Revenge Of The Ninja (1983) Uncut Version?

[MattC]

I just read on here that there's a cut and uncut version of this movie. Anyone know any details on what's in the uncut version that wasn't in the cut version?

[Tigerstyles]

Start using Google

1983 US action film by Sam Firstenberg. See IMDb

Passed 18 uncut after the BBFC waived their cuts for:

UK 2011 Optimum/Elevation R2 DVD at UK Amazon

The US release is uncut and MPAA R Rated for:

US 2003 MGM R1 DVD at US Amazon

Summary Review: Lost Classic

An influential work that may be the pinnacle of the American ninja genre.

A legendary ninja Cho Osaki (Sho Kosugi) is forced to flee Japan when all of his family bar his infant son and his Mother are mercilessly executed. Arriving in America Cho looks to establish a new life for his and his family and settle down. But when a string of mysterious murders point towards Cho his ninja identity is compromised and he discovers that he is being hunted by a deadly enemy.

There are some great stunts from Sho who in one chase scene is hanging on to the back of a van and takes a nasty tumble to the climax of the film, the great skyscraper roof-top duel with his American partner; this scene is probably responsible for a lot of fans claiming it to be the best Ninja film ever made.

Presumably the pre-cut US VHS was passed 18 after a further 57s of BBFC cuts for:

UK 1986 VCI VHS

From IMDb:

The US VHS cut scenes include:

In the opening scene when Sho Kosugi's family is murdered, a ninja throws a star at his older son. As he falls, you see a close-up of the star stuck in his head.

When Sho Kosugi stabs Brayden in the stomach, blood spurts out for about a good 5-10 seconds before Sho slices his mask in half.

Towards the end, when Brayden (evil ninja) hears someone in the stairwell. In the cut version, all you see is Brayden open the door and throw a smoke bomb. The un-cut version has the scene followed by Brayden slicing up both men, including cutting off one of their hands.

The last cut scene is when Brayden comes down through the ceiling and stabs two guards in the head with mini-spears.

[Tigerstyles]

The Australian Video version (released by Syme Video) has all censored scenes intact. The scene where Cho's son gets a Ninja Star in the head is intact, the cut scenes of violence at the end of the film between Cho and Braden that most versions worldwide don't have are uncut in the Australian Video version.

The UK cinema version was cut by over 5 minutes and the video received a further 57 secs of cuts. Among the footage removed were all shots of throwing stars and nunchakus, plus additional cuts to kicks, blows, a blowpipe scene and the fight in the gymnasium. The cuts were fully waived for the 2011 Optimum DVD.

The version of the film that aired on pay cable channels in the mid 80s (HBO, Showtime and Cinemax)was the full uncut version containing all of the scenes that for some reason were missing on the VHS editions. Those channels used the print that was shown theatrically and not the same print used on the home video versions

In the version seen on cable premium channels but edited on video, when Sho stabs Brayden in the stomach, blood spurts out for about a good 5-10 seconds before Sho slices his mask in half. In the video version, this is cut out.

Other deleted scenes in the movie include the following:

In the opening scene when Sho Kosugi's family is murdered, a ninja throws a star at his older son. As he falls, you see a close-up of the star stuck in his head. Next is toward the end, when Brayden (evil ninja) hears someone in the stairwell. In the cut version, all you see is Brayden open the door and throw a smoke bomb. The un-cut version has the scene followed by Brayden slicing up both men, including cutting off one of their hands.

The last cut scene is when Brayden comes down through the celing and stabs two guards in the head with mini-spears.

The DVD released by MGM contains all the gore the was edited from the VHS version including Brayden's slightly longer death sequence.

[MattC]

Thanks for the info!

[ZoSo]

Ahhh one of my all time favorites, posted about it on my blog quite a while ago.

http://faces-of-fu.blogspot.com/2010/01/review-revenge-of-ninja-1983.html

The video linked in the blog is the cut version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VM8EQGv6ok

This is the uncut ending with the brutal blood spray.

[ShaOW!linDude]

Hmmm. I don't recall any version I've ever seen as having any cuts except for the bloodspray in the end fight. I just watched the clip Zoso was kind enough to post and I've definitely never seen that. What's the big deal?

[andy338]

Love this movie too!!! I have the UK Optimum release now but i'd seen the cut version dozens of times as a kid and I was amazed at how much had been missing. In the UK the whole nunchaku scene had been removed (as nunchakus were cut out of everything for many years!) and so seeing it now is great. Enter the Ninja was another film that was butchered by the UK censors that thankfully has been (almost) restored - it's missing 1minute 5 seconds for animal cruelty (cock fighting).

Anybody know if Pray for Death will ever get a decent (uncut) release, again i've only seen the UK version and according to the BBFC there was 3 minutes 43 seconds missing (:

[Guest Markgway]

I had a Spanish dub of Pray of Death that was uncut.

I've only seen a handful of Kosugi movies and can't say I cared for any of them.

[shaolin swords]

the first time i saw revenge of the ninja it was the uncut one the one with the blood spraying all over at the end that was 1986 or 1987 it was on tv.all the other times i saw the movie it was the one without the blood spraying all over it does make a big diffrence.this movie brings back some memories as a kid i found the uncut version at cduniverse.com if any body wants a copy you can buy it there.

[Tigerstyles]

Here's the uncut Greek pray for death ending the other main scenes are on the same account

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?v=Y3u2d0IAEZw

[chanbara]

For anyone who might be wondering, the new Kino Lorber Blu Ray contains the original "uncut" version of the film. This is the same version as the MGM DVD release. The difference being that the Blu Ray presents the film it the theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 as opposed to the 4:3 open matte home video print (which had more image top and bottom). The Blu Ray print looks really good by the way.

I was hoping they'd include some deleted scenes as extras (seen in various stills), but no such luck. Here's one such scene from the edited-for-TV version:

The extras on the Kino Lorber release include the theatrical trailer, a pretty cool new intro from director Sam Firstenberg, and a so-so commentary track from Firstenberg and stunt coordinator Steven Lambert. Firstenberg's comments, when he's actually allowed to speak and can get in a few words in a row before being interrupted by Lambert, is for the most part informative and entertaining, but the same cannot be said for his counterpart, the film's stunt coordinator and stuntman Steven Lambert. Let me preface this by saying that I have nothing but respect and admiration for stuntmen and stuntwomen who have long been the unsung heroes of action films, often putting their lives on the line to put together and execute exciting and dangerous stunts. They rarely get the praise they deserve. Unfortunately, Lambert takes it upon himself to give himself praise for stuff he didn't do. Before watching the commentary I'd read a few reviews that said he was annoyingly pointing out ad nausea every time he was doing something on screen in a 'look at me, look at me' way, but I didn't expect that he'd be claiming stuff that simply isn't true.

Listening to him you'd think he was the real star and real director of the film. It was so over the top that it was often laughable. But that wasn't the part that was the most bothersome, it was his false claims about being the sole "Masked Ninja" double in the film. I fully expected him to (at the very least) point out who the real "Masked Ninja" double was fighting Sho Kosugi in the finale, which was Sho's real-life student, a black belt and weapons expert named Eddie Tse. Not only do the film's credits state this fact but Sho himself said so back in 1983-84 in a number of interviews he did to promote the film, along with revealing the he also donned the silver mask in other scenes:

Sho Kosugi: "Except for the final duel between me and the (silver masked) black ninja, I do the fighting for both the good and bad ninja," Kosugi explains. "In the final duel, I fight my student, Eddie Tse (doubling for Arthur Roberts). The rest of the time, I'm doing the evil ninja. I change my style, make it more evil, more viscous. I can't use the same techniques or the same movements for both parts, or everybody will notice. So when I play the (silver masked) black ninja, I'm more evil. When I play Cho, I'm calmer. I hide my art more."

Source: http://www.shokosugitheninja.com/IKFTMN_Sep1984.htm

This was also confirmed by co-star Keith Vitali in this interview:

Keith Vitali: "Cannon offered me the starring role with Sho Kosugi and I had a great experience making the film on location in Salt Lake City in Utah. Sho was obsessed with weapons and made most of the weapons used in the film himself. He was pretty much a control freak on the set. He actually played both parts, the good Ninja and the bad Ninja with the mask and had total control of all choreography."

Source: http://budomate.com/keith-vitali-interview/

In what seems to be a Brian Williams style embellishment, Lambert is now claiming that not only did he do stunts like crashing through windows and jumping off the building, but that he was behind the silver mask in every scene (never once mentioning Sho or Eddie Tse) and was the one fighting Sho throughout the final scene! Amazingly Firstenberg and Lambert mention Alan Amiel (another of Sho's students) when they see his name in the credits, but fail to say anything about the fact that the credit right below that clearly says Masked Ninja Double...Eddie Tse! After taking the credit himself, I suppose it's not that surprising that Lambert didn't mention it, but come on.

Anyway, suffice it to say that I suggest taking everything that Lambert says during the commentary with a grain of salt. Personally, I'm taking it with a big tablespoon of salt. Watching the film with Lambert's non-stop self-congratulatory comments it was obvious that he was full of himself. Unfortunately, by the time it was over, it was clear that he was full of something else too.