New York Ninja
UW Cinematheque 821 University Ave., UW Vilas Hall, Room 4070, Madison, Wisconsin
media release: USA | 2021 | 35mm | 93 min.
Director: John Liu, Kurtis Spieler; Cast: John Liu, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Leon Isaac Kennedy
When his wife is brutally murdered, sound technician John (co-director John Liu) dons a white ninja outfit and becomes a sword-wielding vigilante hell bent on cleaning up the streets of New York. John soon finds himself the target of every criminal in the city, including a mysterious villain known as The Plutonium Killer. Originally filmed in 1984, this was the lone American project for John Liu, a Taiwanese martial arts actor known for his work in several Hong Kong action movies. Abandoned before production was completed, Liu’s footage for New York Ninja remained untouched for 35 years and all original sound materials were lost entirely over the ensuing decades. The unedited picture was finally assembled in 2019 and a number of genre-friendly actors - Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock, and Leon Isaac Kennedy, among many others - loaned their voice talents in order to complete this one-of-a-kind experience, presented here on a new 35mm print!
Admission free for all screenings, seating limited. No admission 15 minutes after scheduled start times. Please visit our website for a complete listing of programs and descriptions.