It shocked the world when rising martial arts movie star Bruce Lee suddenly died at 32 years old. Within hours of his funeral, Hong Kong studios began producing hundreds of unauthorised biopics, sequels, prequels and spin-offs, finding a new legion of stars whose primary skill was that they were Lee lookalikes. Over the next decade ‘Bruceploitation’ would become a staple of global cinema.
After a thunderous reception at its premiere during FrightFest 2023, the highly anticipated Enter the Clones of Bruce, a cinematic masterpiece unlike any other, is now available in the UK on digital platforms. The excitement continues to build as the film will also be available on Blu-ray from 27 May 2024, packed with a treasure trove of special features courtesy of Severin Films. I don’t know about you, but as I’m old enough to remember DVD and Blu-ray being launched, I still love special features, and it remains something that the big streaming platforms barely explore.
Here’s a quick rundown of the extras;
Audio Commentary with co-executive producer/director David Gregory, co-producers Frank Djeng, Vivian Wong and Michael Worth And Director Of Photography Jim Kunz
Working at Shaw Brothers – Outtakes with Godfrey Ho, David Chiang, Yasuaki Kurata, Lee Chiu, Lo Meng, Mars and Phillip Ko
Bruce Lee and I – Outtakes with Sammo Hung, Phillip Ko, Yasuaki Kurata, Mars, Angela Mao, Andre Morgan, Lee Tso Nam and more
The Lost World of Kung Fu Film Negatives – Outtakes with Godfrey Ho, Joseph Lai, Angela Mao, Lee Tso Nam and fIlm preservationists
Bruce’s Hong Kong – Location Tour with Frank Djeng
Severin’s Kung Fu Theatre with actor/director/Bruceploitation expert Michael Worth
Trailers
Director David Gregory – whose award-winning documentaries include LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR MOREAU (if you have not seen this, stop what you are doing, track it down and watch it now) and BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON – examines this fascinating phenomenon using interviews from those who experienced it first hand, along with copious clips from the films themselves, that need to be seen to be believed.
The stars including Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Bruce Liang and Dragon Lee wax lyrical alongside martial arts legends such as Angela Mao, David Chiang, Phillip Ko and Sammo Hung, as well as producers, directors, distributors and experts – who for the first time reveal the history, controversy and legacy behind one of the most bizarre genres in movie history.
The legend of Bruce Lee lives on in Enter the Clones of Bruce, an enthralling, jaw-dropping, kick-ass story of martial arts mayhem and the many clones of a true master.
