Game of Death (1978)

Director:

Robert Clouse

Writer:

Robert Clouse (written by)

Release Date:

8 June 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Bruce Lee challenges the underworld to a Game of Death.

Plot:

A martial arts movie star must fake his death to find the people who are trying to kill him.

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Revenge | Mafia Boss | Star Died Before Release | Faked Death

Cast

Bruce Lee	...	Billy Lo
Colleen Camp	...	Ann Morris
Dean Jagger	...	Dr. Land
Gig Young	...	Jim Marshall
Tai Chung Kim	...	Billy Lo (as Kim Tai Jong)
Biao Yuen	...	Billy Lo (as Bill Yuen)
Robert Wall	...	Carl Miller
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	...	Hakim
Mel Novak	...	Stick
Hugh O'Brian	...	Steiner
James Tien	...	Charlie Wang
Dan Inosanto	...	Pasqual (as Danny Inosanto)
Chuck Norris	...	Fighter (archive footage)
Roy Chiao	...	Henry Lo
Russell Cawthorne	...	Surgeon

Also Known As:

Bruce Lee's Game of Death
Si wang you ju

Runtime:

85 min | Germany:92 min | Hong Kong:103 min (original premiere) | Hong Kong:125 min | Hong Kong:54 min (current existing footage) | Japan:115 min | Japan:40 min (2000 incomplete version) | USA:100 min | USA:110 min (original premiere) | USA:35 min (2000 incomplete version)

Country:

Hong Kong | USA

Language:

English | Mandarin | Cantonese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:M | Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-18 (DVD rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | UK:X (original rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Concord Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Sammo Hung almost didn't appear in the movie; after being asked personally by Bruce Lee to be part of the film, Hung waited for eight months without follow-up and eventually went to film projects in Korea and Thailand, only flying back to the set in China when promised that it would only take a couple days to film his part.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the nunchaku scene when Billy and Pasqual are dueling, Billy's second nunchaku bends, revealing it to be foam rubber.

Quotes:

Dr Land: [referring to Ann's calling Land and Steiner murderers after Billy's death] Rude bitch.
Steiner: One rebel begats another. It's the Billy Lo syndrome.
Dr Land: A venereal disease. Often terminal.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Soundtrack:

Game of Death

A tale of two movies

"Game of Death", a frankenstein concoction of bits and peices of Bruce Lee's final performance in a movie originally shot in 1972-73 and a later filmshot in 1978 after Lee's death is really two movies in one.

The first, a crime/revenge caper helmed by Robert Clouse is not as bad as you may have heard. The scenes are intercut badly and Lee's many doubles do look bad, but as a movie on it's own merit it isnt that bad.

The film concerns a young movie star, Billy Lo (played by several uncredited doubles) and a crime syndicate headed by evil Dr. Land (Dean Jagger who is good) His henchman (Hugh O'Brian, Mel Novak, and Bob Wall) won't let our hero rest until he signs an exclusive contract with them, which will put Billy under their control. Colleen Camp and Gig Young Co-star. Camp is benign as Billy's voluptuous girlfriend and Young looks like he wants to be anywhere else. The score is excellent courtesy of John Barry's music which sets a mood for the picture. The second part of the movie is the final fight scenes in a pagoda which include Bruce Lee himself in some magnificent fight scenes with several worthy advesaries including Kareem Abdul Jabbar(!) and Danny Inosanto. The last 15-20 minutes are the only to feature the real Bruce Lee, but watch the locker room fight, it is very good on it's own merit. In summary, a cheesy 70's Kung Fu movie that wraps around some spectacular footage of Bruce Lee in his "final performance", but which also has some charm of it's own.