Bruce Lee is nothing less than an icon. His short lived career had an impact that can still be felt decades later and in July the Criterion Collection will be bringing his five most famous films to life in a stunning and expansive new 7 disc collection.
Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits brings together 4K restorations of The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Game of Death, and The Way of the Dragon, as well as a 2K restoration of the rare 1973 theatrical version of Enter the Dragon! It’s an exciting prospect for any fan as many of us have only seen Lee’s film on less than dreamy transfers; the idea of true remasters almost feels to good to be true! That’s not all, though.
The collection has a cornucopia of unbelievable special features and even a remaster of a rarely seen Bruceploitation movie Game of Death II. As a lifelong Bruce Lee fan, it’s interesting to see one of the controversial cult trend of “Bruce Lee” movies that came after his death receiving reconsideration. Hell, they’re in the Criterion Collection alongside Lee’s own movies. Though of course arguably the “official Bruce Lee” movie Game of Death fits in to that category too!
If you want to know more about Bruceploitation the 7 disc collection will feature “A new interview with author Grady Hendrix about the “Bruceploitation” subgenre that followed Lee’s death and a selection of Bruceploitation trailers”. There are also more in-depth features including, “Multiple programs and documentaries about Lee’s life and philosophies, including Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend (1973) and Bruce Lee: In His Own Words (1998)”; and “Interviews with Linda Lee Cadwell, Lee’s widow, and many of Lee’s collaborators and admirers, including actors Jon T. Benn, Riki Hashimoto, Nora Miao, Robert Wall, Yuen Wah, and Simon Yam and directors Clarence Fok, Sammo Hung, and Wong Jing.”
Some other thing’s we’re really excited to check out are a “New interview with producer Andre Morgan about Golden Harvest, the company behind Hong Kong’s top martial-arts stars, including Lee” and a “New program about English-language dubbing with voice performers Michael Kaye (the English-speaking voice of Lee’s Chen Zhen in Fist of Fury) and Vaughan Savidge.” But what fans will likely be most exhilarated to discover is a “New presentation of Lee’s original Game of Death footage, produced by Alan Canvan.” This is going to be a must have for any Bruce Lee, martial arts, or cinema fan and we can’t wait to get our hands on it!
Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits will hit shelves on July 14th and can be preordered from Criterion now!
Featured Image: Criterion