It’s time to enter the bizarro world, my Chopsocky connoisseurs! This is a world where, in the wake of Bruce Lee’s death, many film companies - including Golden Harvest, the production company that launched Lee into the world’s consciousness with Fist of Fury, The Big Boss, and Way of the Dragon - started hiring Lee lookalikes and then trained them to impersonate the legend to make some pretty hilarious knockoff films.
And, with one documentary to rule them all, The Game of Clones has arrived! It’s time to shine a light on Bruce Li, Dragon Lee aka Bruce Lei, Bruce Le, Bruce Lo, the Female Bruce Lee” (Angela Mao), “the Black Dragon” (Ron Van Clief), and “the Fat Dragon” (Sammo Hung) who carried on as Bruce Lee, with mixed results, when he could not.
Director David Gregory (Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey Of Richard Stanley’s Island Of Dr. Moreau and Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death Of Al Adamson) returns with another wild genre-specific documentary and delivers plenty to discuss as he tracks one of the weirdest sub-genres in film: Bruceploitation, the lo-fi wave of rip-off films - with actors who, in the right light, maybe looked a little bit like the late Bruce Lee (or, in some cases, not at all) and were willing to do incredibly dangerous stunts for a little bit of money.
Few were prepared for the 15-minutes of fame these films gave them. These films flooded the market in Hong Kong and, eventually, America with the sole purpose of making money off of his likeness. The films, being a complete train wreck in all areas, were cheap and easy to make. They were also insanely profitable for the producers (and some of the more forward-thinking stars who were quick to realize the trade they were in and gobble up as much money as they could to support their families). These films - which often featured unauthorized biographies of Lee and sometimes featured images of the deceased actor in his coffin - would soon become, as Gregory’s film points out, staples of global cinema. Fans couldn’t get enough of these wild chopsocky tales as Bruce Lee seemingly returned from the great beyond to kill a whole lot of ass.
Enter The Clones Of Bruce Lee is, at once, a whole lot of fun as the actor is briefly celebrated while some of his more eccentric training techniques told from those who worked with him are discussed. From using electric currents to stimulate the muscles to his passing of Shaw Brothers’ lowball offer for employment, Lee was always focused on becoming the main attraction. It’s little wonder then that he developed such a hardcore following with so few films.
While fans get an all too brief history on Shaw Brothers and their impact on spreading the influence of martial arts cinema, Gregory quickly shifts into the impact of Lee’s death on the martial arts scene, but wisely does not go into the conspiracy theories surrounding his death. This is not the focus here, yet he does point out that Hong Kong movie studios were ready with their first Bruceploitation film just hours after his funeral.
Let the fun begin!
Featuring new interviews with Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Bruce Liang, Dragon Lee, Angela Mao, David Chiang, Phillip Ko and Sammo Hung, and the producers, directors, distributors and experts of all things Bruceploitation, Enter The Clones Of Bruce Lee does not disappoint. It also discusses the attempts to make Jackie Chan a Bruce Lee knockoff. Thankfully, that was extremely short lived.
The film, which also documents the frustration of the Lee lookalikes and eventual fall of the carbon copy Lee films, features clips from the films, and discusses their merits as it dives into the phenomenon that many never knew existed. While most of the films are pretty awful, a few of the titles have earned a cult status among chopsocky connoisseurs.
Released by Severin Films, Enter The Clones Of Bruce Lee is now on blu-ray as part of The Game Of Clones collection: which presents 14 of the very best – and frequently very bizarre – films starring Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Dragon Lee, Bruce Liang and more, all restored for the first time ever from original elements. It can also be purchased separately, but why? Why would you decide to do that and skip out on all the chop socky fun these films have to offer?!
This truly is a sub-genre which refuses to die.
Home Video Distributor: Severin
Available on Blu-ray - June 2024
Screen Formats: 1.78:1
Subtitles: English Subtitles, Chinese Subtitles, French Subtitles
Audio: Stereo
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 8-disc collection
Region Encoding: Region-free playback
Within hours of his funeral, Hong Kong movie studios began to produce hundreds of unauthorized biopics, spin-offs and rip-offs starring a competing roster of Bruce Lee lookalikes. Over the next decade, ‘Bruceploitation’ would become a staple of global cinema. Director David Gregory – whose award-winning documentaries include LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU and BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON – now examines this fascinating phenomenon via interviews with Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Bruce Liang and Dragon Lee; martial arts legends like Angela Mao, David Chiang, Phillip Ko and Sammo Hung; and the producers, directors, distributors and experts – along with copious clips from the films themselves – that for the first time reveal the history, controversy and legacy behind one of the most bizarre genres in movie history.
Video
Presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Enter The Clones Of Bruce Lee is beautifully presented in 1080p from Severin. As a documentary, all the facial details are strong in the interview segments. Interiors are strong, too. Some of the interviews happen outdoors and it looks vivid in its color capturing. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in the clothing worn and adding good definition. The film stock used is grainy as it should be, but works in the film.
Audio
The documentary comes with a stereo track which features English, Chinese, and French Subtitles.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- See Special Features for the breakdown.
Special Features:
- 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 Theater With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth
- Trailers
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating:
Runtime: 100 mins
Director: David Gregory
Writer:
Cast: Bruce Le; Bruce Li; Ryong Keo
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline: Not Even Death Could Kill the Dragon
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Severin Films
Official Site:
Release Date: April 30, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: June, 2024
Synopsis: Enter the Clones of Bruce dives into the Bruce Lee exploitation craze, otherwise known as Bruceploitation.
