BRUCE LEE
ENTER THE DRAGON
LITTLE KNOWN FACT
WAY OF THE INTERCEPTING FIST
A WARRIOR'S JOURNEY
LAST MAN STANDING
GAME OF DEATH
NUNCHAKU
FISTS OF FURY
THE CURSE
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
SILENT BUT DEADLY
ELVIS & BRUCE
THE DRAGON
"Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own"
- Bruce Lee
ENTER THE DRAGON
Bruce Lee Jun Fan Yuen Kam was born in the year of the dragon, 1940, and at the hour of the dragon, between 6 and 8 AM.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT
Bruce's ancestry was Chinese and German. His father was Chinese while his mother was of German-Chinese decent. Her mother was Chinese and her father was German.
WAY OF THE INTERCEPTING FIST
Jeet Kune Do, also known as Way of the Intercepting Fist, was Bruce Lee's personal martial art style. He developed it with the idea of being more flexible and practical with martial arts techniques. In doing so, he commonly considered the greatest martial artist of the 20th century.
A WARRIOR'S JOURNEY
His Jeet Kune Do instruction was a premium in the highest demand and commanded a staggering $275 an hour. His students consisted of some of Hollywood's most elite, including Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Joe Lewis and Chuck Norris.
LAST MAN STANDING
In many ways his celebrity gave him a parallel to the characters he portrayed as he was contantly being challenged by movie extras and other men who could get near him seeking to gain fame by beating him in a fight. Many tried, but he was never beaten.
GAME OF DEATH
His last film was "Game of Death" and was his only film to be shot with sound. His earlier films were shot without sound and the voices were later dubbed in.
NUNCHAKU
Nunchaku were Bruce Lee's hand weapon of choice and when wielding a pair he was an undefeatable force. He developed his legendary routine under the instruction of karate master Hidehiko "Hidy" Ochiai. The two men first met at the Los Angeles YMCA in the mid-1960's
FISTS OF FURY
Bruce Lee's ultimate secret was his lightning quick speed. To demonstrate he developed a trick where he had a person hold a coin and close his hand around the coin, but before they could do so Bruce would quickly remove the coin and replace it with another most often without the participate even realizing what had happened. When they opened their hand, it would be the new coin.
THE CURSE
As most know, Bruce Lee's death was deemed to be extraordinarily bizarre. Motivating many to be belove it was the work of "Oni", a Japanese term for demons or evil spirits. This curse apparently carried on to his actor son, Brandon Lee.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
During an interview, composer Lalo Schifrin revealed that Bruce often trained to the "Mission Impossible" TV Show soundtrack.
SILENT BUT DEADLY
Another claim to fame was Bruce mastered a technique called, "The One Inch Punch". With it he could deliver a devastating body punch just with his fist just a mere inch from his target.
ELVIS & BRUCE
Elvis Presley and Ed Parker had a pet project film they were constructing in 1973 and 1974, but then suddenly it was forgotten until 2003 when the footage resurfaced. The film is basically groups of martial arts experts going at it. The cast reads like a 'who's who' of the martial arts world of the time and although he is not featured in the film, 20 minutes of never-before-seen footage of Bruce Lee was also discovered with this lost footage.
THE DRAGON
When he passed away on July 20, 1973 Bruce Lee was only 32 years old was 5'7" and weighed 128 pounds. He might have been small in stature but was one of the all time greatest film stars and the most accomplished martial artist in modern history.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Superman: A Film Franchise
Superman Returns, the new film by Bryan Singer, is the fifth movie to tell the story of a simple young boy from another planet who falls to earth and grows up to be the Man of Steel, helping people and averting disasters that would end the world.
Here is a quick look at the first four films, that were made in the 70s and 80s.
Superman (1978) - The original film sees Christopher Reeve play Superman.
With the planet Krypton facing destruction, scientist Jor-El takes drastic measures to preserve the Kryptonian race - he sends his infant son Kal-El to Earth to become a champion of truth and justice. Kal-El grows up as Clark Kent and eventually learns the truth about his family and realises that he must use his abilities for good. Clark moves to Metropolis where he becomes a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper, and also becomes his alter-ego, Superman, a defender of law and order. However, deep below Metropolis Lex Luthor is plotting evil. Can Superman thwart his nasty plans and save millions of innocent people?
Superman II (1980) - Christopher Reeve returns - The adventure continues.
Superman saves France by throwing a nuclear bomb deep into space. Unfortunately the bomb explodes, freeing three Kryptonian criminals from captivity. Meanwhile Superman has decided to relinquish his superhero powers to live happily ever after with Lois Lane. As the criminals, led by General Zod, join up with Lex Luthor to take over the world, Clark Kent has to decide whether to try to regain Superman's powers and face his biggest battle yet
Superman III (1983) – If the world's most powerful computer can control even Superman...no one on earth is safe.
Superman has saved the world against villains from Earth and from Krypton, but will he cope when a super-computer, and its programmer, set out to destroy him? In between his attempts to save the world, Clark returns to his old High School and meets an old flame.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) - Nuclear Power. In the best hands, it is dangerous. In the hands of Lex Luthor, it is pure evil. This is Superman's greatest battle. And it is for all of us.
In an attempt to take over the world arms market Lex Luthor clones Superman to make Nuclear Man. Luthor hopes Nuclear Man will take on and beat Superman. Thankfully, Superman saves the Statue of Liberty, repulses a volcanic eruption of Mount Etna, and rebuilds the demolished Great Wall of China. And saved the world.
Here is a quick look at the first four films, that were made in the 70s and 80s.
Superman (1978) - The original film sees Christopher Reeve play Superman.
With the planet Krypton facing destruction, scientist Jor-El takes drastic measures to preserve the Kryptonian race - he sends his infant son Kal-El to Earth to become a champion of truth and justice. Kal-El grows up as Clark Kent and eventually learns the truth about his family and realises that he must use his abilities for good. Clark moves to Metropolis where he becomes a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper, and also becomes his alter-ego, Superman, a defender of law and order. However, deep below Metropolis Lex Luthor is plotting evil. Can Superman thwart his nasty plans and save millions of innocent people?
Superman II (1980) - Christopher Reeve returns - The adventure continues.
Superman saves France by throwing a nuclear bomb deep into space. Unfortunately the bomb explodes, freeing three Kryptonian criminals from captivity. Meanwhile Superman has decided to relinquish his superhero powers to live happily ever after with Lois Lane. As the criminals, led by General Zod, join up with Lex Luthor to take over the world, Clark Kent has to decide whether to try to regain Superman's powers and face his biggest battle yet
Superman III (1983) – If the world's most powerful computer can control even Superman...no one on earth is safe.
Superman has saved the world against villains from Earth and from Krypton, but will he cope when a super-computer, and its programmer, set out to destroy him? In between his attempts to save the world, Clark returns to his old High School and meets an old flame.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) - Nuclear Power. In the best hands, it is dangerous. In the hands of Lex Luthor, it is pure evil. This is Superman's greatest battle. And it is for all of us.
In an attempt to take over the world arms market Lex Luthor clones Superman to make Nuclear Man. Luthor hopes Nuclear Man will take on and beat Superman. Thankfully, Superman saves the Statue of Liberty, repulses a volcanic eruption of Mount Etna, and rebuilds the demolished Great Wall of China. And saved the world.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Rediscovering The Wonders Of Accordions
There seems to be fewer and fewer bands which include accordion in the list of instruments they play. Typical modern bands use drums, electric guitar, bass guitar, and keyboards but accordions? No. It is no wonder Generations X and Y generally regard accordion as a thing of the past. Although there are still one or two modern bands which proudly incorporate accordions in their music, it would still take a lot of convincing before several people buy the idea of listening to accordion-accompanied music on a regular basis. But those who are interested to discover the wonders of accordion can listen to bands like Those Darn Accordions (TDA), a rock-and-roll band with an exciting twist. In their website, TDA members Susan Garramone and Susie Davis assure listeners that the band would try its best to revolutionize people's view of the said instrument.
Wait, what exactly are people's understanding of the squeezeboxes (another term for accordion) that needs to be rearranged in the first place? Well, for one, accordions are bulky and lack the sleek sophistication of modern instruments. Squeezeboxes look like a much more complicated, 'pleated' version of keyboards. Though dating back from the eighteenth century, squeezeboxes have newer models which are more refined in appearance but somehow, accordion is still seemingly outdated in today's band standards. As a matter of fact, squeezeboxes are often the subject of ridicule in cartoons and sitcoms. On the brighter side, though, squeezeboxes are the choice instrument of famous musicians John Linnell, Boozoo Chavis and Beau Jocques
Music-wise, the sound produced by accordions is incomparable. To be specific, music is derived when the 'pleats' of the squeezeboxes are alternately compressed and expanded. Button accordion, an older version of keyboard-like squeezebox, have buttons that a musician press to create distinct and pleasant melody, especially when appropriately accompanied by other instruments such as guitar and drums. For instance, four members of TDA play accordions while the other two play drums and bass guitar. The result? Well, let's just say that people love it. Long before TDA, the Ulster-Scots have already discovered the wonders of squeezeboxes, whether played alone or as an accompaniment to flute or harp. Accordion, indeed, has a niche in the rich musical culture of the Scots. But Scots or no Scots, many can appreciate squeezeboxes only if they give these underrated instruments a much-deserved chance. The younger generation, adventurous as they are, should make it a point to listen to modern accordion-playing bands to enrich their musical senses and add variety to their playlists.
Wait, what exactly are people's understanding of the squeezeboxes (another term for accordion) that needs to be rearranged in the first place? Well, for one, accordions are bulky and lack the sleek sophistication of modern instruments. Squeezeboxes look like a much more complicated, 'pleated' version of keyboards. Though dating back from the eighteenth century, squeezeboxes have newer models which are more refined in appearance but somehow, accordion is still seemingly outdated in today's band standards. As a matter of fact, squeezeboxes are often the subject of ridicule in cartoons and sitcoms. On the brighter side, though, squeezeboxes are the choice instrument of famous musicians John Linnell, Boozoo Chavis and Beau Jocques
Music-wise, the sound produced by accordions is incomparable. To be specific, music is derived when the 'pleats' of the squeezeboxes are alternately compressed and expanded. Button accordion, an older version of keyboard-like squeezebox, have buttons that a musician press to create distinct and pleasant melody, especially when appropriately accompanied by other instruments such as guitar and drums. For instance, four members of TDA play accordions while the other two play drums and bass guitar. The result? Well, let's just say that people love it. Long before TDA, the Ulster-Scots have already discovered the wonders of squeezeboxes, whether played alone or as an accompaniment to flute or harp. Accordion, indeed, has a niche in the rich musical culture of the Scots. But Scots or no Scots, many can appreciate squeezeboxes only if they give these underrated instruments a much-deserved chance. The younger generation, adventurous as they are, should make it a point to listen to modern accordion-playing bands to enrich their musical senses and add variety to their playlists.
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