Want A Bruceploitation Documentary? A Celebrity Stage Event? Nickolas Nielsen Is Making Either Of These Happen!
You can certainly imagine the challenges faced by studios more than forty years ago who were desperate to find the “next Bruce Lee”… literally. The search for lookalikes who could echo the famed martial arts action star’s image became top priority for filmmakers and producers following the 32-year old actor’s and Jeet Kune Do founder’s untimely death in 1973, and it has spawned many films resulting in an era dubbled notably as “Bruceploitation”.
The era still remains as a cult phenomenon among fans alike with a multitude of performers, (a few of whom have passed away in the years since) who’ve become famous for their portrayals of the actor in some iteration, including Bruce Li, Bruce Le, and Dragon Lee (a.k.a. Moon Kyong-seok) and despite previous documentaries, it’s a phenomenon that still drives questions from those curious to hear the real stories and answers. Well, as of just a few days ago, filmmaker Nickolas Nielsen began spearheading those efforts in the form of a new Kickstarter campaign for his own documentary, now aiming for a December 2015 release, according to CityOnFire.com.
Nielsen‘s campaign is just under two months away from its end, so hopefully this will grant him plenty of time to meet his current goal of $96,000. However, Nielsen also offers a possible star-studded stage gathering of Bruceploitation actors along with noted actors and directors, including Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Quentin Tarantino, Sonny Chiba The Last Dragon star Taimak, famed producer Raymond Chow, as well as Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee and MANY more, provided that the fundraiser meets stretch goal potential.
The director has already gotten a headstart in making his documentary happen, having already interviewed Game Of Death actor Mel Novak (pictured above, right of Nielsen), of which you can catch a small segment in the campaign video over at Kickstarter. Feel free to check out at the page and learn more about what else Nielsen has in store for the film, as well as the perks listed in exchange for your contributions.
H/T: City On Fire