The Wu-Tang Clan mastermind screened a chop-socky masterpiece at LACMA — here are 10 tidbits from a lively evening
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The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop empire built on a foundation of kung fu movies — and last night at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the RZA detailed some of the connections. First on the bill: a screening of the 1978 Shaw Brothers classic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which had a resurgence of popularity in 1993 because of the Wu-Tang debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Then the Wu-Tang’s producer/leader and Elvis Mitchell (curator of the presenting organization, Film Independent at LACMA) engaged in a half-hour conversation about the movie’s influence on the musician’s life and art. The RZA, looking sharp in a fresh white button-down shirt and dark blue jeans, discussed how he had spent a lifetime studying every aspect of kung-fu movies; here are 10 highlights.