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Cannon Films

A Japanese Take on America’s Ninja Boom
27 Dec 2024

A Japanese Take on America’s Ninja Boom

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV | 0

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

AMERICAN NINJA, Cannon Films, Ninja III: The Domination, Ninja Mission, Sho Kosugi, Yasu Kurata
The only reason any of us are even here is REVENGE…
17 Sep 2023

The only reason any of us are even here is REVENGE…

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV | 0

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

Cannon Films, REVENGE OF THE NINJA, Sam Firstenberg, Sho Kosugi, Steve Lambert
MIKE STONE: ‘THE FIRST NINJA’
10 Jun 2021

MIKE STONE: ‘THE FIRST NINJA’

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV | 0

“Aloha friends, another beautiful day in paradise.” It’s how Mike Stone begins every post on Facebook from his home in the Philippines, where he’s currently working with a writer on an extensive biography of his storied life and career(s). He’s … Continued

AMERICAN NINJA, Cannon Films, Enter the Ninja, Franco Nero, Mike Stone, Sho Kosugi, Tadashi Yamashita
REVIEW: The Cannon Film Guide
10 Aug 2020

REVIEW: The Cannon Film Guide

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 2 - Books and Manga | 0

If there’s one speck of light in the dark months of the pandemic shutdown, it’s been some great quarantine reading for fans of Cannon Films, and that continues with Austin Trunick‘s The Cannon Film Guide Volume 1: 1980—1984. After an … Continued

Cannon Films, Sam Firstenberg, Sho Kosugi
Life stories of the Cannon-eers
17 Apr 2020

Life stories of the Cannon-eers

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 2 - Books and Manga | 0

As we enter a second month of shutdowns and quarantines (if we live in one of the smart spots of the world, that is) one’s ‘to-be-read’ book stack is probably dwindling. So it’s a great time to check out the … Continued

Cannon Films, REVENGE OF THE NINJA, Sam Firstenberg, Steve Lambert
New from Kosugi and Firstenberg
7 May 2017

New from Kosugi and Firstenberg

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 2 - Books and Manga, 6 - History and Martial Arts | 0

Sho Kosugi returns to home video with a series of training DVDs via Masters Magazine! An expansion on his 1980’s VHS release Master Class, The Art of Hollywood Ninja Action Film Making is a five part ‘course’ on ninja-centric choreography and … Continued

Cannon Films, Sam Fistenberg, Sho Kosugi
3 Feb 2012

ENTER THE NINJA press kit

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV | 4

Cannon’s 1981 press kit for Enter the Ninja featured newspaper-ready B&W ad mats and a 30-page document heralding, and I quote: …the first Western film to deal solely with the mysterious and elusive art of Ninjutsu. It will set the … Continued

Cannon Films, Enter the Ninja, Mike Stone, Sho Kosugi
1 Feb 2012

Re-enter ENTER THE NINJA

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV | 0

(REVISED) There’s almost 30 years spanning the two home video releases of the movie you see above. THREE DECADES! Just as we’re facing the death of DVD and brick-and-mortar video retail in general, we finally have Enter the Ninja commercially … Continued

Cannon Films, Enter the Ninja, Sho Kosugi
29 Jan 2012

The Credits that Launched a Craze

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV | 1

Slammed as I’ve been, I just now got around to watching the MGM DVD-On-Demand of Enter the Ninja. Full review and some other ETN bonuses going up later this week, but in the meantime let’s just take a moment to … Continued

Cannon Films, Enter the Ninja, Mike Stone, Sho Kosugi

Welcome to VINTAGE NINJA — dedicated to old ninja media from Japan’s 60s boom to the 80s American exploitation craze, and beyond — with a ton of ninja movies, vintage toys, comics, and sharp pointy stuff thrown in for good measure.

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