As a kid martial art films were the best of the best, but what trumped them all were Ninja movies. They were the elite warrior spies that used magic against their enemies. My first memory of my first Ninja movie was Michael Dudikoff in American Ninja. That one scene where he sat down in the enemy base while doing some meditation and then with a puff of smoke instantly turned into a super ninja. That blew my mind as a kid, which to me was my first Super Sentai Transformation. Today something magical came to in an e-mail telling me about Old School Kung Fu Fest 2015, which will consist of 14 classic Ninja Movies going from April 16-19. My mind exploded with this awesome news. Check out this amazing trailer!
A message from a Hidden Ninja compound!
The Old School Kung Fu Fest, a four-day celebration of the rarest, wildest, and most incredible martial arts and action cinema from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s is back at the Anthology Film Archives for its 5th edition, which is dedicated to the deadliest fighter of them all…the ninja!
Since the dawn of time, man’s natural predator has been the ninja. Hiding in your shower, crouching behind your laptop, clinging to your back — the ninja is everywhere. What killed the dinosaurs? Ninja. What battles great white shark? Ninja. Who is buying flowers for your mom? Probably ninja. But ninja is not vampire! Ninja can be filmed! This year’s Old School Kung Fu Fest examines this crazy natural phenomena of ninja with 14 movies that show you this sneaky fighter in the only place where he cannot shoot throwing stars into your eyes: on the movie screen!
There are serious black-and-white ninjas in the original ninja films Shinobi No Mono Parts 1 & 2 (1962 and 1963), super-noir ninjas in 1965’s Samurai Spy, party-colored crazy ninjas from the go-go 80s like American Ninja 1 & 2 and then be entered, revenged, and dominated by Cannon’s essential ninja trilogy: Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination. Watch brave Chinese people fight ninjas with their guts in Shaw Brothers movies like Five Element Ninjas! See ninjas fly on kites in Duel to the Death! You must see all the ninjas! Because to fight ninja, first you must understand ninja.
The Old School Kung Fu Fest 2015: Enter the Ninjas! is curated by Subway Cinema’s programming team, consisting of Samuel Jamier, Rufus de Rham, and Goran Topalovic.
We’re deeply grateful for the support of the Kenneth A. Cowin Foundation, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office New York, Mizu Shochu, and Mass Appeal.
Screening materials provided by the American Genre Film Archive, Animeigo, Celestial Pictures, Fortune Star, Kino Lorber, Park Circus, Shochiku, and Toei.
Raffle prizes provided by Blue Snake Books, IDW Publishing, and Well Go USA Entertainment.
Old School Teaser Poster designed by Jerry Ma (Epic Proportions)
Special thanks to Crystal Decker Orren, Jesse Falowitz , Dan Halstead, Devin Power-Bearden, and Keith Allison(Teleport City).
WARNING: do not be scared. Ninja are only in movie and cannot hurt you. They are not actually giant. Except in Duel to the Death.
Oh my god this is going to be the ultimate martial arts movie festival and the added bonus of seeing classic movies without CGI involved. Old school effects with amazing action to boot. However these are the films being showcased.
AMERICAN NINJA
(1985, USA, 95min, 35mm)
Directed by Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, John Fujioka, Judie Aronson.
AMERICAN NINJA 2: THE CONFRONTATION
(1987, USA, 90min, 35mm)
Directed by Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, Jeff Weston, Gary Conway, Michelle Botes.
DUEL TO THE DEATH生死決
(1983, Hong Kong, 83min, DCP, in Cantonese with English subtitles)
Directed by Ching Siu-tung
Starring: Norman Chu Siu-Keung, Damian Lau Chung-Yan
ENTER THE NINJA
(1981, USA, 100min, 35mm)
Directed by Menahem Golan
Starring: Franco Nero, Susan George, Sho Kosugi, Christopher George.
FIVE ELEMENT NINJAS, aka CHINESE SUPER NINJAS五遁忍術
(1982, Hong Kong, 103 minutes, 35mm, in Mandarin with English subtitles)
Directed by Chang Cheh
Starring: Ricky Cheng Tien Chi, Lo Meng, Lung Tien-chiang
A LIFE OF NINJA亡命忍者
(1983, Taiwan, 88 min, 35mm, in Mandarin with English subtitles)
Directed by Lee Tso-nam
Starring:Chen Kuan-tai, Elsa Yeung, Yasuaki Kurata, Peng Kong, World Wrestling Champion Wong Kin-mi
NINJA III: THE DOMINATION
(1984, USA, 92min, 35mm)
Directed by Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Sho Kosugi, Lucinda Dickey, Jordan Bennett, James Hong.
REVENGE OF THE NINJA
(1983, USA, 90min, Digital projection)
Directed by Sam Firstenberg
Starring: Sho Kosugi, Keith Vitali, Virgil Frye.
SAMURAI SPY 異聞猿飛佐助
(1965, Japan, 100min, 35mm, in Japanese with live English subtitles)
Directed by Masahiro Shinoda
Starring: Koji Takahashi, Shintaro Ishihara, Eitaro Ozawa, Kei Sato, Mutsuhiro Toura, Tetsuro Tanba, Eiji Okada
SEVENTEEN NINJA
(1963, Japan, 98min, 35mm, in Japanese with live English subtitles)
Directed by Yasuto Hasegawa
Cast: Kotaro Satomi, Jushiro Konoe, Yuriko Mishima, Ryutaro Otomo.
SHINOBI NO MONO, aka A BAND OF ASSASSINS 忍びの者
(1962, Japan, 105min, Digital projection, in Japanese with English subtitles)
Directed by Satsuo Yamamoto
Starring: Raizo Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Yunosuke Ito.
SHINOBI NO MONO 2: VENGEANCE 続・忍びの者
(1963, Japan, 93min, Digital projection, in Japanese with English subtitles)
Directed by Satsuo Yamamoto
Starring: Raizo Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Tomisaburo Wakayama.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
(1990, USA/Hong Kong, 93min, 35mm)
Directed by Steve Barron
Starring: Judith Hoag, Corey Feldman, Elias Koteas, Sam Rockwell
And apparently there is a super secret screening that they shall not reveal, but they do drop some hints that make me suspicious.
If this has intrigued your inner jutsu then please direct your attention to the pre-sale information by clicking this link http://oldschool15.brownpapertickets.com/. I hope to see you that the Kung Fu Fest to enjoy some classic Ninja arts. Remember things kick off starting April 16th through April 19th. Stay frosty ninjas!
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