Kung Fu Poster Exhibition to Open With Screening of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon
An exhibition titled “KICK ASS! Kung Fu Posters From the Stephen Chin Collection” will open in Beverly Hills, California. It will showcase martial arts movie memorabilia and feature a screening of the Bruce Lee blockbuster.
On April 17, 2013, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will open a new exhibition titled “KICK ASS! Kung Fu Posters From the Stephen Chin Collection” with a 40th-anniversary screening of Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California. The evening will feature an introduction by Stephen Chin and a discussion with the film’s cast and crew, including actor John Saxon, screenwriter Michael Allin, cinematographer Gil Hubbs, and producers Fred Weintraub and Paul Heller. In 2011 producer and screenwriter Stephen Chin donated his collection of more than 800 kung fu film posters and related materials to the academy. A six-sheet poster from Enter the Dragon will be featured prominently in the exhibition, along with such collectibles as early English-language kung fu manuals, skateboards, trading cards and lunchboxes. A viewing station will feature trailers for many of the films represented in the exhibition. “The kung fu genre exploded into world cinema in the 1970s, changing forever the way action films are shot and edited [and] changing American popular culture,” Stephen Chin said. “I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to save so much of that history. And I am thrilled that the academy is now able to share it with a larger audience.” In addition to highlighting the works of Bruce Lee, the exhibition will cover the kung fu stars who followed in his footsteps, including Jackie Chan, Sonny Chiba, Sammo Hung, Jet Li and Chuck Norris. Women also will be featured, including Angela Mao and Sue Shiomi (also known as Etsuko Shihomi). Furthermore, the exhibition will look at the myriad ways in which kung fu has been blended with other genres in the West, such as blaxploitation, horror, fantasy, comedy and science fiction. Tickets for Enter the Dragon (April 17, 2013) are $5 for the general public and $3 for academy members and students with a valid ID. To purchase, go here. “KICK ASS! Kung Fu Posters From the Stephen Chin Collection” will be open to the public from April 18 through August 25 at the Academy Grand Lobby Gallery in Beverly Hills. Regular viewing hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends from noon to 6 p.m. Admission to the gallery is free.