moniker_jones

I haven't watched all of this yet, though I'm thrilled to now have a copy of this hard-to-find video which I had read about at various times over the past few years. Makes me want to get out my camera and start shooting. I'm also thrilled to hear that Daniel Clowes is working on adapting these kids' adventures for a big-screen film. Maybe their story will inspire the next generation of Spielbergs.

I'm somewhat surprised to see that no one else has commented on this film, though I suppose it's a bit difficult to find. My suggestion is to look for obscure film torrent sites like Karagarga, though some probably require invitations. I believe the film was shown in Austin a few years ago at the Alamo Drafthouse, but I wonder what sort of condition it was in at the time. The copy I have is fairly poor -- not unlike something you'd find on a VHS tape from 1985 that was re-recorded over several times. Makes me wonder if they'll show clips from the actual adaptation in Clowes' film or if they'll re-shoot clips using the actors who will play the kids in the movie. It'll be interesting to see how it pans out...

Forgive the hyperbole, but this truly is the best show on television. And this is coming from someone who watches a lot of great TV (24, Arrested Development, The Simpsons, Sopranos, Deadwood, Homicide, The Shield, Six Feet Under, The Office US/UK, Lost, House, Veronica Mars, etc.)

Earlier this summer I wrote an article about the show that was just recently published in South Texas' primary newspaper, The Monitor. Here's a link to that piece, which says more than what I could repeat here...

http://themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTempl ates/Details.cfm&StoryID=15119&Section=MOVIES

He may not be Orson Welles, but Asian wunderkind Stephen Chow isn't about to let that slow him down. He wrote, produced, directed, and even opted to star in Kung Fu Hustle. The film, which pays homage to the very genre it spoofs, delivers this typically stagnant spring movie season a desperately needed kick to the funny bone.

While Chow received minor acclaim with his last directorial effort, Shaolin Soccer, it is Hustle that will likely make moviegoers around the world stand up and take notice of his myriad talents. Chow plays Sing, a wayward young adult trying his hand at mischief. He longs to become a member of the widely feared Axe Gang. A routine grift in Pig Sty Alley leads to a huge brawl between the Axe Gang and a band of local kung fu masters. Pandemonium ensues.

The script, while inventive, is hardly the driving force of this wickedly maniacal picture. Chow has created what could best be described as a living cartoon. The theatrical scenery, musical numbers, and outlandish camera-work somehow fuse together perfectly, leaving the audience both startled and riddled with laughter. The fight scenes are a bit lengthy, especially during the last act of the film, but that's to be expected. And while the jokes don't always hit home, the ones that do are truly hilarious. Kung Fu Hustle, while technically a foreign film, will likely speak to most audience members through its universal languages of humor, innocence, and unbridled zaniness.

Rating: B+