Sometimes the best arrives first.
The life of Bruce Lee was one of struggle–a struggle to make his way into American studio films in light of decades of racism against Asians in the West, continuing with a Hollywood system openly mocking Asian culture well into the 1970s. It was this system that Lee was about to conquer before his young death. It was Lee’s philosophy of life and martial arts prowess that brought him to America and international stardom, but only in four feature-length films before his untimely death due to a brain edema in 1973 at the age of 32. His biggest and best film was his last: director Robert Clouse’s Enter the Dragon. Not only his best, it’s one of the best film’s ever made–it’s been added to the U.S. National Film Registry and widely regarded as the best martial arts film of all time.
This weekend for its 50th anniversary Enter the Dragon is returning to theaters. If you haven’t seen it, get ready to watch a true master of his craft. If you can’t make the screenings, you’ll want to grab the newly restored 50th anniversary Limited Collector’s Edition on home video, available for pre-order now here at Amazon.
Bruce Lee took America by storm as Kato in the Green Hornet series following his rejection by Shaw Brothers back in China, and then getting skipped over for David Carradine in his series Kung Fu, before gaining legend status posthumously. While Chinese culture and movies in particular were still only beginning to make their way to Western audiences, kung fu films from Hong Kong began in the 1960s. They made their way to American audiences with Tom Laughlin in Billy Jack, and into millions of homes via the Kung Fu series, along with martial artist and actor Jim Kelly (who co-stars with Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon). But nothing then compared to Enter the Dragon.
From the era of superheroes in the style of The Six Million Dollar Man, watch Bruce Lee in the ultimate action movie with John Saxon (who had both a Judo and Karate black belt), Jim Kelly, and early appearances by Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris.
Check out these features on the Limited Edition set:
- Limited Edition of 3,000 worldwide
- Both the original 1973 Theatrical Cut and 1998 Special Edition Cut, with additional footage and alternate audio, have been remastered in glorious 4K UHD
- Rigid Slipcase
- Steelbook with Full Gloss Finish
- Numbered Sticker of Authenticity
- A3 Theatrical Poster Reproductions, Double-Sided
- Lenticular
- 3x Archival Art Cards, Double-Sided
- 3x Production Notes, Double-Sided
- 3x BTS Cards, Double-Sided
- On-Disc Special Features
- Introduction by Linda Lee Caldwell
- Commentary by Paul Heller
- 3 Documentaries: Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon, The Curse of the Dragon, and Bruce Lee: In His Own Words
- No Way As Way
- The Return to Han’s Island
- Wing Chun: The Art That Introduced Kung Fu to Bruce Lee
- Linda Lee Caldwell Interview Gallery
- Vintage Featurette: Location: Hong Kong with Enter the Dragon
- Backyard Workout with Bruce
- And More!
Here is the 50th anniversary trailer for Enter the Dragon:
Here’s a modern trailer for the 50th anniversary of Enter the Dragon:
It’s inspired too many movies and TV series to list. Watch Enter the Dragon in theaters for a limited release from Fathom Events on Sunday, August 13, and Wednesday, August 16, 2023. Learn more and order tickets from Fathom Events now at its website here.
C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg
