Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave
| Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Lee Doo-yong |
| Produced by | Kwak Jeong-Hwan |
| Written by | Hong Ji-Un |
| Starring |
Jun Chong Deborah Dutch Anthony Bronson Sho Kosugi Bae Soo-Cheong Kim Moon-Joo |
| Music by | Kim Hee-Kap |
| Cinematography | An Chang-Bok |
| Edited by | Hyeon Dong-Chun |
Production company |
Hap Dong Films Co., Ltd |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
Bruce Lee Fights Back From The Grave, released originally as Visitor of America (Hangul: 아메리카 방문객; Hanja: 아메리카 訪問客; RR: Amelika bangmungaeg), is a 1976 Bruceploitation movie starring Bruce Lee impersonator and tae kwon do instructor Jun Chong (using the alias Bruce K.L. Lea). The film was directed by Lee Doo-yong, though persistent misinformation claims that the movie was directed by Italian horror director Umberto Lenzi.[1] The poster's artwork was very common among exploitation films at the time.
Plot overview
The opening sequence shows Bruce Lee (played by an unknown imitator), leaping from his grave after it is struck by lightning. While this and the title imply a story involving Bruce Lee returning from the afterlife in order to do battle, the rest of the movie involves a plot having nothing to do with Bruce Lee, instead following a completely unrelated story involving Wong Han, a Korean man trying to discover the truth behind the death of his brother Han Ji-Hyeok. He travels to Los Angeles and allies himself with a woman named Suzanne. Han is harassed by a number of petty criminals and thugs in his attempt to find his friend. Eventually, he begins to suspect that Ji-Hyeok is still alive, and involved in a criminal racket.
Cast
- Jun Chong (credited as Bruce K.L. Lea) as Wong Han
- Deborah Dutch as Susan
- Sho Kosugi as Suzuki
Critical reception
A review by Kevin "Fragmaster" Bowen on Something Awful gives the film an overall of 41, with 50 being the worst, and therefore an overall rating of 18/100.[2] The film received a slight increase in popularity with Cinemassacre fans when it was discussed in January 2013 by James Rolfe and Mike Matei in the video, Mike's VHS Collection Update and Movie Talk.[3] A similar instance occurred when the two discussed the Icons of Horror Collection - Sam Katzman DVD in March 2011.
Regional differences
The version of the film seen on UK and US video and DVDs comes from an American edit of an English dub prepared in Hong Kong. Although the film was released in Korea in 1976, it is unknown as to whether or not the film had a release in Chinese markets. The music score for the English-language version contains music lifted from the soundtracks to Rocky and Rollercoaster, two films not released until after the Korean release date of this film. The sound effects on this version are typical of those often found in Hong Kong martial arts films at the time, rather than the sort heard in Korean films. The script for the English dub makes repeated references to the Asian characters being Chinese, when the visual evidence indicates that they are Korean. The US distributors added the infamous "Bruce Lee" opening sequence.
References
- ↑ "Bruce Lee Fights Back From The Grave by Umberto Lenzi". Fandango. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ↑ "Movie Reviews - Bruce Lee Fights Back From The Grave". Something Awful. November 20, 2001. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
- ↑ "Mike's VHS Collection Update and Movie Talk". Cinemassacre. January 31, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
External links
- Bruce Lee Fights Back From The Grave at the Internet Movie Database
- Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- Bruce Lee Fights Back From The Grave at AllMovie
- Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave - Unofficial Fansite
- Korean Film Database entry