Fight Clip Club: Big Trouble in Little China

It’s all in the reflexes.

This movie is one of those ‘80s schlock fests that yet stands up to the test of time so well. I’m not saying it’s Michelin star level fine dining, but man is it still a delicious plate of nachos, know what I mean?

The vibe of this film, too, gives me the warmest, fuzziest, late ‘70s D&D aesthetic: not just the monsters but the characters and interactions and the amazing set pieces. Our main baddie, Lo Pan, is such a wonderfully classic Lich King, and played with such scene-chomping glee by the fantastic James Hong. Its tensions are tense, its heroes are heroic, and its romance is both sassy and sweet just like so many great things from this time period. And its ass kicking really does kick ass.

But anyway, it’s like Jack Burton always says: when it comes time to write for Fight Clip Club, and ‘some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."’

Speaking of checks in the mail: Fight Clip Club is the only paywalled series on Zuko’s Musings. Upgrade to paid if you’d like to join the club! If you can’t manage the pay, let me know and I’ll forge a comp for you. This club is too fun to be missed.