These Fists Break Bricks (Revised and Expanded Edition)
From New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix and film historian Chris Poggiali comes a revised and updated edition of their definitive look at how kung fu movie mania came and conquered the United States, featuring expanded sections on superstars such as Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen; new profiles on iconic film poster artists; and tributes to unsung martial artists.
When a Hollywood studio released Five Fingers of Death to thrill-seeking Times Square moviegoers in 1973, only a handful of Black and Asian audience members knew the difference between an Iron Fist and an Eagle's Claw. That changed overnight as Five Fingers kicked off a kung fu craze that would earn millions at the box office, send TV ratings soaring, influence the birth of hip hop, reshape the style of action we see in movies today, and introduce America to some of the biggest Asian stars to ever hit motion picture screens.
These Fists Break Bricks offers a lavishly illustrated exploration of how these high-kicking, brick-breaking movies came to America and raised hell until greed, infomercials, and racist fearmongering shut them down. For the first time, the full-and wild-story is told, including how CIA agents secretly funded karate movies and how The New York Times fabricated a fear campaign about Black "karate gangs," as well as the history of Black martial arts in America and the onslaught of Bruce Lee imitators after his death.
With a foreword by RZA of the Wu Tang Clan and brand new material on superstars like Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, and Donnie Yen, plus spotlights on unsung performers, film poster artists, and money-laundering film distributors, this revised and expanded edition is a master class in kung fu cinema history.
Grady Hendrix is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author and one of the founders of the New York Asian Film Festival. He's covered the Asian film industry for Variety, Sight & Sound, and Film Comment, among others. He lives in NYC.
Chris Poggiali is a librarian, writer, and film historian who edited the fanzine Temple of Schlock from 1987 - 1991, and brought it back as a blog in 2008. He has written about film for numerous magazines, websites, and DVDs/Blu-rays.