Big Trouble in Little China (1986) [Part 1]

It's cult-classic time once again here on Precinct
13, and this week, Chris and Nick are jumping aboard
the Porkchop Express for part one of a two-part discussion of
Carpenter's mid-eighties action-comedy Big Trouble in
Little China. You know the deal: Kurt Russell stars
as trucker Jack Burton in a wildly colorful movie that goes so
far over-the-top with its martial arts and mystical mayhem, it's
almost too much to absorb in a single sitting. For part one of
our exploration of Big Trouble, we take a
look at the film's pre-production challenges (at one point, this
movie was going to fit into another genre entirely!), the
introduction of Russell's bumbling hero and his
much-more-competent companions, and the influence of both Hong
Kong action cinema and the silent comedy tradition. Oh, and
there's also another iconic Carpenter musical score,
cinematographer Dean Cundey's dazzling return to the filmography,
a future Sex and the City  co-star
who lands one of the best character names in the Carpenter
canon... We've got a lot to talk about with this one (and, don't
worry, we promise we'll get to Al Leong next episode!).