These fists break bricks : how kung fu movies swept America and changed the world / Grady Hendrix, Chris Poggiali.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hendrix, Grady, author.

Poggiali, Chris, author.

Contributor:

RZA (Rapper), writer of introduction, etc.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Martial arts films--History.

Martial arts films.

Martial artists--Pictorial works.

Martial artists.

Kung fu.

Lee, Bruce, 1940-1973--Pictorial works.

Lee, Bruce.

Genre:

Film criticism.

Informational works.

Physical Description:

ix, 371 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm

Edition:

Revised and expanded edition.

First Running Press edition.

Place of Publication:

Philadelphia : Running Press, 2025.

Summary:

"When a Hollywood studio released Five Fingers of Death to thrill-seeking Times Square moviegoers in 1973, only a handful of Black and Asian audience members knew the difference between an Iron Fist and an Eagle's Claw. That changed overnight as Five Fingers kicked off a kung fu craze that would earn millions at the box office, send TV ratings soaring, influence the birth of hip hop, reshape the style of action we see in movies today, and introduce America to some of the biggest Asian stars to ever hit motion picture screens. These Fists Break Bricks offers a lavishly illustrated exploration of how these high-kicking, brick-breaking movies came to America and raised hell until greed, infomercials, and racist fearmongering shut them down. For the first time, the full--and wild--story is told, including how CIA agents secretly funded karate movies and how The New York Times fabricated a fear campaign about Black "karate gangs," as well as the history of Black martial arts in America and the onslaught of Bruce Lee imitators after his death. With a foreword by RZA of the Wu Tang Clan and brand new material on superstars like Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, and Donnie Yen, plus spotlights on unsung performers, film poster artists, and money-laundering film distributors, this revised and expanded edition is a master class in kung fu cinema history." -- Publisher's website.

Contents:

Foreword / by RZA

Introduction

The seventies

Bruceploitation

The eighties.

Notes:

"Previously published edition: ©2021"--Title verso.

ISBN:

9780762489480

0762489480

OCLC:

1455105319

Publisher Number:

90103102766

CIPO000232690