Brandon Lee
The son of legendary martial artist Bruce Lee and his wife Linda, Brandon Lee did not plan to become an action star like his father. A professionally trained actor, he hoped to play mostly dramatic roles. But, like the older Lee, he was a skilled martial artist and used this talent to break into the movie business. Brandon's tragic death on the eve of his dramatic film breakthrough was both eerily reminiscent of his father's untimely demise and a tremendous loss to movie fans.
Born on February 1, 1965 in Oakland, CA, Lee spent his early years in Hong Kong, where he learned Cantonese and studied the martial art of Jeet Kun Do. He was only eight when his father died suddenly of a brain edema, and his mother moved Lee and his younger sister Shannon back to the States. They settled first in Seattle and then in Rolling Hills, CA, where Lee acquired the reputation of a troubled, wild child. He dropped out of high school twice, and was expelled from the private Chadwick School in Palos Verdes only months before graduation. After finally receiving his diploma from Miraleste High School, he studied drama at Boston's Emerson College and commuted to New York for private acting lessons at the Lee Strasberg Institute.
In 1985, after getting his feet wet in several off-Broadway plays, Lee moved to Hollywood. He worked as a script reader before landing a role in the television film Kung Fu: The Movie (1987) with David Carradine. Lee then returned to Hong Kong to appear in the Cantonese film Legacy of Rage (Long zai jiang hu) (1987). Starring roles opposite Ernest Borgnine in Laser Mission (1990) and Dolph Lundgren in Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) soon followed. His next U.S. vehicle, Rapid Fire (1992), had audiences on their feet with its nonstop fighting sequences (which Lee choreographed himself).
Thus, the actor was poised for true stardom when he landed the lead in director Alex Proyas' The Crow. It was his dream project: An adaptation of James O'Barr's graphic novel, The Crow promised to combine Lee's captivating stunts with a brooding gothic atmosphere and a tight revenge-driven story line. He was shooting his character's death scene on location in Wilmington, NC, when an improperly cleaned prop gun fired a dummy tip into his midsection. The tip tore through Lee's abdomen and lodged in his spine. After losing a considerable amount of blood, he died on the operating table at New Hanover Regional Medical Center at 1:04 P.M. on March 31, 1993.
Lee, who had planned to marry his longtime girlfriend that April, was laid to rest next to his father at Lakeview Cemetery in Seattle. His friend Polly Bergen held a memorial service for Lee at her California home. Over 400 people showed up to pay their respects to the young actor, including Kiefer Sutherland, Steven Seagal, David Hasselhoff, and David Carradine. After much deliberation, Proyas and his production team finished The Crow as a tribute to its star. Distributed by Miramax, the film opened in 1994 and sold out theaters across the nation. It amassed quite a following, inspiring a television show and two sequels and transforming Lee into a cult hero. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
Born on February 1, 1965 in Oakland, CA, Lee spent his early years in Hong Kong, where he learned Cantonese and studied the martial art of Jeet Kun Do. He was only eight when his father died suddenly of a brain edema, and his mother moved Lee and his younger sister Shannon back to the States. They settled first in Seattle and then in Rolling Hills, CA, where Lee acquired the reputation of a troubled, wild child. He dropped out of high school twice, and was expelled from the private Chadwick School in Palos Verdes only months before graduation. After finally receiving his diploma from Miraleste High School, he studied drama at Boston's Emerson College and commuted to New York for private acting lessons at the Lee Strasberg Institute.
In 1985, after getting his feet wet in several off-Broadway plays, Lee moved to Hollywood. He worked as a script reader before landing a role in the television film Kung Fu: The Movie (1987) with David Carradine. Lee then returned to Hong Kong to appear in the Cantonese film Legacy of Rage (Long zai jiang hu) (1987). Starring roles opposite Ernest Borgnine in Laser Mission (1990) and Dolph Lundgren in Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) soon followed. His next U.S. vehicle, Rapid Fire (1992), had audiences on their feet with its nonstop fighting sequences (which Lee choreographed himself).
Thus, the actor was poised for true stardom when he landed the lead in director Alex Proyas' The Crow. It was his dream project: An adaptation of James O'Barr's graphic novel, The Crow promised to combine Lee's captivating stunts with a brooding gothic atmosphere and a tight revenge-driven story line. He was shooting his character's death scene on location in Wilmington, NC, when an improperly cleaned prop gun fired a dummy tip into his midsection. The tip tore through Lee's abdomen and lodged in his spine. After losing a considerable amount of blood, he died on the operating table at New Hanover Regional Medical Center at 1:04 P.M. on March 31, 1993.
Lee, who had planned to marry his longtime girlfriend that April, was laid to rest next to his father at Lakeview Cemetery in Seattle. His friend Polly Bergen held a memorial service for Lee at her California home. Over 400 people showed up to pay their respects to the young actor, including Kiefer Sutherland, Steven Seagal, David Hasselhoff, and David Carradine. After much deliberation, Proyas and his production team finished The Crow as a tribute to its star. Distributed by Miramax, the film opened in 1994 and sold out theaters across the nation. It amassed quite a following, inspiring a television show and two sequels and transforming Lee into a cult hero. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
Filmography
Follow the remarkable life of martial arts icon Bruce Lee, from his birth in San Francisco to his mysterious death in Hong Kong, in an absorbing, highly informative documentary featuring interviews with those who were closest to the legendary actor and athlete. Few screen stars have experienced such a rapid rise to stardom as the star of Enter the Dragon and Game of Death, and now, as such friends and colleagues as Jackie Chan, James Coburn, and Bolo Yeung share their fondest memories of the agile martial arts icon, fans can finally find out just why he continues to inspire such stars as Ong-Bak's Tony Jaa even decades after his untimely death. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Arguably the best and most well-known martial artist of all time, Bruce Lee developed his own fighting method known as Jeet Kune Do, a revolutionary and controversial new form utilizing no fixed positions. Jeet Kune Do might have been impossible to teach to newcomers to martial arts after Lee's death if not for programs like this, in which the man himself teaches the basic tenants of his martial art to the viewer. This program includes Lee's demonstration of his punching method, kicking techniques, movement combat principles, and his own explanation of the philosophy behind Jeet Kune Do and how it can be applied to life. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
This 2-hour revival of the old David Carradine TV series was originally titled simply Kung Fu. Set in the west of the late 19th century, the film stars Carradine as Caine, the mystical Chinese-American priest who wanders the countryside seeking spiritual fulfillment-and occasionally busting a few bad-guy heads. Stopping over in a small town, Caine learns that an opium ring holds the townsfolk in thrall. Before the sun sets, Caine is engaged in a fierce martial-arts duel with a mysterious young man (played by Brandon Lee, son of Bruce). It comes as quite a jolt to Caine when he learns that his opponent is his own flesh and blood. Though Kung Fu: The Movie, originally telecast February 1, 1986, did not immediately result in a series, David Carradine would star in an updated version of the property, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, in 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this action adventure tale, Professor Braun (Ernest Borgnine), an expert in weapons technology, is kidnapped by Soviet terrorists who intend to force him to make a high-tech laser cannon for them. Intelligence agents Michael Gold (Brandon Lee) and Alissa (Debi A. Monahan) are sent in by the CIA to rescue him and recover a cache of stolen diamonds before it's too late for Braun and the world at large. Laser Mission marked Brandon Lee's first starring role in a U.S. feature film, three years before his tragic death while shooting The Crow. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The first film role of the late Brandon Lee, this Hong Kong thriller is the story of Brandon (Lee), a hard-working young man who has an unfortunate friendship with Michael (Michael Wong), a gangster who has his eye on Brandon's girlfriend May (Regina Kent). Michael frames Brandon for the murder of one of his rivals, and Brandon is imprisoned. Many years later, Brandon's reunion with May and their son is cut short when Michael kidnaps the mother and child. Brandon must rescue his family and exact revenge on Michael. Although Lee had yet to reach the level of acting demonstrated in The Crow and Rapid Fire, this 1986 film provides a better showcase for his martial arts abilities than his later American films; each film would progressively de-emphasize his skills. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
In this better-than-average kick-boxer foray, Brandon Lee (son of famed martial-arts film star, Bruce Lee) stars as a young art student who happens to witness a drug murder and is placed in protective custody by federal agents. It's not too long before he realizes that the only real protection he can count on is his own martial-arts training. This film is rated R for violence, sex and profanity. ~ All Movie Guide
Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty.
Any DVDs you add will
appear here until checkout.
Any DVDs you add will
appear here until checkout.
