The Game of Death (1978) Game of Death (original title)

Director:

Robert Clouse
(more)

Writer:

Robert Clouse (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

8 June 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Bruce Lee challenges the underworld to a Game of Death.

Plot:

A martial arts movie star must fake his death to find the people who are trying to kill him.

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Martial Arts Master | Revenge | Actor | Katana Sword

Cast

Bruce Lee	...	Billy-Lo (archive footage)
Colleen Camp	...	Ann Morris
Dean Jagger	...	Dr. Land
Gig Young	...	Jim Marshall
Tai Chung Kim	...	Billy Lo (as Kim Tai Jong)
Yuen Biao	...	Billy Lo (as Bill Yuen)
Robert Wall	...	Carl Miller
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	...	Hakim (archive footage)
Mel Novak	...	Stick
Hugh O'Brian	...	Steiner
James Tien	...	Charlie Wang (also archive footage)
Dan Inosanto	...	Pasqual (also archive footage) (as Danny Inosanto)
Chuck Norris	...	Fighter (archive footage)
Roy Chiao	...	Henry Lo
Russell Cawthorne	...	Surgeon
Casanova Wong	...	Lau Yea-chun
Han Jae Ji	...	Fighter (archive footage)
Yuan Chieh	...	Fighter (archive footage)
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo	...	Lo Chen (as Hung Kim Po)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jim James	...	Surgeon
Christopher Kent	...	Billy Lo (voice)
Robert Kerver
Taky Kimura
John Ladalski	...	Carl Miller's second
Ching-Ying Lam	...	Macau fighter
Chia Yung Liu
Andre Morgan
Yeung See
Betty Ting Pei
Ing-Sik Whang	...	Fighter
Wah Yuen	...	Lo Chen's second
Robert Baker	...	Fighter (closing credits) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Kun Li	...	(archive footage) (uncredited)
Mars	...	Thug (uncredited)
Nora Miao	...	(archive footage) (uncredited)
Maria Yi	...	(archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Clouse
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo		(uncredited)
Bruce Lee		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Robert Clouse		(written by) (as Jan Spears)
Bruce Lee		uncredited

Produced by
Raymond Chow	....	producer
Bruce Lee	....	executive producer
Bruce Lee	....	producer
Andre Morgan	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Godfrey A. Godar

Film Editing by
Alan Pattillo

Sound Department
Danny Daniel	....	sound recordist
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
Mark Eggenweiler	....	assistant sound editor

Visual Effects by
Anthony Matt	....	digital restoration

Stunts
Yuen Biao	....	stunt double: Bruce Lee (as Bill Yuen)
William H. Burton	....	motorcycle stunts (as Billy Burton)
David R. Ellis	....	motorcycle stunts (as David Ellis)
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	motorcycle stunts
Koo Loo Kuen	....	stunt double
Mars	....	stunt double
Robert Wall	....	stunt coordinator
Jackie Chan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert Wall	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wah Yuen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
John Barry	....	music producer (uncredited)

Other crew
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo	....	martial arts director (as Hung Kim Po)
John Strong	....	title designer (as John Christopher Strong)
Yuen Biao	....	action choreographer (uncredited)
Yuen Biao	....	double: martial arts and acrobatics (uncredited)
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo	....	action choreographer (uncredited)
Bruce Lee	....	action choreographer (uncredited)
Bruce Lee	....	martial arts director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Concord Productions Inc.
• Golden Harvest Company

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• F.J. Lucas (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Jogo da Morte")
• Future Film (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Geneon Entertainment (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Happinet Pictures (1998) (Japan) (DVD)
• Hong Kong Legends (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Media Asia Distribution (1994) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Penta Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS) (as "No Jogo da Morte")
• Pioneer LDC (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• Pioneer LDC (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Pony Canyon (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (video)
• United Film & Entertainment Marketing (1990) (Finland) (VHS)
• Viva Video (1994) (Philippines) (VHS)
• YLE Teema (2002) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

"Game of Death" - Hong Kong (original title)

Runtime:

85 min | Germany:92 min | Hong Kong:103 min (original premiere) | Hong Kong:125 min | Hong Kong:54 min (current existing footage) | Japan:115 min | Japan:40 min (2000 incomplete version) | USA:100 min | USA:110 min (original premiere) | USA:35 min (2000 incomplete version)

Country:

Hong Kong | USA

Language:

English | Mandarin | Cantonese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | France:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | UK:X (original rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted | New Zealand:M | Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-18 (DVD rating) | Argentina:18 | Peru:18

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Concord Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Dan Inosanto was the only cast member of the original 1972 footage shot by Bruce Lee to shoot scenes for the 1978 version of the film. The rest of the actors (James Tien, Han Jae Ji, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) only feature in archive footage. This footage can be seen in its entirety in Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey (2000) (V).

Goofs:

Continuity: Size of footprint on Lee's chest.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Director:Cut! Okay, that's a print. That was great, Billy! Okay everybody...
[stage light collapses, crew gasps]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kung-Fu Master (1984) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Garden Source Music

Barely watchable. Bruce Lee would be turning in his grave.

I wish this wasn't credited to Bruce Lee's name, it's an embarrassment to all involved, and I honestly can't see why this film is praised by some people.

Lee filmed a few fight scenes for a movie before putting the project on hold to do Enter The Dragon, and of course his death. This is the finished product (without his input). His scenes were poorly edited into a full length piece of crap.

I tried to look past the fact that shots switched from old, grainy film to cleaner, sharper film continuously throughout any scene with the real Lee. I tried to look past the appalling effects; such as sticking a picture of Lee's face on a mirror, and filming it as if attached to someone's reflection. I even managed to look past the fact that the guy playing Lee's character for the rest of the film barely looked like him at all. But I still ended up with a bad taste in my mouth at the end of the film.

There is still a point of interest for Bruce Lee fans, the last 15 minutes are great, (the real) Lee's fight with Abdul-Jabar is amazing...But it didn't do the overall product very much help (for the full unedited version of what Bruce Lee filmed for this, check out the documentary on the man called 'Bruce Lee: A Warriors Journey'). This is my second bad experience with unfinished/unreleased films being edited into others, (see also, or more appropriately -- don't see also: Sam's Song starring Robert De Niro), so I have learnt my lesson. 2.5/10.