NEW YORK NINJA (1984/2021)

NEW YORK NINJA is truly a cinematic oddity. Originally shot in 1984 by John Liu, the film was abandoned before completion and lost for decades. In 2021, production company Vinegar Syndrome rediscovered the footage and painstakingly reconstructed the film, dubbing new voices for the original silent reels. The result is a bizarre but joyous time capsule of 80s guerrilla filmmaking, mixing vigilante action with surreal absurdity.

What makes NEW YORK NINJA interesting is not just its campy plot about a sound technician who becomes a ninja vigilante after his wife’s murder, but its resurrection story. Critics and fans celebrate it as a triumph of film preservation and a reminder that even forgotten, unfinished projects can find new life.

Its release turned it into an instant cult sensation, hailed as both an unintentional comedy and a sincere love letter to DIY action cinema. See it in all its 80s ninjasploitation glory at FOMO Secret Cinema!