Big Trouble in Little China: The 80s Movie We Never Grew Out Of

Hello and welcome to another episode of Frightfully Forgotten's VHS Tales. Today we are finally going to talk about one of our favorite movies of all time, Big Trouble in Little China. >> If you couldn't tell from the shirts already. >> First episode we ever shot. What shirts were we wearing? >> Yeah. Did I have the white one? >> You had the white one. And I don't wear white. I wore the black one. >> Right. But before we get started, what are we drinking >> today? We're drinking the last bit of the Kevin Sorbo IPA Smash. >> Yeah. This movie goes back again kind of like Christine for us. Jack drives a truck in this movie. So, it was big for me cuz like if you know if anybody has watched any of our previous episodes like Convoy, my dad was a truck driver. So, I loved anything trucks. So, my mom started putting this on and I loved it. Foulmouth truck driver gets into all these crazy situations. >> You can relate to that. >> Exactly. Yeah, I can totally relate to that. Not to say your dad was like Jack Burton. No, not at all. But it's funny because I think it's one of those movies that we actually got into separately. >> Yeah. >> Maybe even before we met each other, which was in '89. Cuz I remember getting into this movie by myself. >> Yeah, me too. >> Being one of those movies my mom rented for me thinking, I think you will like this. Not that I picked it out at the store. She was like, I think you'll like this. since she rented it for me and I watched it and fell in love with it. >> What's not to fall in love with? >> Oh, exactly. So then when we met and it's one of those things we bonded over was our love for Big Trouble in Little China. And again, like we mentioned in the Christine episode, this was one of those movies that we'd watch before school >> in your in your bedroom on that little [ __ ] tiny TV in little increments, you know, 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there before school. So, for those of you who don't know, Big Trouble in Little China was a big huge budget movie that completely bombed in the box office, but found a lot of love and resurgence when it went to video. It became one of those movies that had a cult following from the rental stores. So, it was like a rental store revival movie and that's where it made all of its money. It completely bombed in the box office, >> which is sad. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's like, [ __ ] this movie didn't deserve that. >> No. People like us and people our age fell in love with it strictly through the rental stores >> and has since had a huge cult following. Why it's such like an enthralling movie and why it's so easy to get sucked into it. >> Well, that you just said it. You get sucked into this movie. That's like from the opening scene, which we parodyied too. >> Yeah. from the beginning, right? Which, oddly enough, wasn't originally in the movie. The studio wanted Carpenter to to put that in to kind of give it more context. One of the very few things that the studio did, right, >> right? Studio interference got right. >> Yeah, they did get it right. That opening scene kind of grips you in. It's so good. It's so perfect. From the music, the way it's shot, the lighting, the dialogue, >> the mystery, right? >> So [ __ ] good. Probably one of the most perfect opening scenes to a movie to really get you sucked into >> the world, you know, that they're trying to create, you know, and it's Oh, man. Like you're you're in >> Yeah. >> Yeah. You're invested right away. >> You're invested. Then as soon as that opening theme kicks in, >> starts like right at the tail end. you get into it. Then as soon as that music kicks in, you're like, "Oh, [ __ ] yeah." >> Yeah. >> And then you get introduced to Jack Burton, which is one of the most like beloved bumbling idiots kind of heroes in in cinematic history. >> Yeah. >> And how can you not love Jack Bird? He's just so adorable. >> Yeah. He's such a lovable. You feel bad for him really because he's sucked into this situation. >> Yeah. and like thinks he's the the hero, but he really isn't. And he just thinks he's such a tough guy. Yeah. >> It's like, "Oh, yeah. First time you ever plugged somebody?" >> Of course not. >> It's like, >> "Yeah, that's that's Jack." And that's what makes this movie so endearing. >> Endearing is the characters and also the lore they create. this kind of like [ __ ] Eastern philosophy that's kind of built on a grain of sand of real Eastern philosophy and >> religion, but they build it up in this thing where you almost finish the movie believing it. >> Mhm. >> Like >> they do such a good job on that. >> They totally buy that. Oh, this is real Eastern mysticism and real Eastern religion. Yeah. >> No horseshit, Jack. >> No horseshit. Lopean, that's a real [ __ ] you got to buy it, right? Shing Dai, oh that's a real god. Like you [ __ ] you really buy into it. >> Carpenter and like everybody who produced the movie made sure to go back though into the like the real history, right? To not piss off like the Asian community, too. >> I love that. That's what kind of gives this movie roots, lore, and real stories to base all the [ __ ] off of. And they bend it quite quite quite a bit before this movie. If they made a movie of this type where it's like a lot of Chinese mysticism and >> like an east meets west kind of >> most of the main characters would be white or there white guys painted brown. >> Yeah. >> They went out of their way to hire as many Asian actors as they could and people not just actors but like people to consult with. I've seen interviews of both James Hong and Victor Wong. They were impressed with how many Asian actors they brought in to make sure that they actually got the demographic right. >> Yeah. >> And not just painting white guys brown like they used to. This movie really resonated with the Asian community for that reason, I think, because like, oh, like you're I'm finally seeing my people on screen. Well, and Carpenter made sure of that, too, right? Well revered from the Asian community for doing that, too, right? like they did a lot of consultation. He made sure not to step on toes and he cared. The love is in this carpenter. >> And the story of the movie is pretty interesting because it started off the first drafts of the movie were a western or was a western >> which still took place in like you know America. >> Yeah. >> But it had all that Chinese mysticism and all the stuff and they're like well this >> it's not going to work. It's too much. >> It's too much. Like I couldn't imagine this movie set in the Old West. It would be like how can you relate to anything? >> Yeah. >> Like the modern viewer can't relate to all the weird fantasy stuff. You also can't relate to living in the Old West. So it's like well too much, right? So they decided to rewrite it to the modern age because this movie totally wouldn't work in the Old West. It's taking place in the 86. it it works so much better and I think it makes it perfect because you can relate to these characters. You can relate to Jack being just a modern truck driver stuck in this weird situation. Even Gracie Law like oh, okay, I can relate to these people. It's like Gracie Law was like my mom, you know, like that they're people I I know. I see these people on the street. >> Yeah. It helps it helps to digest all the crazy stuff that's going on. >> Yeah. And the movie is crazy enough, let alone imagining it taking place in the Old West would be like, "That's overkill." >> Yeah. Yeah. You wouldn't buy it. You wouldn't believe it. But the way it's set up, you believe it. >> Yeah. You believe it. >> You totally believe it. >> I remember watching this movie as a kid totally believing that this was all based on real [ __ ] That like low pan >> and all that stuff were real people that they based this off of from like thousands of years. Of course, it's all made up and [ __ ] but that's how good of a job they did that they made children buy into. >> Yeah. >> The fake religion and mysticism, the seven waring kingdoms and all that. Like that's real, but then they put Lan into that, right? And it's like, well, that's obviously [ __ ] but it's like this the Waring Kingdoms and all that is real. And this movie is like the best parts of every genre put into one movie. Yeah, >> it really is. It's got the comedy. It's got the action, >> fantasy, a little bit of horror, like >> just a little Y. >> It's everything. That's I think why it resonated so well with people >> afterwards. If you don't know what kind of movie you want to watch, I don't know if in the mood for horror, fantasy comedy, I'm not sure. Well, you're in big trouble and you got it all. You got everything you ever want in one movie. >> Yeah. I mean, look at the [ __ ] cover. For Christ's sake. Yeah, I was like, man, it is one of the coolest movie posters of all time. And I love movie posters like this where you can stare at it for like an hour and look at all the detail, the little things. Like, again, it's not some [ __ ] AI generated [ __ ] It's someone painted this thing and put so much detail into every little corner of the [ __ ] painting >> where it's like a work of art. It tells you everything about the movie without spoiling it. Me and Justin loved this movie so much as kids where we made our own Big Trouble in Little China movies, which we'll show you parts of here. Not the whole thing, God forbid, but little parts here and there we'll put into this episode to show you how much we love the movie and adored it. How much it shaped our childhood. We [ __ ] made Big Trouble movies. Harmed in the process, I'm sure. Like that scene where you're all tearing my face off of >> growing up and doing [ __ ] big trouble parodies on YouTube >> in the basement. >> How many Yeah. How many years later? Not not our parents' basement, mind you, but how many years later just tells you like the scope of the movie >> in our lives. Like that's if you look at them back to back, it's like [ __ ] the the span of those years. And the fact we're still doing it till this day tells you how important the movie is to us, right? >> It's still in the rotation. You put it on, you know, I put this movie on, I don't know, once a month or something. It's like, [ __ ] even just to have in the background >> just to hear that music. And you got like even more obsessed with it. Ah [ __ ] >> Greetings to you, too. >> I forgot to call, but I was too busy watching Big Trouble in Little China. You're You're looking good. Uh, no glasses. >> Had to pick up a shift at the video store. You know, work is work. You're going to find yourself with no friends at all if you keep watching big trouble of Little China. Get off my back. This really pisses me off to no end. You're his best friend. What's going on? >> I don't know. I mean, I hardly ever see him anymore. >> Ever since he bought that damned fier, he's been obsessed with it. And you know what? When we got it insured, the clerk at the counter said the previous owner had died watching big trouble little China on it. Jesus. Does Adam know about this? Adam doesn't know anything anymore. >> Well, it wasn't all my fault. The haunted VCR played a little bit of a part in that. I guess so. And for the longest time, we only had this VHS. >> I remember buying this. This is my copy. Yeah. I remember buying this at Safeway. >> Yeah. Yeah. Me, too. That's where I got my >> Safeway used to sell movies and this was at like the their movie section. Ah, I bought it. But this isn't the version that I want. Justin has the good version. >> Yeah, you want that one. >> The CBX. Yeah. >> Yeah. And I got this from guy just selling tapes uh at a yard sale for three bucks a piece. And I This was the I think this was the first tape I noticed in his big pile. I was like, so I grabbed it right away. >> That's the one I want. I always thought the images in the back of that they that they chose for these movies were kind of strange. Like to sell you on that. >> Yeah. >> It's kind of odd. Like I always thought that the >> It doesn't tell you much. >> A lot of movies from this era, the images in the back were like not the best ones to sell the movie. >> No. And a lot of times like they're also mirrored. >> Yeah. >> Which is odd. I don't know why they did that. Maybe >> like even this one like they they chose that image for some reason to like >> sell the movie. >> Yeah. >> Two guys looking over their shoulders like >> Yeah. Or like Death Wish they showed Charles Bronson smoking. It's like the hell does that tell you about the movie. Like I don't want to I don't care about seeing him smoking. Speaking of physical copies, I remember the first DVD I ever purchased in my life was The Big Trouble DVD. Two reasons. Number one, it's one of my favorite movies of all time. But number two, like I remember I was looking through the DVDs and there weren't many to choose from when they first started coming out, right? There was the selection is pretty small, but it had this big thick thing and it was like two discs. >> Like, well, [ __ ] Got to buy that. This is still one of the best DVD releases of all time. Yeah, it is. Yeah. >> Not just because there's tons of special features on disc 2, which we'll get into, >> but the menu >> the menu alone is worth buying this DVD for. It's like the cream of the crop DVD menu, which kind of like set the level for DVD menus. >> And they don't make them like that anymore either, which is such a shame. But yeah, like right when it starts and it has the gate, like the doors that close and open, it's like, oh [ __ ] Yeah, like this this movie got me like, oh, DVDs are awesome because of this movie, >> right? Yeah. >> And this was back when DVD menus [ __ ] kicked ass. They were so cool and they and the menu sucked you into the world >> before you even hit play on the movie. >> I remember being so jealous of that. I remember it's like, >> well, I'm jealous of this, so we're okay. >> Where do you get it? >> HMV or >> Oh, HMV. Yeah. And I remember I went there to look and of course nothing. And And then it went out of print almost right away. >> Yeah. >> You couldn't find it, so I had to go on eBay. Second disc with all the cool features, all the deleted scenes and out takes and stuff, which is fantastic. >> But the thing that I didn't know existed was the music video. And I remember there's a music video. >> Yeah. It's like, holy [ __ ] >> And you hit play and it's like, oh man. Like John Carpenter, what are you wearing? Like he's got those glasses with those slits in them, >> the shutter glasses. And we kept thinking like, who's that guy that looks like Adam Sandler playing keyboards? It's like, oh, that's Nick Castle. That's [ __ ] Michael Myers who looks like Adam Sandler in his pajamas playing keyboards and little China singing all falsetto like that's Michael Myers like yeah it's crazy. It shows though like that they're having a blast making it right. It's just so fun. It's just another little extra to this movie. You know >> you got big trouble. >> Only plays during the end credits. It's not like shoved down your face throughout the whole movie. It's only at the end credits. >> And I always remember thinking at the time when I was a kid, it kind of sounded a little out of place cuz you didn't hear it. >> Yeah. >> Before and then this weird song comes in like what's that? >> What the hell? >> The Coupe Deville. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. By the way, Coupe Deville does make a little appearance in the fog. >> The music in this movie is incredible. It's one of my favorite soundtracks from any John Carpenter movie. And it starts from the beginning and it never lets up. >> Yeah. And the funny thing is too is it doesn't really sound like a John Carpenter score because it's in conjunction with Alan Howworth. A weird name to say, Howard, but it's in conjunction with him. So, it's like you can see where he comes into play >> cuz it's a bit more electronic, right? You get more of that kind of like really sequenced d like you can tell where he's coming in to help. So, it's a John Carpenter score, but it's the first one you really hear, I think, Allen's spin on. Like, you can hear you can hear his stamp on it. You compare it to all of John Carpenters's scores that come before it. It's really different. Melodically, it's the same motifs, but it's completely different sounding. Like, you can tell it's like new technology. They've kind of not using the old [ __ ] '7s [ __ ] anymore. They bought new8s. >> No, they had the money for it. >> Yeah, the money using like Kurswell synths and stuff like that. Like, it's a really sequenced. Like, it's a hard-hitting [ __ ] score. perfectly in keeping with the Asian theme as well. >> Oh yeah, the way they use all the Asian sounds. >> Yeah, it's it's great. >> And that's what I think that's what what I meant when I said it's not very carpenter like like he's kind of like >> going outside of his wheelhouse >> but doing such a good job of going outside of his wheelhouse and still staying within the context of this a type of movie he's never made before. >> Right. The score sucks you in. >> Yeah. from the first scene, like we said before, that first scene, it sucks you in. And part of that is the score. It helps to build that world. It gives it like expanse. Does one of the best jobs ever at world building for being a short movie. Like cuz a lot of those big worldbuing movies are like 2 and 1/2 hours long. >> Yeah. You know, this movie is a cool hour and a half and it [ __ ] it does it. It nails it. >> Nails it like in the first two seconds. >> Yeah. you're sucked into the world and you know what world you're living in, right? The world building in this movie is phenomenal. Funny that it hasn't been expanded on more, you know, considering the fandom these days is so crazy. Like you think there'd be all these video games and stuff. No, >> I know. Yeah, there wasn't. Yeah, which is weird. >> There's like one video game that came out in the 80s on like Commodore 64 that time forgot. But when it comes to world building, they did do some other things and that is some comic books that came out which we started collecting. So >> Boom put out like a whole shitload of these big trouble comics and I think I have all of them and they're all pretty damn good. >> Yeah, they're pretty good >> and they take place after the first movie. Yeah, it's a really cool series. Definitely worth picking up but it started to get too expensive after a while cuz like [ __ ] comics aren't cheap like even new ones. Yeah. >> Off the shelf aren't cheap. >> Yeah. >> You know, they're [ __ ] It's expensive hobby. >> Yeah. >> So, I cut it out. >> There was another comic book series that came out after called Old Man Jack. >> Yeah. >> Where Jack Burton's all super old. And it this is actually it's okay, but it didn't suck me in as much as the other one to buy them all and just have this kind of like collection here. And I got this thing here, which Adam bought me for my birthday, which was, you know, if anybody loves the movie as much as we do, you're gonna have to get this because it takes you basically on another ride throughout the whole movie. And like like ah [ __ ] I mean, everybody's seen that picture before, but come on. >> Yeah. >> You know, it's like and it it it basically just delves into all the behind thescenes making of Carpenter with his like >> bell bones. Yeah. One of the things that you may not realize about the movie, what it sees, Lopean knows. That thing was like one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive effect on the whole movie. And it took like weeks to do it and it's only on screen for 30. Yeah. It's like >> max. >> Yeah. And it's like the amount of love and attention that was put into this movie, right? And it's like you you really see that in a book like this. >> Yeah. I think the the movie stood the test of time for many reasons, but one of them, like you said, is the love put into the making of it. And the attention to detail >> in every detail of the movie is like >> you you can probably zoom into any corner of any frame of the movie and you won't see something that's wrong. Like you won't see like, oh that they [ __ ] that up. The devil's in the details. Y >> it's like every shot is perfect. Every little [ __ ] corner of every shot, there's something there that puts you in the world that we're supposed to be in. >> The matte paintings. Yeah. Lan's layer looks like a part of the goddamn world that they're in. It's like that's how incredible it is, right? Big Trouble probably used every piece of movie magic available in the8s, which is one why it's one of the most 80s movies of all time because it used >> every piece of technology that was available to them. Mhm. >> to make the music, make the effects, this that like it's just like it encompasses the8s so well. But it's not dated either. >> No, cuz they don't cram the decade down your throat. The decade. The decade. >> Besides some of the clothing, but even that's kind of like it could be from any decade. >> Like the way Jack dresses isn't necessarily 80s. He's got a little bit of a mullet, but other than that, >> yeah, but not that he kind of has the cool mullet. You got like Wang, he's got a skinny tie, but besides that, it's not super shoved in your face 80s. You know, Eddie Lee's got that jacket that This is how much we love the movie. We go searching at thrift stores for quote Eddie Lee jacket. >> Like, isn't that kind of sick? Like, >> it is a form of sickness. And I and I used to have an Eddie Lee jacket and >> the damn ex-girlfriend [ __ ] took the thing when she moved out. >> Why? I don't know. Cuz I don't think it would have suited her. >> The the whole breakup was of course I was all distraught, but I was like the Eddie Lee jacket. You took my Eddie Lee jacket. >> I remember that jacket. I >> [ __ ] [ __ ] took my Eddie Lee jacket. Yeah, that's the only thing that like you you take from that breakup. It's like ah >> that damn Eddie Lee jacket. And if you've watched the movie as many times as we have, you know exactly what we mean by Eddie Lee Jacket. All the sub characters are so good. All the minor characters memorable. And speaking of the ending of this movie, it's one of those movies that when it's over, you're sad. >> Yeah. cuz you're like the adventure is over. Like you're kind of like >> I don't want to get off this ride. Like you're sad that the ride is over and that's I think why it's so rewatchable because like I don't want it to end. When it does end you're like >> you're sad. >> I don't [ __ ] know. Like I want more. Like so you rewind it and that's why it's so rewatchable because it's just like it like you don't you can't get enough. >> Jack doesn't even kiss Gracie. >> Yeah. Nope. >> So, you don't know if he comes back for her. You don't know any of that. You don't know if the monster at the end gets him. >> Yeah. You don't know nothing. >> It's all so much left up in the air where it's like the perfect movie for a sequel that you don't want to see a sequel for. >> I know. Yeah. Yeah. And And it wrap Yeah. It's It's like it it wraps everything up perfectly, but leaves just enough. Bothers you just enough, right? It kind of bothers you like >> And it's sad. >> It bothers you that it's over. >> Yeah. And it's sad like when you know >> driving alone in the rain and >> Yeah. That's it. >> And the music's kind of sad too. That's why you right after you finish watching it, watch it from the beginning again. >> Yeah. >> Cuz you don't want that ride to be over. >> That's right. I was in I was at San Francisco Chinatown right there. I got like there's pictures of me with my arm on the those heads and all that. It's like I was like a pig and [ __ ] >> It's like Oh. Got him a shirt. Yeah, that's the thing about this movie too is cuz like so the exchange between us two. So you got me a shirt when you went to San Francisco Chinatown. Yeah. >> That says San Francisco Chinatown. >> The shirt you're wearing right now. Who got you that shirt? >> You did. Yeah. >> That book you got there. Who got you that book? >> Yeah. >> That's right. So it's very much like obviously ingrained in our relationship. You know, the fact that we still exchange with each other big trouble merchandise >> merchandise and memorabilia till this day. You know, maybe one day one of us might have a pair of Jack Burton boots. >> Oh yeah, that'd be awesome. Custom made you'd wear you'd have to wear them like with shorts and everything like in your underwear and sleep in them. So there's a little window I think into Big Trump and Little China and what that's meant for us, >> you know, throughout the years. Like this movie is just a huge part of us and our existence and what makes us tick and our sense of humor even. >> Yep. Everything >> and and what we like in movies really stems from this movie. Like because this we think this movie is perfect. So >> yeah, >> any movie will judge by the perfection of Big Trouble. >> Yeah. Yeah, the movie. I think you got it right. Yeah, the movie is perfect. >> Yeah, >> it's like it's very very hard to beat like all the aspects of this movie. And I'm so happy that that godamn remake that they were thinking about making the with The Rock. Of course, I'm so glad it went nowhere cuz this movie does not need anything. >> Doesn't need a remake. Doesn't need a sequel. >> No, it doesn't need a prequel. doesn't need a prequel. Prequel to the prequel to the sequel and this and that. It's like just leave it the [ __ ] alone. >> It should be left alone. So until next time, keep shaking the pillars of heaven. >> Yeah. >> No horse [ __ ] Adam. >> No horror [ __ ] >> What the hell do you want? >> I know about your brother. >> You don't know [ __ ] kid. I know. He died watching Big Trum and Little China on that VCR. My brother died cuz he wanted to. You hung himself with the tape. Same look in his eyes that your friend did. No other CD, Betamax, DVD came between them. If they did, watch out. Had a 5-year-old daughter. Lost her hand in the tape loader. You wouldn't get rid of her. Just sat in the basement watching big trouble without a care in the world except for Christy. Wasn't until Rita killed herself that I interfered. Well, who's Rita? His wife. They give a rat tad about her. She died the same way he did. And I made him get rid of it. You know, for decency. Of course, the VCR came back 3 weeks later. What do you mean came back? What do you mean? Heat up