12: King Boxer
(1972)
The Shaw Brothers Classic Collection
(Jun 19, 2007)

Academy Unleashes Power of Kung Fu Collection
Published On: Thu, Jun 7th, 2012  | By spyghana

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has received a collection of more than 800 kung fu film posters and other related materials from producer, screenwriter and former motion picture executive Stephen Chin, announced Academy COO Ric Robertson. The collection features marketing and promotional items including posters, lobby cards, photographs, toys, comic books, clothing and accessories from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. It focuses predominantly on the 1970s, which many fans and scholars mark as the golden age of the kung fu film.

“Stephen is a true fan and an extraordinary collector,” said Robertson. “His dedication to documenting this important genre will help the Academy provide film enthusiasts and historians with a broader, deeper view of world cinema.”

(excerpt)

Many other iconic films and filmmakers are also featured, including the Shaw Brothers’ “5 Fingers of Death” (1972), which helped the genre first gain popularity among American audiences. Other highlights include films made in the 1970s by John Woo and Jackie Chan, long before they became internationally known. A number of films featured in the collection are represented by materials from a wide range of international territories, enabling fans and researchers to compare the various ways an individual film was marketed around the world.