Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks

Filling a long overdue gap with a thoroughly examined, endlessly entertaining, and utterly wonderful documentary looking at the width and breadth of the history of kung fu movies, Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks is a blazing roundhouse of a film that splits at the seams with interviews, anecdotes, and utterly outrageous memories. Starting in the early ‘60s with the establishment of the Shaw Brothers studio, and traveling all the way to the current stars of the genre, director Serge Ou chooses the best of the best to demonstrate how kung fu movies became a global phenomenon. Interviewing everyone from experts like Grady Hendrix, to stars Cheng Pei-Pei and Cynthia Rothrock, as well as choreographer/directors like Yuen Woo-Ping and many, many more, Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks is paced to match the martial arts films that are its subject, and breathlessly takes the audience on a journey from Hong Kong to New York to Australia and more. A brilliant historical artifact, a terrific anecdotal piece, and an incredible excuse to rediscover the gems of kung fu cinema that may not have been visited in a while, Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks is a breath of fresh air. Delivering long overdue respect at the door of a genre that has and continues to inspire countless artists working within the industry. (Fantastic Fest)