Sept. 22, 2023

Comfort Films 92: Mr. Nice Guy (1997)

Comfort Films 92: Mr. Nice Guy (1997)

For the second of our three martial arts episodes, we welcome back the always brilliant Chris Witty (who guested on our Goodfellas episode) to discuss Mr. Nice Guy and all other things Jackie Chan! We talk about Jackie Chan's boundless energy and all-around talent as a martial artist, acrobatic stunt pro, and comedy genius; the influence of silent film stars Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, comedy greats the Marx Brothers, and dance legend Gene Kelly on the movies of Jackie Chan; Sammo Hung, Chan's equally talented lifelong friend, the director of Mr. Nice Guy, and a huge (no pun intended, if you've seen the guy) influence on the growth and direction of Hong Kong martial arts cinema; and the connections between genre films like westerns, martial arts movies, and exploitation films that make them popular comfort watches for lots of people (including the three of us). Get ready to rumble and give us a listen!

Christopher WittyProfile Photo

Christopher Witty

Chris is a used book dealer, writer, editor and proofreader with a Masters in Creative Writing. Originally from Manchester, England, he recently relocated to Derbyshire with his wife and two daughters. A life long film nut since being taken to watch Return of the Jedi when he was seven, he now juggles an abnormal amount of time between exploring cinema and reading fiction.