Fantasy Spectacle Double Feature

Kino Aero presents a double bill pairing a Hong Kong masterpiece with an American response. First comes Tsui Hark's "Warriors of the Magic Mountain" (Zu), a wu xia classic where swordsmen with superhuman abilities, magic, and legendary creatures come alive through spectacular practical effects. The film was an international sensation in its day, proving that Hong Kong filmmakers could revitalize traditional genres with the same ingenuity as Lucas or Spielberg.

Carpenter was a longtime fan of Hong Kong kung-fu and wu xia action films and championed "Warriors of the Magic Mountain" as one of his personal favorites. When offered the chance to direct "Big Trouble in Little China," he saw it as an opportunity to make a grand kung-fu film in exactly that spirit - while also taking a jab at the bloated American action heroes of the Reagan era. The cocky truck driver played by Kurt Russell talks and struts like any other macho tough guy, but comes across as an entertaining clown and chaotic wildcard.