New York Ninja (2021 reconstruction of abandoned 1984 film)
09-11-21, 09:06 PM
#1
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New York Ninja (2021 reconstruction of abandoned 1984 film)
Internationally acclaimed and film focused genre cinema home video distributor, Vinegar Syndrome, is proud to announce the formation of Vinegar Syndrome Pictures. VSP is a fresh sub-branding dedicated specifically to the production and distribution of carefully curated, often daring, first fun, genre-based feature films exclusively photographed on motion picture film.
VSP's initial release slate will kick off with NEW YORK NINJA, a wild action comedy originally directed by and starring John Liu, and produced by legendary New York exploitation producer Arthur Schweitzer. While NINJA was shot entirely on 35mm in 1984, the project was abandoned during production resulting in all original sound materials, scripts and treatments going missing. The rights and unedited original negative were subsequently acquired by Vinegar Syndrome, who have meticulously constructed and completed the film, enlisting the talents of genre film superstars Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Michael Berryman and Cynthia Rothrock to voice the leads. NINJA will receive its world festival premiere this Fall where it will be presented by Vinegar Syndrome's Kurtis Spieler, who spearheaded the project, with additional details on home video and digital distribution to be announced.
VSP's initial release slate will kick off with NEW YORK NINJA, a wild action comedy originally directed by and starring John Liu, and produced by legendary New York exploitation producer Arthur Schweitzer. While NINJA was shot entirely on 35mm in 1984, the project was abandoned during production resulting in all original sound materials, scripts and treatments going missing. The rights and unedited original negative were subsequently acquired by Vinegar Syndrome, who have meticulously constructed and completed the film, enlisting the talents of genre film superstars Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Michael Berryman and Cynthia Rothrock to voice the leads. NINJA will receive its world festival premiere this Fall where it will be presented by Vinegar Syndrome's Kurtis Spieler, who spearheaded the project, with additional details on home video and digital distribution to be announced.
Looks and sounds like a blast.
Last edited by Dan; 09-11-21 at 09:12 PM.
09-12-21, 08:31 AM
#2
DVD Talk Legend
Re: New York Ninja (2021 reconstruction of abandoned 1984 film)
I'm in! Looks like a fun film (and project)
I love that these lost films are still being found by distributors.
Reminds me of what Garagehouse Pictures did with Ninja Busters (1984)
I love that these lost films are still being found by distributors.
Reminds me of what Garagehouse Pictures did with Ninja Busters (1984)
09-12-21, 09:44 AM
#3
Re: New York Ninja (2021 reconstruction of abandoned 1984 film)
Could not have said it better. Yeah this looks like fun. It is amazing that these can still be found.
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asianxcore (09-19-21)
09-12-21, 09:46 AM
#4
DVD Talk Legend
Re: New York Ninja (2021 reconstruction of abandoned 1984 film)
Its a really cool idea for Vinegar Syndrome to branch out like this as a company but I wonder will this get a release just at smaller independent theaters and revival houses? Will they find more movies like this to save and reconstruct?
09-14-21, 07:15 AM
#6
DVD Talk Legend
Re: New York Ninja (2021 reconstruction of abandoned 1984 film)
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/pages/vsp
Internationally acclaimed and film focused genre cinema home video distributor, Vinegar Syndrome, is proud to announce the formation of Vinegar Syndrome Pictures. VSP is a fresh sub-branding dedicated specifically to the production and distribution of carefully curated, often daring, first fun, genre-based feature films exclusively photographed on motion picture film...
Following NINJA, VSP, in association with Magnolia Pictures, will present the world 4K UHD Home Video Debut of Prano Bailey-Bond's critically acclaimed, stunningly beautiful, and highly unnerving 35mm lensed psychological thriller, CENSOR, which includes stock footage from the Vinegar Syndrome vault including FROZEN SCREAM! VSP's deluxe and extra features packed UHD/Blu-ray special edition will be available for pre-order exclusively from VinegarSyndrome.com later this month, and will come housed in a limited edition rigid slipbox with newly commissioned artwork.
In addition to NEW YORK NINJA and CENSOR, VSP is preparing several additional titles for both home video as well theatrical distribution and is planning to enter pre-production on a new feature film this Winter.
Following NINJA, VSP, in association with Magnolia Pictures, will present the world 4K UHD Home Video Debut of Prano Bailey-Bond's critically acclaimed, stunningly beautiful, and highly unnerving 35mm lensed psychological thriller, CENSOR, which includes stock footage from the Vinegar Syndrome vault including FROZEN SCREAM! VSP's deluxe and extra features packed UHD/Blu-ray special edition will be available for pre-order exclusively from VinegarSyndrome.com later this month, and will come housed in a limited edition rigid slipbox with newly commissioned artwork.
In addition to NEW YORK NINJA and CENSOR, VSP is preparing several additional titles for both home video as well theatrical distribution and is planning to enter pre-production on a new feature film this Winter.
What's interesting to me about New York Ninja isn't just that they had no sound, but they also had no script, and also sounds like no assembled cut of the film. So they basically had a bunch of various scenes and had to reconstruct their relationship to each other and the likely order they were to be placed in. I wonder if they hired someone to lip-read to reconstruct the dialogue, and used that to help figure out the story and scene placement.
09-14-21, 07:40 AM
#7
DVD Talk Legend
Re: New York Ninja (2021 reconstruction of abandoned 1984 film)
Oh I'm in! I get a Toxic Avenger vibe with the crowd and their ninja love like "I love the monster hero"
09-14-21, 12:01 PM
#8
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: New York Ninja (2021 reconstruction of abandoned 1984 film)
This looks like fun. I'll also second the recommendation of the work Garagehouse did with NINJA BUSTERS. I'd imagine there are plenty of movies like these that just fell by the wayside for various reasons. On the NINJA BUSTERS disc there are interviews (and liner notes) that reference a discovery of tons of old film reels in a storage facility (or some such) in Arizona – I think? They were allowed to load up a truck with as many canisters as possible within a limited period of time. BUSTERS sounded like the most intact of the bunch, but they hinted at plenty of other stuff. Surely a similar story exists around the discovery of NEW YORK NINJA? I'd love to see more finds like this, albeit maybe without the "celebrity" voiceovers but if that's what it takes to get them distributed, have at it. It would be cool if they were able to track John Liu down for his participation, either in assembling the film or an interview for the inevitable blu-ray to explain what happened. Not sure producer Arthur Schweitzer is even still alive (?).
John Liu's other films are fun for fans of early 80's martial arts vanity projects, of which there were many. After a modest career in Taiwanese martial arts pictures, he directed three of his own, ostensibly to showcase his 'Zen Kwan Do' style, but I don't think they were particularly successful, which prompted him to exit the industry. Here's his ZEN KWAN DO STRIKES PARIS (in which he plays himself!), which might give an idea of his filmmaking style (albeit dubbed into Spanish without English subs):
John Liu's other films are fun for fans of early 80's martial arts vanity projects, of which there were many. After a modest career in Taiwanese martial arts pictures, he directed three of his own, ostensibly to showcase his 'Zen Kwan Do' style, but I don't think they were particularly successful, which prompted him to exit the industry. Here's his ZEN KWAN DO STRIKES PARIS (in which he plays himself!), which might give an idea of his filmmaking style (albeit dubbed into Spanish without English subs):
11-06-21, 09:08 PM
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Re: New York Ninja (2021 reconstruction of abandoned 1984 film)
I just ordered the blu-ray off of Vinegar Syndrome's website. The price goes up after November 8th and the packaging is amazing just like what you would expect from Vinegar Syndrome.
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/collecti...new-york-ninja
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/collecti...new-york-ninja
