So there was 'Lee Lives Within':QuentinGrindFilmFest [Archive]

W Hong

2007.03.12, 02:29 PM

I first found out about a movie called "Lee Lives Within" while reading the LA Times movie listings at around 1981 or 1982. I think that this strange sounding movie was shown in Pacific's Tower or Cameo Theatre in Downtown LA back then.

I kind of remember asking a few years ago on some forums, including this one, if anybody had info, or at least heard of "LLW". I don't think that any of the replies said that they've heard of it or had info. I even tried the IMDB.com to find out if "LLW" actually existed, if it was a newspaper misprint or whatever, but the search results didn't help. So I thought that hardly anybody has even heard of that movie, until I got the new Beverly cinema schedule. From March 2007 to May 1, 2007 there will be a "Quentin Tarantino Presents The L.A. Grindhouse festival 2007" at the Beverly Cinema. The Festival schedule includes:

4/29/07-5/1/07: "Bruce Lee" double feature of-
"The Real Bruce Lee" and "Lee Lives Within"

"The Mack"(maybe not a kung fu movie but starring Richard Pryor) showing w/ "The Chinese Mack"

4 other kung fu double features:
"Chinese Hercules"('73)(Bolo)/"Black Dragon"(RonVan Clief)
"Fearless Fighters"('71)/"SuperManChu"('73)
"Dragon's Vengeance"('72)/"Kung Fu:The Punch of Death"('73)
"Return of the Tiger"('79,Bruce Li,Angela Mao)/"Stoner"('74)(Angela Mao)

All of the movies in this festival sound like they were mostly shown in drive-in theatres back in the '60's and '70's. Most of this fest's movies also look like it shows sexy women in some way(not that I'm bothered by that). "Rolling Thunder"('77) was a movie that I first found out about when i saw it on LA TV at around the late '70's- mid '80's. It doesn't seem like it's been shown on TV or released on VHS or DVD ever since for some reason! Based on what I remember, "RT" was a very good Tommy Lee Jones movie(even though hardly anybody has probably heard of it). You should definitely see "RT" if you get the chance. And yes, this Fest is probably supposed to promote Quentin's movie, "Grindhouse", which comes out next month. I know that it probably doesn't matter for her role in "GH", but Ms. McGowan still seems like a bad actress on "Charmed" IMO.

killer meteor

2007.03.12, 03:31 PM

I wonder if Tarentino will arrange DVD releases with the prints - be cool to see. We need decent DVDs for several of these films

Linn1

2007.03.12, 05:01 PM

have rights that are already spoken for. Now the rights holders could get with him about it though.

Squid Lips

2007.03.13, 02:35 AM

Yeah this is right down the street from my house so am really happy about seeing these. :)

Linn1

2007.03.13, 02:41 AM

exactly what this is. I have no doubt it's a retitle. Could it be The Warrior Within?

Squid Lips

2007.03.13, 02:56 AM

I don't know either, but I'll find out when it screens as I will be going to THE REAL BRUCE LEE which I saw in the late seventies in Oakland at the Lux Theater. It'll be nice to see the wide print again! I'll probably catch Hercules on Wednesday.

VonHumboldtFleischer

2007.03.13, 05:46 AM

I have no idea what "LEE LIVES WITHIN" is. The rest are a curious bunch of movies, really

THE CHINESE MACK (aka THE CHINESE GODFATHER) Average Chan Wei Man movie (is there any other kind?) with Betty Ting Pei.

THE MACK
A mean pimp hand and sweet accordion machine-gun action, but not much fun if you don't like Blaxploitation.

THE REAL BRUCE LEE
About as historically accurate as "Braveheart".

CHINESE HERCULES
I usually like bashers, but this one is a bore. There's also something unbearably annoying about the way Chan Wei Man's stringy hair clings to his sweaty forehead, and it takes Bolo about forty minutes to start crushing people and flexing his man-bosoms.

BLACK DRAGON
Never seen it.

FEARLESS FIGHTERS
The version I have has a huge caption burned in advertising some stupid Divx-to-DVD converter running all the way through, so that spoiled this for me. Seems like a fun film to see at the cinema, though.

SUPERMANCHU
Golden Harvest Chang Yi movie. Not bad. I have this under the title MASTER OF KUNG FU. Again, it would be a hoot to see this on a big screen.

DRAGON'S VENGEANCE
Barry Chan! I'd almost sit through a stuttery, incoherent introduction by Tarantino to see a clean print of this.

KUNG FU: THE PUNCH OF DEATH
aka PRODIGAL BOXER. Nobody seems to like this film very much. Perhaps I misremember it, but I thought it had some good fights.

RETURN OF THE TIGER
Never seen it.

STONER
Again, not a popular choice, but I like this one. Unlike DEATH DIMENSION and THE MAN FROM HONG KONG, we actually get to see George Lazenby do some fighting in this one.

Tommy Lee Jones only has a small part in ROLLING THUNDER - he's in it at the start and again at the end. The star is William Devane, who gives a brilliant performance as a haunted Vietnam vet. I'm pretty sure this is available on VHS, as I remember renting it about four times from the mobile video library in the old country, and I have the Australian VHS here now.

killer meteor

2007.03.13, 06:29 AM

I really like Prodigal Boxer. Chinese Hercules is an OK basher, Fearless Fighters is a bit of a mess but I've only seen the re-edited US version

i recall reading somewhere Tarentino really liked Fist Of Fury II. Be great if he could find it - does he have an acutal film collection?

Linn1

2007.03.13, 02:59 PM

i recall reading somewhere Tarentino really liked Fist Of Fury II. Be great if he could find it - does he have an acutal film collection?

Supposedly the largest quality genre collection in the US. I know he has film hunters looking for stuff for him constantly. I'm pretty sure he's got a print of Fist of Fury 2. Also Fistfull of Talons, Snake In Monkey's Shadow (uncut), a few Zatoichi's, etc. BTW, all the films being shown are from his personal prints.

killer meteor

2007.03.13, 03:03 PM

What happened to the Rolling Thunder label? That seems the ideal label for this titles

Atomic Mystery Monster

2007.03.13, 05:51 PM

Supposedly the largest quality genre collection in the US. I know he has film hunters looking for stuff for him constantly. I'm pretty sure he's got a print of Fist of Fury 2. Also Fistfull of Talons, Snake In Monkey's Shadow (uncut), a few Zatoichi's, etc. BTW, all the films being shown are from his personal prints

I once heard a story about Tarantino hiring a Chinese private investigator to find a copy/owners of "some obscure martial arts movie" and how he was eventually able to get a print (and the rights) for himself. I'd always assumed it was just an urban legend, but your note about him having a team of film hunters makes me wonder if there's grain of truth to it after all.

killer meteor

2007.03.13, 07:35 PM

Be the perfect niche for Dragon Dynasty. Now if only I was as rich as Tarentino...

W Hong

2007.03.16, 11:39 AM

It looks like Mr. BruceLong, in the other thread, had the news about Quentin's Film Fest before my post. Mr. BL's info also means that he, Quentin, and I are some of the few people who've even heard of LLW. It also seems that this guy is a pretty serious fan of kung fu movies based on the info:

4/29-4/30 – The Real Bruce Lee, directed by Larry Dolgin and Jim Markovic; Lee Lives Within, directed by Tam Kai.

Linn1 said:
I've been wondering,
exactly what this is. I have no doubt it's a retitle. Could it be The Warrior Within?

If you're talking about the chuck Norris documentary called TWW, then it looks like LLW is not a retitle of that docu. That's based on the info in the IMDB.com. I just met a Vietnamese guy(who is a Bruce Lee fan) who thought the same thing as you, Linn1, about TWW.

However, I will try hard to make it to the double feature which is showing LLW. I wonder if this shows that Tarantino is finally re-opening the Sing Lee/King Hing Theatre pretty soon. And if that wasn't enough, there is also news about the Linda Lea theatre. The website, "www.cinematreasures.org", recently said that the LLTheatre will re-open this year. The website also said that there will be some kind of "kung fu double feature" on weekend matinees, believe it or not.

VonHumboldtFleischer

2007.03.16, 09:14 PM

Mr. BL's info also means that he, Quentin, and I are some of the few people who've even heard of LLW.

This would be more impressive if you actually knew what it was.

iron flag

2007.03.17, 10:39 PM

...How was it? Crowded? I missed the first night but I'll be going to the others for sure! The only other time I saw a KF movie in LA was a midnight screening of MotFG at the Nuart and it was half empty. I'm assuming since QT is involved with this there may be more people going.

W Hong

2007.03.21, 06:52 PM

VonHumboldtFleischer

---------------------
Mr. BL's info also means that he, Quentin, and I are some of the few people who've even heard of LLW.
------------------------------------------------------------

This would be more impressive if you actually knew what it was.

Here's what else I know. After checking the back issues in the Downtown Central Library about a year ago, the LA Times said that LLW was rated R. I think it was the View section of the LA Times where the Pacific theatre listings for 5/29/81 showed LLW being rated R. LLW may or may not have also been shown at Pacific's World Theatre(in Hollywood) at around the same time.

I know that it's for the Shaw forum, but if it would interest you, I'll try to get info about "Five Element Ninjas". I'll somehow check if it was shown at the Kim Sing Theatre at around 1982. IIRC, the LA Times said "Five Venoms" was shown at the Kim Sing at around early 1979.

Linn1

2007.03.21, 07:58 PM

it's Warrior Within retitled. You're not the only one that dug through old newspapers and took notes, nice to know there's a few of us left. :) Heck, who do you think helped them with some questions to put that stuff up on IMDB for the film fest? They didn't know the titles themselves! ;) That said, until someone sees the film, the question will still be a question. I honestly hope it's not WW, as that's a pretty crappy film.

greenbamboo

2007.03.22, 05:18 PM

Anyone seen this 'Lee Lives Within'? What is it about? I'm a big Bruce Lee fan and i've never heard of it.

W Hong

2007.03.22, 06:49 PM

Anyone seen this 'Lee Lives Within'? What is it about? I'm a big Bruce Lee fan and i've never heard of it.

No, I haven't seen "LLW" and nobody(except for Quentin(?) and early '80's audiences of LA's Pacific theatres) seems to know what it's about. Mr. BruceLong, in the other thread, probably knows more about LLW because of his topic. So I'd suggest asking Mr. BL in a PM or a reply. He said that LLW was directed by a Chinese guy.

As I've said, I will try hard to somehow make it to that showing of LLW which will be at the end of Tarantino's Fest at the Beverly Cinema. It does sound like LLW is just another Bruce imitator movie, or could be Chuck Norris' "Warrior Within". I'll find out if I go, or if somebody else on the forum will be there.

VonHumboldtFleischer

2007.03.22, 08:19 PM

the LA Times said that LLW was rated R.

LLW was directed by a Chinese guy.

Well that narrows it down, then.

dbmaster514

2007.03.22, 08:55 PM

There is a listing for LLW on www.allmovie.com so it must be a different film from TWW.

The link is below
www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.d...l=1:390939 (http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:390939)

Linn1

2007.03.22, 09:45 PM

Retitles are often given completely new credits and titles. As a matter of fact, simply doing a little digging on that site turns up quite a few multible listings for titles of films already listed. To say nothing of other mistakes. Simply because a database has the title listed only tells us that someone found the title in a newspaper or knew of it, not that they actually ever saw it. The Tam Kai citation could simply be from a poster or hearsay. Considering the films have kinda alike titles, that the releases of Warrior Within featured Bruce Lee on the posters as much as Chuck Noris, it's a good educated guess. I don't doubt considering there's tons of films that haven't been seen on video, that it could be a unknown film. But having been in this situation many times over the years, I'm not holding my breath.

iron flag

2007.03.25, 04:03 PM

Wednesday & Thursday:
Fearless Fighters @ 7:30
Super Manchu @ 9:15

Here's a link for the theater:

www.newbevcinema.com/calendar.cfm (http://www.newbevcinema.com/calendar.cfm)

iron flag

2007.03.30, 01:16 AM

I went last night, pretty good turnout. I'd guess 99% non KF movie fans (easy to tell,they were laughing their asses off at the bad dubbing and excessive use of the word "bastard"). I dont think the Fearless Fighter print looked as good as the DVD. Supermanchu was a Golden Harvest flick starring Chang Yi out to get revenge and another guy who smoked a lot and used coins as weapons. Fun little flick (no great fights to speak of) The print was very faded, kind of looked pink.QT didn't show up btw. Both movies recieved applause.Trailers for MotFG and 7 Blows of the Dragon got a good reaction from the crowd as well.

greenbamboo

2007.03.30, 10:47 AM

Hi ironflag,

Did you speak to anyone who had seen the 'Lee Lives Within' film? Thanks.

iron flag

2007.03.31, 12:28 AM

No, I didn't. Btw, in case anyones interested "Supermanchu" is aka "Stormy Sun".

quaco

2007.04.30, 04:53 AM

Hi there,

This is my first post here. I just got back from the New Beverly theater where I saw THE REAL BRUCE LEE and LEE LIVES WITHIN. I wanted to learn more about the films, so I started looking around on the Internet.

I found out some interesting things...

From the synopses I have found, the first film wasn't THE REAL BRUCE LEE at all. It didn't have any Bruce lee footage that I could see: none of the old Bruce Lee as a child stuff. It was just a simple, color, '70s HK kung fu movie. I don't know if Tarantino sent the New Beverly the wrong film, or if it was just the Dragon Lee part of THE REAL BRUCE LEE that we saw. Can any of you describe what this part of TRBL is like? I think the film had Bruce Li actually, not Dragon Lee (I am not an expert), and it involved him trying to protect a rich man and his daughter from various nefarious forces. He pretends to be an electronics expert at one point. At the end, we learn he's an INTERPOL agent! What film did I just see?

And then there was LEE LIVES WITHIN. I have read what you have posted about this, and would like to help you identify the film. Some have said it is actually THE WARRIOR WITHIN, but looking that up, isn't that a Chuck Norris documentary about Bruce Lee?? I'm sorry, I'm not an expert on the genre, I just want to help. The film I saw starred a kind of young normal (almost geeky-looking) kid (I'm sorry, I don't know his name) who is trying to help a restaurant owner and his daughter who are being roughed up by the local mobsters. This kid is an awesome fighter and soon the mobster tries to hire him to get him on his side. And he agrees ... for a price. But what the mobsters don't know is that he is actually an undercover cop. Then, there is a subplot about a different guy (also a kickass fighter) who is also an undercover cop. He is mainly concerned with bringing a little money home to his mother. Between the two of them, they bring down the mobsters.

Does this sound at all familiar to any of you? I'll watch this board for a while. I'd be happy to try to answer any questions about this film.

The double-feature plays for a couple more days. Maybe some of you guys should see it and report back.

quaco

2007.04.30, 06:29 AM

Hello,

OK, this is my second post. I found what the first movie shown today at the New Beverly was: FISTS OF BRUCE LEE aka INTERPOL.

www.geocities.com/many_br...stsbl2.htm (http://www.geocities.com/many_bruces/reviews/fistsbl2.htm)

It was not THE REAL BRUCE LEE.

VonHumboldtFleischer

2007.04.30, 06:36 AM

At the end, we learn he's an INTERPOL agent! What film did I just see?

Erm... It couldn't be INTERPOL, by any chance?

EDIT: Ah, there you go then.

killer meteor

2007.04.30, 06:56 AM

Could the geeky kid in the second film be Fu Sheng?

quaco

2007.04.30, 07:38 AM

Is this the Fu Sheng you're talking about?

www.heroic-cinema.com/ima...usheng.jpg (http://www.heroic-cinema.com/images/pics/fusheng.jpg)

That's not him.

Is there any sort of online kung fu star "mug book" I could look at to pick out the guys in the second film?

Chinatown Kid

2007.05.01, 01:14 AM

It might be Bruce Liang in Kidnap in Rome, was the film set in Rome or was it filmed in HK or some other Chinese locale with only Asian actors? If it's yes to the latter then I'm wrong it's not Kidnap in Rome.

quaco

2007.05.01, 01:57 AM

Definitely in HK or other Chinese locale.

I just went through all 4 "Familiar Faces" galleries hin Beijing Cinema (link below) and didn't find either of the main guys in this film. Now my interest is piqued!...

www.beijingvideo.com/map.html (http://www.beijingvideo.com/map.html)

VonHumboldtFleischer

2007.05.01, 01:58 AM

What title was on the print of the movie?

quaco

2007.05.01, 03:45 AM

I believe it was indeed LEE LIVES WITHIN. As I say, I am not well-versed in kung fu films, but I don't remember being confused when the titles came on. I'm pretty sure it said "Lee Lives Within", then gave one or two actors' names in both English and Chinese, then all the rest of the credits in Chinese only.

So, I don't doubt it was called LEE LIVES WITHIN, but it's just interesting that there seems to be no reference to a film of that name on the Internet -- except, of course, in terms of it playing at the New Beverly during this festival.

Did anyone see it this eve?

Squid Lips

2007.05.01, 04:11 AM

You know I was going to see them and got stuck in a meeting so missed them both. Obviously it was not THE REAL BRUCE LEE and the LEE LIVES WITHIN sounds even more enigmatic. Amazing that even this theater would run into the disease of AKAs these films suffer from.

Did you determine that THE REAL BRUCE LEE was actually a Bruce Li film?

quaco

2007.05.01, 04:42 AM

Yes, apparently, it is FISTS OF BRUCE LEE aka INTERPOL. I'm wondering if, rather than, as you say, suffering from "the disease of AKAs", maybe the theater was just given the wrong film! I'm sure Tarantino would know the difference. Maybe whoever in his camp sent the pictures over took the wrong one.

(Who knows? Just to be safe, I notified the theater via their MySpace page.)

iron flag

2007.05.01, 06:23 AM

Just got back from the theater. The first movie was "Fists of Bruce Lee" with Bruce Li. The second movie was indeed titled "Lee Lives Within" and was not "Interpol" but "Showdown at the Equator" actually. It starred 2 guys (that I dont think I've ever seen before) as undercover police officers. One works at an auto repair shop and the other at a restaurant. The one from the Restaurant infiltrates Lo Lieh's gang and eventually gets shot by Lo. The other chases Lo down and in a rather anticlimactic end fight kicks him off a small cliff.

quaco

2007.05.01, 07:50 AM

The second movie was indeed titled "Lee Lives Within" and was not "Interpol" but "Showdown at the Equator" actually.
Good detective work! Did you enjoy the films?

Just to clarify, INTERPOL is apparently another name for FISTS OF BRUCE LEE. I didn't say it had anything to do with LEE LIVES WITHIN.

I quite liked both films actually. I'm still thinking about them.

VonHumboldtFleischer

2007.05.01, 09:22 AM

2 guys (that I dont think I've ever seen before)

Bruce Liang and Larry Lee?

Wow.

Still, at least it actually had someone called "Lee" in it.

iron flag

2007.05.02, 02:11 AM

I take it back. I have seen Larry Lee before, 10 Tigers of Shaolin right? :)
quaco, I thought they were ok. I'm assuming you're not a big Kung Fu movie fan. Please, you owe it to yourself, check out the post "greatest old school KF movies of all time",and watch some of those. If you enjoyed the movies from the grindhouse festival you'll LOVE those!! :D

quaco

2007.05.02, 07:44 AM

Please, you owe it to yourself, check out the post "greatest old school KF movies of all time",and watch some of those. If you enjoyed the movies from the grindhouse festival you'll LOVE those!! :D
Thanks for the recommendation. I will definitely do that! The big screen is the best, but I'll start renting some of these.

I'll also poke around on the site here. Looks kind of interesting.

Cheers,
quaco

the dirty tiger

2007.05.02, 10:15 PM

So do we have an answer yet as to the true identity of Lee Lives Within ?

quaco

2007.05.02, 10:23 PM

Apparently, it's the same as SHOWDOWN AT THE EQUATOR...

www.hkmdb.com/db/movies/v...ay_set=eng (http://www.hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=5850&display_set=eng)

Here's the cast: www.angelfire.com/az3/kit...t5/seq.htm (http://www.angelfire.com/az3/kitty/cast5/seq.htm)

the dirty tiger

2007.05.03, 10:14 AM

Ooooooh, ok dodgy dodgy film. I have the Video Gems version, want to get a better version, anybody got one ?

W Hong

2007.05.05, 07:16 AM

I ended up not being able to see LLW or TRBL. I feel so bad about not actually seeing LLW. I couldn't go see it because I caught a cold at the last minute. Do any of you know if Quentin said that LLW will be shown again in an L.A. area movie theatre? Did QT appear in person for this particular double feature?

So do we have an answer yet as to the true identity of Lee Lives Within ?

If, as Quaco said, it is "Showdown at the Equator"(1978) (Lo Lieh, Nora Miao), then there would be the different comparisons, of course. For example:

("SatE"), (LLW)
(1978) , (1981[?])
(Hong Kong release), (Downtown LA,Hollywood, NYC(?))
(Chinese language), ( English dubbed?)

i also noticed that both Lieh and Miao appear in "SatE" and also "Bruce's Finger". I guess that I was also lucky to have seen "BF" on the old World Video(?) VHS video. I also remember hearing that Bruce Lee's Wing Chun teacher appeared in "BF".