1957. Oriental Film Distribution also stated that issue six of their ultra-glossy magazine Oriental Film Review will be covering the recent HKL 30th Anniversary Bruce Lee releases. Some rare shots will be used to illustrate the reviews, coming from OFD's archive of rare images as well as contributions from Toby Russell, who some of you may know from Eastern Heroes. More on this issue as and when it comes in. For VCD and magazine ordering details, visit OFD now. Don't forget to mention BLR! Secret Bruce Lee Commemorative Event Held in LA (August 2003) July 20th, Los Angeles saw a secret commemorative event unfold that only a privileged few had an invitation to. A unique meeting between fans of Bruce Lee and his family and friends. Present at the event organised by David Tadman were Robert and Phoebe Lee, George Lee, Ahna Capri and Nancy Kwan among others. On display was some artwork by Bruce Lee as well as one of his suits (fly-on-the-wall information c/o Jan Greene). By all accounts it was an exceptional event and something I was regrettably unable to attend. Undoubtedly one of the most humble of Bruce Lee fans, July really turned out to be David Tadman's month, as he was also a driving force behind HKL's Bruce Lee Box Set. Follow-up to Fighting Spirit by Bruce Thomas (August 2003) The Amazon details do the talking: "Fighting Talk. Paperback, 160 pages. Publisher: Bentwyck Henry Publishers; ISBN: 1904538002 Bruce Lee: Fighting Talk is a compilation of anecdotes, interviews, and short essays on the life and legacy of Bruce Lee, that were not included in the author's full-length Bruce Lee biography, Fighting Spirit. This book reflects all facets of a complex man - Bruce Lee the super-celebrity and icon, the most exciting screen star of his day, and the most innovative martial artist of the modern era... and Bruce Lee, the flawed human, and the unfulfilled philosopher. The author also offers a reappraisal of Lee's tragic early death; deep insights into his underlying philosophy; and an unusual mix of photographs." Sounds like it might be worth checking out. Jade Screen #6 - Bob Wall interview (August 2003) The new issue of Jade Screen appeared in early August, the closing pages awash with a Bob Wall interview about Bruce Lee and a promotional splash-ad for Rising Sun Productions' DVD and video of The Life and Legend Of Bob Wall. Having read the piece I'm interested in seeing just how good this release is, so if Rising Sun's PR are reading this, drop me a mail and I'll let you know where to send a review copy ;-D. New Bruce Lee DVDs receive mixed reception (August 2003) The arrival of two new sets of Bruce Lee DVDs caused division and derision among fans, with George Tan's VideoAsia releases (see our June update below) coming in for what amounted to an almighty battering following complaints about a distinct lack of quality. The Hong Kong Legends DVDs fared better with the box-set receiving favourable reviews virtually across the board but their new Platinum Edition of Way of the Dragon was greeted with hoots of discontent from various quarters. Enter the Dragon 30th Anniversary DVD: Delayed (August 2003) In a recent interview with BLR, Enter the Dragon producer Paul Heller confirmed that the 30th Anniversary DVD will be completed in the Autumn but its release will slip into early 2004. One word: bummer. :-( New Oakland Years Book (July 2003) PR blurb c/o Amazon: "The Dragon and the Tiger: The Birth of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do: The Oakland Years by Greglon Lee, Sid Campbell Paperback 350 pages. Publisher: Frog Ltd; ISBN: 1583940898. While much has been written about Bruce Lee as a martial arts instructor and as an actor, very little has ever appeared about the years he spent training with James Yimm Lee, a talented kung fu stylist. This training period left a lasting impression on the 'Dragon's' ideology and shaped his outlook on the martial arts for years to come. This title offers an in-depth account of the emergence of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do." A fresh angle and a book I'll be investigating this Autumn. Enter the Dragon 30th Anniversary DVD Due Autumn 2003 (June 2003) Rumblings of interest in Warner Brothers' reissue of Enter the Dragon has led to speculation and questions about additional features on the DVD, mostly in relation to the alleged discovery of Henry Wong's long lost behind-the-scenes footage. David Tadman, co-writer and producer of Blood and Steel, a new thirty minute documentary for the DVD which will be included as one of the primary extras, had this to say in relation to Mr. Wong's footage: "Paul Heller and Fred Weintraub have been searching for it. They originally had all that footage back in 1973 and then gave it to Raymond Chow in 1974 to do a documentary. The documentary was never done and the footage never returned. Two years ago, a source at Warners said he thinks they still might have a copy of it in their possession, but there were countless films with Chinese writing on them and they did not know where to start looking for it. A source at Warners contacted Henry Wong, according to Paul, and they asked Henry Wong if he could come to Los Angeles to search for the footage. Mr. Wong saying he is too old to bother with that, gracefully declined to help. Recently, the footage has been located in Hong Kong according to some sources at Warners and they are working on getting the footage back from Chow. Maybe if we are lucky, it will be used for the 35th or 40th DVD.". David Tadman also revealed that the DVD was due this Autumn and added that he "... was able to get some parts of Ahna Capri's [behind the scenes] footage along with some out-takes and a few other things. At very least, I hope people get a kick out seeing some of Ahna's footage.". Thanks to this kind of input, it sounds like Warner Brothers may finally get the balance right with this oft-mistreated film. BLR News also votes for the removal of the 'Monk Scene', which should be included as an extra with the original audio, and a return to the original theatrical cut. Jade screen Bruce Lee Collector's Edition (June 2003) The latest issue of Jade Screen, volume #1 issue #5, appeared in early June. This Bruce Lee collector's edition boasts a Game of Death cover and virtually wall to wall Bruce Lee content, including varied articles on Jeet Kune Do by Dan Inosanto to a detailed look at the historical value of Bruce Lee 'clone' movies. For more information and ordering details visit their site. 30th Anniversary US Bruce Lee DVDs (June 2003) As a counterpoint to HKL's repackaged/rejigged Bruce Lee catalogue, it emerges that our US cousins are also getting into the 30th Anniversary spirit by releasing a clutch of commemorative DVDs with extras that outshine the main features: Death by Misadventure: The mysterious life of Bruce Lee, the film that 'exposes the real cause behind Bruce Lee's death'. With over 30 minutes of rare and unseen footage of Bruce Lee.  Audio commentary by Davis Miller and Dr. Don Langford  Extended interviews with George Lazenby, Dr. Langford, Dr. Eugene Chiu  Featurettes: I shot Bruce Lee by cameraman Charles Lowe, My teacher, Bruce Lee by Charles Lowe, Enter the Dragon Eyewitness with Philip Ko Bruce Lee - True Story: Starring Bruce Li, this is the most popular Bruce Lee bio film ever! With two audio commentary tracks,interviews with Bruce Li and director Ng See Yuen, special Jeet Kune Do feature with student Joe Lewis and much more!  Audio commentaries: Bruce Lee - from man to myth with Davis Miller, Joe Lewis, Joe Hyams and George Tan.  The Bruce Lee Stories, history of Bruce Lee exploitation films  What Bruce Lee Taught Me with Joe Lewis  Original trailer and TV spots  Interviews with: Bruce Li, director Ng See Yuen, screenwriter Ed Khmara (Dragon - The Bruce Lee story) Fist of Unicorn: Includes original trailer and two versions of the film, Mandarin widescreen and English fullscreen.  Original trailer  Featurettes: The Last Day of Bruce Lee documentary hosted by Betty Ting Pei, Fight Scenes the Bruce Lee Way with Bruce Lee's stunt team  Bruce Lee in 1972 photo gallery Young Bruce Lee - The little Dragon: Contains over 80 minutes of rare and unseen Bruce Lee, including his first U.S. television gung fu demonstration! Witness his childhood films to his greatest fights. With audio commentary by his first U.S. student and special featurettes. A collectors dream!  Audio commentary by Lee's first student Jesse Glover  Interview with Leo Fong  Featurettes: Remembering Bruce Lee - A Seattle Tour with Jesse Glover, Bruce Lee's Ancestral Village a tour of his father's village and the Bruce Lee museum, U.S. Gung Fu Television Demo Milton Berle piece with Bruce Lee as Kato. Dragon 4 Pack: Bruce Li, Dragon Lee, Bruce Le and many other Bruce's are included in this action packed DVD set. Includes: Clones of Bruce Lee, Bruce Lee's Deadly Kung Fu, Bruce 's Fist of Vengeance and The Big Boss 2. Tentative release date: 22nd July 2003 30th Anniversary Bruce Lee DVDs from HKL (May 2003) On July 14th, Hong Kong Legends will be commemorating the 30th anniversary of Bruce Lee's passing by releasing a double disc Platinum edition of Way of the Dragon, retailing at £19.99. Disc one will be the feature film with optimum bit-rate audio and video tracks, delivering the most awesome sound possible. Disc two will carry a wonderful array of brand new exclusive special features, along with some of the Features from the single disc general release edition of the film. There will also be a 30th Anniversary DVD set retailing at £49.99. Six discs comprising the general release editions of The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Way of the Dragon and Game of Death. The sixth disc will be a new set of exclusive special features, which HKL say will "simply bowl over Bruce Lee fans". Just to whet the appetite, these will include interviews with members of the Lee family, luminaries of HK cinema reminiscing and much, much more including: Interviews:  Bob Wall - General Bruce stories  Robert Lee - Interview about memories of Bruce  Phoebe Lee - (Bruce's sister) Her memories of Bruce  George Lee - Friend and maker of his personal training equipment  Van Williams - The Green Hornet  Lewis Sit - Golden Harvest Production Manager  Chaplin Chan - Location Manager at Golden Harvest Also Includes:  Extremely rare behind the scenes photo gallery  Hong Kong icons Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen reminisce about their memories of Bruce  Articles from Inside Kung-fu magazine and private students: Dan Inosanto,John Saxon, Nancy Kwan and Jon Benn.  Article by Robert Lee and Phoebe Lee  Funky animated menus  Photos Plus a collector's edition Bruce Lee book packed with never seen before photos. If this wasn't enough, HKL have also produced a Bruce Lee documentary double pack which includes Bruce Lee: The Legend and "a beautifully restored version" of Bruce Lee: The Man & the Legend. New Bruce Lee Book (Spain) (May 2003) Details have emerged of a new Spanish Bruce Lee book called Bruce Lee, The Man Behind the Legend. Details courtesy of Marcos Ocana: "...this book attempts to make up for lost time and present to all his Spanish speaking fans a serious and quality account about a man ahead of his time who did extraordinary things while still remaining human. A man immersed in the study of everything that could help him to grow as a person, guided by his love and dedication to the martial arts, a revolutionary and innovator in the cinematography field, a lover of knowledge and philosophy, and overall a human being like any of us with virtues and faults, but who knew how to turn adversities in advantages, actualising himself and becoming the source of inspiration to millions worldwide, independent of creed, rage or nationality. To my understanding, this book presents the first exhaustive chapter concerning Bruce's childhood filmography, with notes from the critics of that time, commentaries of the directors, producers or scriptwriters of the respective films, in an in-depth study that I'm sure will earn the attention of the most experts in the subject. Also, this is the first time that the film Game of Death has been separated into two different chapters, devoted to the version of Bruce Lee and the one by Robert Clouse, making a detailed and in-depth analysis of both. In the same way, it's the first time that in a book has been written about Bruce's never filmed scripts: Bamboo and Southern Fist / Northern Leg, telling the plot of both and even showing a fragment of the script and ideas of Bruce. Also this is the first time that a Spanish book has devoted a full chapter to do a serious study of Bruce Lee's philosophy. The filmography is, to my understanding, the most complete ever, with 40 pages devoted exclusively to this subject. In it you'll find for the first time (in a non-Chinese publication) a complete record of all his childhood films along with their alternate titles and correct translations into Spanish titles, release dates, images from the films, as well as for the first time in a book (in any language) the plots to every single one of them along with other facts. Also, you'll find a record of all the episodes of all the TV series, movies... where he appeared / worked on with original releasing dates, running time, technical details and plots. The same goes for his films and a special note devoted to the Spanish dubbing actors who lent their voices to Bruce in each one of his films and whose names are revealed here for the first time. All this, along with innumerable facts, anecdotes, details, stories... unpublished in any biography of Bruce Lee, along with 314 photographs, some of them totally unpublished in Spain and many other countries, make this book, narrated from an objective point of view by Bruce himself and the rest of main characters of every story, one of the most serious studies ever written about the life and work of Bruce Lee. It's my wish to share the fruit of all this hard work with every one of you." New Edition of Unsettled Matters Dropped (April 2003) Rising Sun Productions have stated that they will not be releasing an updated edition of Tom Bleecker's controversial Bruce Lee book, clearly worried about lawsuits from the Bruce Lee estate over the content. My thanks to Mark Gray for following this story up. The Life and Legend Of Bob Wall on DVD (April 2003) More from Rising Sun Productions, a new DVD and video featuring Bruce Lee's on-screen nemesis Bob Wall. Promotional guff from their site follows: "Perhaps no man in the history of the martial arts has been as fortunate as Bob Wall. He has trained with the best: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, and Gene LaBelle. He has taught some of Hollywood's most influential celebrities from Steve McQueen and Elvis Presley to many more. He was part of Chuck Norris's famous West Coast Team Of Champions and he has become one of the most successful men ever in martial arts. On this DVD/VHS he tells you all from his lessons on life from Chuck Norris and Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, and Bruce Lee to his experiences with Jean Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal. But perhaps his biggest claim to fame was his role in Enter The Dragon where he played the evil Ohara. He talks about the only five subjects Elvis was interested in, how he met Steve McQueen and how good Elvis really was. A totally fabulous DVD/VHS that you will watch over and over again just to see the rare footage of his early fights in the 1960s." Bruce Lee Convention 2003 (US) (April 2003) The first official Bruce Lee Convention has been announced, details c/o of their site here: "BURBANK, CA Sat. & Sun. July 12-13, 2003 Burbank Airport Hilton Hotel 2500 Hollywood Way A Celebration of Martial Arts & Entertainment THE WORLD'S FIRST EVER OFFICIAL BRUCE LEE CONVENTION! Guests appearing in person: (The following guests have accepted our invitation to appear at the convention, barring other work commitments)  Linda and Shannon Lee  Master Jhoon Rhee The Father of American Tae Kwon Do.  Mako Legendary martial arts star (The Green Hornet.  Jerry Poteet Master of Jeet Kune Do, acclaimed fight choreographer.  Benny "The Jet" Urquidez Jujitsu/Kickboxing master.  Ted Wong Jeet Kune Do Master, student of Bruce Lee and member of The Bruce Lee Foundation.  Andy Kimura Jeet Kune Do Master, student of Bruce Lee and member of The Bruce Lee Foundation.  Taky Kimura Jeet Kune Do Master, student of Bruce Lee and member of The Bruce Lee Foundation.  James Lew master of Tai Kwon Do, 5 Animal Kung Fu and Bak Mei Pai, martial arts choreographer and actor.  Paul Heller producer of Enter The Dragon.  Leif Adams Warner Bros. Corporate Archivist, will be bringing rare never before seen documents on Kung Fu (TV Series) and Enter The Dragon. And just to clarify, I'm sure they're charming people and all, but I've deleted a number of the special guests from the list who lacked a Bruce Lee 'flavour'. For full details of slated guests, please check out the official site. Bruce Lee Exhibit 2003 (April 2003) If the above is perhaps a little bit too commercial for the hardcore Bruce Lee fan then those with a taste for collectibles would be wise to check out Perry Lee's exhibition of his personal collection of Bruce Lee rarities, which runs from June 5th until November 2003. The following details lifted from here: "What: Hundreds of Bruce Lee memorabilia from the private collection of Perry Lee and others will be on display. Perry Lee is a renowned collector of Bruce Lee. His collection is considered one of the most complete in the world. The exhibit will include one of the largest displays of Green Hornet/Kato memorabilia, Lee's training equipment, movie lobby posters, business cards as well as personal letters and drawings. The rarest collection of magazines and pictorials of Bruce Lee ever assembled will also be on display. Where: (The former Uwajimaya building at the intersection of Sixth Avenue South and South King Street in Seattle) 519 6th Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104 Why: Proceeds from the Bruce Lee Collectors Exhibit in Seattle will go to several projects, including new low-income housing for families in Seattle's International District. The ID has historically been the cultural center for the Pan Asian community in the Pacific Northwest since the turn of the century. www.interimicda.org, a non-profit organization revitalizing Seattle's International District and other Asian Pacific communities in the Puget Sound area, will sponsor the housing project and other development programs. Exhibit hours: Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission$9 general; $5 seniors (62 and over) and students; for groups of ten or more, $5.00 for each person.Tickets can be purchased at the door or reserved by contacting the exhibit's ticket office, 206-277-9437. Or e-mail. Fist of Unicorn finally on DVD (March 2003) With a tentative release date posted by various vendors as 22nd April, Fist of Unicorn looks more likely to emerge on Region 1 DVD in June courtesy of Crash Cinema, their site gushes: "Crash Cinema once again makes DVD history and brings, for the first time ever on DVD, the long lost Bruce Lee classic Fist of the Unicorn. The first Crash Cinema title to feature the one and only original Bruce Lee, Fist of the Unicorn is an unequalled example of an expert blending of martial arts skill and film making ability that only the master himself could give us, making it one of the most fantastic examples of precisely executed action the world has ever seen. With circus performers, evil murderous villains, the deadly Unicorn Palm, a truly all-star cast, and dazzling fight choreography by the king of martial arts Bruce Lee, Fist of the Unicorn is the one Crash Cinema release that is not to be missed! This highly anticipated film boasts an all star cast of celebrated Asian action cinema greats which include Bruce Lee, (Enter the Dragon, Way of the Dragon, Game of Death) Yasuaki Kurata (The Executioner, Fist Of Legend), Wong In-Sik (Young Master, Way of the Dragon), Mong Hoi (Enter The Fat Dragon), Meng Hoi (Fist of Vengeance, Enter the Dragon) Chi Hon-Joi (Game of Death) and international superstar Jackie Chan (who needs no introduction)! Also included in the Crash Cinema release will be rare bonus footage from the Fist of the Unicorn press conference featuring Bruce Lee meeting with members of the press and taking photos with fans. This is the footage that collectors have been tirelessly searching for, and now it's here on DVD for the first time! Prepare to be dazzled and bedazzled by the fierce flying fists and combat you would expect from the one and only Bruce Lee in this classic collectable film from Crash Cinema and the Crash Media Group Inc." Enter the Dragon Retrospective (February 2003) Pages 87-92 of February's issue of Total Film (March 2003 cover date) contain a new piece on Enter the Dragon by Andy Lowe, co-author of Intercepting Fist - The Films of Bruce Lee. The article includes 'Influences & Legacies' and 'Exit the Dragon' side-bars with information on Bruce Lee's impact since 1973 and theories surrounding his passing. Also in Total Film this month, results of the Ultimate Film Fan poll in which 54% voted Bruce Lee as the 'Greatest Screen Martial Arts Star' with Jackie Chan scooping 36% and Jet Li 10%. Also, 55% voted Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as better than Enter the Dragon which raked in the remaining 45% when they went head-to-head. Can't see it myself, but then I am biased... (Image and info (c) Future Publishing) New Bruce Lee Books (February 2003) Following on from January's UK publication of The Importance of Bruce Lee, 2003 brings still more books about the late 'Little Dragon', the first of which is King Dragon by Norman Borine. Following Bruce Lee's passing, he turned his successful greeting-card shop into a Bruce Lee souvenir shop, eventually creating a 5,000 square feet museum called The World of Bruce Lee, later producing a fan magazine of the same name. The museum was visited not only by members of the Lee family, but thousands of fans from all across America and many foreign countries, all paying homage to Bruce Lee. This led to a contract with Columbia Pictures to take charge of the premiere of Bruce Lee's final film, Game of Death. All these year later comes this book. With this kind of fan pedigree, big things are expected here! Also due this month is Bruce Lee: Fighting Talk which is a 168 page paperback published by Bentwyck Henry Publishers (ISBN: 1904538002), while the Summer will bring us Kung Fu Cult Masters: From Bruce Lee to Crouching Tiger by Leon Hunt, also in paperback boasting 224 pages courtesy of Wallflower Press (ISBN: 1903364639). With Joe Lewis's book on Jeet Kune Do still due and a revised edition of Unsettled Matters reportedly on the cards, fans will be spoiled for choice this year! Who said Bruce Lee's popularity was in decline!? New UK DVDs (January 2003) In addition to The Crow 2-disc Special Edition DVD, two other Bruce Lee related discs have emerged. First of all we have a nice curiosity piece, The Chinese Stuntman featuring Dan Inosanto and Bruce Li which is well worth a look. However, this month's Bruce Lee DVD gem is: The Little Dragon Bruce Lee (Double Bill) "The Little Dragon Bruce Lee is a wonderful archive of Bruce Lee's early childhood films and an informative guide to his young life growing up in Hong Kong. The Real Bruce Lee (1973) contains clips from four of Lee's childhood movies - The Kid, Bad Boy (Blame It On Father), Carnival Love (Love Part II) and Orphan Sam (An Orphan's Tragedy) - plus footage from The Unicorn Fist press conference, his Hong Kong funeral, plus a full film called The Ultimate Lee starring Dragon Lee. Later in 1982, the same film was re-edited and extended into a slicker production called The Young Bruce Lee, also contained on this DVD release." Extras include: "Bruce Lee: The Early Hong Kong Years. Bruce Lee child star movie archive. History of The Real Bruce Lee. History of The Young Bruce Lee plus photo gallery. Profile of Bruce Lee's father and filmography. Profile of Unicorn Chan and filmography. Profiles of Bruce Li and Dragon Lee plus filmographies. History of Unicorn Fist and synopsis plus press launch and photo gallery." These details c/o Blackstar and Oriental Film Distribution. 2002 Shannon Lee Keasler, Mum-to-be (December 2002) Happy rumours from Dragonfest 2002, with Shannon Lee Keasler's absence attributed to the prospect of the pitter-patter of tiny feet. There has been no official announcement as yet, with the news first leaking on our (now defunct) Discussion Forum and followed soon thereafter by Paul Bax's message board. More on this as and when it comes in. Meantime, I'm sure you'll all join me in extending our best wishes to Shannon Lee Keasler and family. James Coburn Dies, Aged 74 (November 2002) Hollywood legend and Bruce Lee student James Coburn died suddenly at his home on Monday 18th November, aged 74. He will no doubt be best remembered for his many classic movie roles but for fans of 'The Little Dragon', Coburn's undeniable influence upon Bruce Lee the filmmaker and fledgling movie star is all-too clear. James Coburn played a key part in Bruce Lee decamping to Hong Kong to make movies with Golden Harvest and was also one third of the creative team that moved mountains to get Bruce Lee's pet project The Silent Flute onto the big-screen. James Coburn will also be fondly remembered for his part in those super-cool backyard-training sessions and his colourful stories of Bruce Lee that lit up so many documentaries. He will be sorely missed by film fans across the world. BBLA Green Hornet Convention Success (November 2002) Reports from the BBLA about their recent Green Hornet convention have been coming in, with the event hailed as an obvious success and the appearance made by Van Williams proving to be a popular choice with fans. "The convention ran like a Formula One race car. The seven hours seemed to be over in no time at all . Van Williams was superb, as was the rest of the convention." - N.Tingey "The whole day was superb, with screenings of Green Hornet episodes and my personal favourite, Rapid Fire, with exclusive 'Making Of' documentary and unmentioned Brandon Lee profile feature. The day's guest was The Green Hornet himself - Van Williams. His stories of his times with Bruce were extremely interesting and amusing. Extremely rare footage was also shown of the promotional work done at the time by Bruce and Van in promoting The Green Hornet alongside Batman. BBLA merchandise was available, with some excellent purchases to be made. The auction this year was fast and frantic and succeeded in raising a fairly decent amount of money. All in all, another fantastic convention - many thanks to all involved at the BBLA for such an excellent day!"- R.Seaman Thank you to Carl Fox for pestering BBLA members for their comments on my behalf. Re-Enter the Dragon... again! (November 2002) Recent weeks have seen Enter the Dragon become the hot topic of choice with much speculation about next year's 30th Anniversary and how best it should be celebrated. This has been compounded by rumours of a remake, rehashing tittle-tattle that's been doing the rounds on the net since 1998. Popular theories about the anniversary celebration include yet another 'definitive' DVD or a cinema re-release, while rumours about the sequel include suggestions for the cast: Jet Li is flagged as filling Bruce Lee's shoes, John Saxon is touted as Braithwaite and Bolo is set to appear as uh... Bolo! The Crow 2-Disc DVD to hit UK (November 2002) Coming early next year we can look forward to the long overdue R2 Special Edition DVD of Brandon Lee's final film, The Crow. This info comes from issue #44 of DVD Review; details as to whether it'll be a straight port of last year's above-average R1 release aren't clear at this stage. That said anything is an improvement on the current EIV UK release, which is merely 4:3 and is identical to the VHS edition on the extras front. I'll be at the front of the queue for this one, no matter what. A superb film, long overdue for the treatment it deserves. Jade Screen Returns / Bruce Lee Column (October 2002) 2001 saw the arrival of a new magazine, Jade Screen, a movie magazine for those of us who like our films with an Eastern flavour. After the pilot issue, it disappeared for over a year but now it's back! With a fresh design and approach, featuring the second part of a Shannon Lee Keasler interview and a Bruce Lee column by respected Bruce Lee journalist and JKD practitioner Simon Kenny. This magazine deserves your support as does another favourite of mine, Oriental Film Review self-published by James Marshall of Oriental Film Distribution which carries reviews of DVDs, including HKL's output. For availability details of both magazines, visit Jade Screen and Oriental Film Distribution respectively to learn more. New Bruce Lee Books (October 2002) There are two new books doing the rounds since the last update: Regards from the Dragon by George Lee (ISBN: 0-86568-217-8, 150 pages) which charts the author's relationship with Bruce Lee utilising reproductions of correspondence. There were promotional copies available as prizes on Bruce Lee forums in late September, early October so the book should be available to buy now, having had an original launch date of April 2002. Availability in the UK is sketchy and it looks like your best shot is getting it via import. The second new book is Joe Lewis's reflections on Bruce Lee and his training methods; World's Greatest Fighter Teaches You: How to Master Bruce Lee's Fighting System (No ISBN, trade paperback 144 pages). This one sounds intriguing as it supposedly has commentary on Joe Lewis and Bruce Lee's much discussed, occasionally turbulent relationship. Again, availability in the UK will probably be via imported copies. Must add that the source of the Joe Lewis book info was initially from Paul Bax's excellent Bruce Lee/JKD forum, a quick follow-up to Joe Lewis's site reveals more. Bruce Lee Documentary DVD hits UK Stores (September 2002) The Immortal Dragon supposedly shipped 2nd September 2002, though it was nowhere to be seen in my local stores and some web-sites reported that the release date had slipped to the 9th. Appear it did though, according to posts on some Bruce Lee forums, and it certainly got a much better reception than the last Bruce Lee documentary the BBLA played a part in (the much derided Unbeatable Bruce Lee). Features on this disc really shine and make it worthy of purchase, they include: a seperate doc' called Famous Families: The Lee's Actions Speak Louder, The Green Hornet/Batman: A Piece Of The Action (script), Bruce Lee 1965 Number One Son Screentest, The Green Hornet colour screentest No.1, The Green Hornet colour screentest No.2, 18 silent clapperboard out-takes from The Green Hornet, an original ABC trailer introduced by William Dozier, 6 publicity trailers from 1988/89, 40 page booklet and rounds off with Bruce Lee family and friends profiles. Bruce Lee Inspired Coffee Ad hits UK Screens (September 2002) Keen eyed viewers of the UK Survivor spin-off, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here will have seen a brand new Nescafe ad featuring seasoned globetrotter Alan Wicker relating how gardening is the new rock 'n' roll and maybe we should bring in elements of Bruce Lee to get our land looking how we want it. Cue Kung-fu gardener sipping Nescafe before kicking out shed door and tending to his garden with battle-cries, garden tools as weapons, martial arts 'moves' and sound effects lifted from Enter the Dragon. Having pestered Nescafe with e-mails, they've now uploaded the ad to their site along with screensavers and desktop themes. Check it out here. Van Williams to Appear @ Second BBLA Convention (September 2002) Following on from their promotional convention in early September, The Bruce & Brandon Lee Association are holding a second convention, this one to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of The Green Hornet TV show, which ran from 1966-1967 and the 10th Anniversary of Rapid Fire. Their special guest will be none other than The Green Hornet himself, Van Williams. The convention will take place on Saturday 9th November 2002 @ The Pictureville Cinema in Bradford (10.00am until 5.00pm). There will be big screen presentations of The Green Hornet TV series, Rapid Fire, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story plus rare footage of Bruce Lee as Kato in The Green Hornet, on-stage interview and signing session with Van Williams, the Bruce and Brandon Lee Association Annual Auction and a Charity Raffle in aid of Cancer Research UK. For more details, visit the bbla site. Dragon Tracks Vol 2. No.1 - OUT NOW! (August 2002) After months of delays the latest issue of the BBLA newsletter plopped through my letterbox near mid-August and very nice it is too. Chunky, glossy, digest sized and filled with book, video and DVD reviews. It was a little light on members' contributions this time out but actually well worth the wait and came with a clutch of decent postcards, including Brandon Lee snaps from Showdown in Little Tokyo and Rapid Fire and some excellent production shots of the golf-course bust-up from Enter the Dragon. Apparently, the next issue is due in six weeks, that's late September at the time of this update. Hope they can get things back on a regular schedule, despite the voluntary nature of the organisation. Free Bruce Lee Convention Announced (July 2002) Excuse me for ripping-off the BBLA's text verbatim, but I'm too lazy to write this slice of news: Vivendi Universal in conjunction with The Bruce and Brandon Lee Association, Hong Kong Legends, Stax Entertainment, Martial Arts Illustrated and Impact Magazine Bruce Lee Fan Club UK are proud to present a FREE Bruce Lee convention to celebrate the premiere release of Bruce Lee Quest of the Dragon X-Box Game and the 30th Anniversary of Way of The Dragon to be held at the Pictureville Cinema, Bradford from 10.00 am till 4.00 pm on Sunday, September 1st 2002. Big screen presentations of Way of The Dragon (uncut), the premieres of Bruce Lee The Immortal Dragon and Famous Families: The Lee's Actions Speak Louder plus onscreen interviews with Bruce Lee's friends and co-stars, Bruce Lee Quest of The Dragon XBox Game available to play, and much much more. The Bruce and Brandon Lee Association and Bruce Lee UK Fan Club Members can apply for privileged tickets. All they have to do is send their membership number and an SAE for two tickets only per member, any tickets left will be given out on a first come first served basis from people who obtain the password (one ticket per applicant) from the Hong Kong Legends web site and send their details (with an SAE) to: The BBLA, PO Box 25, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 5TG. Come and enjoy a fantastic day of Bruce Lee celebrations. Also available on the day Bruce Lee merchandise Bruce Lee-style shirts available from buttnaked (June 2002) An unofficial line of Bruce Lee inspired shirts have appeared in larger JD Sports stores. The first one, on the buttnaked label comes replete with blurred features, bad hair and headband as well as a portion of the Enter the Dragon cavern sequence where Bruce Lee breaks Jackie Chan's neck. The second shirt, on the Catskill label features a head shot of Bruce Lee with the heading 'Legends' and the number 04 emblazoned on the back. Other famous names in this series include the late Sex Pistols' bassit Sid Vicious and The Doors' front-man Jim Morrison. As I have no access to a digital camera or webcam, the best I can do for now is scan an area of one of the shirts for you to look at. A visit to JD Sports' web-site revealed little, although there was an image of one of their models sporting the Catskill shirt. The shirts retail at £19.99 and £24.99 respectively. A Warrior's Journey Book Finally Arrives! (June 2002) Shock, horror! The long awaited Game of Death book from John Little plopped through my letterbox today (18th June). First impressions are positive; the book is weighty with a nice colour photo section and the inside track on the development of A Warrior's Journey, including a shot for shot breakdown of Bruce Lee's Game of Death. It's been a long time coming; November 2000 saw the announcement of this companion to John Little's documentary, then viewed as an absolute must. A year on from there saw the US Amazon listing pulled, throwing the book's publication into the realms of uncertainty. Amazon UK stuck with the listing and kept pushing the date back and back and I finally ordered it in December 2001. Numerous e-mails and telephone calls and half a year later here it is, strangely minus the 'Making & Meaning of...' tagline and also missing Linda Lee Cadwell's foreward. Enter the Dragon featured in DVD Review Action Tribute (June 2002) Issue #39 of DVD Review pays tribute to the impact of Bruce Lee's genre defining Enter the Dragon in their 'The Attraction of Action' article, featuring alongside the equally acclaimed Drunken Master and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. While the enthusiasm is certainly there, the accuracy isn't 100% on the money with Enter... being directed by one Robert 'Clause' (sic). A Warrior's Journey Book: Latest (May 2002) The Amazon UK listing, long deleted from the company's American arm, now states that the book will be out in the UK this October. My persistence doesn't appear to be paying off; repeated calls to Amazon have been fruitless, they contacted the publisher Contemporary Books who insist that book will go ahead. We can only wait and see. Bruce Lee Cover Story - Martial Arts Illustrated Vol.15 #1 (May 2002) Simon Kenny's cover-story article on 'Bruce Lee - Fighter, Martial Artist or Showman?' appears in the latest Martial Arts Illustrated (June 2002 cover date). Simon Kenny is gradually building up a reputation as a writer to watch, having had his work on Bruce Lee published in a Pocket Essentials Guide last year. Elsewhere, his interview with Shannon Lee appeared as cover story for Jade Screen eastern movie magazine. Way of the Dragon - Platinum Edition? (May 2002) According to the Bullets 'n' Babes web-site, we can expect to see Bruce Lee's directorial debut getting the 2-disc treatment from Hong Kong Legends. So far, details are sketchy and what form any additional material takes isn't clear at this stage. News of this release may be consigned to the rumour dustbin. As soon as anything more breaks, it'll be posted here. [Prior to May 2002, the news section was only occasionally updated. Here we include limited coverage from 2001 and 2000.] 2001 Fist of Fury Delayed? (January 2001) Bruce Lee Special Edition DVD on the skids? According to the Hong Kong Legends web-site the release date for, arguably, Bruce Lee's best film has gone back from its original 5th February release to the 19th. Alarmingly, one on-line DVD merchant has the release date listed as 12th March. Let's hope this is just the stuff of rumour to build up demand as with similar speculation upon The Big Boss's UK DVD release and doesn't effect Summer's main event The Way of the Dragon R2 DVD. The Man the Legend DVD Confirmed (January 2001) Bruce Lee: The Man, The Legend Latest! A recent edition of Impact magazine confirmed that there will, indeed, be a DVD version of this crumbling but still watchable documentary. 2000 Bruce Lee: The Man, The Legend Uncut VHS Release Announced (December 2000) Bruce Lee Documentary Gets a New Lease of Life! As a nice aperitif to the Region 2 Fist of Fury DVD, Bruce Lee: The Man, The Legend is set to reemerge on the Hong Kong Classics label early next year complete with nunchaku scenes previously excised by the BBFC. No news of a DVD release yet, but when we hear more we'll be sure to let you know. Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon (December 2000) New John Little Book Arrives! Finally got hold of the latest book from John Little earlier this month and very nice it is too. Resplendent with lots of lovely glossy pictures, some new, some we've seen plenty of times before, others previously unseen in such clarity. The price tag stuck in the gullet a bit but if you're new to the world of Bruce Lee then this is essential reading. For the rest of us, this is nice to flick through and is coffee table fodder to accompany Little's documentary Bruce Lee In His Own Words. ISBN:0-8048-3230-7 A Warrior's Journey (November 2000) Game of Death 'remake' Stalled! A Warrior's Journey remains in limbo apparently awaiting the full-force of the Warner's marketing machine, this despite being the hot topic on all forums, titillating articles in the BLEF newsletter and magazine, private screenings and previews (most notably at the Dragon Expo in Las Vegas). Now slated for an April 2001 release, it remains to be seen how the revised regional coding on DVDs will affect those of us in Europe keen to see John Little's attempt to capture the flavour of Bruce Lee's uncompleted Game of Death. As ever, we may have to wait considerably longer than our American cousins. No doubt bootlegs will be in full effect until then. Shame. New Bruce Lee Books (November 2000) New Books From John Little & George Tan Announced! With Jhoon Rhee's much touted book yet to arrive (perhaps like so many others, I was the unwitting participant in an Internet marketing ploy), the new Tuttle book - The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon - strangely absent from local book shops (no doubt I'll catch up with it eventually), my plodding through Davis Miller's Tao of Bruce Lee and with a stack of other books as yet unreviewed, you'd think I'd be largely unexcited at the prospect of further tomes that have been announced. You couldn't be more wrong, it's time to get the flags out and put on a big parade! Chief among these excellent new books, a companion to A Warrior's Journey by John Little which is obviously an absolute must but far better than that is the proposed, long-awaited arrival of George Tan's Tracking the Dragon series of books, which will be released starting next year until 2003! Forget about Star Wars II and III, this is where it's at for me! Bruce Lee Region 2 Special Edition DVDs (October 2000) Bruce Lee Films Finally Getting some Respect in UK! Press releases for Region 2 Bruce Lee DVDs were kindly sent to me by Oriental Film Distribution's James Marshall. The Big Boss was slated for a October 30th release, but was delayed a week to November 6th. The press release said: "The Big Boss - uncut at last! Following the biggest UK independent Hong Kong movie deal ever, Hong Kong Legends is proud to release the Bruce Lee classic, The Big Boss DVD Special Edition (18) - for the first time in the UK totally uncut with eight previously cut scenes now re-instated. To our knowledge no other fully restored, digitally re-mastered original aspect anamorphic presentation of this Bruce Lee classic is available in the world! This seminal martial arts film was instrumental in creating the legend that is Bruce Lee. Shot in Pak Choi in Thailand, Bruce Lee introduced his magnetic charisma and ground-breaking fight choreography to the world with this film. In an emotive, rollercoaster storyline of friendship, betrayal, revenge and deadly confrontation, Bruce Lee plays Cheng, a migrant worker who travels to Thailand in search of work, but finds and breaks open a drug trafficking ring with his fists of steel. In his quest for justice and revenge, Lee is an unstoppable force of nature, breaking down wave after wave of opponents with powerful Wing Chun hand combinations and lighting fast precision kicking. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: 1. Digitally re-mastered and restored DVD transfer. 2. 16:9 anamorphic version enhanced for widescreen TVs. 3. Feature length audio commentary. 4. AC3 5:1 digital audio. 5. Animated biography showcase. 6. Original theatrical trailer (containing rare deleted footage). 7. Hong Kong promotional trailer. 8. UK promotional trailer." Like everybody else, I bought the DVD on its release but have yet to get around to updating my original review of The Big Boss and my censorship section, both of which are woefully behind the times in light of the BBFC's revised weapons policy. Bear with me and I'll get it done ASAP Meantime, the only niggling part of the The Big Boss DVD is the dubbed on Enter the Dragon war cries, other than that it's the mutt's nuts. Fist Of Fury is currently scheduled for a release date of 5th February 2001. The press release says: "What can you say about one of the most famous movies of any kind ever made? This is Bruce Lee's most famous film, even bigger than Enter The Dragon. It has one of the greatest cult followings of all time, it's a mainstream international hit and it has never been surpassed for its sheer ability to take your breath away. Here it is in all its widescreen restored splendour, packed with extra features. DVD Special Features: 1. 16.9 Anamorphic version enhanced for widescreen TVs 2. AC3 5:1 Digital Audio 3. Animated Biography Showcase 4. Original Theatrical Trailer 5. UK promotional Trailer 6. Other Features TBC." Enter the Dragon Finally Passed Uncut in the UK (August 2000) Warner Brothers' Classic Enter the Dragon ... now with added nunchaku! After literally years of waiting, the unbelievable has happened. Enter the Dragon is to be released intact in the UK on DVD and VHS for the first time since the Video Recordings Act was passed as law in 1984. This follows on the heels of Dragon - The Bruce Lee Story being released uncut on Region 2 DVD, the film previously subjected to edits on its original cinematic and video releases in the mid-1990s. This also bodes well for A Warrior's Journey, the rerelease of Bruce Lee's unfinished Game of Death in documentary form. The upshot of this is Universal Pictures potentially resubmitting other Bruce Lee films to the BBFC for similar reevaluation now that the board's policy on weapons has been altered. Watch this space for a confirmed release date for Enter the Dragon. We're betting on a Christmas release to rival that of the Region 1 DVD box-set. Bruce Lee Tribute CD 'Ripples in the Pond' (August 2000) Sing if you like Bruce Lee! We received an e-mail requesting publicity for this project, always enthusiastic to help out fellow fans we thought we'd run the following request - "My name is Scott McKone. Born in 1960, and a fan of Bruce Lee since 1973. What I am creating is a tribute to Bruce Lee titled; "Ripples in the pond". It will be a very unique CD audio project, created by us, the Bruce Lee family of fans from all across the world. What I need from you is this - your feelings - in words and or music, on how Bruce Lee has positively affected your life. I will accept voice recordings ,instrumental songs, and vocal songs, that will be ultimately combined on the CD. Audio quality must be very clear - no background noise please. My goal is 10 - 14 songs, and no particular number of"just talk" pieces - total time will be the main factor to contend with. A $100,000 world famous studio sound is not required, but do your best. I would take a fair recording of a great song or message over a great recording of a ho-hum song or message, but do your best in both creation and recording. Be yourself... Be honest... be creative... and you just might make history. In a nutshell, that is what is going to be created. The question is do you want to be involved? I know you will have questions so Email anytime. Pass the word and I hope to hear from you soon. If you know of any forums for FREE or nearly free advertising, please let me know or feel free to place a free ad yourself to help promote this project. Please make sure my email address is right: scott.mckone@ns.sympatico.ca Thank you very much."-- Scott McKone 'Definitive' Bruce Lee DVD a disappointment (July 2000) Way of the Dragon HK release is defective! Those of you looking for definitive versions of Bruce Lee films to treasure on DVD should be made aware that the Universe release of Way of the Dragon (licensed in Hong Kong by Media Asia) has a serious sound problem that spoils an otherwise impressive package. Unfortunately, the sound during the film is approximately half a second behind the action and is especially noticeable during Bruce Lee's epic encounter with Chuck Norris. Despite this irritating flaw, the DVD's other qualities still successfully hoists it head and shoulders above previous releases on VHS, laserdisc and the Region 1 edition that forms part of the 5-disk Master Collection (the latter being poorly dubbed and missing footage). It might be worth hanging on until Hong Kong Legends get hold of a print and give it the same excellent treatment they've given their other releases. Bruce Lee Rarity Released on DVD in the UK (May 2000) Watching the Detectives: Special Guest Star Edition unleashed! Some would say shamefully mis-marketed, with little fanfare, the much sought after Ironside 'Tagged For Murder' TV episode featuring a cameo by Bruce Lee has finally seen light of day on DVD in the UK. At a budget price, it's eminently collectible - even though Bruce Lee is in it for just three minutes playing a karate instructor (sic). As you'd expect on this format, the picture is clean and crisp, the odd speck forgivable considering the age of the footage (it was originally aired in 1967); so it's about time to throw away that old VHS bootleg that cost you an arm and a leg and invest in this DVD.