Big Trouble in Little China (1986) [Part 1]

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Precinct 13: The Movies and Music of John Carpenter

TV & Film


It's cult-classic time once again here on Precinct 13, and this week, Chris and Nick are jumping aboard the Porkchop Express for part one of a two-part discussion of Carpenter's mid-eighties action-comedy Big Trouble in Little China. You know the deal: Kurt Russell stars as trucker Jack Burton in a wildly colorful movie that goes so far over-the-top with its martial arts and mystical mayhem, it's almost too much to absorb in a single sitting. For part one of our exploration of Big Trouble, we take a look at the film's pre-production challenges (at one point, this movie was going to fit into another genre entirely!), the introduction of Russell's bumbling hero and his much-more-competent companions, and the influence of both Hong Kong action cinema and the silent comedy tradition. Oh, and there's also another iconic Carpenter musical score, cinematographer Dean Cundey's dazzling return to the filmography, a future Sex and the City  co-star who lands one of the best character names in the Carpenter canon... We've got a lot to talk about with this one (and, don't worry, we promise we'll get to Al Leong next episode!).