Reviews (1)

Wonderfully peculiar horror exploitation
Set in the wild forests of the Northwest, this film starts off like a serious horror film. Geroge Kennedy brings a real emotional gravity to the film as the father whose daughter is kidnapped by a giant ape in the film's truly scary first scene.
He comes back intending to find and kill the ape but runs into a group of teens out thrill-seeking for Bigfoot, including the well-meaning hero and heroine. Suddenly, two gorgeous girls (one is Michelle Bauer) show up, strip and sunbathe topless. They too are attacked by the ape. Now pay attention. People start turning into zombies and heading for a giant cave in a mountainside. Here we learn that the apes are not really apes but humans who are controlled by aliens trying to get enough slave labor to fix their spacecraft; and as a very sexy perverse thrill, these aliens are stripping beautiful young women and doing Aztec-type cut-out-your-heart human sacrifices. Our heroine is very prettily being prepared for the next ritual, and the hero must find some way into the cave, past the weird slave/zombie/apes. and into the spacecraft to rescue her.
The film is strange and twisted and quite entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Meow
I'm an old die hard fan of Sho. This movie must have put him in sum serious bankruptcy. Not even close to Master Lee, but atleast Sho doesn't Chuck up the speed of the camera. I thought the renegade soldiers were the best actors. I treated myself to a very special dinner because I was able to finish the rest of the movie. I still have the DVD, WHY! because it was my first DVD and I thought about it. I've watched it once about a year ago and have forgotten how cheesey it is so, I think I'll watch it again to see what the cheesey plot was about, you know what...if they didn't waste their time making cheesey movies that only ptupid seople would buy they could give all this wasted money to the homeless.

Fantastic Movie - But bad DVD
The movie is an excellent piece of celluloid, yet this DVD version leaves much to be desired.

I don't get it...
AS much as I want to agree with Mr. Jack Anderon's review of this movie, I can't, cuz I just dont get it! How could anyone who enjoyed Fried Green Tomoatoes like this movie?!? Actually I change my mind because a better question is how couldn't they!?!? This movie is Fantastic!! I do feel jipped though, because of all the Sho Kosugi movies that I know of, this maybe the only one I hadn't seen previously, so my first viewing was of the DVD version, which as I have read in other reviews, is highly cut up. But I feel the other reviewers do judge it a little too harshly, as this movie has some classic scenes of modern cinematography, Including: The Kung-Fu Midget Fight, The Sickly Guy Jumping Through A Table and Dying(?), and the mullet-ridden kung-fu dancing girls of the opening credits. Hopefully if the sales are enough, they will re-release some of the other Sho greats such as: Pray for Death (my Favorite), any of the Revenge or Enter the Ninjas, and.. well.. thats about it that i want, they already released Black Eagle, and thats about all I know of..

A superb trash flick gets butchered on DVD
My first viewing of "9 Deaths of the Ninja" came via a grainy, taped-off-cable Beta tape recorded years ago. The movie itself is a cheesy delight and required viewing for any true lover of bad cinema. This baby is bursting at the seams with deplorable acting (including what is unquestionably the WORST fake accent in film history), gratuitous nudity, wild kung-fu action sequences, and a threadbare plot that's both laughably absurd and impossible to follow. "Serious" martial arts fans who detest this movie need to get a clue: "9 Deaths of the Ninja" is without a doubt the most entertaining ninja film of the 80's.

Needless to say, when I discovered the film on DVD...I was overjoyed. No more endless tracking adjustments on my Beta machine! I promptly purchased the disc and headed home, eager to see a crisp version of one of my favorite obscurities.

Of course, this was all too good to be true. The Rhino reissue is tremendously edited, with ALL of the sleazy nudity removed from the print. This causes the film to be even more confusing and nonsensical than ever, as entire scenes are missing. Even more astounding is that certain scenes containing mild violence are removed, while the more graphic ones remain intact. Additionally, all swearing has been edited out (even though there was precious little to begin with). At one point the word "crap" is censored. Lame.

Even more insulting is the fact that the transfer is extremely muddy, rendering many scenes unwatchable. Truth be told, my 15-year-old Beta tape looks better than this.

As a consumer, I feel cheated. As a rabid "9 Deaths of the Ninja" fan, I feel heartbroken. The only thing saving this DVD from a one-star rating is the fact that, even in this lobotomized form, "9 Deaths of the Ninja" makes for an entertaining experience. It helps if you've never seen the film before and don't know what you're missing.

I'm not sure if the video version is censored, but I would recommend searching your local video store for a rental copy. Fans of trashy B-movies will not be disappointed. Stay away from the DVD, however. Even the low price can't justify this atrocity.

Horrible DVD transfer, Horrible movie
Sho Kosugi made some very entertaining Ninja movies in the '80s. This is NOT one of them. Perhaps you've seen "Enter the Ninja", "Revenge of the Ninja", or "Ninja III: The Domination"? Well, DON'T expect that level of quality from this film. The incomprehensible story is a waste of time. The sole enjoyable scene involves Sho fighting off four Kung-Fu midgets.

As for the DVD itself... Oh boy, how can I say this... It is simply the WORST looking AND sounding DVD I've ever bought. It is pan-and-scan and is frequently so DARK it is hard to tell what is going on. There are no extras, just chapter search. SPECIAL NOTE: To emphasize the shoddiness of this disc, I must point out something-- there was a scene where profanity had been bleeped out, making me wonder if they used the network TV version (the rating on the case says R, but it has obviously been altered). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Enchanting Martial Arts Comedy
This movie rocks the world! It's about three overconfident kids who think they can beat adults at martial arts, but believe it or not, they can! Not to be confused with 3 Ninjas, a pale comparison, this movie combines the best of 5th grader mayhem, a la Home Alone, and martial arts action. The villain in this movie is an excellent actor, and quite skilled in the use of plastic swords. He "must have the map!" A must have for the whole family! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A REAL NAIL-BITER
move over bruce lee, chuck norris & all you other wannabees, doug ivan has arrived!!! this movie has it all!!! special effects, drama, realistic fight scenes, ever-twisting plot, suprise ending!!! definitly a classic!! it's so exciting, you'll have to keep pushing the pause button so you can go pee!!
'i smell an oscar!!!'

Worst Ninja Movie ever
This steaming pile of excrement stars the one and only Doug Ivan as the half Japanese, half Italian ninja Kwanji. I won't waste any time describing the plot of this movie, just know that the force of the ninja involves running away from the bad guys until they get tired of chasing and give up. Only then does Kwanji leap from the shadows to deliver the death blow, usually in the form of foam Chinese stars. If you do rent this movie, if you can even find it, make sure you watch the previews, they are the funniest 10 minutes of film I have ever seen. This movie deserves no stars, but one is as low as this thing lets me go. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Meow
I'm an old die hard fan of Sho. This movie must have put him in sum serious bankruptcy. Not even close to Master Lee, but atleast Sho doesn't Chuck up the speed of the camera. I thought the renegade soldiers were the best actors. I treated myself to a very special dinner because I was able to finish the rest of the movie. I still have the DVD, WHY! because it was my first DVD and I thought about it. I've watched it once about a year ago and have forgotten how cheesey it is so, I think I'll watch it again to see what the cheesey plot was about, you know what...if they didn't waste their time making cheesey movies that only ptupid seople would buy they could give all this wasted money to the homeless.

Fantastic Movie - But bad DVD
The movie is an excellent piece of celluloid, yet this DVD version leaves much to be desired.

I don't get it...
AS much as I want to agree with Mr. Jack Anderon's review of this movie, I can't, cuz I just dont get it! How could anyone who enjoyed Fried Green Tomoatoes like this movie?!? Actually I change my mind because a better question is how couldn't they!?!? This movie is Fantastic!! I do feel jipped though, because of all the Sho Kosugi movies that I know of, this maybe the only one I hadn't seen previously, so my first viewing was of the DVD version, which as I have read in other reviews, is highly cut up. But I feel the other reviewers do judge it a little too harshly, as this movie has some classic scenes of modern cinematography, Including: The Kung-Fu Midget Fight, The Sickly Guy Jumping Through A Table and Dying(?), and the mullet-ridden kung-fu dancing girls of the opening credits. Hopefully if the sales are enough, they will re-release some of the other Sho greats such as: Pray for Death (my Favorite), any of the Revenge or Enter the Ninjas, and.. well.. thats about it that i want, they already released Black Eagle, and thats about all I know of..

A superb trash flick gets butchered on DVD
My first viewing of "9 Deaths of the Ninja" came via a grainy, taped-off-cable Beta tape recorded years ago. The movie itself is a cheesy delight and required viewing for any true lover of bad cinema. This baby is bursting at the seams with deplorable acting (including what is unquestionably the WORST fake accent in film history), gratuitous nudity, wild kung-fu action sequences, and a threadbare plot that's both laughably absurd and impossible to follow. "Serious" martial arts fans who detest this movie need to get a clue: "9 Deaths of the Ninja" is without a doubt the most entertaining ninja film of the 80's.

Needless to say, when I discovered the film on DVD...I was overjoyed. No more endless tracking adjustments on my Beta machine! I promptly purchased the disc and headed home, eager to see a crisp version of one of my favorite obscurities.

Of course, this was all too good to be true. The Rhino reissue is tremendously edited, with ALL of the sleazy nudity removed from the print. This causes the film to be even more confusing and nonsensical than ever, as entire scenes are missing. Even more astounding is that certain scenes containing mild violence are removed, while the more graphic ones remain intact. Additionally, all swearing has been edited out (even though there was precious little to begin with). At one point the word "crap" is censored. Lame.

Even more insulting is the fact that the transfer is extremely muddy, rendering many scenes unwatchable. Truth be told, my 15-year-old Beta tape looks better than this.

As a consumer, I feel cheated. As a rabid "9 Deaths of the Ninja" fan, I feel heartbroken. The only thing saving this DVD from a one-star rating is the fact that, even in this lobotomized form, "9 Deaths of the Ninja" makes for an entertaining experience. It helps if you've never seen the film before and don't know what you're missing.

I'm not sure if the video version is censored, but I would recommend searching your local video store for a rental copy. Fans of trashy B-movies will not be disappointed. Stay away from the DVD, however. Even the low price can't justify this atrocity.

Horrible DVD transfer, Horrible movie
Sho Kosugi made some very entertaining Ninja movies in the '80s. This is NOT one of them. Perhaps you've seen "Enter the Ninja", "Revenge of the Ninja", or "Ninja III: The Domination"? Well, DON'T expect that level of quality from this film. The incomprehensible story is a waste of time. The sole enjoyable scene involves Sho fighting off four Kung-Fu midgets.

As for the DVD itself... Oh boy, how can I say this... It is simply the WORST looking AND sounding DVD I've ever bought. It is pan-and-scan and is frequently so DARK it is hard to tell what is going on. There are no extras, just chapter search. SPECIAL NOTE: To emphasize the shoddiness of this disc, I must point out something-- there was a scene where profanity had been bleeped out, making me wonder if they used the network TV version (the rating on the case says R, but it has obviously been altered). ... Read more