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His fight with Bruce Lee was EXTRAaaaaORdinARY!!! Shek Kin (HAN) is dead!
Hey folks, Harry here... and I have more unfortunate news to share. It seems that David Carradine was not the only actor from the realm of Martial Arts filmmaking to passaway yesterday. Shek Kin, the man who portrayed the greatest cinematic martial arts villain in history... is gone.
Though a veteran of 122 Hong Kong films - he is best remembered as the astonishing HAN.
ENTER THE DRAGON was my absolute blinding obsession as a child. I've seen it hundreds of times in my life and have much of Shek Kin's dialogue committed to memory - and he is easily my favorite all time Martial Arts Movie Bad Guy.
I've had innumerable conversations with fellow Enter The Dragon geeks, like Brett Ratner, about the awesome that was Han. Think about it - here you have a man that owns an island - filled with pathetic would be kung fu thugs, that stand around punching air, putting their hands into burning coals, monitoring a radio station (underground), etc. Then he has all of these beautiful women that'll fuck whomever he wants. Add to that - he's apparently sired around 20 gorgeous virginal woman of approximately the same age, all of whom or lethal martial artists. His hand was blown off by a would-be assassin, but instead of being bitter - he has someone build him a wild assortment of badass hands that are action figure plug & play!
Shek was always fun to spot in other classic Hong Kong films like Jackie Chan's DRUNKEN MASTER or ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA with Jet Li! He's been retired for years now. He died of kidney failure at the age of 96. It is a dark day for fans of martial arts everywhere!
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+ Expand All
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you could be next!
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---The Rat?
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Dude was 96. Died of natural causes. Bloody hell, celebrate his awesomeness by all means but his death is not sad. How old did you want him to be? Yeesh.
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This sucks too. Death fuck off and die already!
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Michael eBay directing Christian Bale and Seth Rogan to star
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He lived a long life and had a successful career. Sounds like you should be remembering him fondly and saying goodbye instead of bitching that he has passed.
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Bruce Leroy?
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Of an apparent overdose of Preperation H.
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There is no way he goes down like that. I know there was a lot of animosity for him taking that role that was supposed to go to Bruce Lee in the Asian communities in the Far East. I'm thinking it was a call girl seduction hit.
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chuck norris will kick it tonight?
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I may not like Ratner's more recent work, but once - a long time ago - we would talk and geek out over ENTER THE DRAGON into the wee hours of the night. He is INCREDIBLY passionate about this film - moreso than anyone I know. I may give Brett a lot of shit for a lot of things, but the reason is because I like the guy that I first met, chatted with for years - and kinda wish he was still that same guy.
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Harry would have a story about how he always knew they were real and he actually saw one when his parents took him on their climb of Mt. Everest when he was just a young boy scout.
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No, I never climbed Mt Everest with my parents. But I know BIGFOOT is real because Guillermo Del Toro says so.
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Nuff said.
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oh yeah. he is not immune.
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What was "The Rat's" favorite flavor of body chocolate? Or am I misreading the nature of the nights you guys used to have?
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...of a comic book."
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I'm just saying...
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David Carradine, Mr. Han... man, has anyone checked on, say, Samo Hung lately?
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Touche, sir. Great minds and all that.
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Red Dragon is still a good film, despite Ratner's other crappy films.
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Your welcome everyone, I just met the Watchmen reference quota for the day.
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That's some fucking serious bidness right there.
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iconic role
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didn't event spell Gratitude correctly...
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was the voice of Han.
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Who are we to doubt it?
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Seems like everyone who died today had sexual kinks of some kind.
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His eulogy will consist of, "He knew people. He knew A LOT of people! He also loved food."
Straight up name-dropper.
Try this Harry, try to write one post about the person and not about how you know all sorts of celebs and then loosely tie it back to that person somehow.
Seriously, I think this post could've been written without the Rat reference. Do you not know you're name dropping or do you realize it and just not care? -
Dah, then Bolo kicks all sorts of ass.
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Maybe he only likes him for name-dropping potential.
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Keye Luke was the voice of Han in the US theatrical release. That is the voice that 99 percent of us heard. So Zoltar, Han, and every other Asian in M*A*S*H really died quite some time ago.
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You come right out of a comic book.
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that is all
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sonnyhooper beat me to that line. =P
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The Wrath of Bruce Lee's Spirit still lives on...
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you beat me to it.
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you have offended the Shaolin temple" rip shek kin. You will be missed.
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"Those are my...daughters!" Loved that movie as well, and became a big fan of Ahna Capri! Still try to get a massage like that every chance I get.
Weird, David took the role of Caine from Bruce Lee, and Shih tried to kill him in ETD. Did Bruce leave a weird time-delayed curse behind or something? -
Also,there really aren`t enough movie bad guys these days with - "a wild assortment of badass hands"
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RIP sir
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He should take the day off from his job as a Jack-in-the-Box assistant manager, just in case. He might fall into a fryer of chicken strip grease.
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Thanks for posting this Harry.
I didn't want him to be overshadowed by Carradine. (Although I know this will be the case.) -
His muscles may explode.
I think Oharra is already dead. -
I didn't even know he was alive. RIP
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Noooo!!!!
-Kentucky Fried Movie -
but anyone who thinks that is good is watching it through nostalgia goggles... it is utter shit.
however, it's sad that someone died -
R.I.P. Mr Han, Man.
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with the proper aspect ratio-Doesn't look all smooshed!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ifl 6TkPnjI -
someone should switch up the embed! Show some respect to the deceased!
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.....I joked (to my brother) that David Carradine was NOW getting his ass kicked by Bruce Lee, for taking his prize television role in KUNG FU. --Looks like Mr. Carradine has recruited some help.
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You're next Chuck.
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Jun 04, 2009 10:23:29 PM CDT
Are we to believe that EVERYTHING was Harry's favorite!!!
by professor_monster
Shit, every single fucking thing that comes up Harry jumps on the board and says - "I was OBSESSED with Kung Fu, C.B.s, Antone Levey, Plants, Musicals, Blacksplotation - you fucking name it. Harry, everything can't be your favorite - no one would hold it against you to say "Hey guys, this fuck died and I used to kinda watch his movies while I packed down buckets of Blue Bell and Mr Gatti's Pizza."
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Jun 04, 2009 10:43:04 PM CDT
Notice how Harry plants a knife in the back of all his friends?
by ganymede3010
Lets take Rat and McG for starters who were nice enough to befriend Harry. Doing things with Harry that most of us would be grateful for(geeking out over films). And how does Harry repay their courtesy? By lambasting them each every chance he gets. Just so he can fit in with the deranged cool kids on his forum.
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"Where you goin Jig?
"Hong Kong.Via Hawaii" -
And, Prof Monster, that is so true and funny.
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"..the greatest cinematic martial arts villain in history" .. not by a long shot.. that honor might gave to Lo Lieh aka The White Lotus Chief classmate of Pei Mei
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but that doesnt change the fact that Enter the Dragon is one of the most overrated movies ever made, right after Scarface.
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i meant to say that honor might have to go to Lo Lieh aka The White Lotus Chief classmate of Pei Mei
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(Lifts shirt)
Oh wait. Shit. Wrong movie.
R.I.P. -
i applaud you for making it to 96.
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With the number of villains he played in old HK films, that's probably true.
To the guy dissing Enter the Dragon up there, I actually agree with you somewhat. Of Bruce Lee's (completed) movies, Enter the Dragon has become my least favorite. But that's the Bruce Lee movie that most (Western) audiences know. -
Abe Vigoda will outlive everyone!! All hail the great Abe Vigoda!!
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insist that it was kung fu and david caradine that started the martial arts craze in america as most of kung fu was about philosphy and non violence (but like the hulk, every show ended with a kick ass action scene) the supposition is rediculous it was enter the dragon, and lee who helped to bring martial arts to the mainstream
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Always known to me as the man with the iron claw. RIP.
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Weird, huh? Han and Caine. Loved Kung Fu, as a little girl I never missed an episode. And Enter the Dragon is my absolute favorite martial arts movie. What can I say? I'm a child of the seventies!
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Better Jackie than Sonny Chiba, who immediately popped into my mind. *shivers*
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and judging from that clip I've missed absolutely nothing. What a crap.
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And he was a total fuckin cheat. Meatal spiked fucking hand. I would have easily had his yellow ass if he didn't fuck me over like a bitch, but who's the bitch now, huh, Mr Han Man?
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first befriend them, shoot the shit, become buddies, and then screw them over. I actually am starting to feel sorry for the rat, mcg and jackman. Trifecta complete!
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Bruce Lee? Crap? Where you at boy? I'm seriously gonna kick your little cracker ass, you slimy little mother fucking special needs shit stain. Why even comment on something you obviously don't comprehened Fuckwit? The sooner you die, the sooner the world can forget such a worthless piece of shit like you. Please supply your address so we can make this real quick. I AM SERIOUS. I AM GOING TO FUCK YOU UP. Then rape your cold dead battered body.
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RIP Mr Kin.
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Enter the Dragon is the dogs bollocks in HD DVD and Bluray. I have seen this movie about 50 times but it has never been better than when I watched the other night. Tre-fucking-mendous! Bruce you are still the master. RIP Mr Han Man.
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Directed by Brett Ratner. Based on a screenplay by Pual WS Anderson. Produced by Uwe Boll!!!
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Mr Han man was cutting shit up with his hand while Freddie Kruger and Wolverine were in diapers.
He could peel carrots, potatoes, even make a tomato rose with that thing.
Some 'younglings' here haven't seen ENTER THE DRAGON - well get yourself an education kids. It's like the James Bond of martial arts movies. High production values, awesome cinematography, and a distinctive secret agent vibe.
Think im gonna update my DVD of it to Blu Ray in honor of Han. You have my Gwatitood. -
Wouldn't go so far as to say I was FRIENDS with any of them. Friendly while I liked their films, but once I didn't - the friendly relationship went away. Personally, I was brought up to believe that friends were honest with each other, not lie to each other - and definitely not over something as silly as not liking a movie. With Ratner, its been several bad ones now. I hope he turns it around. And the second he's made a good to great film, I'd welcome him back as a filmmaker, just as I did with Joel Schumacher - who made horrible films and pretty damn great ones. We've been friendly through good reviews and bad reviews.
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R.I.P. Mr. HAN MAN
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"Harry... You come right out a comic book (shop)"
I think 'professional acquaintance' is the term you're loking for rather than 'friend'.It is cool that you've managed to build (and sometimes burn) these relationships with some interesting people in the film industry... but i'm sure you're also worldly enough to understand that you're a critic and feigning friendship with critics is part of the job.
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H, if I could offer you any advice it would be to tread 'carefully' around this whole area. You've been accused of bias and selling out rather more in this last year than i've certainly seen before.
I don't know if the TS review was a subliminal reaction to that and i'm not trying to get you to second guess tb opinion before you write... but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to write less of the personal stuff before each review because it's making you seem increasingly subjective and less objective. -
scientists call this a "burn". one who is 'burned' is commonly known as being 'pwned', a miss spelling of 'owned' as demonstrated here by Bruce: http://tinyurl.com/py54fa
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Congratulations. You just won the Infinite Ignoramus award. Not an award to be proud of.
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ironic_name you bring the links buddy!
Pwned definitively by Bruce. I'll be giggling over that one all day. -
..it isn't easy. It takes more strength than you might believe.
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oohhhh." Does it count if all your Enter the Dragon memories are actually Kentucky Fried Movie memories?
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In my eyes Bruce Lee created and perpetuated more stereotypes than anything else. I didn't find any of his movies to be good, sure they have some great scenes but as a whole, I just never got the appeal. None of the actors in Enter the Dragon did a particularly great job yet it's a "classic" and "masterpiece"? strange
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Can't help myself! ;-)
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Jun 05, 2009 8:20:27 AM CDT
You have to realize what made Enter the Dragon special.....
by theycallmemrtibbs
It was the first of its kind, It was the first martial art big budget flick the world has ever witnessed. You could never truly appreciate it unless you came from that era. It would be difficult for any one to comprehend if you watched all of its predecessors 30 years later then going back to watch it.
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In BROAD Daylight.
Seriously, Enter The Dragon created a Phenomenon in the United States. After this film was released, Martial Art Schools started popping up everywhere. From California to Rhode Island. Bruce did not "perpetuate any stereotypes" However, he did created new-ones. Instead of Asians being portrayed in film as Comic relief and Immigrants. They are considered to be a race of people that could beat your ass!
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my bad
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... for 35 years? RIP Han Man.
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You are right about the stereotypes - I don't remember any one making the YEEE-AAAAH noises or bird whistles when fighting before BL (I may be wrong).'Masterpiece' is hyperbole - but 'classic' is fair IMHO. Lee's first bout in the tournament (he decks the fella twice while hardly moving) is very cool and I never get bored of watching the fight against the guards (between the alarm going off and being trapped by Han).Also Jim Kelly and John Saxon have got a lot of natural chemistry (the way they hustle the old dude is good) and even though John Saxon doesn't know kung-fu from chow-mein JK has enough skillz to pay BOTH their billz.Add to that a super-funky seventies soundtrack, some great Hong Kong location shooting, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung as extras and (of course) Shek Kin's Mr Han Man and you have the definitive seventies Kung Fu movie in my book.More tea Mr Bwaithwaite?
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means nothing. Everyone is a fan of Enter the Dragon! Name me one person who is not?
And why name drop him, why not Edgar Wright or Simon Pegg? -
With all due respect to Harry, I think he didn't quite explain the full impact of Shek Kin's contribution to world of martial arts movies so I'd like to add the following. Long before Kin was cast in ENTER THE DRAGON he was already a household name in Hong Kong due to his involvement in the original WONG FEI HUNG series begining in 1949 and ending around 1970. Kin was the most frequent opponent of Master Wong who was played by Kwan Tak Hing. The two fought each other over a span of over 90 films. An entire generation of Hong Kong movies goers grew up loving to hate Kin. In fact it was this public recognition that made Bruce cast him as the villain in ETD. He felt that by facing Kin onscreen he was taking the place of Fei Hung as new chinese cultural hero. Kin's performance is also remarkable when you consider that he was in his early 60's when he faced Bruce on film. After ETD Kin did appear in more movies like the aforementioned DRUNKEN MASTER and ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA. He even spoofed his famous image by reteaming with Kwan Tak Hing as rival ice skating coaches in ACES GO PLACES 4. Some above posters have challenged Harry's statement about Kin being the greatest martial art movie villain, citing White Eyebrows for that honor. While it is true that Pai Mei or White Eyebrows may a bigger villain than Kin, that's only cause Pai Mei was a chinese cultural villain long before cinema existed. Shek Kin was one of the corner stones upon which the martial art movie world was built. Everything that came afterward was due to the films he helped make popular. That is his true legacy, which is why we now mourn the passing of a cinematic legend.
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thanks for the words Solrider 77
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Long Wang, Hung Well, and Enormous Genitals? Sorry, pummel me with a transmission if you wish.No disrespect to Mr. Kin, but Kentucky Fried Movie seems to stick in my mind way more than Enter the Dragon for some reason. Could be that shower scene from "Catholic High School Girls in Trouble"...now that was one rack of extra-ordinary magnitude.
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Anyone who has watched ANY of Bruce Lee's films and thinks Enter the Dragon is the best is just a tool. Sure the scenes with Bruce are awesome as always. But the movie sucks ass. Quit trying to suck up and look cool. Way of the Dragon is by far the best movie. And Han isn't even in the top 3 of Bruce's best "Bad Guys". Damn Harry, sounds like you've been tying a silk curtain string around your neck and cock-n-balls too long.
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...he's still a talentless hack.
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Jun 05, 2009 11:38:34 AM CDT
I look forward to a tournament of truly EP-IC pro--portions...
by pissed off and bitter
We are unique, Gentlemen, in that we create ourselves... through long years of suffering, denial, pain... we forge our bodies in the fire of our wills. But tonight, let us celebrate.... Gentlemen... you have our Grat-it-tude.
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That is the one and only Uschi Digard, and I have a mid-seventies pictorial from Easyriders magazine burned into my memory banks forever.
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yeah...Uschi Digard...I did a small search for her earlier today, or should I say a couple'a *large* searches... ;)
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With Bale as Lee and Rogen presumably in the John Saxon role? Is there some petition I can sign?
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and give him a drink!
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Great movie. Han pwned Jim Kelly's ass in that scene.Classic villian and a classy act. He will be remembered.RIP
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"And why is that?" "Because I'll be too busy lookin' gooood..." Man that whip kick Bruce lays on Han at 1:17 is absolutely righteous, when I get to heaven it will be full of everyone who has ever annoyed me and I'll be able to fire that kick off endlessly at will and that's what I'll do for about a thousand years.
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First to Sherlock Junior-you're welcome.
Also here's a link to the Associate Press' obituary on Shek Kin:
http://www.legacy.com/Obituaries.asp?page=LifeStory&personId=128041374
And lastly I'm very disappointed that so many of the postings in this talk back are dedicated to bashing Ratner. Who cares if he's the one Harry mentions in his article! One of the most important people in the history of Martial Arts Movies had died! Show some respect where it is honestly due! -
Yes, I know. But as a fan, I see material that is ripe for a GREAT remake,...JASON BOURNE-like, but with camera work and choreography more like the classic original.
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Jun 05, 2009 4:38:26 PM CDT
Harry! Change that horrible looking video to this superior versi
by tuohy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ifl6TkPnjI
It's waaaay better! Also HD! -
You just don't remake a classic. that's like remaking citizen kane or chinatown.Let's see a movie based on Marvel's Shang Chi MoKU instead, now that would fucking rock.
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me han man
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Rest in peace old fella.
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The critique that you name-drop in every single obit may be valid, but I understand that you're simply trying to express the level of respect that the person of topic had among his or her peers.
even if it means a longer delay in the obit, it would be nice if you could call on all these contacts and friends you reference, and get them to offer a paragraph or snippet, or even THEIR version of these events you're talking about. -
stupid assholes.
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from mainland china. swam.
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that he was round 60 when he was going up against Bruce Lee in ENTER THE DRAGON. That's fairly impressive.
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training in the late 70s and early 80s (like myself) and you will find that Enter the Dragon sparked a passion that pushed the martial arts craze in America. We knew some of the martial arts in the movie was shitty, but we loved it anyway. I wanted to be Bruce Lee. I would like to thank Shek Kin for being an awesome villian to root against.
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I don't care!
MAN, I haven't seen KFM since college, but I can still remember that line.
Rest in Peace, Han-Man! -
Jun 06, 2009 12:17:12 PM CDT
"Hello Mr. Lee. My name's Braithwaite." "Hello Mr. Braithwaite."
by greenriver
God I love this movie.
RIP Shek Kin -
I always wished had Bruce lived that this would be the start of his own sort of James Bond series where he goes in and gets his briefing from that guy in glasses to go around the world kicking ass.
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where they're watching Enter the Dragon on the big screen. I'd love to see it on the big screen. It was funny watching the fat Asian dude stomp on the ghetto blaster a la Bruce Lee stomping on Ohara.
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Han The original "Iron Fist"!
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to rebeat the shit out of each other.
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