Search - Nine Deaths of the Ninja on DVD

Horrible DVD transfer, Horrible movie

TheBandit | SEA-TAC | 08/10/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

"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)."

A superb trash flick gets butchered on DVD

Jackie O | Mortville, USA | 08/17/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"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."

I don't get it...

skidplate-x | Huntington Beach, CA United States | 10/17/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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.."

Possibly, the worst movie ever made!!!!!!!

Mark | Boston, Mass | 10/01/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is not only the worst ninja movie and Sho Kosugi movie ever made but it could possibly be the worst movie ever made in the history of cinema. We are talking Ed Wood territory here and beyond. This movie is amazing in its total badness. How these movies ever get made is beyond me."