3. Revenge Of The Ninja (1983)
In the 80's there was a serious trend towards martial art films coming off the success of Kung Fu features from the 70's. One genre in particular was movies based on those elusive assassins known as Ninjas. Upon Western culture learning more about this once secret society of lethal, black clad masters of stealth, Hollywood utilized the VHS format significantly to bombard our senses with stories based on their infamous exploits. One such film was Revenge of the Ninja. Starring iconic Japanese actor Sho Kusugi and martial arts expert Keith Vitali, it was the stand out among the ninja cinema craze that engulfed the West in the early to mid 80's. Although it is considered part of a trilogy, starting with Enter the Ninja (1981) and ending with Ninja III: The Domination (1984), it doesn't really have anything to do with its predecessor or sequel and is just fine as a standalone film. After his family Is brutally murdered by a rival Ninja clan, our protagonist and his son escape to America where they unknowingly becomes part of a major heroin syndicate run by that very same clan. Featuring all of the traits that defined the genre (including some pretty bad acting), it has since been consigned to a bygone era, as has the whole bunch of flicks that came out at the same time. Which is a shame as these films are a great way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon. And if you are into any type of martial arts film, no matter how bad or cheap it may be, then this is required viewing in my book. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9UhtO9_6QU Speaking of Sho Kusugi....