the buzz log

Real estate is a precious commodity in overcrowded Hong Kong. So it's not entirely startling to learn that Bruce Lee's old crib can be rented to couples by the hour.

But the love nest's hours are numbered. Officials took advantage of the 36th anniversary of Lee's death this week (which pushed up searches on Yahoo! 645% for the late martial arts actor) to announce that they're converting the 5,600-square-foot townhouse again, this time into a museum. And the design will be decided the right way—by a death match in a Roman Coliseum.

Well, okay, no death match. However there will be an "Ideas Competition for Bruce Lee's Residence" open to the public. Aspiring architects who want to sketch out a master plan for an exhibition center, AV-room, library, souvenir shop, and kung fu corner have to register by August 31. Entry deadline's October 15, and the winners get notified some time around Lee's November birthday.

There is a catch: Pros will be separated from the average Joes, and an honest-to-goodness architect can win $13,000 for a kick-arse design. From the looks of the contest's fine print, though, winners of the "Open Group" just get trophies, honor, and maybe a book of Chuck Norris facts. (All right, no book. Maybe a yellow jumpsuit.)

Those who can't draw a straight line to save their life could still get involved in honoring the American-born actor. His siblings have bestowed approval—first time ever—on a biopic series, to be done by a Chinese company. Or, if you want a project closer to home, the Broadway-bound Bruce Lee musical's still in development.

Worse-case scenario, you can try to book one last hour at the love motel. That'll be $30, please.

Filed under: Movies, Martial Arts, Museums, Architects, China, Design

Okay, so, like, in a fight, who would win: a panda or a commando-trained hair stylist? The Buzz Multiplex turns into the Octagon this weekend, with a cuddly ailuropoda melanoleuca on one side, and Adam Sandler on the other. Meanwhile, as the blockbusters battle for box office dominance, a Mongol warrior quietly rises among the limited releases.

1. "Kung Fu Panda" (PG). Better than "Shrek"? That's the murmuring from critics, who sound almost surprised about how much they like the latest from Dreamworks. Searchers, though, have been spoiling for a good panda fight since October of 2007. Both males and females are interested and its no wonder -- the family movie of the week stars Jack Black, as well as Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and Angelina Jolie. Among the cooing reviews, Time critic Richard Corliss traces the movies' critters and insider references to their Hong Kong '70s film inspirations—a few of which starred Jackie Chan, the voice of Monkey. The film's fidelity to martial arts may explain the surge in "kung fu" searches.  

2. " You Don't Mess with the Zohan" (PG-13). Adam Sandler trims down and buffs up as a Mossad Israeli soldier who resurfaces in his dream gig as a New York hairstylist. The comedy has become a Rohrshach humor test: Rolling Stones pines for a Groucho Marxist satirical twist and the New York Times raves about it being the "finest post-Zionist action-hairdressing sex comedy." With a cast that includes John Turturro, Mariah Carey and, well, Rob Schneider, "Zohan" lands among the top 7,500 searches thanks to males (65%). One man probably not in the pro-Zohan group: Mel Gibson. Fox News reports that Sandler is doling comic payback to Mr. Gibson for his drunken outburst two years back. Hair stylists never forget.

3. "Mongol" (R, limited release). Not since John Wayne... well, let's forget about that biopic. The life of Genghis Khan gets another big-screen retelling, this time from a Russian director. NYT calls this first in a trilogy a "big, ponderous epic"—but in a good way. Searches have risen 93%, but overall interest is mild.

Filed under: Movies, Martial Arts, Cartoons

Back off, Grasshopper. After decades of kung faux, the small screen is going all-out for the fighting arts. The Buzz Dojo counts four offerings this August, with nary an Octagon in sight.

MTV reality show "Final Fu" sticks to the rules with traditional points scoring and sparring restrictions. The show's combatants have been leaning towards the taekwondo discipline, which explains why that fighting style ranks number one in the Buzz martial arts category. Despite its corny title, the program has tussled its way into our top 15,000 searches and host Ernie Reyes, Jr. earned Buzz too, up 21% this week.

In between all the spandex on FitTV, documentary "Deadly Arts" features a Canadian martial globe-trotter doing a Jacques Cousteau in the fighting world. The six-part show hits four of the most popular martial-arts forms in Search—Karate, Aikido, Capoeira, and Muay Thai—as well as some esoteric styles. The "Deadly" documentary originally aired on the National Geographic Channel. Now, the channel looks inward in the upcoming "Fight Science," in which a special lab dissects the finest martial arts forms. The lab took more than a year to build...didn't anyone tell them about the 36 chambers?

Equal opportunity knocks and knocks-out. The Oxygen Network skips the catfights and aims straight for the carotid with "Fight Girls," which is now registering a Buzz blip on the radar. No mixing of martial arts here: The estrogen-pumped version trains seven ladies in Muay Thai, from the deserts of Las Vegas to the jungles of Thailand. Now that's hot.

Filed under: TV, Martial Arts