If you're going to draw inspiration from any particular filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino is a good place to start. He's a cinematic auteur who shows his love for the pulpy films of his youth by smashing up genres and creating something wholly unique. Usually very violent, but unique nonetheless. His influence and love of old school martial arts appears to have spread to Wu-Tang Clan leader, Rza, who is making his directorial debut with the kung fu/western mash-up, The Man with the Iron Fists.
After the gory first photo and today's reveal of the new poster, the trailer has now been released and it looks like a bloodthirsty, stylish masterpiece. Presented by Tarantino, who he worked with on Kill Bill, Rza stars as a renowned blacksmith in feudal China who takes up arms when his village is attacked from what appears to be an evil Lucy Liu. Russell Crowe, who just can't stay away from a good western(The Quick and the Dead, 3:10 to Yuma), plays a Western gunslinger fighting for his own personal cause. Geysers of blood highlight the over-the-top violence, and all of the actors appear to be having a ball. How could they not when Lucy Liu gets to deliver gems like "We'll see who's left standing... and who's on their knees."
Rza's been dreaming up this film since about 2005, and you can tell he's spared no expense in crafting it to his incredibly high standards. Co-written by Eli Roth, the film also stars Jamie Chung, Dave Bautista, Rick Yune, Cung Le, and Pam Grier. There's no release date yet, but Universal is expected to release The Man with the Iron Fists in the fall. Check out the trailer below...
