What kinda movie would we have got from Bruce Lee had he lived

[Killer Meteor]

19 hours ago, Cognoscente said:

Here's the real head-scratcher: what specific HK movies could you imagine Bruce being in had he lived?

Good question. He was closest to the basher cycle, and they were out of fashion by 1974.

[Cognoscente]

I suppose he could have found a middle ground for the three type of fights that you would find in a Kung Fu movie: the one-on-one showdown, the group fights and the one-on-one encounters with lesser threats.

For the final fights, he would have to let someone look like they could be his rival for sticky hands with the occasional high kick thrown in for good measure so that it's not too arm-driven like a Carter Wong fight. If Bruce incorporated Wing Chun's low kicks for the sticking of hands, the footwork would be like a less balletic version of what Wilson Tong was renowned for.

For the one-on-ones with opponents who aren't as formidable, he would have to let some guy embarrass himself by doing a rehearsed routine while Bruce dodges each move without making himself look too theatrical with flowery movements. This would be sort of like Bolo's ignorant style or even the clandestine approach in Dirty Ho's signature scenes.

I remember an anecdote from one of Bruce's American friends who claimed that Bruce would sometimes like to tease opponents by deliberately blocking each move in the most effeminate way possible so as to emasculate them. I can sort of imagine it because Bruce was at his flashiest in the three one-on-one fights in Fist of Fury's finale i.e. versus Yoshida, Petrov, and Suzuki. In real life, Bruce would play around with the challengers for a bit before he unleashed his fury upon them.

For the group fight scenes, multiple guys could have taken it in turns to walk up to him by doing a different shape per step as opposed to just running into him like in the early bashing years. It would have been like watching a shapes parody. Perhaps he would have got a nickname like Kata Killer, so then it would be Beardy versus Kata Killer, or Pops versus the Kata Killer. If a group of men were armed with weapons, Bruce might have looked more modern in his attacks - similar to what Whang Ing-Sik was like in The Young Master and Dragon Lord.

In short, you would get the speed and intricacy of a shapes movie with the linear and lethal attraction of a basher movie. Bruce was all for bridging the gap between things. Like how he bridged the gap between East and West, he would have found a way to reconcile the two choreography styles so that he was up-to-date without looking like a sell-out.

[DragonClaws]

9 hours ago, Killer Meteor said:

He was closest to the basher cycle, and they were out of fashion by 1974.

 

I think his fight choreogrpahy style was too refined and stylish, to be thrown in with the much rougher basher style. He had a approach to choreogrpahy, that was all his own. It was unlike anything else being used in Hong Kong at the time. Bringing in the things he had learned from working in America, and making home movies with his fellow students. His performance in the The Big Boss was closet he got to the basher style. When he was working with Han Ying-Chieh, and still didnt have complete control of the finished product.

 

[Cognoscente]

That final fight was a good example of Bruce knowing when to compromise in a way where he looks good. It wasn't too realistic but it wasn't too surrealistic either. It was a perfect balance between Peking Opera and Jeet Kune Do.

The part where they try to trip each other up while locking each other's arms could have been taken to a whole new level in the shapes era. Perhaps there could have been a fight scene where Bruce and a rival have their arms tied or chained by a common foe (a teacher, an enemy, etc.) who forces them to balance on logs. Like Angela Mao in The Tournament except they become allies as they start to realise the importance of metaphorical balance.
 

 

[DragonClaws]

On 5/17/2021 at 12:58 PM, Cognoscente said:

Here's the real head-scratcher: what specific HK movies could you imagine Bruce being in had he lived?

 

Stoner, The Man from Hong Kong, The Queens Ransom, The Secret Rivals.

Edited May 18, 2021 by DragonClaws

[Cognoscente]

4 minutes ago, DragonClaws said:

The Secret Rivals.

Northern Leg or Southern Fist?

[sym8]

1 hour ago, DragonClaws said:

 

Stoner, The Man from Hong Kong, The Queens Ransom, The Secret Rivals.

I think he would have been good in the Police Story kinda role,where Jackie struggled to beat his opponents and only won because he never gave up Bruce would be the total opposite,mean,moody and a kick ass machine.

[Cognoscente]

I would have loved to have seen Bruce in a fight where he is attacked by a group of men simultaneously.

[DragonClaws]

On 5/18/2021 at 10:46 AM, Cognoscente said:

Northern Leg or Southern Fist?

 

Tough one, I dont think I could answer that one.

 

On 5/18/2021 at 12:11 PM, sym8 said:

I think he would have been good in the Police Story kinda role,where Jackie struggled to beat his opponents and only won because he never gave up Bruce would be the total opposite,mean,moody and a kick ass machine.

 

Sure he would have done some kind of serious cop movie, especially after the move to America.

[sym8]

With crazy stunts hard hits and falls becoming prevalent during the 80s and 90s I wonder if Bruce would have gone down this road and put his body on the line like Jackie and co did.

[Cognoscente]

His back problem might have got in the way.

[DragonClaws]

 

 

[shukocarl1441996347]

Here's my take on the films Bruce Lee MAY have made had he lived?

Game of Death  so much speculation on how this would have turned out. I think it may have been his first "flop", probably only taking in HK what The Big Boss did. Where the Asian audiences ready for a hip-talking yellow clad  Superhero? I think not.

Stoner-The Shrine of the Ultimate Bliss  presumably Lee would have played a similar role that Angela Mao filled except with demands to change this and that OR completely changing the whole script to focus more on him. Another "flop".

Yellow Faced Tiger  now I can see him as being good in this but without Lo Wei  as director. Re-Match with Norris and U.S. production values. Medium Hit.

The Man from Hong Kong  if Lee had made this, there would have been less stunts (more stunt doubles for Lee though) and more fighting. Lee was no way a daredevil stunt guy like Wang. Think Roger Moore for Bond. Close-ups of Lee - actual stunt by A.N. Other. Lee was a tough man but I don't think he was as tough as Wang when it came to taking risks. Hit.

Blood Money  Carlo Ponti wanted Lee to co-star with his wife Sofia Loren. Was it this film that Ponti produced with Lo Lieh - famous worldwide due to King Boxer? With Lee's death he probably went to the 2nd most known Hong Kong star of the the time. Again, I think Lee and Lee Van Cleef would have worked well. The film as it stands is rather fun but Lo Lieh is let down by Antonio Margheritti's direction. Who knows - maybe Lee would have got to direct? Hit

Shaw Brothers Project/ Green Bamboo Warrior/ Southern Fist-Northern Leg  it would have been great to see Lee in a lavish costume drama but could he play "Stoic Regality" as Ti Lung in Blood Brothers? Would he let Lau Kar Lung choregraph the action in a traditional 'form' based style? An interesting experiment it would have been. Imagine Lee lining up with Ti Lung, David Chiang, Chen Kuan Tai, Fu Sheng and Lo Meng. Hit.

 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2021 by shukocarl1441996347
Sp

[Cognoscente]

I can imagine GOD being treated like ETD: the HK audience finding Bruce to be too Westernized for their own likings, along with him not being the underdog like he was in the other movies. Maybe he would have changed the plot so that he had to retrieve Chinese treasure instead of having to rescue kidnapped relatives. That way, he could still be seen as a patriotic hero.

As for the SB project, maybe Bruce and Lau would have come to an agreement where Bruce can only choreograph himself whereas everyone else's actions were to be choreographed by Lau.

[shukocarl1441996347]

1 hour ago, Cognoscente said:

I can imagine GOD being treated like ETD: the HK audience finding Bruce to be too Westernized for their own likings, along with him not being the underdog like he was in the other movies. Maybe he would have changed the plot so that he had to retrieve Chinese treasure instead of having to rescue kidnapped relatives. That way, he could still be seen as a patriotic hero.

As for the SB project, maybe Bruce and Lau would have come to an agreement where Bruce can only choreograph himself whereas everyone else's actions were to be choreographed by Lau.

I like your ideas but Lee's choreography would have stood out like a sore thumb compared to LKL's. Lee was a great choreographer of more practical techniques (not necessarily 'Chinese' ones either) but would look out place in a Shaw's period film.

[Cognoscente]

I wonder what the axe choreography would have been like. The below is courtesy of George Lee.

[WarriorBloodCrest]

6 hours ago, shukocarl1441996347 said:

Here's my take on the films Bruce Lee MAY have made had he lived?

Game of Death  so much speculation on how this would have turned out. I think it may have been his first "flop", probably only taking in HK what The Big Boss did. Where the Asian audiences ready for a hip-talking yellow clad  Superhero? I think not.

Stoner-The Shrine of the Ultimate Bliss  presumably Lee would have played a similar role that Angela Mao filled except with demands to change this and that OR completely changing the whole script to focus more on him. Another "flop".

Yellow Faced Tiger  now I can see him as being good in this but without Lo Wei  as director. Re-Match with Norris and U.S. production values. Medium Hit.

The Man from Hong Kong  if Lee had made this, there would have been less stunts (more stunt doubles for Lee though) and more fighting. Lee was no way a daredevil stunt guy like Wang. Think Roger Moore for Bond. Close-ups of Lee - actual stunt by A.N. Other. Lee was a tough man but I don't think he was as tough as Wang when it came to taking risks. Hit.

Blood Money  Carlo Ponti wanted Lee to co-star with his wife Sofia Loren. Was it this film that Ponti produced with Lo Lieh - famous worldwide due to King Boxer? With Lee's death he probably went to the 2nd most known Hong Kong star of the the time. Again, I think Lee and Lee Van Cleef would have worked well. The film as it stands is rather fun but Lo Lieh is let down by Antonio Margheritti's direction. Who knows - maybe Lee would have got to direct? Hit

Shaw Brothers Project/ Green Bamboo Warrior/ Southern Fist-Northern Leg  it would have been great to see Lee in a lavish costume drama but could he play "Stoic Regality" as Ti Lung in Blood Brothers? Would he let Lau Kar Lung choregraph the action in a traditional 'form' based style? An interesting experiment it would have been. Imagine Lee lining up with Ti Lung, David Chiang, Chen Kuan Tai, Fu Sheng and Lo Meng. Hit.

 

 

 

I could be wrong but wasn't "Slaughter in San Francisco" starring Chuck Norris began life as one of the earlier treatments for Green Bamboo Warrior? 

As for possible sequels, I think it would be a no-brainer for Big Boss to have gotten one, even without Lo Wei's involvement.

[Cognoscente]

1 minute ago, WarriorBloodCrest said:

I could be wrong but wasn't "Slaughter in San Francisco" starring Chuck Norris began life as one of the earlier treatments for Green Bamboo Warrior?

Different San Fran story.

[Josh Baker]

12 hours ago, shukocarl1441996347 said:

Here's my take on the films Bruce Lee MAY have made had he lived?

Game of Death  so much speculation on how this would have turned out. I think it may have been his first "flop", probably only taking in HK what The Big Boss did. Where the Asian audiences ready for a hip-talking yellow clad  Superhero? I think not.

Stoner-The Shrine of the Ultimate Bliss  presumably Lee would have played a similar role that Angela Mao filled except with demands to change this and that OR completely changing the whole script to focus more on him. Another "flop".

Yellow Faced Tiger  now I can see him as being good in this but without Lo Wei  as director. Re-Match with Norris and U.S. production values. Medium Hit.

The Man from Hong Kong  if Lee had made this, there would have been less stunts (more stunt doubles for Lee though) and more fighting. Lee was no way a daredevil stunt guy like Wang. Think Roger Moore for Bond. Close-ups of Lee - actual stunt by A.N. Other. Lee was a tough man but I don't think he was as tough as Wang when it came to taking risks. Hit.

Blood Money  Carlo Ponti wanted Lee to co-star with his wife Sofia Loren. Was it this film that Ponti produced with Lo Lieh - famous worldwide due to King Boxer? With Lee's death he probably went to the 2nd most known Hong Kong star of the the time. Again, I think Lee and Lee Van Cleef would have worked well. The film as it stands is rather fun but Lo Lieh is let down by Antonio Margheritti's direction. Who knows - maybe Lee would have got to direct? Hit

Shaw Brothers Project/ Green Bamboo Warrior/ Southern Fist-Northern Leg  it would have been great to see Lee in a lavish costume drama but could he play "Stoic Regality" as Ti Lung in Blood Brothers? Would he let Lau Kar Lung choregraph the action in a traditional 'form' based style? An interesting experiment it would have been. Imagine Lee lining up with Ti Lung, David Chiang, Chen Kuan Tai, Fu Sheng and Lo Meng. Hit.

 

 

 

Interesting list man but even if Bruce had lived I dont think he wouldve starred in Shrine, Yellow Faced Tiger, or MfHK- he wouldve used Game of Death to wriggle out from the strangehold Raymond Chow had over him contractually and use the clout to make Green Bamboo Warrior (I think this wouldve been re-titled down the line as I find the title quite clunky) the first Concord/Warner Bros. production to be shot in the U.S.

I initially thought Shrine would've been his last film for GH, and who knows? Maybe because of the verbal agreement he had with George Lazenby he would've felt obliged to appear in the film in more of a reduced capacity (similar sized role to Angela Mao) but when push came to shove I think wouldve left GH in 1973.

I always thought Bruce may have viewed MfHK as a bit of a step down for him as it was a co-production with a smaller film market than the US, so probably wouldve had the clout to turn it down. I can see him agreeing to an interview for Brian Trenchard Smith's Kung Fu Documentary though, I dont think he wouldve completely re-buffed the guy.

[Cognoscente]

3 minutes ago, Josh Baker said:

Green Bamboo Warrior (I think this wouldve been re-titled down the line as I find the title quite clunky

Bruce might have shortened the title so that it was simply Bamboo Warrior.

[Josh Baker]

Just now, Cognoscente said:

Bruce might have shortened the title so that it was simply Bamboo Warrior.

Yeah that could work but maybe WB executives would think the title was too quaint and not forceful enough.

[Cognoscente]

The alternate title was The Conqueror of the Golden Mountain. Since Bruce's character was going to consume congee to heal himself, the title could have been Congee Conqueror.

[Josh Baker]

2 minutes ago, Cognoscente said:

The alternate title was The Conqueror of the Golden Mountain. Since Bruce's character was going to consume congee to heal himself, the title could have been Congee Conqueror.

Aww Conqueror of the Golden Mountain would've been a great title, I think WB would've gone with that! Could also be interpreted as a subtle dig by Bruce at Raymond Chow for finally 'conquering' the golden mountain he used to be in a binding contract with.