Talking ninja movies with Fanatical Dragon
I had a blast talking ninja movies and their actual place in the larger martial arts realm with East Asian cinema expert and frequent disc commentator The Fanatical Dragon. It’s looooong, and honestly primarily audio in nature (who wants to … Continued
Ink, Paper and Shadows: A Look At Vintage Japanese Ninja Books
There were a hundred or more movies and TV shows delivering a consistent, almost branded, ninja idiom in Japan during their 60s craze. Entering 2026, we have access to more of that astounding vintage media than ever before, and posterity … Continued
REVIEW — Sasuke: The Complete Television Series
We’ve been basking in a Golden Age of 1960s-era Japanese ninja media becoming available for the first time in English, and this awesome run continues with a bang as AnimEigo is now shipping the 3-disc blu of Shirato Sanpei‘s 1968 … Continued
A Random VN Video Recommendation Dump
While I’ve had all sorts of cool-ass ninjering going on in the shadows, I still can’t reveal anything, and its been too long without a post. So here’s some superlative vids that have come along lately, some of which I’ve … Continued
Much Ninjering Going On, Some in Secret…
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
1917… A Good Year For Ninja?
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
A Japanese Take on America’s Ninja Boom
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
Ninja in NEWSWEEK
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
Psychedelic Sasuke in English for the first time
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
Life is better on THE PLANET OF THE OWLS
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