News

Jason Kothari, Hong Kong-born entrepreneur and film producer who was an executive producer on Vin Diesel-starring “Bloodshot,” has acquired all rights to The Silent Flute, the spiritual martial arts project co-written by martial arts icon Bruce Lee in 1970. The project is to be set up as a limited series with John Fusco (“Marco Polo”) as screenwriter and executive producer.

The story of “Silent Flute” is set in a dystopian future after mankind has suffered from pandemics, fires and civil wars, and where all weapons and combat arts are banned. It follows a raw fighter who overcomes grave obstacles and loss to reach enlightenment and become the best fighter in the world.

“The Silent Flute” film script was a five-year collaboration between Lee and his friends and martial arts students, Oscar-winning writer Stirling Silliphant and Oscar-winning actor James Coburn. It encapsulated Lee’s vision for the true essence of martial...

This early gore-horror picture has a remarkable emphasis on human values, believe it or not, with a ‘monster’ that nevertheless is a paragon of loving gentleness. Add Donald Pleasance as a surly, posh-hating police inspector, and the shock value makes the Hammer films of the early ’70s taste like weak tea.

Death Line

Blu-ray + DVD

Blue Underground

1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 87 min. / aka Raw Meat / Street Date June 27, 2017 / 39.98

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Norman Rossington, David Ladd, Sharon Gurney, Hugh Armstrong, June Turner, Christopher Lee.

Cinematography: Alex Thomson

Art Direction: Dennis Gordon-Orr

Film Editor: Geoffrey Foot

Original Music: Jeremy Rose, Malone Wil

Written by Ceri Jones from a story by Gary Sherman

Produced by Paul Maslansky

Directed by Gary Sherman

In 1972, making a horror film was a safe way to start a career: almost anything screen-able could get a release, and if your show had enough shock value, it might even get positive critical attention.

Since the earliest days of American cinema there has been a shadowy counterpart to the commercial mainstream: exploitation movies — pictures whose appeal lies in their sensational treatment and leering promotion of often lurid and prurient material. Pre-1960, when mainstream Hollywood worked within severe restrictions on content, exploitation movies offered audiences titillating glimpses of the deliciously taboo, usually under the guise of being some sort of instructional cautionary against the very subject matter being exploited i.e. sex in “hygiene” movies like The Road to Ruin (1934), drugs in anti-drug movies like Tell Your Children (1936, re-released in the 1960s/70s as camp classic Reefer Madness), and gambling in the anti-vice Gambling with Souls (1936).

By the 1950s, as the studios entered their long post-war decline, downscale producers launched a new vein of exploitation moviemaking, churning out low-budget thrillers (mostly sci fi and horror) aimed squarely at the burgeoning youth audience. Again, the movies were cheap,...

Bruce Lee’s lost screenplay may make it’s return to theaters

The late great Bruce Lee’s The Silent Flute will return to the big screen as a new adaptation.

The Silent Flute, a story written by Lee shortly before his death in 1973, features a martial artist rebel name Cord who sets out on a quest for the Book of Enlightenment. “He must pass various trials along the way that educate him in Zen philosophy. Among the characters that he runs across are a blind flute-player, a monkey chieftain, a death character, and the leader of a gypsy tribe, who acts as a reluctant mentor to Cord. Some trials involve combat, while others involve riddles or encounters with unusual characters, such as a man who has been standing in a barrel of oil for 10 years in an attempt to remove the lower half of his body so he is...

Bruce Lee's martial arts screenplay The Silent Flute is reportedly returning to the big screen for a second posthumous release. Lee originally wrote the script about a maverick martial artist shortly before his death in 1973. The movie was later released in 1978 as Circle of Iron, starring David Carradine. However, Circle of Iron producer Paul Maslansky has now apparently secured the rights and financing for a new (more)...

Bruce Lee's martial arts screenplay The Silent Flute is returning to the big screen for a second posthumous release, in a new film based on the late icon's original story.

Lee wrote the script about a martial artist rebel prior to his death in 1973.

The movie was released in 1978 as Circle of Iron, starring David Carradine.

Now Circle of Iron producer Paul Maslansky has secured rights and financing for a new feature length film, which will be written by his son, Sasha Maslansky, and based on Lee's original work.

Paul Maslansky tells trade paper Daily Variety, "The Silent Flute will be an epic martial arts adventure film that promises to honour Bruce Lee's original artistic and philosophical conception. It also promises to reach new levels of action and adventure never before seen in martial arts filmmaking."...

Paul Maslansky is developing The Silent Flute, based on a treatment written by the late Bruce Lee.

So, as you see, some weird things are happening in Hollywood these days. We already wrote about that Stanley Kubrick’s reincarnated project, and look at this now! Bruce Lee died in 1973, but that story he wrote shortly before his death is being turned into a film today!

The most important thing is the fact that Maslansky seems to be very enthusiastic about this one, since he said that “it will be an epic martial arts adventure film that promises to honor Bruce Lee’s original artistic and philosophical conception. It also promises to reach new levels of action and adventure never before seen in martial arts filmmaking.”

And one of the most interesting facts, is that Maslansky successfully secured financing from B&E Productions, a Hong Kong based company.

On the other hand,...

This week On the Radar some details emerge on the next Jack Ryan adventure, a possible front runner to fill Peter Parker’s shoes, and bad news for The Green Hornet.

Marvel continues end credit Easter Eggs in Iron Man 2

In keeping with tradition of recent Marvel flicks this Summer’s Iron Man 2 will allegedly have extra footage post-credits. While it’s hard to confirm just what exactly will be included this time around, speculation surrounds possible appearances by Thor and/or Captain America. This of course leads into those two films hitting screens next Summer. So, make sure to hang around after the film.

Michael Bay set to destroy your TV

I suppose it was only a matter of time before Michael Bay decided to get into the television production game. While the reality TV project probably won’t have as many explosions as the Transformers films,...

Producer Paul Maslansky is moving forward on "The Silent Flute", a reworked version of a film treatment martial arts legend Bruce Lee wrote before his death, for B&E Productions reports Variety.

Maslansky's son Sasha is writing a script off of Lee's treatment described as an "epic martial arts adventure film". The producer previously adapted the treatment into the 1978 film "Circle of Iron".

That film followed a young martial artist (Jeff Cooper) on a quest for the Book of All Knowlege held by a wizard (Christopher Lee), along the way facing several challenges.

Maslansky promises this new one will not only honour Lee's original artistic integrity but will "reach new levels of action and adventure never before seen in martial arts filmmaking."...

Paul Maslansky (Russia House, Return To Oz) is developing The Silent Flute, a martial arts feature film based on an original treatment written by Bruce Lee prior to his death in 1973.

Maslansky, who actually produced an earlier version of the movie in 1978 (known then as Circle of Iron, which starred David Carradine), has secured financing from Hong Kong-based Bey Logan’s B&E Prods.

Maslansky’s son, Sasha Maslansky, is writing the new screenplay based on Bruce Lee’s original treatment, which Maslansky says will be “an epic martial arts adventure film that promises to honor Bruce Lee’s original artistic and philosophical conception… and… promises to reach new levels of action and adventure never before seen in martial arts filmmaking.”

Big words, won’t you say?

The original Circle of Iron, centered on a martial artist rebel on a quest for the “Book of Enlightenment,” and the various trials...

Paul Maslansky will develop the martial arts feature "The Silent Flute" which is based on a treatment written by Bruce Lee before his death back in 1973. Maslansky ("Russia House," "Return to Oz," the "Police Academy" franchise) announced that he has secured financing from Bey Logan's B&E productions in Hong Kong. Maslansky actually produced 1978's "Circle of Iron," an earlier version of the movie along with the late Sandy Howard. Sasha Maslansky, Maslansky's son, pens the new screenplay from Lee's original treatment. Bey Logan, Sasha Maslansky and Kurt Fethke are producing. David Tadman and Steve Kerridge will co-produce.

Martial arts icon Bruce Lee is staying productive, despite having died in 1973: a treatment called The Silent Flute that he wrote shortly before his death is being turned into a film by producer Paul Malansky.It’s not actually the first time that the tale has been aimed for the screen – Malansky has previous turned it into 1978’s Circle Of Iron, which saw Jeff Cooper as young warrior Cord the Seeker questing for a fabled Book Of All Knowledge. The movie also feature Christopher Lee playing, not for the first or last time in his career, a wizard."The Silent Flute will be an epic martial arts adventure film that promises to honour Bruce Lee's original artistic and philosophical conception," Malansky tells Variety. "It also promises to reach new levels of action and adventure never before seen in martial arts filmmaking."It’s got financing and a script,...

Bruce Lee's The Silent Flute gets a new treatment Producer Paul Maslansky is taking on a reworked version of one of Bruce Lee's last projects. Variety is reporting that Malansky will be producing The Silent Flute, a project based off a treatment that martial arts legend Bruce Lee wrote before his death.

Maslansky had previously produced a film version of the treatment, the 1978 film Circle of Iron, but now Maslansky's son, Sasha Maslansky is writing a brand new script off of Lee's treatment.

"The Silent Flute will be an epic martial arts adventure film that promises to honor Bruce Lee's original artistic integrity," Paul Maslansky said. "It also promises to reach new levels of action and adventure never before seen in martial arts filmmaking."

Maslansky has secured funding for the project through Bey Logan's B&E Productions, based in Hong Kong.

DVD Playhouse—July 2009

By

Allen Gardner

Do The Right Thing: 20th Anniversary Edition (Universal) Spike Lee’s groundbreaking fable about race relations in an ethnically mixed Brooklyn neighborhood during a sweltering New York summer remains as potent, timely and prescient as it was in 1989. Lee is among the cast, which also includes John Turturro, Danny Aiello, Samuel L. Jackson, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, and Rosie Perez (to name a few), that provide the tableaux-like framework for this stunning work. Criminally ignored by Oscar (it wasn't even nominated for Best Picture, but did garner nods for Supporting Actor Danny Aiello and Lee’s screenplay), it endures as a timeless classic. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Lee, Ernest Dickerson, Wynn Thomas, Joie Lee; Documentary; Deleted and extended scenes; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.

Coraline (Universal) A young girl moves into an old Victorian house with her parents...