So where have I been? True story… on my way to posting new features I was attacked by ninjas and they ate my homework! But seriously, in the ‘good problem to have’ vein, occasionally you don’t have time to write … Continued
If you lived through the 1980s ninja craze, an un-welcomed bi-product of all that wicked awesomeness was the negative media attention it often attracted, including critical malcontents from within. How many times did you read or hear some sentiment along … Continued
Around 15 years ago I scored some souvenir movie programs and marketing flyers from Japan, mostly to get ahold of a Ninja III: The Domination piece. While it didn’t present any sort of new imagery or info, I was fascinated … Continued
Here’s an obscure little ditty from a 1964 issue of Newsweek magazine — a mini-spotlight on Japan’s ninja boom as part of the international round-up section of the issue. Presented here in it’s entirety for your reading pleasure: Note the … Continued
Sarutobi Sasuke is a character that emerged from the mists of ancient lore and historical inspiration to Kodan narrative storytelling and since adapted into every popular medium that followed — kamishibai, kabuki, manga, silent film, anime, TV, video games and … Continued
I was honored to do a guest spot on the HEROES THREE Podcast this week. These seven year vets covering all things martial arts cinema and Hong Kong action took a step out of their usual comfort zone this summer … Continued
Since this site started I’ve collected every instance of knock-offs and rip-offs of the iconic Sho Kosugi jump kick from the Enter the Ninja marketing I can find. Been a while since I’ve dumped them on here though, so here’s … Continued
I boot up the old Roku last weekend, and HEY! Look at all this new ninja stuff streaming! Ninja Kamui is currently on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block, and Netflix’s House of Ninjas has dropped. And while I really don’t … Continued
I’ve been a fan of Rob Hill’s exhaustive yet easily digestible film analysis on YouTube for a while now, but he recently hit it out of the park with this humbling hour-long master-class on the ninja movie boom. Watch now … Continued
The Moment Forty years ago… a time when a pay-cable service like HBO would have half-hour monthly trailer shows previewing the new batch of arriving movies. I’m a highly impressionable 14-year old watching a guy catch arrows in his teeth … Continued