Episode 70 — Gymkata: LIVE!

[CameronMascari 329]

Seeing as earwolf teamed up with cracked this seems like the perfect opportunity to share this cracked article about gymkata http://www.cracked.com/article_18996_5-reasons-gymkata-funniest-movie-80s.html

 

Awesome Stuff!

[PhillipMedoc 648]

I hadn't actually listened to the podcast when I made that Mel Brooks comparison; glad to know it wasn't just me. When I first saw this a looong time ago, I thought it was that guy from History Of The World.

[benk 257]

Can't believe you guys didn't talk about this bit of hilarity and comedy missed opportunity:

When Kurt Thomas is attempting to rescue the princess, he defeats some bad guys by swinging on a high bar in an alley, kicking them in the face (they actually just kind of run into his feet). Then he kicks a random innocent dude on a bicycle. Thomas checks on him and says "You'll be ok," and runs off. What is the point of having him kick innocent bicycle dude?

I was totally expecting bicycle dude to be the guy who threw water in Thomas' face, and he'd make a funny comment about stupid Americans or something. But they didn't follow through.

Haha, I was there and wanted to bring that up, but I was too scared/not picked. I love how the innocent passerby takes a kick better than the bad guys.

 

Also gymnastics have some horrifying collateral damage.

[JustinL 216]

I was thrilled to see the guy playing the president, as I recognized him from a movie in the MST3K spinoff series Cinematic Titanic.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9cCRtsgGvo

[Blueman29X 72]

I have a question about guns in the movie. They're supposed to be illegal but a few people still have them. That would mean that guns are fairly easy to smuggle in to Parmistan right? In that case why did Samir not feel the need to get guns for his personal army? In a country where guns are banned, actually having some guns would be incredibly advantageous for a militia.

[Kickpuncher 5012]

This episode was so great, especially the two times where Jason really loses his shit. You really have to see this movie to understand how many things are next level bonkers and/or make no sense within the context of the movie.

 

According to Showalter, everyone in The Twenties is in their twenties. Hmm...

 

I was glad that June brought up the scene where the princess (or Indonesian Isla Fisher, as I came to think of her) speaks for the first time, but she actually undersold what I thought was the most batshit part of the entire movie. Not only was it not in any sort of dramatic moment, but after 15 minutes of her not speaking and him trying to get her to speak, she makes a complete throw-away comment about the razor-shooting gun, and HE HAS NO REACTION AT ALL. It's not even just his usual non-expressive acting, because there was no line where he expresses surprise, and no reaction shot of him.

[Rimmer 8]

Great episode. I'm glad someone finally mentioned that this movie was made by the same director as Enter the Dragon, although I'm surprised it took so long. However, there is an important piece of the story that you missed.

 

You said that the director went from working with Bruce Lee to making Gymkata. But something happened in between. When Robert Clouse made Enter the Dragon, he met funky karate master Jim Kelly. The very next movie Clouse directed was a Jim Kelly vehicle: an extremely HDTGM-worthy Karate blaxploitation flick called Black Belt Jones.

 

And Black Belt Jones is the prequel to a little movie you may have heard of called...

 

*****HOT POTATO!*****

 

That's how it's done, bitches.

[Poika 615]

Great episode. I'm glad someone finally mentioned that this movie was made by the same director as Enter the Dragon, although I'm surprised it took so long. However, there is an important piece of the story that you missed.

 

You said that the director went from working with Bruce Lee to making Gymkata. But something happened in between. When Robert Clouse made Enter the Dragon, he met funky karate master Jim Kelly. The very next movie Clouse directed was a Jim Kelly vehicle: an extremely HDTGM-worthy Karate blaxploitation flick called Black Belt Jones.

 

And Black Belt Jones is the prequel to a little movie you may have heard of called...

 

*****HOT POTATO!*****

 

That's how it's done, bitches.

 

If I had this information, I'd be joining the Earwolf forums too!

[ComedyGangBang 88]

Shouldn't it be called "Gym-rate" (pronounced jim-rah-tay)?

 

Or how bout Gym-jitsu, or Gym-fu, or GymKwonDo?

 

These are all better names than Gymkata.

[grog1138 60]

At 1:17:24 of the Podcast, Chris was right: "Gymkata" is not the proper fusion of the two disciplines. "Gymkate" (The Way of Gymnastics or Kickass Gymnastics) would be better . The lady who "knew" the answer was wrong about the title.

 

She did get the correct definition:

Kata, n, pl

"A system of basic body positioning in movement exercises as in Karate or Judo."

 

Yes, Kata is body positioning exercises that is used to practice martial arts, like Karate. Within the discipline of Karate, there are many Kata. Which are strengthening, balancing and breathing exercises. It's like in the discipline of Gymnastics there are many routines.

 

So if you say "Gymkata", that's like saying "Karate-routine."

 

Here's an example of a Kata in Karate:

 

http://youtu.be/ys2NeiBlk8k

[IHugKittens 53]

Okay, so speaking of likenesses and how the khan looks like Mel Brooks and stuff, I have another one. Okay I know this may sound a bit weird but for some bizarre reason I got a Marky Mark-esque vibe from Kurt Thomas. Marky Mark-esque as in... Marky Mark playing Dirk Diggler playing Brock Landers in Boogie Nights. Maybe this visual similarity works in my head only, I dunno, I hope not.

Anyway here's Marky:

 

And here's Gymkata guy:

 

[thestray 361]

Hm, I think I side more with the lady's explanation. If "Within the discipline of Karate, there are many Kata" as you say, couldn't one say that the kata that Cabbot uses to practice karate is gymnastics influenced kata, a gymkata? I'm not a martial arts expert, but isn't a kata essentially a form within a martial art? He has a gymnastics form, a gymnastics kata, a gymkata? Why am I even talking about this inane shit, haha.

[PhillipMedoc 648]

I'm not a martial arts expert, but...

HAHAHAHahaha.

 

I'm not a scientist either, but I took some kung fu classes years ago. A kata is just a series of moves in a certain order, like do some punching, take a different stance, then some kicking, etc. There's a specific progression to them that everyone performs together. You wouldn't actually use a kata in a fight or anything, they're just for your practice.

[thestray 361]

HAHAHAHahaha.

 

I'm not a scientist either, but I took some kung fu classes years ago. A kata is just a series of moves in a certain order, like do some punching, take a different stance, then some kicking, etc. There's a specific progression to them that everyone performs together. You wouldn't actually use a kata in a fight or anything, they're just for your practice.

 

But in a sense isn't the kata teaching you moves or skills that you would in turn use in a fight? Wouldn't "gymkata" just be a way to describe how he practices karate? Nvm, I have no idea what I'm talking about, "gymkata" is probably wrong like everything else in this movie.

[grog1138 60]

I'm not a scientist either but, I do practice Karate and know a bit about STREET FIGHT-TERS....

 

Gymkata is roughly translated to Gymnastic Routines. The moves the Gym Fighter used in the movie can be parts of the Kata/Routine which he practices with every day. The Kata/Routine showed him the way to pommel horse kick assery. So, instead of "Gymkata," I think the title should be "the Way of Kicking Ass with Gymnastics." You know, like "Way of the Dragon." Or maybe, they did mean to use "Gymkata (Gymnastics Routines)." This IS insane. "Gymkata" does have a nice ring to it.

 

Maybe this flashback will shed some light on it. Remember when cat & beard said:

"You wouldn't actually use a kata in a fight or anything, they're just for your practice."

[IHugKittens 53]

Oh and also, at the banquet when Thorg appears the protagonist gets all excited and says something like "Hey, Thorg, I am Johnathan Cabot, I am a big fan!" to which Thorg doesn't respond. He's a big fan of what? Is Thorg also a gymnast? Or a movie star possibly?

[PhillipMedoc 648]

Oh and also, at the banquet when Thorg appears the protagonist gets all excited and says something like "Hey, Thorg, I am Johnathan Cabot, I am a big fan!" to which Thorg doesn't respond. He's a big fan of what? Is Thorg also a gymnast? Or a movie star possibly?

You mean to tell me that you're not also a big fan of Thorg? I thought we were all Thorg Fan Club members here.

[Blueman29X 72]

HAHAHAHahaha.

 

I'm not a scientist either, but I took some kung fu classes years ago. A kata is just a series of moves in a certain order, like do some punching, take a different stance, then some kicking, etc. There's a specific progression to them that everyone performs together. You wouldn't actually use a kata in a fight or anything, they're just for your practice.

I guess Hollywood must have some pretty poor understanding of what "kata" is, seeing as how in Equilibrium, Christian Bale knows gunkata. Of course, that doesn't really stop him from killing everyone with guns.

[wyldride 285]

Double Gymkata?!? What can this mean?

[ChaseRoper 64]

I like when our hero is told "No guns are allowed in Parmistan. If they find a gun on you, they will cut your head off." Hey, not if he HAS A GUN.

[Blueman29X 72]

Double Gymkata?!? What can this mean?

All the way across the sky?

 

I like when our hero is told "No guns are allowed in Parmistan. If they find a gun on you, they will cut your head off." Hey, not if he HAS A GUN.

I like how despite being told he can't have a gun, he is given one anyway. Granted, it only fires razor blades and never reappears in the film, but the principle still stands.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

You mean to tell me that you're not also a big fan of Thorg? I thought we were all Thorg Fan Club members here.

I've been Team Thorg since the beginning. I don't know about you, but those Team Zamir guys are insufferable assholes. Team Gomez is surprisingly laid back, believe it or not.

[notadoctor 10]

Maybe it's just me, but when they played any audio clip of the Indonesian princess all I could here was Steve Odekerk doing the voice of Ling from "Kung Pow: Enter the Fist."

 

And while we're on that point, can we get a Kickstarter going for the sequel to Gymkata to be made by Odekerk.

[notadoctor 10]

Great episode. I'm glad someone finally mentioned that this movie was made by the same director as Enter the Dragon, although I'm surprised it took so long. However, there is an important piece of the story that you missed.

 

You said that the director went from working with Bruce Lee to making Gymkata. But something happened in between. When Robert Clouse made Enter the Dragon, he met funky karate master Jim Kelly. The very next movie Clouse directed was a Jim Kelly vehicle: an extremely HDTGM-worthy Karate blaxploitation flick called Black Belt Jones.

 

And Black Belt Jones is the prequel to a little movie you may have heard of called...

 

*****HOT POTATO!*****

 

That's how it's done, bitches.

 

Brilliant, I'm reposting this in the corrections and omissions section to make sure Paul sees it.

[wakefresh 689]

Oh and also, at the banquet when Thorg appears the protagonist gets all excited and says something like "Hey, Thorg, I am Johnathan Cabot, I am a big fan!" to which Thorg doesn't respond. He's a big fan of what? Is Thorg also a gymnast? Or a movie star possibly?

 

That was my favorite part as well! What event did Thorg compete in? He looks like a jobber out of the WWF, so unless the Olympic Games had a "sports entertainment" competition, there is no reason for Cabot to be a fan of Thorg.

 

Also, was "Thorg" that guy's first name or last name? I pray to God it was just a stage name.