The Arrival of Multiplexes and Asian Mainstream

In this section, we turn to Asian cinema, starting with "Touch of Zen", which was an inspiration for "Iron Monkey" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". We see the rise of kung fu films, with Bruce Lee and the shift to masculine films in the 1970s.

By the 1980s, John Woo brought shoot-outs inspired by Kurosawa and Peckinpah, and all of these influences came together in the fight scenes of "The Matrix". Today we have Hark Tsui, the Asian Spielberg, director of over 40 films (not all of which are good).

For India, "Sholay" was the colossus of 1970s cinema. At over three hours, it is also a colossal time investment.

Stateside, the 1970s brought American record-breaking blockbusters -- "Exorcist", "Jaws" and "Star Wars". I love the strong reaction to "The Exorcist", as well as the work that went into it. Oddly, William Friedkin was dating Howard Hawks' daughter and was inspired by Hawks -- much like John Carpenter would be within a few years. I feel Hawks' role in horror is something that ought to be more examined.