King Hu is one of China’s most influential filmmakers, famous for his historical martial arts films which helped to popularise the wuxia (‘martial chivalry’) genre in the 1960s and 70s with classic films like 'Come Drink with Me' (1966), 'Dragon Inn' (1967), and 'A Touch of Zen' (1971) - the latter of which he received the Technical Grand Prize at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival. His work has inspired directors ranging from Tsui Hark to Ang Lee, Zhang Yimou to Quentin Tarantino, and since his death in 1997 at the age of 64, organisations like the King Hu Foundation have continued to promote and champion his work. As a result, much of his exquisite output is now readily available around the world in lovingly restored digital formats. To discuss the life and work of this extraordinary filmmaker, we welcome two King Hu Foundation board members: Michael Berry, Director of the Center for Chinese Studies at UCLA, who is also a Professor of Contemporary Chinese Cultural Studies; and the filmmaker, Céline Zen, a Chinese-born, France-based producer and director. We discuss the early life of the Beijing-born auteur who was forced into exile in Hong Kong after the Chinese Communist Revolution, and his journey from artist to actor, writer, and director, becoming one of the biggest talents at new Shaw Brothers production company before his relocation to Taiwan. We discuss the meaning of 'wuxia'; his influences - from his love of calligraphy to Ming dynasty history and the Chinese Opera - and how, despite his critical praise, his films were not always successful in their day, and the toll this took on his work in later life. A huge thank you to Audrey Edwards at the King Hu Foundation for her help in organising this episode.

LINKS

King Hu Foundation website: https://kinghufoundationusa.org/

King Hu Foundation on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinghufoundation/

Michael Berry's website: https://michael-berry.com/

Michael Berry on the UCLA website: https://www.alc.ucla.edu/person/michael-berry/

Michael Berry on Douban: http://site.douban.com/108600/

Michael Berry on Weibo: https://weibo.com/bairuiwen

Michael Berry on X: https://x.com/Bairuiwen

Michael Berry on ClubHouse: http://clubhousedb.com/user/bairuiwen

Buy Michael Berry's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Michael-Berry/author/B001HCVQQW

Céline Zen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celine-zen-7a6570195/

Céline Zen on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4508435/

Trailer for Céline Zen's 'Vous êtes jeunes, vous êtes beaux' (2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vIOOeqph08

A tribute to King Hu: https://youtu.be/rGueQmyN_kM

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast - 'Dragon Inn' special - Live in Lewes with Katrina Durden: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodKatrinaDurdenLive

Buy King Hu films on Blu-ray in the UK from 88 Films and Eureka Entertainment: 'Come Drink with Me' (https://88-films.myshopify.com/products/come-drink-with-me-88-asia-24), 'Dragon Inn' (https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/dragon-inn/), 'A Touch of Zen' (https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/a-touch-of-zen/), 'The Fate of Lee Khan' (https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/the-fate-of-lee-khan/), 'The Valiant Ones' (https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/the-valiant-ones/), 'Raining in the Mountain' (https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/raining-in-the-mountain-kong-shan-ling-yu/), 'Legend of the Mountain' (https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/legend-of-the-mountain/).

King Hu profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/KingHuProfile

'Dragon Inn' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/DragonGateInn

'A Touch of Zen' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ATouchOfZen

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In the pantheon of great Van Damme action flicks from the 1980s and 90s, 'Hard Target' (1993) undoubtedly stands out as one of his best. As hunky Cajun ex-Marine, Chance Boudreaux, the mullet-wearing 'Muscles from Brussels' struts his more sensitive side while also exhibiting the sort of superhero antics that would put Schwarzenegger to shame, like firing a pistol while standing on a moving motorbike and - famously - punching a snake. He has his director to thank for one of his most iconic roles: John Woo, the 'heroic bloodshed' maestro fresh from his ballistic Hong Kong masterpiece, 'Hard Boiled' (1992), and determined to make an impact in his American directorial debut. The resulting concoction is pure Woo - a slow-motion bullet ballet of epic proportions which cemented his position as one of cinema's greatest directors of action. Joining me and 'Life of Action' author Mike Fury to discuss this milestone in movie mayhem is Christina Newland, lead film critic at the i Paper and a contributing editor to Empire Magazine. As three dedicated Jean-Claude Van Damme fans, we unpick the reasons why we think his appeal is more inclusive than that of his action contemporaries - people like Sylvester Stallone, Steven Seagal, and Chuck Norris - and the lasting legacy that John Woo has had on action cinema. This episode was recorded live at the Nova Cinema in Woking, UK, in November 2024 as part of the British Film Institute's Art of Action season. A huge thank you to the crew at the Nova Cinema and the people of Woking who attended the show, and the Independent Cinema Office and Film Hub South East for helping to organise the event.

LINKS

Christina Newland on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/christinalefou.bsky.social

Christina Newland's website: https://www.christinanewland.co.uk/

Christina Newland on Substack: https://substack.com/@christinanewland

Subscribe to 'Sisters Under the Mink' on Substack: https://christinanewland.substack.com/

Buy 'She Found It at the Movies: Women writers on sex, desire and cinema': https://www.waterstones.com/book/she-found-it-at-the-movies/christina-newland/9781912157181

'Act Like a Man: Jean-Claude Van Damme' by Christina Newland: https://mubi.com/en/notebook/posts/act-like-a-man-jean-claude-van-damme

Buy 'Hard Target' on 4K UHD from Kino Lorber: https://kinolorber.com/product/hard-target-4k-uhd

'Hard Target' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/HardTarget1993

Jean-Claude Van Damme profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/VanDammeKFMG

Jean-Claude Van Damme on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcvd/

John Woo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_woo_filmmaker/

'John Woo’s Next Film Is ‘A Half-Musical’ With Sparks', Empire Magazine: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/john-woo-half-musical-sparks-exclusive/

'Celebrate Renowned Hong Kong Action Classics, Storytellers, And Film Icons With Shout! Studios’ New Home Entertainment Series Hong Kong CInema Classics': https://www.shoutstudios.com/press/celebrate-renowned-hong-kong-action-classics-storytellers-and-film-icons-with-shout-studios-new-hom

Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury/

Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/

Visit the Nova Cinema in Woking: https://www.novacinema.com/

Learn more about the BFI's Art of Action season: https://www.bfi.org.uk/art-action

A huge thank you to Independent Cinema Office (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/) and Film Hub South East (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/film-hub-south-east/)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parkour pioneer Sébastien Foucan can be credited for bringing Parkour to the masses. His seminal UK documentary, 'Jump London' (2003) - and its follow up, 'Jump Britain' (2005) - sparked a cultural phenomenon which would see youngsters take to the streets in wild, acrobatic, hair-raising abandon; running, climbing and leaping across their urban environment in scenes we still see on our streets today. For Sébastien, a movie career followed, with stand-out roles in action films including 'Casino Royale' (2006) and 'The Tournament' (2009). Those perceptive enough to see the inspiration behind his incredible physical abilities and derring-do would be quick to reference the work of Jackie Chan, whose stunt-filled films would prove to be one of the early catalysts for Sébastien and his friends to take to the streets of Paris, recreating what they saw in his movies. Today, Sébastien is an inspirational speaker and CEO of the Foucan Academy, teaching kids the art of movement and self-expression. His motto: "we play".

On this episode - recorded live at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre in Canterbury as part of the British Film Institute’s Art of Action season - Sébastien explores his love of Hong Kong action cinema (especially the films of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee), his experiences working in Hollywood, current attitudes towards Parkour, and much more. This conversation was recorded after a screening of the 1978 Jackie Chan classic, 'Drunken Master', and is co-hosted by the 'Life of Action' author - and friend of the show - Mike Fury. A huge thank you to the crew at the Gulbenkian and the people of Canterbury who attended the show, and the Independent Cinema Office and Film Hub South East for helping to organise the event.

LINKS

Sébastien Foucan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebastienfoucan/

Sébastien Foucan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Seb-Foucan/100010605671158/

Sébastien Foucan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastien-foucan/

Sébastien Foucan website: https://www.sebastienfoucan.com/

Foucan Academy: https://foucanacademy.com/

'Jump Britain' on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2TJurAP9l-Q?si=Abborgj9sRKdOKMN

Chase scene from 'Casino Royale': https://youtu.be/iZxNbAwY_rk?si=9RvrgPTeoUWGT0GZ

Sébastien Foucan on 'Ninja Warrior UK': https://youtu.be/o7YFOF1oeag?si=hjKZ23vx9DT-6S-k

Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury/

Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/

'Drunken Master' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/DrunkenMasterKFMG

'Drunken Master' trailer: https://youtu.be/WSu-9X8NF9k?si=BNVVYygZ7Ke_VdYp

Buy 'Drunken Master' on Blu-ray: https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/drunken-master/

Visit the Gulbenkian Arts Centre in Canterbury: https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/

Learn more about the BFI's Art of Action season: https://www.bfi.org.uk/art-action

A huge thank you to Independent Cinema Office (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/) and Film Hub South East (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/film-hub-south-east/)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.