Without the martial arts movies of the Shaw Brothers we probably wouldn't have the Wu-Tang Clan. Those movies are so a part of one of rap's most important collectives, that to imagine them without it is tough to do. Seriously, their iconic 1993 debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), is named after a Shaw Brothers film (The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin) and serves an important piece of the Wu-Tang mythology.
So it's fitting that Wu-Tang head honcho RZA is live scoring The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin, providing a new soundtrack for the movie from start to finish with repurposed Wu-Tang music, which includes 40 repurposed instrumental tracks, beats and vocals. The score will accompany the dubbed version of The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin, with all of the original dialog remaining intact.
The event is reportedly happening a few times: twice in Austin, Texas and once in Los Angeles (details for those showings are below). But hopefully if those three performances are received well (which of course they'll be, because duh) it'll be expanded.
Speaking to Fantastic Fest about the film's impact on him, RZA explained how he related to the movie's central plot: the struggle between oppressed Chinese villagers and the repressive Manchu authority.
"Beyond the kung-fu, it was the reality of the situation that hit me," the rapper and producer said. "Growing up as a black kid in America, I didn't know that that kind of story had existed anywhere else."
Mr. Bobby Digital worked on the score for a year and a half, and now it'll see the light of day. See the details for the screenings below, as well as a trailer for the screenings.
Thursday, Sept. 29 @ 10:45 a.m.
Austin, TX
Fantastic Fest at Alamo Drafthouse S. Lamar – festival attendees
Thursday, Sept. 29 @ 7:00 p.m.
Austin, TX
Stateside Theatre at the Paramount – open to the public (Tickets)
Monday, Oct. 10 @ 7:00 p.m.
Los Angeles, CA
Egyptian Theatre – open to the public (Tickets)
