Enter The Clones of Bruce arrives in my collection like a punch to the solar plexus I didn’t know I needed. David Gregory’s award-winning documentary about Bruceploitation landed on Blu-ray from Severin Films with over three hours of special features, and I’ve been living inside this disc for the past week. As someone who’s spent years tracking down obscure martial arts cinema for AndersonVision, Enter The Clones of Bruce represents everything I love about deep-dive film history documentaries that refuse to condescend to their subject matter or their audience.

When Exploitation Becomes Art History

The premise sounds absurd until you realize it’s completely true. Within hours of Bruce Lee’s funeral in 1973, Hong Kong studios began cranking out unauthorized biopics, sequels, and outright ripoffs starring a rotating cast of Lee lookalikes. Enter The Clones of Bruce doesn’t treat this phenomenon as a joke or a curiosity. Gregory approaches Bruceploitation with the same serious documentary rigor he brought to Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau and Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson.

Enter The Clones of Bruce opens with archival footage of Bruce Lee’s actual funeral, establishing the shocking timeline that makes Bruceploitation so audacious. The documentary includes rare interview footage with the major Bruce clones themselves, including Bruce Li (Ho Chung-tao), Bruce Le (Huang Jianlong), Dragon Lee (Ryong Keo), and Bruce Liang (Leung Siu-lung). Hearing these performers discuss their experiences firsthand transforms Enter The Clones of Bruce from film history lesson into cultural anthropology.

The documentary’s greatest strength lies in Gregory’s refusal to mock his subjects. These weren’t talentless hacks trying to fool audiences. Bruce Li was already an accomplished martial artist before studios noticed his resemblance to Lee. Dragon Lee developed his own fighting style that incorporated innovative nunchaku techniques. Enter The Clones of Bruce demonstrates how these performers navigated impossible expectations while trying to establish their own identities within a subgenre literally built on imitation.

Gregory structures Enter The Clones of Bruce around multiple narrative threads that interweave throughout the documentary’s 100-minute runtime. We get the business side from producers and distributors who explain how Bruceploitation filled an enormous market demand. The creative perspective comes from directors like Godfrey Ho and Joseph Lai discussing how they adapted Bruce Lee’s style and mythology. Enter The Clones of Bruce includes perspectives from martial arts legends like Sammo Hung, Angela Mao, and David Chiang who worked alongside Lee and watched the clone phenomenon unfold.

The Clones Speak

The interview segments with Bruce Li form the emotional backbone of Enter The Clones of Bruce. Li discusses how Golden Harvest initially approached him for stunt work before realizing his resemblance to Lee could anchor entire productions. Bruce Li appears remarkably candid about both the opportunities and limitations that came with being a Bruce Lee substitute. Enter The Clones of Bruce captures Li’s pride in his martial arts skills while acknowledging the impossible shadow he worked under throughout his career.

Bruce Le’s interviews reveal a different perspective. Enter The Clones of Bruce shows how Le worked primarily in the Korean film industry, creating a parallel Bruceploitation universe with slightly different conventions than Hong Kong productions. Le discusses the cultural differences between Korean and Hong Kong approaches to martial arts cinema, explaining how Korean films often incorporated more melodramatic elements alongside the required action sequences.

Dragon Lee emerges as perhaps the most interesting clone personality in Enter The Clones of Bruce. Lee developed signature moves and weapons techniques that distinguished him from both Bruce Lee and the other clones. Enter The Clones of Bruce includes fascinating discussion of how Dragon Lee’s background in hapkido influenced his screen fighting style, creating a hybrid approach that satisfied Bruceploitation requirements while showcasing his unique abilities.

The inclusion of Angela Mao provides crucial context about Bruce Lee’s actual legacy versus the Bruceploitation version. Mao worked with Lee on Enter the Dragon and discusses in Enter The Clones of Bruce how the clone films distorted Lee’s philosophy and approach. She explains that Lee innovated martial arts cinema by bringing realistic fighting techniques to screen choreography, while Bruceploitation often reverted to more theatrical styles that Lee had actively rejected.

The Business of Bruce

Enter The Clones of Bruce dedicates substantial runtime to exploring the economic forces that sustained Bruceploitation throughout the 1970s. The documentary interviews distributors like William K. Wong who explain how Bruce Lee’s death created unprecedented international demand for martial arts content at precisely the moment when no new Lee films could be produced. Enter The Clones of Bruce demonstrates how this market vacuum created opportunities for any production that could approximate Lee’s screen presence.

The international distribution networks that supported Bruceploitation emerge as surprisingly sophisticated. Enter The Clones of Bruce traces how films starring Bruce Li or Dragon Lee would get retitled and repackaged for different territories, sometimes multiple times. A single Bruceploitation feature might carry five different titles across its global release, each designed to maximize the Bruce Lee association while technically avoiding direct copyright infringement.

Gregory includes fascinating discussion of how Golden Harvest, the studio that produced Bruce Lee’s most successful films, participated in Bruceploitation through Game of Death. Enter The Clones of Bruce examines how Golden Harvest stitched together Lee’s existing footage with material shot using body doubles, creating what amounts to an official studio Bruceploitation film. The documentary positions Game of Death as both memorial and commercial exploitation, demonstrating the murky ethical territory surrounding Lee’s unfinished projects.

The discussion of intellectual property law provides unexpected depth. Enter The Clones of Bruce explains how lax copyright enforcement in 1970s Asia allowed Bruceploitation to flourish without legal consequences. The documentary interviews legal experts who detail how Lee’s estate had limited recourse against imitators, particularly when productions claimed their stars were “new Bruce Lee” rather than literally being Lee.

Shaw Brothers Versus The Clones

The relationship between Shaw Brothers Studio and Bruceploitation receives extensive exploration in Enter The Clones of Bruce. The documentary examines how Shaw Brothers initially resisted casting Bruce Lee because he demanded too much creative control and too high a salary. After Lee’s death made him the most valuable name in martial arts cinema, Shaw Brothers found themselves competing against Bruceploitation films that could promise “Bruce Lee” content without expensive Lee salaries.

David Chiang’s interviews in Enter The Clones of Bruce provide insider perspective on Shaw Brothers’ response to the clone phenomenon. Chiang discusses how Shaw Brothers doubled down on their own contract stars like Ti Lung and Alexander Fu Sheng rather than participating directly in Bruceploitation. The documentary positions this strategy as both artistic decision and business calculation, as Shaw Brothers sought to establish martial arts stars with distinct identities rather than Lee imitators.

The comparison between Shaw Brothers’ polished studio productions and scrappier Bruceploitation features highlights different philosophies about martial arts cinema. Enter The Clones of Bruce demonstrates how Shaw Brothers emphasized elaborate set pieces and period settings, while Bruceploitation often used contemporary locations and simpler production designs that maximized action sequences within limited budgets.

The Films Themselves

Gregory includes generous clips from actual Bruceploitation productions throughout Enter The Clones of Bruce, giving viewers who haven’t seen these films genuine sense of their style and content. The documentary showcases scenes from classics like The Dragon Lives Again, where Bruce Lee’s character literally fights in hell alongside other pop culture icons. Enter The Clones of Bruce presents this material with appropriate mixture of appreciation and acknowledgment of the films’ often bizarre narrative choices.

The Clones of Bruce Lee receives special attention as perhaps the most meta Bruceploitation production. Enter The Clones of Bruce examines how this 1980 film features multiple Bruce clones as characters within the story itself, with a mad scientist creating literal Bruce Lee clones through genetic experimentation. The documentary positions The Clones of Bruce Lee as both exploitation cinema and commentary on the Bruceploitation phenomenon, demonstrating unexpected self-awareness within the subgenre.

Re-Enter the Dragon and Enter Three Dragons represent more straightforward Bruceploitation approaches, essentially remaking Bruce Lee’s most famous films with substitute stars. Enter The Clones of Bruce discusses how these productions attempted to recreate specific Lee scenes and character moments, creating uncanny valley effect for audiences familiar with the originals. The documentary explores whether these remakes function as tribute or theft, suggesting the answer might be both simultaneously.

The biographical Bruceploitation films receive fascinating analysis in Enter The Clones of Bruce. Productions like Bruce’s Fist of Vengeance and Bruce Lee’s Secret invented entirely fictional versions of Lee’s life story, often incorporating conspiracy theories about his death alongside martial arts action. Enter The Clones of Bruce examines how these biopics mythologized Lee in ways that bore little resemblance to his actual experiences, creating alternative Bruce Lee who existed primarily in Bruceploitation imagination.

Technical Innovation Despite Limitations

One of Enter The Clones of Bruce’s most valuable contributions involves documenting the actual martial arts innovations that occurred within Bruceploitation despite its derivative origins. The documentary includes detailed discussion of how Dragon Lee developed new nunchaku techniques that Bruce Lee never used on screen. Enter The Clones of Bruce demonstrates how competitive pressure between different clones pushed each performer to develop signature moves that could distinguish their films.

The action choreography discussion reveals surprising sophistication. Enter The Clones of Bruce interviews stunt coordinators who explain how Bruceploitation films often featured more elaborate fight sequences than Bruce Lee’s actual productions, simply because the clones needed extended action to compensate for lacking Lee’s charisma and screen presence. The documentary suggests that this quantity-over-quality approach inadvertently pushed martial arts choreography toward the elaborate, almost dance-like sequences that would define 1980s Hong Kong action cinema.

The influence of different martial arts styles emerges as crucial distinguishing factor between clones. Enter The Clones of Bruce details how Bruce Li’s wing chun background differed from Dragon Lee’s taekwondo training, creating subtly different on-screen fighting approaches even when both performers were attempting to approximate Lee’s Jeet Kune Do philosophy. The documentary includes side-by-side comparisons that reveal these distinctions to viewers unfamiliar with martial arts specifics.

The End of an Era

Enter The Clones of Bruce dedicates its final act to examining why Bruceploitation ended in the early 1980s. The documentary identifies Jackie Chan’s breakthrough with Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master as crucial turning point. Chan’s success proved that martial arts stars could build careers on distinct personalities rather than imitating Bruce Lee. Enter The Clones of Bruce includes Chan discussing how he deliberately developed comedic kung fu style specifically to differentiate himself from Lee’s serious approach.

The emergence of the Venom Mob and other Shaw Brothers new stars provided alternative models for martial arts stardom. Enter The Clones of Bruce examines how films like Five Deadly Venoms established ensemble approach that didn’t require singular charismatic star in Lee’s mold. The documentary suggests this shift reflected changing audience expectations as viewers became interested in variety rather than endless variations on Bruce Lee formula.

The documentary also addresses how video rental and cable television changed distribution models in ways that made Bruceploitation less commercially viable. Enter The Clones of Bruce explains how home video allowed audiences to actually watch Bruce Lee’s real films rather than settling for clone substitutes, reducing the demand that had sustained Bruceploitation throughout the 1970s.

Severin’s Spectacular Presentation

The Severin Films Blu-ray presentation of Enter The Clones of Bruce provides reference-quality transfer that showcases Gregory’s documentary craftsmanship. The 1080p transfer maintains clarity across the documentary’s diverse source materials, from pristine new interviews to archival film clips of varying quality. The documentary was shot in high definition specifically for this release, and the transfer captures excellent detail in the contemporary interview segments.

Color reproduction appears natural and well-balanced throughout Enter The Clones of Bruce, with particular attention paid to maintaining consistency between new footage and archival materials. The grading work ensures that transitions between interview segments and film clips don’t create jarring visual discontinuities that would disrupt narrative flow. Skin tones in the interview sequences appear realistic and properly saturated.

The archival Bruceploitation film clips obviously vary in quality depending on source materials available, but Severin’s presentation maintains appropriate respect for these vintage materials. Enter The Clones of Bruce presents the film excerpts without artificial enhancement that would misrepresent their original appearance, allowing viewers to appreciate both the technical limitations and creative achievements of 1970s exploitation cinema.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track provides clear dialogue reproduction essential for documentary format. The interview segments feature excellent clarity that ensures even heavily accented English remains easily intelligible. The documentary’s original score by The Octopus Project receives dynamic treatment that enhances emotional moments without overwhelming spoken content.

Special Features Worth the Price Alone

Severin’s supplement package for Enter The Clones of Bruce might be more valuable than the main documentary itself, which is saying something. The audio commentary with director David Gregory, co-producers Frank Djeng, Vivian Wong, Michael Worth, and director of photography Jim Kunz provides over 100 minutes of additional context and anecdotes that didn’t fit into the documentary’s theatrical cut. This commentary track represents must-listen material for anyone interested in how documentary filmmaking operates.

Gregory discusses in the commentary how certain interview subjects required multiple sessions before feeling comfortable discussing controversial aspects of Bruceploitation. Enter The Clones of Bruce benefits from Gregory’s patient approach that allowed subjects to open up naturally rather than pushing for sensational sound bites. The commentary reveals that several key interviews almost didn’t happen due to scheduling conflicts and language barrier challenges.

The “Working At Shaw Brothers” outtakes feature interviews with Godfrey Ho, David Chiang, Yasuaki Kurata, Lee Chiu, Lo Meng, Mars, and Phillip Ko discussing their experiences at the legendary studio. This material provides context for understanding how Shaw Brothers operated as both competitor and alternative model to Bruceploitation productions. The interviews reveal the professional discipline and artistic standards that distinguished Shaw Brothers from lower-budget exploitation outfits.

“Bruce Lee And I” outtakes include extended conversations with Sammo Hung, Phillip Ko, Yasuaki Kurata, Mars, Angela Mao, Andre Morgan, and Lee Tso Nam sharing personal memories of working with Bruce Lee. These segments provide emotional grounding that reminds viewers why Bruceploitation emerged in the first place. The genuine affection and respect these performers express for Lee contrasts powerfully with the commercial exploitation that followed his death.

“The Lost World Of Kung Fu Film Negatives” addresses the preservation challenges facing martial arts cinema. This featurette interviews Godfrey Ho, Joseph Lai, Angela Mao, Lee Tso Nam, and film preservationists about the deteriorating condition of original negatives for many classic martial arts films. The discussion emphasizes urgency of restoration efforts before these cultural artifacts disappear permanently.

“Bruce’s Hong Kong” offers 27-minute location tour with Frank Djeng visiting sites from Bruce Lee’s actual films alongside Bruceploitation shooting locations. This featurette provides valuable geographical context for understanding how Hong Kong itself became character in martial arts cinema. Djeng’s tour demonstrates how modern Hong Kong retains traces of its 1970s appearance while acknowledging the massive urban development that has transformed the city.

“Severin’s Kung Fu Theater” features actor/director/Bruceploitation expert Michael Worth providing introduction to Enter The Clones of Bruce that sets proper expectations for viewers unfamiliar with exploitation cinema conventions. Worth’s presentation style combines genuine enthusiasm with scholarly knowledge, making him ideal guide for audiences discovering this subgenre.

The Cultural Context That Makes It Matter

Enter The Clones of Bruce succeeds because Gregory understands that Bruceploitation represents more than just cheap cash-in on celebrity death. The documentary positions the phenomenon within broader context of how Asian popular culture processed Bruce Lee’s significance. Lee represented breakthrough moment when Asian performer became genuine international superstar through physicality and charisma rather than exoticism or comedy. His sudden death left vacuum that existing systems couldn’t fill through conventional means.

The documentary examines how Bruceploitation reflected anxieties about cultural authenticity and commercial exploitation that remain relevant today. Enter The Clones of Bruce draws implicit parallels to contemporary franchise filmmaking, where intellectual properties get endlessly recycled and reimagined regardless of original creators’ intentions. The comparison between 1970s Bruceploitation and modern franchise extensions raises questions about where tribute ends and exploitation begins.

Enter The Clones of Bruce also addresses racial and cultural dynamics in ways that complicate simple narratives about exploitation. The documentary acknowledges how Bruce Lee’s international success created opportunities for Asian performers in global markets that had previously excluded them. Bruceploitation extended these opportunities even as it commodified Lee’s image and legacy. The ethical calculations become more complex when considering how clone performers used Bruceploitation as launching pad for legitimate careers.

The discussion of how different international markets received Bruceploitation reveals fascinating cultural differences. Enter The Clones of Bruce explains how European audiences often couldn’t distinguish between real Bruce Lee films and clone productions, while Asian audiences maintained clear hierarchies between authentic Lee work and substitutes. American markets fell somewhere between, with urban audiences recognizing the difference while rural drive-in circuits often programmed clone films as genuine Lee vehicles.

Why AndersonVision Readers Need This

For our regular readers who appreciate deep-dive film history documentaries like Scala!!! and other Severin Films releases, Enter The Clones of Bruce represents essential viewing. Gregory’s documentary demonstrates that supposedly disposable exploitation cinema contains genuine cultural history worth preserving and examining seriously.

The connections to our previous coverage of Hong Kong cinema and martial arts films become apparent throughout Enter The Clones of Bruce. Understanding Bruceploitation provides context for appreciating how Hong Kong action cinema evolved during the crucial 1970s period when the industry was defining conventions that would influence global filmmaking for decades.

The documentary pairs perfectly with Severin’s massive Game of Clones: Bruceploitation Collection Volume 1, which presents 14 restored Bruceploitation features alongside Enter The Clones of Bruce itself. For collectors interested in comprehensive deep dives into specific subgenres, this combination represents ultimate Bruceploitation education.

The Legacy Bruce Lee Never Intended

Enter The Clones of Bruce concludes by examining how Bruceploitation affected Bruce Lee’s actual legacy. The documentary suggests that clone films simultaneously extended Lee’s cultural reach while diluting his specific artistic achievements. Audiences who encountered Bruce Lee primarily through Bruceploitation imitations received distorted understanding of what made Lee revolutionary as performer and martial artist.

The documentary includes discussion of how Lee’s family and estate responded to Bruceploitation over time. Enter The Clones of Bruce examines legal battles and public statements that attempted to distinguish authentic Lee work from exploitative imitations. The complicated relationship between Lee’s widow Linda Lee Cadwell and the Bruceploitation industry reveals ongoing tensions about commercial rights versus cultural legacy.

Gregory’s documentary ultimately argues that Bruceploitation, despite its exploitative origins, created space for Asian martial arts performers in global entertainment industry. Enter The Clones of Bruce demonstrates how many clone performers went on to legitimate careers after Bruceploitation ended, suggesting the phenomenon functioned as training ground and opportunity creator even as it commodified Lee’s image. This nuanced conclusion resists easy moral judgments in favor of recognizing complex realities of entertainment industry economics and cultural representation.

Technical Specifications That Matter

The Blu-ray technical specifications deserve mention for home theater enthusiasts and format collectors. Enter The Clones of Bruce presents in 1.78:1 aspect ratio that maximizes modern television screen real estate while maintaining appropriate composition for documentary format. The progressive 1080p transfer delivers solid detail levels that benefit both interview segments and archival materials.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track provides appropriate dynamic range for documentary content, with clear dialogue reproduction balanced against musical score elements. The surround channels receive subtle use for ambient sound design that creates immersive quality without overwhelming the fundamentally interview-driven content. English subtitles are included for accessibility, important given that several interview subjects speak English as second language with varying degrees of fluency.

The disc includes standard Blu-ray navigation and chapter stops that allow easy access to specific segments. The menu design incorporates Bruceploitation poster art and iconography that establishes appropriate tone before the documentary even begins. Severin’s packaging includes reversible artwork featuring different poster designs, giving collectors options for shelf presentation.

The Verdict on Cloning Bruce

Enter The Clones of Bruce stands as definitive documentary on Bruceploitation phenomenon that manages to be simultaneously entertaining and scholarly. David Gregory’s approach respects his subjects while maintaining critical distance that allows honest examination of Bruceploitation’s ethical complications and cultural significance. The documentary succeeds because it takes seriously material that could easily be dismissed as camp or curiosity.

Severin Films’ Blu-ray presentation provides technical excellence and comprehensive supplemental package that extends the documentary’s value far beyond its 100-minute runtime. The over three hours of additional material creates complete educational resource about Bruceploitation that serves both casual viewers and serious scholars of exploitation cinema history.

For AndersonVision readers interested in film history’s stranger corners and the preservation of exploitation cinema, Enter The Clones of Bruce represents must-own release. The documentary demonstrates that every corner of film history contains stories worth telling and cultural phenomena worth preserving, regardless of their original commercial intentions.

Enter The Clones of Bruce reminds us that exploitation cinema, despite its name, often provided opportunities and platforms for performers who faced limited options in mainstream entertainment industries. The documentary humanizes the clone performers while acknowledging the ethical complexities of building careers on another person’s image and legacy. This balanced approach creates viewing experience that’s simultaneously fun, informative, and thought-provoking.

Bruceploitation may have ended over 40 years ago, but Enter The Clones of Bruce demonstrates why this strange chapter in film history deserves serious attention and preservation. Gregory’s documentary ensures that future generations can understand and appreciate the cultural and economic forces that created an entire subgenre built on imitating one extraordinary performer who died far too young.

For more information about Enter The Clones of Bruce and the complete Bruceploitation phenomenon, check out the documentary’s IMDb page and Wikipedia’s comprehensive Bruceploitation article.

Enter The Clones of Bruce is now available on Blu-ray from Severin Films

Technical Specifications:

• Video: 1080p AVC / 1.78:1 aspect ratio
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Subtitles: English
• Runtime: 100 minutes
• Region: Region Free
• Studio: Severin Films
• Release Date: May 21, 2024