Kung Fu Movie Guide Live: Dragon Inn
We are excited to be taking the Kung Fu Movie Guide podcast on the road! We are hosting screenings of classic action and martial arts movies across the southeast of the UK, followed by live discussions with special guests recorded for the podcast.
On 7 November, we were excited to screen the classic Dragon Inn (1967) at the lovely Depot Cinema in Lewes, joined by our special guest, actress and martial artist Katrina Durden (Doctor Strange, Street Fighter: Resurrection).
A defining film in the history of martial arts cinema, Dragon Inn finds bandits, noble fighters and vagabonds gathered together for a beautifully choreographed royal rumble at a sleepy inn. Director King Hu (A Touch of Zen) pares the wuxia (‘martial chivalry’) genre down to its essential elements: balletic fight choreography, superhuman action sequences, and a charismatic roster of characters, including many trailblazing roles for female fighters. Shot in stunning widescreen, it was a major breakthrough in Hu’s career and a massive box office success in Hong Kong.
We had a great time discussing wuxia, China’s swordplay and chivalry genre, and how King Hu forged a new path in Chinese action cinema, influencing a generation of filmmakers from Tsui Hark (New Dragon Gate Inn) to Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and how it continues inspiring female action performers like Katrina, to this day.
These events are presented by KFMG host Ben Johnson and myself as part of the BFI’s Art of Action season, in association with the Independent Cinema Office and Film Hub South East.