July 29, 1999

Just got finished watching Enter the Dragon on DVD. Very wacky film. One minute, you're watching an intense kick-ass fight scene choreographed by the Master, Bruce Lee. The next minute, you're wondering why this Han fellow has a bunch of drunk guys locked up in the basement of his enormous pagoda.

Han's the villain, and he has a metal hand that he can replace with a variety of attachments, including a bladed claw, a cutlery set and a dust brush to sweep up those hard-to-reach places. He also has a cat which he uses as a melodramatic prop in a scene with a guillotine.

After watching this and Dr. No over the past few months, I've really gained a new respect for Mike Myers and his Austin Powers films. He really did his homework, and you can spot reference points for so many of his jokes in these classic crime/spy films. For example, Han had a small pool in his underground lair that looked suspici! ously like the pool which Dr. Evil used to house his laser-equipped seabass. He also had that Bigglesworth-esque kitty he carted around.

Spotting those parallels also makes it hard to watch the originals without bursting out laughing every five minutes. To be fair, there's also much to laugh at in Enter the Dragon. It's one of those ideal seventies movies, complete with the afro-clad black warrior who walks to a funky beat in the soundtrack; the just-barely-understandable philosophies from the mentors that must have made perfect sense to stoned viewers; and the so-swank-they're-bursting wardrobe choices.

Lemme tell ya, though: you haven't lived until you've watched Bruce Lee kick the shit out of someone. That man could fight.