CHAPTER 3:
Let us look at a review of Big Trouble in Little China. Big Trouble in Little China is a film that falls into a unique genre, blending elements of kung fu, Western, and Chinese ghost stories. The film showcases the journeys of a truck driver, restaurant proprietors, and lawyers as they navigate through the mystical underworld of San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite not initially receiving much attention. The film has developed a solid and dedicated fanbase. The film set includes deleted scenes, an extended ending, trailers, and a 1986 feature. The set's highlight is the commentary provided by Russell and Carpenter, which delves into topics such as Fox's marketing failures, Chinese history, and even Russell's son's hockey game.
So, I started looking at the film I want to see next Week. I noticed that they have a cult classics event, and it's on a Wednesday. This week was Big Trouble in Little China. It was released in (1986). The following week, it was on the same screen that Star Wars IV New Hope was on. So, I booked my ticket for the same seat number, row c, number 8. I put my drink in the holder and settled to watch the film. I last watched this film at home on my VHS (Video Home System). The TV was a Sony 40-inch screen. But the back of the TV was so big that it accepted a lot of the corner of the room, and it was on a TV stand with PlayStation and VHS under the TV. So, when the film came out, I got it about a year after it came out on video.
"At the box office. It only made $11.1 million. It did not do well because It was released days before James Cameron. This was discussed, if possible, as well as the reason for the disappointing box office gross. John Carpenter And Kurt Russell discussed this in detail in interviews about the film. The first New Wave Sartorial Art features various actions and special effects shot against the background of oriental materialism, set in modern sensibilities. It was written in the 1880s when Jack Burton was a cowboy riding into town. It was envisioned as a weird Western. It was a combined Chinese fantasy set in the Old West. It was the first screenwriters by David Z. Weinstein and Gary Goldman. They were asked to rewrite.
When the film started, Egg was played by (Victor Wong)." Chan talked to a Lawyer. But what Have you happened in downtown Chinatown? It will be recorded so they can understand what happened. So, Egg says, "You mean truth? The layer replays, "So, first state your name and occupation and what for." Egg says, "Egg Shen, bus driver. "The lawyer says, "What lawyer and where, please? "Egg repliers bus. Bus for tourists. San Francisco Chinatown." I remember watching it as the lawyer asked Egg where Jack Burton was, and he said something like, Leave him alone. He was also told that you are in much trouble at half of a city block when up in green flames; you are responsible for it and very dangerous to man. If you are protecting Jack Burton, Egg told the lawyer to leave him alone. We are in debt, and he showed great courage or something like that. The lawyer asked Egg what magic meant in Chinese black magic. He also asks what it is, and he can prove it. So, I showed him by moving his hands apart; then, you could see a mini lightering between both hands. Egg said, "Magic starts very small initially, then gets bigger. I remember this film so well. My sister and I watched it loads of times together.
So, back to the film. It is about a truck driver named Jack Burton, whom Kurt Russell played. The Truck is called The Pork-Chop Express — a 1985 Freightliner FLC-120. Four were gambling around the table, and Jack had won more than anyone else. Wang makes a bet with Jack and Wang and says to Jack, "With this knife cuts this bottle in half. Nothin' or double. Jack replies, "bullshit". Wang repeats, "Nothin' or double; I need the money". Jack said, "I got nearly a thousand bucks." However, Jack picked a different bottle and noted that Wang attempted to break it in half. The bottle does not break but instead flies up toward Jack, catches it and says, "It's all in the reflexes". Wang says it always works at home. Jack tells Wang he owes him $1148, but Wang says, "I've got that kind of money." Jack says to him, "I did not hear that." Wang replies with replies, "I'm just a poor Chinese boy, you know," Jack says back to him. "You own a restaurant, and that's more than me." Wang then says, "I don't get that kind of money on me," Jack says back to Wang. " That's what I thought you meant. Where's your truck?" Wang says. "I've got to be somewhere," Jack says. "No, you don't." Wang. He talks back to Jack, saying, "I do. How about we meet in my restaurant in a few hours. I'll pay then," Jack relays. "You pay now. Where do you have to go? Wang and Jack were going to the airport.
The first New Wave Sartorial Art features various actions and special effects shot against the background of oriental materialism, set in modern sensibilities. It was written in the 1880s when Jack was a cowboy. When the film started, Egg Chan talked to the Lawyer and asked, "But what Have you happened in downtown Chinatown? It will be recorded so they can understand what happened". So, Egg says, "You mean truth? The layer replays, "So, first state your name and occupation and what for." Egg says, "Egg Shen, bus driver. "The lawyer says, "What lawyer and where, please? Egg repliers bus. "Bus for tourists. San Francisco Chinatown," I remember watching it as the lawyer asked Egg where Jack Burton was, and he said Something like, Leave him alone. He was also (Egg) told that you are in much trouble at half of a city block when up in green flames; you are responsible for it and very dangerous to man. If you are protecting Jack Burton, Egg told the lawyer to leave him alone. We are in debt, and he showed great courage or something like that. The lawyer asked Egg what magic meant in Chinese black magic. He also asks what it is and can he prove it. So, I showed him by moving his hands apart; then, you could see a mini lightering between both hands.
I sat in my seat, hoping it would happen again like it did while watching Star Wars IV: The New Hope. Yes, it did; just as Jack was looking for Wang's girlfriend in the alleyway and they saw a Chinese funeral. Wang's girlfriend, whom he had not seen for five years, she got green eyes. It's scarce. Her name is Miao Yin. So, I got static shock again from the seat, and at that moment, I knew what was going to happen. I zapped right when they were filming the big fighting scene between Chang Sings, the good guy, and Wing Kong, their enemy of the Chang Sings. The film was filmed in 1985; believe it or not, it was mostly filmed on a film set in Los Angeles (L.A). Because I knew the 1980s, I knew what I could wear, so I did not need to find clothes when I was time-wrapped. That is what I decided to call it when I was zapped with a stack shock. So here I was on the film set in L.A. I could see Kurt Russell and John Carpenter talking to each other. Properly about the scene, someone asked me, what are you doing here? The agency asked to find someone in charge and see if they needed any extras or help with the film sets. I was always good at thinking of things outside the box. I think it is to with my dyslexia. I had to repair things in my old job even if I'd never seen them before. It's just something I have always done. I think it's a gift or a talent, but I know I did not want to work on building and repairing things all my life. I always knew things happened when I was ready in my life. It's a bit like what's going on now. I hated my job, but it gave me money to do it and go out with friends. But what is happening? I know I'd have to tell someone at some point.
But I did not know when or how I'd have to trust them with my secret at some point. But for now, I am going to enjoy it for myself. Plus, I'd have to see if it can happen to two people simultaneously. I thought I had to touch them simultaneously as a static shock. Then, both of us would have time wrapped into the film. Back to the person, what was I doing here? Their name was Carol. She was the kind of person who knew what needed to be done and planned it all. She also knew when to have fun, laugh, and enjoy herself when everything was done. So, they asked me if I could help put marks on the floor so everyone knew where to stand when the explosion happened. She gave me a map of the film Set with all the marks everyone had to stand. So, I put the tape exactly. Where it needs to be even, she gave me stickers with people's names, which were on the map, too. They had the actors' names and their character's names on them. Then she came over and asked me to tell the actors where to stand, so Carol started to shout out people's names, and I would show them where to stand. Then it came to the last one. I was Kurt Russell, so I was very polite to them. I said, "Hello, sir. This is where you need to stand, if that's okay." He replied, "Do not have to call me sir; you can call me Kurt, then he asked me my name. I told him It was Stevie. Then he said, "It's nice to meet you, Stevie; thanks for helping me." I was working my way up the film ranks when he was doing this film. You know, he got nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in that film Silkwood back in '83. He was pretty good at it. That was when he met his partner, Goldie Hawn, after his divorce from Season Hubley. Kurt and Hawn met as they were filming Swing Shaft in 1983.
So, back to the film scene, it was a giant fighting scene. The director shouted action on both sides, starting with a Chinese standoff. You can see Kurt and Dennis sitting in the truck; this is where Jack is. And Wang is talking about the two gangs. Wang says to Jack, "It's a Chinese standoff. Don't say a word". Then the fights started, it did luck-like chaos on the screen but watching from the view from the camera side. You could see everything choreographed for the camera, so the actors get hurt, too. Then, suddenly, the fighting stopped, and both gangs returned just around Jack's truck next to each other.
Then, we find out a bit later that the Three Storms are the first to jump out of a big cloud of smoke. The second comes out of the sky, and the third comes down on lighting. The Three Storms' names are Thunder, Lightning, and Rain. At this point in the film, they seem unbeatable. In the alley fight, they clean up by kicking everyone's backside. Their bodies were all over the floor just before Jack drove his towards the Three Storms. The first one moved to the left-hand side of the truck, and the second moved to the right-hand side of his truck. The third one jumped over the truck and started fighting the gangs.
After that, you see a man standing before the truck, beckoning them to hit him; they do as the truck stops. They both jump out of his truck to look back and see Lo Pan standing There like he had never been hit. Lo Pan is standing there when, suddenly, Light comes from his eyes and then out of his mouth towards Kruk (Jack). In the film, he ended up blind for a few minutes. I remember watching it for the first time with my sister when I was a kid, and it was the fight scene that always made me smile because my sister and I used to have a handshake. We brought the hand signal in the film between the two Chang Sings members. That was when they knocked their opponent out before going on to the next one.
I watched this from behind the camera when the light came out of Lo Pan's Eyes And mouth. The light went for a spotlight, so it was the special effects time that would be added later. Plus, this whole scene was filmed all in one go, which was impressive from my point of view. Then the director shouted cut, that's a wrap. So, I walk onto the Film Set. Carol came up, and I said, "Please start to check that all the name tags were still on the floor," so I did. Most of them were still there. I said to Carol, "Some were not there," She Said, "ok, if we have to film this scene, we will have to replace the missing ones." I said, " ok, no problem."
Then she said, "Go and have some lunch at the Food trucks if you like" It was where everyone was handed to. Walking up to the food trucks, I did not realise I was next to Kurt Russell. He asked me, "Are you ok?" I replied, "Yes, I am ok, thank you. How are you?". He replied, "I am ok, and I am enjoying doing this film and cannot wait to see how good it is going when it finishes." I had no heart to say it was not going too well in the cinema. The first time it was shown in the cinema, it came out when Aliens came out. I asked Kurt what scene was next. In the following scene, Miao Yin is Captured in a slave house or something like that, which is called the White Tigger.
So the first part was in which Gracie Law, played by Kim Cattrall, is after Police Academy in 1984 before Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991. Kim Cattrall was born in Mossley Hill in Liverpool. This was all before she got even more famous in the TV series Sex in the City, back to the scene. Gracie Law comes into the Apartment saying, "Do not panic. It is only me. Gracie Law:" Just passing the neighbourhood on a dark and Stormy night, and this is my neighbourhood, and the fight before was like a war. In the film, there are many hills. Anyone who showed up would suffer the same fate as Lem Lee. Hell of being what? The Chinese have lots of hell. Then, we had an idea: we get Jack to go in because they do not know him in the slave house, so he agreed.
This is the scene where Jack Burton goes into the slave house to find Miao Yin. She has green eyes, which is exceedingly rare. Wang said to Jack, "My destiny rests in your capable hands". Jack tells him, "I will do my best. Make them drop their guard. I will try". He looks stupid. He does. In this sense, Kurk (Jack) goes into the house, saying, "Boy, it sure is rainin' cats and dogs. The cab driver said... He told me that I could. Well, the White Tiger would...". The Owner (Mrs O'Toole) of the slave house gives Him the Book of all the girls there. The problem was that all the pictures were in black and white. He kept asking, "Have you got these pictures in colour because I am after a girl with green eyes? The more exotic, the better". The woman who looked like own the house said, "Chinese do not have green eyes". Then, there was a loud bang that I could hear. I could see The Storms come into the house. Lightning comes through the roof, and the other two storms come from the back of the slave house to grab Miao Yin for Lo Pan. He got to marry a woman with green eyes. The emperor was concerned about the possibility of being killed by Lo Pan, so he chose Lo Pan as an interim ruler. However, Lo Pan had ulterior motives and sought to seize the throne. As a result, the emperor cursed him for 2000 years to live without a human form unless he married a girl with green eyes. This is where Lightning grabs Miao Yin off the bed she was tied to and takes her back through the hole in the roof. People were flying everywhere as the building had a big green explosion. As I watched the scene, I could see how good of an actor Kurt Russell was back then. Then I heard the director shout cut! That is a wrap. It was John Carpenter. I did not realise I was standing beside him and his director's chair. They asked me If I could get a Coke, so I did. I went to the food trucks and got him a can of Coke. I gave it to him. He said, "Thanks". They checked the scene and ensured it was okay so they could move before moving to the following few scenes in the film, which they will be filming tomorrow morning.
We all turned up the following day to the film set to film the Wing Kong Exchange. The most dangerous den of madmen in Chinatown in the film. This is where Jack and Wang go into the building pretending to be phone repairs. In a conversation between Jack and Wang, Jack expresses the importance of timing and concentration for a specific task. Wang responds by asking if Jack is ready, to Jack answers confidently that he is born-ready and enjoys working at night. Jack then directs his attention to locating the main panel, which he believes is probably in their area. Wang. Good work, Jack. "I believe they were fooled by it. The last time we had this problem was an account of squirrels chewin' the wires. You should find the central junction box back here. I think it is located down there." They find a lift, but it only goes down with a sign saying Keep out in Chinese. But Wang jokes to Jack that it says, "Hell of boiling oil". They find a lift. It looked like the Chinese writing was backwards. But it was not. It was counting downwards. Then, the lift stops at the bottom.
They move to the next scene, where the lift will fill with salt water. The lift was going to the well of Upside-down sinners. As they opened the lift door, the bodies were chained upside down. A big round grate stopped them from getting out as they swam up to the top. Jack says (Kurt Russell) Look, we came here to see David Lo Pan, right? David Lo Pan? Lo Pan replays. Then you succeeded, Mr Burton. That's where the sense finished. We had to get them out and then give them a towel to dry off. Then, we all went to lunch. I got talking to Kurt and Dennis About the scene and how hard it was not to panic when they were in there. They know they worry about not being in there for long and want to do it in one take. It was not their favourite sense, but they realised it had. This is done to make the filming flow nicely to the next bit of the film. As we were walking to some food, I got talking to them. Have they ever seen things in the background so you can spot them and see if the fans of the film can newest them as they watch it? They both ask at the same time, like what? I replied with a picture of yourself or your initials when you were younger. They both thought that would be fun. I told them what George Lucas and Steven Spielberg had done there for years. They both did not know about that. So, I told them that if we three did it in this film, it would be a bit more fun to see if anyone could see it in the film on its release date. So, we all agreed and would tell each other what they had done just after filming the last scene so we could see it in the film and see if we got away with it.
This scene is where Lo Pan cheeks that both girls have green eyes by taming the burning blade. Is it Miao Yin or Grace Law? In this scene, golden Buddha's are on each side of the room, with Lo Pan at the top and Yin and Law at the other end. This is where I could put my Easter egg. I had to think for about a second about where I could put the initials of my name. I picked the gong because I knew it was in the film at least twice, and it had a close-up in this scene, so I put my initials all around the edge of the gong in Chinese style writing, and it looked jam-packed border, so I know I would get away with it. As they filmed it, I could not believe it said a thing, and it looked like I'd got away with it. Also, I knew that film editing in the 80s was not digital, so they could not change it there. The scene was short and worked out very well, according to the director's shouted cut, which is a wrap for this scene. It was done very well as a film scene because it was cut in with this scene where all the good guys are coming through the universe (underneath China Town). As Egg, Jack, Wang and their gang get to Lo Pan's place, they take a drink to make them feel invincible and feel they can take on the world. They must wait for Pan to become human again before they can kill him. This is where the big battle happens near the end of the film, which will take a long time to film and take lots of time to get right and work out all the filming angles.
This is where I meet back up with Carol; I know she is there because filming this scene will take a lot of organisations, like the last battle filmed by the truck scene where there was a big battle and may have done lots of retakes for the scene, where we had to put all the actors and extras names on the floor. Hence, so they are in the right spot for the scene. As you can imagine, it was an extensive film set, and they needed the space. Plus, this is the demise of Lo Pan in the film. So, we had to set all this up within two days where everyone was standing for the start of the scene and where they would move to, but we knew that would not be a problem because it It had been practised repeatedly, like second nature to the actors and extras. After the two days, it was all done. All the actors and extras turn up early for the scene's filming and meet about the scene and where they will stand to start filming it. I saw Kurt. He did not look well, so I asked if he was okay. He replied no, I think I've got a flu bug, but I'll be ok. I've got a high temperature of 102 degrees. I'll be ok need to keep drinking lots of water and some painkillers, and I'll be ok. So, the film was set up with the smoke machine and pyrotechnics ready. The actors and extras work around the set to know where to stand and avoid the smoke machine and pyrotechnic canons. They, he had to film this scene about ten to fifteen times from all different angles. Every time they said cut, Krut asked me to get him some water, and he was always polite, saying thank you. During this scene, smoke and explosions are everywhere, but as the fight continues, you can see Lo Pan descending the stairs underneath the giant skull's head. Then he does some magic and skull-blocks the stairs with Gracie Law (Cattrall) to do his human sacrifice to The Chinese gods.
The next scene is back in the room where the golden budha's are on each side of the room, and this is where Lo Pan meets his demise. (oops, sorry, spoiler alert) This is where Jack, the hero, kills Lo Pan. He is in front of a giant gong with my initials, so I have still not seen it. Have you tried it or thought about how it is? So, they were all set up to film the scene, and Jack And Gracie at one end, where they meet up and kiss. Then Jake sees Lo Pan try to shoot him, but the gun has there are no bullets in it, so he grabs his knife from his boot and throws it at Lo Pan. It was missed entirely, and it was the gong behind Lo Pan. Then Lo Pan picked up, looked at the knife, and said, "Excellent knife". Then thought it back to Jack, and he caught it. Then he throws it back at him, hitting him right in the forehead. Then Jack replies it's all in the Reflexes. But in the scene in the film where Kurt (Jack) kisses Kim (Gracie), Russell Mentions, "On one occasion, Kim and I kissed. I then realised that teenagers were grinning at us. I had lipstick all over my face. I remarked, 'I've always been curious about that. How is it that the big red lipstick is always mysteriously gone when the guy pulls back in kissing scenes?'" Russell then approached Carpenter. He proposed keeping the lipstick on for "a few scenes," to which Carpenter consented. Russell remarked, "I've always respected John for that since the audience will inevitably. If you watch The film, you know what happens next In the film if you see it. I love this film; it is a classic, in my opinion. As that scene finished, Kurt came over and thanked me for what I had done today. Just after that, I was back in my seat in the cinema. I didn't feel as tired as last time. Then I just sat there watching the film trends, enjoying the last bit of the film.
Then, as I sat there, I thought I better book for the next film I would watch. Of course, Star Wars Empire Strikes Back was the next one in 1997 when they bought out all three digitally remasted and newly improved special Effects editions