A Case For Better Action Movies: Bruceploitation, And The (Hopeful) Future Thereof

I spend 64 hours a day online like most people. Being permanently plugged into the Twitter-sphere (or whatever the hell it’s called these days), I’ve been lucky enough to see all types of reactions to Severin Films’ recent The Game of Clones box-set. This has led me to ask the inevitable question – “What’s the ideal audience for Bruceploitation?” Indulge me while I try to explain.

Bruceploitation isn’t exactly widely beloved as a sub genre. I know die hard kung fu cinema fans who just can’t stomach the stuff. Why is this? Well, let me suggest something.
You see, many people claim they hate the “clones” movies because they take a big, hefty dump on the legacy of Bruce Lee. And that’s fine. They are kind of inherently disrespectful. But then there are people that claim Bruceploitation films are just flat-out terrible. All of ’em. Weirdly, I think that, to an extent, that’s true too. I mean, these aren’t exactly good films. Martin Scorsese wouldn’t declare them “cinema.” Hell, my mum wouldn’t declare them “cinema.” So why is it that Bruceploitation fans love the sub genre so much? I posit that it’s an exploitation thing.

Not to sound pretentious, but I genuinely feel that when it comes to Bruceploitation, you either get it or you don’t. In fact, that’s actually the opposite of pretentious since it means my bar for what’s consideered great cinema is far, far lower than most.

I think Bruceploitation is closer to exploitation horror than actual Bruce Lee films. The Challenge of the Tiger has far more in common with, say, the cheesy horror masterpiece that is The Mutilator, than Fist of Fury.
There’s an implicit tone in Bruceploitation films. A vulgar tone. A crass tone. They wave this crisp, yellow and black flag that signals a sanctuary for all things Bruce, but then they break every other rule. Bruce Lee’s here, but so are boobs. Bruce Lee’s here, but so are drugs. Bruce Lee’s here, but so is the exploitation of his death. Bruce Lee’s here, but you better believe we’re going to mention his affairs.

Whether you allow this to be fun or insulting is what makes you a Bruceploitation fan or not. Some people – myself included – love the “tits and ass” aspect of horror, as well of the “let’s see how grotesque we can make our death scenes” attitude so many horror directors have. It’s the same with Bruceploitation. I kind of like that it shits on Bruce. It’s obnoxious. It’s spicy. It’s dumbed down cinema at its finest. And when you have directors that don’t give a shit about the man many consider the greatest martial artist of all time, the gloves are off. We don’t know what’s in store and that adds to the excitement. Are we going to get Lee Hoi Sang in black face and an afro wig? You bet your nunchucks we are.

There is an audience for all things exploitation. Just look at 88 Films’ recent announcement that they’ll be releasing a Guts of a Beauty, Guts of a Virgin, and Rusted Body box-set. There were those that screamed, “Why would they put out this sick shit?” and there were those that yelled, “Holy shit, I hope they’re uncut!” I’d hazard a guess that the latter would love The Dragon Lives Again…or would at least give it a chance. They shouldn’t. It’s shit. But, you get my point. There’s a level of acceptance one must have when it comes to exploitation cinema. Some of us have got there. Some of us haven’t. Some us never will. Some of us don’t want to.

Last we learned, Ang Lee is currently working on a Bruce Lee biopic with his son set to star. Good news, right? Well, I’d prefer if Lee made it a Bruceploitation film. A proper Bruceploitation film. Don’t get me wrong, a true-to-life biopic will always be a good time. Bruce Lee did a lot in life. The guy is a legend for a reason. But what if Ang Lee went nuts? What if he included ninjas? What if he included Shaolin monks? Maybe Bruce Lee fighting a gorilla? The possibilities are endless.

Point being, a standard biopic seems like the easy way out. Okay, sure, Ang Lee might spice things up by including Bruce’s drug habit (do I have to say alleged?), but what if he had a drug habit because he was hired by the FBI to go undercover as a drug smuggler, and he ended up taking down a cocaine kingpin with naught but nunchaku?

We’ve heard it all before. We know Bruce. And right now, there is an audience for the “off color” – for exploitation. Hence Eli Roth still getting work. Some may say Birth of a Dragon was a Bruceploitation film and I get it. It wasn’t exactly factual. But in this day and age, where big blockbusters are all the same, aren’t I allowed to ask (beg?) for more?

Part of me wants a new Bruceploitation film because I want to see Ang Lee – the man that directed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for fuck’s sake – doing press junkets where he talks about the joys of the sub genre. Full disclosure: I doubt Ang Lee has ever set his eyes on a Bruceploitation flick, but wouldn’t it be cool if he did? It would be his version of Hostel. Where Eli Roth attended interviews and talked openly about Cannibal Holocaust and Antropophagus, I’d love to see Ang Lee bring attention to something like Bruce Lee – The Man, the Myth.

I know what you’re thinking – “Is this just an article where he writes about his weird movie fantasy?” In a way, yes. But it’s more than that. There’s an audience suckling at the teet of exploitation, and that teet is running dry. Maybe not in the horror world, but in the martial arts world? My statement rings true. There’s a reason The Game of Clones flew off shelves. Bruceploitation fans are out there. And then there’s those people that are willing to become Bruceploitation fans. Open minded action cinema nuts with a bar as low as mine. We just need some bold, willing-to-experiment director to thrust us into a new era of “Clone” cinema. Fingers crossed.