From BitterAndrew's Comprehensive Guide to Films That Don't Exist, But Should:
Chop-socky goes classical when a busboy at Rome's Gardenius Szechuanium restauant gets entangled in a plot to assassinate Julius Caesar. The chemistry between the two leads is remarkable, and their different styles of acting complement each other perfectly. Lee's martial arts expertise is on fine display, but even more surprising is the septugenarian Gielgud's ability to deliver a succession of roundhouse kicks without so much as rumpling his toga. It made me wish that he had taken a similar approach with the character of King Louis VII in Becket.
A recut version of the film ran in foreign markets under the title of Appian Way of the Open Palm. Keep your eyes open for a cameo appearance by Jim Kelly (playing the gladiator Blackus Beltus Jononicus). Three stars.
Jack Parnell & His Orchestra - Enter the Dragon (from The Sound Gallery Vol. 2, 1996) - I posted the Lalo Schifrin original version of the classic theme song last spring. Today we have Jack Parnell's no-holds-barred interpretation for those of you who don't mind mixing a little modness into their martial arts enjoyment.
Berto Pisano and Jacques Chaurmont - Kill Them All! (from Beat at Cinecitta Vol. 3, 1999) - This wonderfully-titled track originally appeared on the soundtrack to the exclamatory 1971 Euro-thriller, Kill! and it has that certain Mod Squad/"Gamesters of Triskelion" vibe suitable for all your retro fight and chase sequence needs.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
friends, Romans, kung fu men
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4 comments:
Is that *really* Doris Troy of "Just One Look" ("That's all it took") fame on vocals for "Kill Them All"? She sounds, to be charitable, a little rough.
Yeah, I have my doubts, too. A little internet research revealed that there are multiple versions of the track, and I'm assuming that the one on the disc is not the one credited in the insert's tracklist.
At least I hope not.
Killer tracks, Kung Fu connections and a 'Trek' reference - marvellous.
Funny stuff!
Gotta love those Beat at Cinecitta CDs. Great songs on all of them. A fun moment (one of the many) from The Big Lebowski was hearing that song "Sexually" ( was that what it was called?) from the 1st Beat at Cinecitta.
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