Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Book

by Richard S. Meyers

From Bruce Lee to James Bond, Jackie Chan to Jet Li, Enter the Dragon to Kung Fu Panda, kung fu films remain a thrilling part of movie-lovers' lives. Now the acknowledged pioneer in the genre presents his magnum opus on the subject, incorporating information and revelations never before seen in America. From the ancient Peking Opera origins to its superhero-powered future, Ric Meyers reveals the loony, the legendary, and everything in between. This vivid, action-packed book may delight, surprise, fascinate, and even enlighten you with a personal V.I.P. tour through the wondrous world of the most ridiculously exhilarating movies ever made.

Genres: Martial Arts

360 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2011

About the author

Author of more than 70 novels and nonfiction books (under a variety of names, including multiple variations of his own); writer of hundreds of magazine articles, reviews, and DVD blurbs; screenwriter for selected comic books, television, films, and documentaries; consultant at several studios and networks; performer at Medieval Times and the North Pole; teacher of kung fu at universities and seminars around the world.

Reviews

[Ahdom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I thought I knew kung fu movies... I learned a ton about the history of Chinese Kung fu cinema in this book. It has helped me curate a nice list on Letterboxd and grow my appreciation for the genre. I used to watch tons of martial arts films in my younger days, but I have recently fallen back in to watching them and with greater appreciation. I followed this book with the documentary and it was a great pairing. I have so much to watch now!

[Jack Burnham]

Breezy read, finished it in a day and broke a reading slump

[Manny Furious · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can understand how some people rag on Ric Meyers so much. In interviews and DVD commentaries he can come across as smug and self-satisfied, almost as if he views himself as the last guardian of Kung Fu and Kung Fu cinema in the west, when, really, he just comes across as if he needs to get a life.

In this book, however, his knowledge, insight, passion and exuberance for Kung Fu and it's cinema really shines. I would consider myself more of a "casual" fan of Kung Fu cinema, but such a thing doesn't really exist. Either you dig it and are obsessed with it, or you don't. I'm one of the very few who falls somewhere in the middle. Anyhow, this book really turned me on to some great movies I'd never even heard of, from some of my favorite directors, actors and fight choreographers from the genre. I also enjoyed Ric's feelings on Kung Fu Panda and The Karate Kid remake, as they were pretty similar to mine.

I do take issue with some of Ric's scholarship. Despite what he would have you believe in the first chapter, Taoism and Confucianism are very different. Sure, there are certain similarities--much in the same manner there are similarities between Confucianism and Christiantiy, or Taoism and Scientology, which is to say that they're somewhat superficial and the differences are far more relevant and profound. Ric would have you believe it was the politicians and philosophers who pitted the two against one another, when if one would read beyond the Tao Te Ching, one would find that the Taoists themselves weren't very fond of Confucius and his disciples, and vice-versa. He also refers to the Bodhidharma myth as the source of Kung Fu, when, if one bothers to look even on Sifu Yan Ming's website, many contemporary Shaolin practitioners no longer seem to truly buy into that legend. Furthermore, Ric criticizes (rightly) Roger Ebert for his failure to educate himself on Kung Fu films, but then treats MMA similarly, obviously having not taken the time and effort to educate himself on that.

All in all, though, this was well worth the read.

[Jeffrey Powanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A breezy, accessible, and celebratory guide to kung fu movies. Meyers traces the historical origins of kung fu from Peking Opera, the twenty-year cycle of Wong Fei-hung movies that started in Hong Kong in 1949, the rise of Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest studios, the transformative impact of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and the birth of kung fu comedy, the enduring influence of Jet Li, the poetic violence of John Woo's "gun fu", the influence of kung fu films on Hollywood, and the future of kung fu movies.

The book is a great companion to the entertaining documentary Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Movie, which is available on Amazon Prime and other streaming platforms.

For my reviews of other Hong Kong cinema books and documentaries, see my blog:
https://coollimabean.wordpress.com/20...

[Noah Bourdeu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure trove for fans of old-school Kung Fu movies. I'm not talking about the blockbuster, cinematic masterpieces such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Although this one is mentioned in the book) I'm talking specifically about the old, grainy, and often cheesy martial arts movies, you know the ones, with bad dubbing and horrible sound effects. If you don't enjoy these types of movies, this book is probably not going to appeal to you. If you however a Shaw Brothers fan like myself, and who can watch "The Five Deadly Venoms" over-and-over again, this book is for you.

I love how the author gives you details about films you might have watched dozens of times yet never noticed some of the things he points. He is also great at explaining back stories and explaining how the actors and directors got along behind the scenes. Great book for Kung Fu enthusiasts!

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book! Ric Meyers covers not only a little history of martial arts themselves but the careers of everyone from Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal, Donnie Yen, he even touches on the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles and the Power Rangers. He covers the history of Kung Fu films from before Bruce Lee to today. I rediscovered films I'd forgotten and added a lot of new ones to my netflix queue! Highly recommended!

[Denise]

This book is as entertaining as Ric himself. And I learned quite a bit to help me appreciate these sometimes inane genre films.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

S'okay. Meyers is an ass...But it's a decent guide.