THE ART OF BRUCE-PLOITATION: A LOW BUDGET LOOK-ALIKE CRAZE
In the wake of Bruce Lee's untimely death in 1973, a new genre of martial arts film emerged: Bruceploitation. Created as a cashew by studios to capitalize on intense interest in the star, and the, sadly, small amount of titles he headlined, these low-budget films were made with questionable execution and starred actors who bore a passing resemblance to Lee, and titles riffing on Lee’s box office successes, often with dubious stretches of the imagination (The Pig Boss (1972), Enter the Game of Death (1978)). The genre reached its peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but evolved into a cult favorite among fans of martial arts cinema thanks to some actually competent action.
New Fist Of Fury (1976)
A typical sample of Bruceploitation films included such whimiscal titles as Exit the Dragon, Enter the Tiger (1974) starring Bruce Li, Bruce Lee Fights Back From the Grave (1976) sporting a resurrected Bruce Lee thanks to a bolt of lightning striking his grave and Bruce the Super Hero (1978) starring Bruce Le.
Bruce Lee Fights Back From The Grave (1976)
The Bruceploitation genre was born out of a desire to capitalize on Lee's immense popularity. In the years following his death, Lee's films continued to be released in theaters and on home video, creating a new generation of fans who missed Lee's work first time around, and yearned for a dose of what might have been had his career trajectory continued upward, as ;promised with his western breakthrough Enter The Dragon (1973). The nature of Lee’s death, sometimes attributed to a curse, found it’s way into the Bruceploitation genre by way of films like Exit the Dragon, Enter the Tiger in which Lee asks Bruce Li to replace him after his death.
Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth (1976)
A curious and specific subgenera, like many exploitation era productions, several Bruceploitation films are considered to be cult classics, beloved for their camp value and over-the-top action sequences and a bittersweet reminder of where Bruce Lee’s star was headed. Certainly not in the realm of high art, or in the same league of production level as the Shaw Brothers films, they remain immensely entertaining as cheap cash grabs of the era, and fodder for a night of B Movie madness.
The Clones of Bruce Lee (1980)
Enter The Invincible Hero (1977)
Fist of Fury 3 (1979)
The Dragon Lives (1976)
Bruce Lee: The Invincible (1978)
Fist of Fury 2 (1977)