BOOK REVIEW: THESE FISTS BREAK BRICKS – HOW KUNG FU MOVIES SWEPT AMERICA AND CHANGED THE WORLD by GRADY HENDRIX & CHRIS POGGIALI

 A MINOR SPOILER BOOK REVIEW:

THESE FISTS BREAK BRICKS – How Kung Fu Movies Swept America And Changed The World By Grady Hendrix & Chris Poggiali

The book kicks off with Cary Grant’s quib physical and vocal reply to a jiu-jitsu attack in The Awful Truth (1937) and ends with a directorial effort of Ricou Browning – the stuntman that played the Gill Man in The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). Browning’s film? Mr. No Legs (1978) – a Floridian cops vs. drug dealers tale featuring actor/martial artist/Korean war veteran Ted Vollrath who actually lost his legs in the war and THEN “went on to be a champion of the tournament circuit, dishing out karate beatdowns from his wheelchair.” Vollrath, like many tournament champions, went on to star in several films – showcasing his karate skills.

But don’t let this book’s starting off and concluding white actors fool you. This is a book that champions Asian and African American actors, directors, filmmakers, studio executives, theater owners, and more. Yes, Hendrix and Poggiali acknowledge the success of the likes of Chuck Norris, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Sybil Danning. Wait a minute: Sybil Danning!? Well, let’s just say the authors are very, very inclusive in their catch-all retelling of how martial arts gained popularity in the states and how the Kung Fu industry endured the age of the movie theater, comic books, ViewMaster, direct-to-video, crappy 80s videogames, and then some. The history listed in tremendous, tantalizing detail shares the trainwreck-appeal of a film genre that was driven by industry greed and fan thirst for more and more.

Photo by Chris Mich

Bruce Lee? Oh, yeah. They cover Bruce Lee.

They also cover Bruce Li. Bruce Lai. Dragon Lee. Bruce Ly. Bruce Lei. Bruce Leung. Bruce K.L Lea. Brute Lee… you get the picture. One hundred pages are dedicated to “Bruceploitation” flicks.

They also highlight contributions to the genre from Lo Lieh, Mona Fong, Raymond Chow, Jimmy Wong Yu, Angela Mao,  Jeanne Bell, Jillian Kesner, Jim Kelly, Ron Van Clief, and Charles Bonet who has a really interesting tie to West Side Story (1961). If you don’t recognize these names, you should.

Honorable mentions? DJ Kool Herc. Count Dante. Sho Kosugi. Roy Horan. Taimak. Carl Douglas. Jackie Chan. Chan as an honorable mention in a book about Kung Fu movies?! Felt that way.

In addition to the extensive, valuable history that Hendrix and Poggiali catalog in a very entertaining fashion, These Fists Break Bricks has two strong things going for it. First, the authors’ tone is unapologetic. American inner city fans – mainly Black and Asian Americans – made the genre succeed. Sure, there was a lot of shadiness in the business – including the part of the business that would eventually cater to the white 80s suburbia – but what a ride. A ride worth taking as you read this book - regardless of your skin tone.

The second thing that’s fantastic about the book is its graphic design. With an art volume/coffee-table-book-size, the book has enough real estate on each page to be visually-stunning with quirky layouts featuring text, illustrations, movie posters, production stills, TV Guide blurbs, trade ads, and even bold quotes from President/actor Ronald Reagan - heck, it even has a copy of the hand-written invitation to the first party where DJ Kool Herc spun. Fists is a page turner because your really don’t know what will be on the other side, text- or art-wise.

I kinda feel I can’t do this book justice. After all, I’m just a grown-up American white kid of 1980s suburbia. But I will say this: I loved this book. It educated me on so many levels of the Kung Fu film scene that started in the late 60s and even before that. It’s ballsy but honest. It also sets out on a mission and succeeds: these films – both good and “bad” – are a rich part of film and real world history that just can not be ignored. 

As the book says about itself: “…the book is barely the first step along a road that will take you place you never dreamed.”

Finally, I have to say, any book that lends film historical value to a Henry Mancini-scored film will ALWAYS win me over. What film and why? You know the answer: read the book.

I first heard about this book from an old college buddy of mine – “Johnny D” – who also just happens to be one hell of an editor. He’s cut several promotional videos and listed them on LinkedIn. Here’s just one of my favorite These Fists Break Bricks promotions. 

To see our blog’s take on Enter The Dragon (1973) from years back but featuring our current guest writer Phil Congleton’s thoughts on the film, click here. 

Special thanks to Out of the Past blogger Raquel Stecher for hosting the 2022 Classic Film Reading Challenge. This post is an official entry. To join us in this fun summer endeavor, visit her blog for more details. 

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