It has been over a decade since we last spoke in-depth to the author and kung fu movie expert, Ric Meyers - the man responsible for introducing much of America to the classics of martial arts cinema over a writing career spanning five decades. His books - including 1985's 'Martial Arts Movies: From Bruce Lee to the Ninjas', 1995's 'The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies', 2001's 'Great Martial Arts Movies: From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan and More', and 2011's 'Films of Fury' project, which involved both a book and a documentary - are essential resources for any serious fan of kung fu cinema.
Now aged 70, Ric shows no signs of slowing down. He is still offering his honest, forthright opinion on modern action movies - particularly in his role as a regular reviewer on the 'That Phat Samurai Guy' YouTube channel - and as the long-standing compere of the annual Kung Fu Extravaganza event at San Diego Comic-Con, which just celebrated its 26th anniversary. On this episode, Ben catches up with Ric on the kung fu movies he has enjoyed in the last decade since they last spoke, the future of the genre, and how his own martial arts journey is progressing. As a kung fu practitioner, Ric has developed a keen eye on authenticity in kung fu cinema, something he feels is distinctly lacking from the genre today - although he does recognise and celebrate the filmmakers still trying to convey a more accurate portrayal of kung fu practice on-screen, acknowledging the works of Jackie Chan and the director, Xu Haofeng.
LINKS
Ric Meyers on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1838515/
Ric Meyers on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ric_Meyers
Ric Meyers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ricmeyers
Ric Meyers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricmeyers
Ric Meyers on 'That Phat Samurai Guy' YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=that+phat+samurai+guy+ric+meyers
Buy 'From Bruce Lee to the Ninjas: Martial Arts Movies' by Bill Palmer, Karen Palmer, Amy Harlib and Ric Meyers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Lee-Ninjas-Martial-Movies/dp/0806510099/
Buy 'The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies' by Bill Palmer, Karen Palmer and Ric Meyers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Martial-Arts-Movies-ebook/dp/B00CG16G2W/
Buy 'Great Martial Arts Movies: From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan and More' by Ric Meyers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Martial-Arts-Movies-Citadel/dp/0806520264/
Buy 'Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Book' by Ric Meyers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Films-Fury-Kung-Movie-Book/dp/0979998948/
Buy 'They Shouldn't Have Killed His Dog: The Complete Uncensored Ass-Kicking Oral History of John Wick, Gun Fu, and the New Age of Action' by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/They-Shouldnt-Have-Killed-His/dp/1250278430/
'Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/IronFistsAndKungFuKicks2019
The calligraphy fight from 'The Magnificent Butcher' (1979): https://youtu.be/V7A0M5u_Pas?si=iGjI5BNoSxfzhw-I
Ric's eBay sellers account, Chimera Publishing: https://www.ebay.com/str/chimerapublishing
Kung Fu Movie Guide interview with Ric Meyers from 2011, updated 2013: http://kungfumovieguide.com/interview-ric-meyers/
WHAT WERE YOUR FAVOURITE FIGHT FILMS OF 2023?
Check out our not-very-comprehensive list on the Kung Fu Movie Guide website: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEOYShow2023PartOne
Let us know your favourite films - and why - and your comment could be read out on our End of Year Show 2023, featuring 'Life of Action Vol. 1 and 2' author Mike Fury. Email your response to hello@kungfumovieguide.com, or message us on social media.
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