Childhood Kung-Fu Crew Reunites to Finish Movie After 47 Years!

In Liverpool, a group of childhood friends recently completed a project that began nearly half a century ago. Back in the 1970s, Paul Sudbury and his friends spent their days making short movies around their home at Gerard Gardens. Paul, who is now 62, dreamed of becoming Liverpool's version of Steven Spielberg. He was especially inspired by Bruce Lee and wanted to make a kung-fu movie called 'Big Boss. ' Using a Super-8 cine camera he bought for £7. 50 in 1976, Paul and his friends filmed action scenes around their neighborhood. After filming, Paul would invite his friends to watch the movies and charge them 10p each, using the money to buy more film reels for future projects.

However, Paul's filmmaking came to a sudden stop when his father passed away. The loss was hard for him, and he put away his camera, leaving 'Big Boss' unfinished. Decades went by, and the friends grew older, each following their own path. Then, Paul learned that one of the original cast members, Ian Sallery, was returning from Australia for a family visit. This news inspired Paul to reunite the group and finally finish the movie they had started as kids. Ian, Paul Birchall, and John Tyson joined Paul and his son John to film the final scenes. Sadly, Tony Gandy, another original cast member, had passed away in 2020.

The group filmed the last scenes near the now-demolished Churchill Way flyover, the same area where they had filmed as teenagers. Even though they were now in their 50s and 60s, they recreated the kung-fu scenes with the same enthusiasm as before. Paul said it felt like they were 14 again, and they laughed a lot because the fight scenes looked more like a comedy than serious action. Paul never became a Hollywood filmmaker, instead working in banking, but he described the premiere of 'Big Boss' at The Museum of Liverpool as a dream come true. Watching the finished movie was emotional for him. Paul also made documentaries, including one about Gerard Gardens, which was shown at the museum to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The event also featured a model of the old tenement buildings by historian Ged Fagan, bringing back memories of the close-knit community where the friends grew up. Their story is a touching reminder of the power of friendship and the joy of revisiting childhood dreams.