There are people still in shock, and mourning the all-too
sudden and way too soon passing of martial arts legend and film star Jim Kelly.
As I said when I reported his death back in late June, there are so many people who “reveled in his talent, his grace and his undeniable
swagger,” and I also recommended some films that anyone who is unfamiliar with Kelly (poor souls) could check out (HERE).
Even Michael Jai
White wrote a poignant tribute to Kelly which I posted HERE.
However, as a tribute, and to keep the spirit and
inspiration of Kelly alive, on Saturday August
17 in Chicago, there will be a
special Jim Kelly Day of film screenings, discussions and martial art demonstrations.
All you need to know you can read right here:
To celebrate the iconic cinematic presence of the late Jim Kelly, the black martial arts movie
star best known for his role opposite Bruce
Lee in Enter the Dragon and
whose character helped defined this period of martial arts action cinema, Chatham 14 Theaters, Black World Cinema,
the Chicago Cinema Society, and South Side Projections are excited to
present a daylong celebration of his life and films. The day culminates in a
screening of Enter Dragon, on the 40th anniversary of its release.
The film lineup includes films for martial arts fans of
all ages. Feature films consist of The
Karate Kid (the 2010 remake) and two of Jim Kelly’s films, Black Belt Jones (1974) and Enter the Dragon (1973). The celebration also includes a rare screening of the short
film South Side Warriors (2002), about the martial arts
tradition on Chicago’s south side; it focuses on the late Hamza Gregory Jaco, father of the
award-winning hip-hop artist, Lupe
Fiasco
Between the films, martial arts schools from the Chicago
area will do demonstrations in the theater lobby, and local karate masters such
as 1967 Grand National Karate Champion,
Master Jimmie Jones, student of the infamous Count Dante, who knew both Jim
Kelly and Bruce Lee, will attend the
screenings and to lead discussions and introduce the films.
Others include Master
Ted Jones who will introduce Enter the Dragon, Master Anthony Muhammad, who will present demonstrations and fans
of martial arts cinema of all ages.
An all-day pass costs $10, or individual tickets are
available for $6 each. The morning screening of The Karate Kid is free for
children under 15.
The
full schedule is as follows at Chatham 14 theaters (210 W. 87th st
Chicago)
11:45am:
Children’s karate demonstration
12:00pm:
The Karate Kid
2:30pm:
Martial arts demonstrations in the lobby
3:00pm:
South Side Warriors screening and discussion with Jaco family and martial
artists portrayed in the film
4:00pm:
Black Belt Jones screening and discussion with local martial artists
6:30pm:
Enter the Dragon screening and discussion
And someone on YouTube has posted a pretty sweet video tribute.to Kelly. Check it out.
