Originally filmed in 1984, John Liu's “New York Ninja” was left unfinished as the martial arts standout lacked the resources to have the film completed, and shortly after decided to retire from show business all together. Cut to the current year, where Vinegar Syndrome was able to get a copy of the unfinished negatives and soon realized that the film was a hidden gem ripe for re release to the modern crowd of cinephiles who embrace the absurdity of 80s over-the-top schlock. In order to remaster the film required all new audio and soundtrack, and to best capture the aesthetic of the period, Vinegar Syndrome relied on the talents of cult icons like Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Linnea Quigley, Cynthia Rothrock, Ginger Lynn Allen and Michael Berryman, along with music by Voyag3r to breathe new life into the long-lost film. The result, a perfect midnight film that has the rivals other cult darlings like “Miami Connection” and “Samurai Cop”.
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Through Vinegar Syndrome
You can also catch New York Ninja in cinemas:
Los Angeles, California (01/17)
Boulder, Colorado (01/21)
Chicago, Illinois (01/27)
Santa Ana, California (02/04)
New York, New York (02/10)
Seattle, Washington (02/18)
Iowa City, Iowa (02/23)
Tempe, Arizona (02/26)
Seattle, Washington (03/06)
…With many, many more to be announced!
New York city has been overrun by punks, shaking down kids for money and abducting women for sex trafficking. To make matters worse, the man behind orchestrating the kidnappings has a fetish for uranium and killing women with his radioactive touch. However, when sound technician John loses his fiancée in a kidnapping attempt, they awaken vengeance personified… They awake the “New York Ninja”. As the police continue to prove ineffective against the crimes plaguing the city, the general public starts to revere the vigilante as their only hope from cleaning the streets of the deviants that have turned New York into a living nightmare.
An unprecedented project to resurrect, a categorically, long lost b-action movie which if left in the gutter would have gone unmissed. Notably, existing without audio the production is something few would have touched, let along painstakingly construct in a style fitting of the film's initial planned release period. Arguably, “New York Ninja” can be categorized as a 2021 release, in the sense of how much work had to be done to get it up to standard to be released by today terms, yet, the it still lovingly captures that 80's aesthetic with refined precision. Consequently, the production's existence as both a discovery and love letter to the era of 80's cheese permeates the entire experience- wrapping it a lush layer of nostalgia that Vinegar Syndrome has become known for curating.
Much of this nostalgia rests in the dub and score, with the voices of iconic actors of the era being the apt choice in recapturing the time period. However, this also extends to the ‘rabble', with a bulk of the audio being a group of men just incoherently uttering and laughing, with the odd expletive or derogatory term becoming audible. Acting to distinguish who will just be easy fodder for the New York Ninja, the set up of deplorable human waste (apparent in their criminally inept fashion choices) , their grunts and harassment of women is the quintessential 80's cue to bring in the hero to kick some ass. The score, which is always present, is a divine mix of retro-wave and trashy 80's synths that perfectly sets the scene – there are a few tracks that stand on their own giving the soundtrack itself cult appeal.
Narrative wise, the script feels like it is torn from the pages of comics and mashed up with the slew of martial arts films that dominated action in the 80's and 90's. The easiest comparison to comic culture would be the use of cartoonish gang members that seem to overrun the city, but the most apt interpretation comes from the radioactive powered villain and his chauffer, a dandy named Rattail (master of the ‘drunken sword' technique) both bringing a sense of cartoonish villainy into the gritty story. Conversely, the action will feel familiar to fans of American action films of the era, albeit with some added flair through ninja gadgets and inventive use of reverse shots. These two elements combined give the production a very American vibe despite the director having worked largely in the East as an actor and director.
Feeling like the perfect blend of camp and action, “New York Ninja” does have a few elements holding it back that may not have it see the success of other notable ‘so bad its good cinema'. Notably, the movie lacks quotable moments that makes films such as “The Room” and “Birdemic” popular by inviting the audience to spout out there favorite lines of dialogue on revisits. However, it needs to be noted that this comes from the action heavy focus of the production and less in the dub itself. At the same time, it does leave one to wonder how much of the dialogue is close to the original, information that is likely to become apparent on the special features once the film is released. Perhaps the biggest taboo to overcome will be the abundance of violence towards women, a fact which is understandable given the time period but may upset modern sentiments in what people are looking for in cult cinema.
Ultimately, “New York Ninja” is an impressive feat in reconstruction and a riotous time that will have you screaming “I love the New York Ninja” (a slogan that comes with the film as the denizens start dawning unofficial merch). Undeniably, the film is perfect for the midnight crowd and is the ideal film for a movie night with like minded cinephiles who embrace 80's campiness and absurdity – an easy pick for annual viewing as well. So plan a ninja themed party, throw this one on and get your friends pumped for this new cult phenomenon.
