Game of Death (1978)
Game of Death (1978)
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Currently Game of Death is available for streaming online, rent, buy or watch for free on: Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Vudu, Pluto TV
Streaming in:🇺🇸 United States
This Movie Is About.
Cast & Crew.
Bruce Lee
Billy Lo / Producer
Gig Young
Jim Marshall
Dean Jagger
Dr. Land
Hugh O'Brian
Steiner
Colleen Camp
Ann Morris
Robert Wall
Carl Miller / Stunt Coordinator / Stunts
Mel Novak
Stick
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Hakim
Chuck Norris
Colt
Dan Inosanto
Pasqual
Billy McGill
John
Sammo Hung
Lo Chen / Stunt Coordinator / Stunts
Roy Chiao
Henry Lo
Kim Tae-Jeong
Billy Lo / Stunt Double
James Tien Chuen
Charlie Wang
Wang Ho
Lau Yea-chun (archive footage)
Yuen Biao
Billy Lo / Stunts / Stunt Double
Robert Clouse
Carl's Second #1 (uncredited) / Director / Writer
Warwick Paul Evans
Ringside Commentator (uncredited)
Lam Ching-Ying
Macau Fighter (uncredited)
Mars
Macau Fighter (uncredited) / Stunt Double
Nora Miao
(archive footage) (uncredited)
André E. Morgan
(uncredited) / Associate Producer
Betty Ting Pei
(uncredited)
Yuen Wah
Lo Chen's Second (uncredited) / Stunts
Paul Chung Fat
(uncredited)
Stephen Chang
Ming Tao (uncredited)
Lau Kar-Wing
(uncredited)
Jim James
Surgeon
Alan Pattillo
Editor
Raymond Chow Man-Wai
Producer
Godfrey A. Godar
Director of Photography
John Barry
Original Music Composer
Jackie Chan
Stunts
Graham Freeborn
Makeup Artist
Huang Shun-Chang
Property Master
Mark Eggenweiler
Assistant Sound Editor
Ken Dufva
Foley Artist
Tadashi Nishimoto
Director of Photography
Danny Daniel
Sound Mixer
William L. Stevenson
Supervising Sound Editor
Catherine S.K. Chang
Assistant Art Director
David Chan
Production Manager
Sam Wong
Unit Manager
Mike Gowans
First Assistant Director
Bryan Levinge
Second Assistant Director
Sam Yip
Second Assistant Director
William H. Burton Sr.
Stunt Driver
Media.
Details.
Release DateMarch 23, 1978
Original Name死亡遊戲
StatusReleased
Running Time1h 41m
Content RatingR
Budget$850,000
Filming LocationsMacau, China
Genres
Wiki.
The Game of Death (Chinese: 死亡的遊戲) is an incomplete Hong Kong martial arts film, filmed between August and October 1972, directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee, in his final film project. Lee died during the making of the film. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot prior to his death, which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives. The remaining footage has since been released with Lee's original Cantonese and English dialogue, with John Little dubbing Lee's Hai Tien character as part of the documentary titled Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey. Much of the footage that was shot is from what was to be the climax of the film.
During filming, Lee received an offer to star in Enter the Dragon, the first kung fu film to be produced by a Hollywood studio (Warner Bros.), and with a budget unprecedented for the genre ($850,000). Lee died of cerebral edema before the film's release. At the time of his death, he had made plans to resume the filming of The Game of Death. After Lee's death, Enter the Dragon director Robert Clouse was enlisted to finish the film using two stand-ins; it was released in 1978 as Game of Death, five years after Lee's death, by Golden Harvest.
The story of Lee's original 1972 film involves Lee's character, in order to save his younger sister and brother, joining a group of martial artists who are hired to retrieve a stolen Chinese national treasure from the top floor of a five-story pagoda in South Korea, with each floor guarded by martial artists who must be defeated while ascending the tower. The 1978 film's plot was altered to a revenge story, where the mafia attempts to kill Lee's character, who fakes his death and seeks vengeance against those who tried to kill him. The final part of the film uses some of Lee's original film footage, but with the pagoda setting changed to a restaurant building, where he fights martial artists hired by the mafia in an attempt to rescue his fiancée Ann Morris (played by Colleen Camp). This revised version received a mixed critical reception but was commercially successful, grossing an estimated US$50,000,000 (equivalent to $220,000,000 in 2022) worldwide.
It was an influential film that had a significant cultural impact. The original version's concept of ascending a tower while defeating enemies on each level was highly influential, inspiring numerous action films and video games. The film is also known for Lee's iconic yellow-and-black jumpsuit as well as his fight scene with NBA player and student Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, both of which have been referenced in numerous media.