Author Description

In 1972, virtually no one outside of China would have even recognized the words "kung fu." But by 1974, "kung fu mania" had swept America and the world. More than 3,000 kung fu films were released in the following decade, and in that time kung fu films changed popular culture forever. Everything -- from television to rap music, from racial attitudes to independent filmmaking -- was inspired by the outrageous action, campy dialogue, terrible subtitling, and manic energy of these films. Stephen Chin reveals the behind-the-scenes story of how the kung fu phenomenon actually happened and how close it came to not happening at all. From Bruce Lee to Jet Li, from the tiny National General Cinema that released both Deep Throat and Fist of Fury to the Warner Brothers production of Enter the Dragon, the energy and excitement of this cultural explosion are reignited in Yellow Peril. Lavishly illustrated with rare posters, pressbooks, lobby cards, and other promotional materials, Yellow Peril is a visually stunning catalogue of this historic and vital genre.