To the Best of Our Knowledge

FIGHT SCENES

Program 03-03-30-A

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To The Best of Our Knowledge
from Wisconsin Public Radio

Think you know about kung fu movies? Those campy, badly dubbed flicks from the 70s? Sometimes. But they're also graceful, noble, heroic feats of movie making. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge the tiger, the crane, legends of the Shaolin Temple, and the subversive history of the Chinese martial arts movie. We'll find out if Ang Lee got it right in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and give you a list of must see martial arts movies.

Vengeance! (1970)

SEGMENT 1:

Paul Berman has written for The New Republic and the New York Times Magazine. His new book is "Terror and Liberalism." He tells Steve Paulson that Saddam Hussein's Iraq is the intellectual heir of traditional fascist movements. As a man of the Left, Berman is no fan of George Bush but supports the war in Iraq. He says opposing totalitarian regimes is what being on the Left is all about. Also, Tom Paine is the author of a novel called "The Pearl of Kuwait." It follows the experiences of a Vietnamese-American Marine during the first Gulf War. Paine reads from the book and talks with Jim Fleming.

SEGMENT 2:

Pamela Logan has been studying and practicing martial arts for twenty five years. She's a fourth degree black belt in karate. And she's the author of "Among Warriors." The book chronicles her search for the Khampas - a mysterious warrior tribe from Tibet. Logan tells Anne Strainchamps about the Khampas and the benefits of the Tibetan style of prayer by prostration. Also, Richard Cohen fell in love with swordplay while at boarding school. He's a sabre champion and the author of "By the Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers and Olympic Champions." He talks with Jim Fleming.

SEGMENT 3:

Cheng-Sim Lim knows her kung—fu movies. She's the curator of "Heroic Grace: The Chinese Martial Arts Film" at UCLA'S Film and Television archive. She tells Steve Paulson that kung-fu movies go back to the 1920s in China, and have often featured women warriors. And she gives us a list of not-to-be-missed titles.

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