Kung Fu Matinees Returns to The Philadelphia Film Center, Featuring a Lineup of Five Kung Fu Classics
Kung Fu Matinees Returns to The Philadelphia Film Center, Featuring a Lineup of Five Kung Fu Classics
Before streaming, before Blu-ray, before DVD — there was Kung Fu Theater. Every weekend, a generation of Philadelphians planted themselves in front of CRT televisions to watch bone-crunching, jaw-dropping martial arts cinema, and now those classics are coming back where they truly belong: the big screen.
Kung Fu Matinees, presented by Reel Nomadic in collaboration with the Philadelphia Film Society, returns for its second season to the Philadelphia Film Center (1412 Chestnut) this August, running every Saturday at 1 PM (with Sunday reprises) through mid-September. Seven legendary films. Seven weekends. One love letter to the golden era of martial arts cinema.
“The series is really a love letter to the experience so many Philadelphians had growing up watching kung fu movies on CRT televisions through local ‘Kung Fu Theater’ broadcasts, cable movie channels, and VHS rentals,” says the team behind the series. “We’re excited to bring those classics back to where they belong — the big screen — with a new generation of audiences.”
The Lineup
The 36th Chambers of Shaolin
August 8 & 9
The Magic Blade
August 15 & 16
Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
August 22 & 23rd
Once Upon a Time in China Trilogy
August 22 & Sept. 5
Challenge of The Tiger
August 29, Sept. 6
Tickets
Single tickets are $14, or $9 for Philadelphia Film Society members. The “Pick Four” bundle is available at $40 ($32 for members) — the obvious move if you’re planning to make this a regular Saturday ritual, which honestly you should.
Whether you grew up on these films or you’re discovering them for the first time on the big screen, Kung Fu Matinees is the kind of cinematic experience that doesn’t come around often. Grab your tickets at filmadelphia.org.
