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Without Jackie the night would have just been a showing of Super Cop with extra ten minutes of footage and subtitles. It would have just been a night to peruse a vast collection of martial art posters from the Kick Ass! Kung Fu Posters From the Stephen Chin going on until late August. That collection is amazing for it's grabs for attention, smutty looks and the different ways you could lie and say Bruce Lee was in the film. Just being Lee Bruce or Bruce Li seemed to work.
The night was all about Jackie and hearing him talk with host Geoff Boucher was priceless and tickets only being five dollars didn't hurt. An Academy Salute To Jackie Chan was a times a stand up act with a very physical comedian.
Jackie went through the fear and anxiety and hard work he went through to achieve grabbing onto a helicopter ladder while it was in the air. The scene was met with more astonishment when the audience saw it later that evening. Planning for it started a year before it happened, but Jackie show he's heart beating more and more as it came closer to the scene with the use of his hand going up and down on his chest. "... move the cars, move the cars" he exclaimed. "If I fall and die I'd rather not be run over", Jackie went on to which the audience burst out laughing over the helicopter scene planning. The helicopter scene seemed like a very recent memory to Jackie even though it's now more than 20 years old.
"I don't know what these machines do", " I own so many machines , but no one knows how to use them". When Jackie went over his career and film making he went over how, in his own words, how stupid he was to do the amazing stunts that made him famous. He didn't have the money for special effects. When he did and when his company was doing really well they had no idea how to use "the machines" in his films. Geoff asked what "the machines" were to wich Jackie replied, "You don't know" , sighed and fell back into his chair. Jackie not using "the machines" made him push himself a little bit more to do more stunts.
He said today's film are so much better an easier to do. "Spider-Man, Iron Man and Superman they all cut those flying scenes together, if we did it back then we'd have to do it in all one take". Jackie also surprised us with his detailed visit to James Cameron's Avatar set, which Jackie marveled at as there was nothing there. Later, Jackie met James himself and explained how he just nodded his head and agreed to whatever James was saying. Jackie then turned to the audience and told how someone must of lied about how well he knew English. He didn't understand a thing James went on about and eventually excused himself so he wouldn't get caught.
Jackie went over how even he was cast in Bruce Lee movies that he was the star of and Lee was dead. Jackie changed his image to be different from so many repeaters of Lee. So Jackie switched it up. Lee kicked high so he kicked low. Lee would rub his thumb with his nose, which Jackie acted out for everyone to laughter. Jackie would shake his hand after hitting someone which made him more relatable. The audience could seem themselves as Jackie. In addition his films gave more comedic moments so everyone could enjoy. Jackie doesn't win right away in his films.
That night Jackie did win or showed how he was already a winner with the fans there that praised him and his huge wealth of stories that continued for so long there was no Q and A.
Jackie ended by telling the audience he just wrapped up the latest Police Story film and that he'd like to do Rush Hour 4 with Sylvester Stallone as a buddy movie. Chris Tucker would come back too. Odd as Rush Hour 4 is a go, but Jackie likes to leave you laughing and misinformed.
Jackie continues he's stay in LA with a Hand and Footprint Ceremony at the Chinese Theater June 6th at 10am. Then he's off to New York starting next week for the Jackie Chan Experience which is already sold out.
