The 36th Chamber of Shaolin - 1978 (review)

Tonight's episode of The Gargyle Podcast kicks off our series for February which was decided on by you, the listener! Based on the results of our poll last month on whether February should be Fur-bruary (with episodes focusing on werewolf movies) or Kung Fu-bruary (with episodes focusing on, well, kung fu movies), our series for this month is Kung Fu-bruary!! As much as we love werewolf movies, we are actually really happy that the listeners decided on Kung Fu, as this is a genre of cinema that Eric does not have as much exposure to. So, kicking things off is one of the most iconic and classic Kung Fu movies, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin!! Along with some pretty awesome training and fighting sequences, this movie has a very powerful message of overcoming oppression, which drives the overarching plot of the film. So, join The Gargyle and The Chimerican as we discuss why The 36th Chamber of Shaolin remains a powerful film to this day!!

Since February is both Black History Month as well as Women in Horror Month, each episode in our Kung Fu-bruary series will start with segments honoring African Americans in cinema, as well as women in horror. For tonight's episode, we honor Julie Adams (star of Creature from the Black Lagoon) who passed away yesterday - and Geena Davis for her role in The Fly. We also honor Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing - and Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, a documentary which will soon be available on Shudder and which currently has limited theatrical release across the country, including a showing on Wednesday, 2/6/19 at Knoxville's own Central Cinema.

Also, as we've done on the last few episodes, we continue to highlight the Chattanooga Film Festival - April 11-14. Tonight, we specifically address the CFF fundraiser to be able to provide classes and workshops for free during the festival. To donate, click on the following link: CFF Fundraiser

If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check back soon for more cinematic reviews, analyses, and discussions on The Gargyle Podcast as we continue our Kung Fu-brary series all month long!!

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