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Big Trouble in Little China with Black Widow
Sat, Nov 5 | 7:30pm | TMT
Big Trouble in Little China
James Hong gives a showstopping performance as sorcerer Lo Pan in this cult favorite. Directed by horror-meister John Carpenter, Big Trouble in Little China takes a supernatural spin on Hollywood’s Chinatown tropes, populating the neighborhood with mystical beings. Kurt Russell plays an antihero, but he’s not the typical white savior—he’s an outsider who’s clueless without his Chinese American friend Wang Chi, portrayed with modest aplomb by Dennis Dun. Veteran actor Victor Wong offers crusty comic relief as a sorcerer-cum-tour bus driver.
DIRECTED BY: John Carpenter.
WRITTEN BY: Gary Goldman, David Z. Weinstein.
ADAPTATION BY: W.D. Richter.
CAST: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong. 1986. 100 min. USA. Color. Scope. English. Rated PG-13. DCP.
Black Widow
DIRECTOR: Bob Rafelson.
With over 500 acting credits to his name, including scene-stealing performances in Chinatown (1974), Blade Runner (1982), and Kung Fu Panda (2008), James Hong counts Black Widow as one of his favorites. In this crime drama centered on the case of a murderess, Hong first appears mid-point as a drug-addicted investigator. For the role, the actor drew upon his improvisation training and bi-cultural background: “I just say the lines that are in my head, and of course what’s in my head is cussing out in Chinese to Debra Winger—all patterned after all those Chinese people who came to my dad’s herb store in Minnesota.”
WRITTEN BY: Ronald Bass.
CAST: Debra Winger, Theresa Russell, Sami Frey, James Hong. 1987. 102 min. USA. Color. English. Rated R. 35mm.
HOLLYWOOD CHINESE
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