The dragon lives again: Distributing ‘bruceploitation’ via home entertainment

Abstract

This chapter considers exploitation filmmaking as an industrial, economic concept. The focus of our study is an exploitation film industry known as ‘Bruceploitation’. Achieving momentum in the 1970s and early 1980s, this industry mainly comprised independent producers that sought to posthumously exploit the stardom of Bruce Lee by producing films featuring look-a-likes of the late martial artist and actor. Through this research, we have discovered that Bruceploitation provides an insight not only into the political, economic and cultural implications of satisfying demand for Bruce Lee films following his untimely death in 1973, but more importantly, the ongoing significance of exploitation as an economic model of film production and distribution.