CINEmelma: [ninja] enter the ninja

In Enter the Ninja (anche noto come L'invincibile Ninja) Franco Nero ed un suo amico, dopo aver combattuto in una qualche guerra d'Africa per il gusto di farlo, si perdono di vista. Uno va a vivere nelle Filippine (dove, da quel che si capisce, campa facendo l'ubriacone: si vede che là li pagano...), mentre Franco Nero va in Giappone, dove diventa maestro di ninjitsu.
Dopo aver completato l'addestramento va a trovare l'amico e lo trova invischiato in un mare di guai a causa di una gang locale che terrorizza e taglieggia gli abitanti della zona.

L'improbabile ninja Franco Nero si mette quindi sulle tracce del capo della gang, che gli scatenerà contro un suo ex compagno di classe al corso di ninjitsu ()niente meno che Shô Kosugi), al quale Franco Nero stava sui maroni perché secondo lui un occidentale non ha il diritto di vestirsi come un ~~deficiente~~ ninja.

Grandi combattimenti! Intrighi! Amore! Sesso! Avventura! Tutto questo e molto di più in questo film, se solo avrete l'accortezza di vederlo da sbronzi.

Diretto da Menahem Golan (Delta Force e Over the Top, per dirne due) si propone come una nuova strada per il genere ninja-trash, dopo quanto offerto dai maestri del taglia-e-incolla Godfrey Ho e Joseph Lai e super-produzioni (?) orientali come The Super Ninja.

Voto: 3. Trashometro^® 9/10: Trash doloroso: 9/10

Tags: ninja, franco nero, filippine, trash.

Golan, Menahem

Data di nascita: 31 May 1929

Ultimi lavori:

Children of Wax (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]
Yamim Shel Ahava (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]
"Ahava Ze Koev" (2004) .... Dana's Dad [attore]
Final Combat (2003) .... [regista]
Crime and Punishment (2002) .... (producer) [produttore]
Ha-Shiva MeHodu (2002) .... (producer) [produttore]
Death Game (2001) .... (producer) [produttore]
After Sex (2000) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
Escape to Grizzly Mountain (2000) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
Kumite (2000) .... (producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
Menahem Golan was born Menahem Globus to parents of Polish decent in Tiberias, Israel, in May 1929. In his early years, he was a pilot for the fledgling Israeli Air Force, changing his surname to Golan for patriotic reasons in 1948. A few years later, he took the first step towards his future career by attending the Old Vic Theatre School in London. After returning to Israel, he produced for theater, until joining producer Roger Corman as an assistant on The Young Racers (1963). Golan's debut film in partnership with his younger cousin Yoram Globus was El Dorado (1963). The two cousins set up Noah Films to produce for the Israeli market. Golan's role was as producer and the creative partner, with Globus as the financial expert. The company was first recognized overseas when its production Sallah Shabati (1964) won an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and then won the Golden Globe in the same category in 1965. However, the cousins were desperate to break into the international market. Some of their films had been picked up for distribution in America, such as Kazablan (1974) by MGM, but this was not enough.In 1979 the pair bought control of a failing production company, The Cannon Group Inc., from Dennis Friedland and Christopher C. Dewey, and it was this company that gave them international renown. Under their control, the Cannon Group grew from a small company making a few obscure pictures a year to a studio that produced 35 pictures in 1987 alone. They developed a large, independent, and international empire, with production, distribution, and exhibition interests across Europe. Golan and Globus hit their peak with Cannon in the mid-1980s, signing Sylvester Stallone for a record US$13 million in 1983 for Over the Top (1987) and purchasing the UK's Thorn-EMI Screen Entertainment in 1986. This last deal led to their ownership of the ABC cinema circuit and Elstree Studios in Britain. However, by 1987, the money was starting to run out. Many of their movies were not making enough at the box office despite the cousins' wide cinema ownership, and they had taken on a lot of debt during their rapid growth, making more expensive pictures in the process. They were initially rescued by Warner Bros., which took distribution rights to Cannon's better films--for example, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), based on a character that Warner already owned--and also took an interest in some of its assets. The end of Cannon came in 1989 when, virtually bankrupt, the company was bought by the now-disgraced financier Giancarlo Parretti and renamed Pathé Communications (after the new MGM-Pathé collapsed in 1992, Globus produced pictures with Christopher Pearce, which were released under a resurrected Cannon Pictures label. The last of these was American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1993) before the company folded for good).Golan fell out with Parretti and Globus, leaving Pathé, and starting 21st Century Pictures. He produced a number of films that received widespread distribution, such as Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994) and Captain America (1991), but by the mid-1990s this company had folded, too. Golan's name was later linked with other new companies, such as International Dynamic Pictures and Magic Entertainment, and he rejoined cousin Yoram for both. However, the two soon fell out again and went their separate ways, with Golan writing and directing for other producers in the interim. Golan's latest company is New Cannon Inc., and his recent works include _Crime and Punishment (2002/I)_ and Shiva MeHodu, Ha- (2002). Unfortunately for his fans, it now seems unlikely that Golan will recreate the success of his heyday. Menahem Golan has long been criticized (sometimes unfairly) for an emphasis on quantity rather than quality. It's true that some of the movies he has produced have been laughable or unwatchable. However, now out of the limelight of a critical industry, some of his company's once-derided films have achieved cult status, such as Mona Lisa (1986), Godfrey Reggio's Powaqqatsi (1988), and the "Lemon Popsicle" series. Golan's ongoing drive, energy, and past contribution to the world of cinema will undoubtedly and belatedly be recognized for the achievement this represents.

Trivia random: Cousin of Yoram Globus.
Citazione random: "If you make an American film with a beginning, a middle and an end, with a budget of less than five million dollars, you must be an idiot to lose money."

Nero, Franco

Nome di battesimo: Sparanero, Francesco
Data di nascita: 23 November 1941
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)

Ultimi lavori:

The Inquiry (2006) .... [attore]
Summer Solstice (2005) (TV) .... Lorenzo [attore]
Guardiani delle nuvole (2004) .... [attore]
Post coitum (2004) .... Bakchus, photographer [attore]
Cattive inclinazioni (2003) .... Vagrant [attore]
Herz ohne Krone (2003) (TV) .... Bear's Trainer [attore]
Die 8. Todsünde: Das Toskana-Karussell (2002) .... Giuseppe Mantaldo [attore]
Fumata blanca (2002) .... Cardenal Tura [attore]
"Liebe, Lügen, Leidenschaft" (2002) (mini) .... Fashion Billionaire [attore]
L'Ultimo pistolero (2002) .... Pistolero [attore]

Biografia:
Blue-eyed well-built Italian actor Franco Nero, once was a painting photographer, when he was discovered as an actor by director John Huston. Grew up in provincial northern Italian town in the family of a strict police sergeant, Nero got on the scene six years old. Studied economics and trade in Milan University and during that time he was appearing in popular italian photo-novels. This gave him a chance to gain a little role in Carlo Lizzani's 'La Celestina' (1964). Year later handsome face of Nero was noticed by John Huston who chose him for the role of Abel in 'La Bibbia' (1966). But success came after he got the role of lonely gunfighter, dragging a coffin in one of the best spaghetti-westerns; Sergio Corbucci's 'Django' (1966). Nero then filmed a few other westerns of that style as Ferdinando Baldi's 'Texas addio' (1966) and Lucio Fulci's 'Tempo di massacro' (1966) and furthered his career by filming in all genres of the cinema and TV. During filming Joshua Logan's 'Camelot' (1967) he met the actress Vanessa Redgrave, who become his long time partner. Played with Catherine Deneuve in Luis Bunuel's 'Tristana' (1970) and with Sergei Bondarchuk in the war drama 'Bitka na Neretvi' (1969). Later director Bondarchuk cast Nero for the role of famous American reporter John Reed in two parts 'Krasnye kolokola II' (1982). In the late 60s and during the 70s Nero played many different roles, but most of them connected with political and criminal genre, criticized Italian justice system. In the early 80s, Nero was chosen for the role of white ninja in 'Enter the Ninja' (1981) and in 1990 as terrorist Gen. Esperanza, opposite Bruce Willis in Renny Harlin's 'Die Hard 2' (1990). Being a personage from more than 25 different nationalities; from Russian to American, from Egyptian to Israeli, with 150 roles, Franco Nero now prefers to participate only in little movies in supporting roles.

Trivia random: His favourite color is black.
Citazione random: "I was working as a set photographer on De Laurentiis' The Bible [_Bibbia, La (1966)_ ]. Director John Huston had seen a photo of me and said, 'That's the face I want.'" (November 27, 1978)

Kosugi, Shô

Nome di battesimo: Kosugi, Shôichi
Data di nascita: 17 June 1948

Ultimi lavori:

The Return of the Ninja (2006) .... Ohara [attore]
The Scorpion King (2002) .... (choreographer: taiko) [misc]
Tenchu (1998) (VG) .... Rikimaru (voice: Japanese version) [attore]
Kyokutô koku shakai (1993) .... Larry Matsuda [attore]
"Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero" (1993) .... Ultraman Powered (voice) [attore]
Za kakuto oh (1993) .... [regista]
Kabuto (1992) .... (producer) [produttore]
Blind Fury (1989) .... The Assassin (as Sho Kosugi) [attore]
Aloha Summer (1988) .... Yukinaga Konishi [attore]
Black Eagle (1988) .... Ken Tani [attore]

Biografia:
Easily the best known actor/martial artist during the 1980s ninja cinema craze, Kosugi was a proficient martial artist & skilled weapons performer which was highlighted in his several starring roles.Kosugi grew up as the youngest child and only son of a Tokyo fisherman, and began his martial arts training at the age of five studying karate at a local dojo. Sho expanded upon his martial arts studies, also learning judo & kendo, and by his 18th birthday he had achieved the status of All Japan Karate Champion. Intent on entering the world of international finance, Sho left Japan at only 19 years old to study and reside in Los Angeles, USA where he achieved a Bachelor's Degree in Economics, yet he also remained focused on constantly improving his martial arts skills. Throughout the early 1970s, Sho competed in hundred's of martial arts tournaments & demonstrations including winning the L.A. Open in 1972, 1973 & 1974. In addition, he also met a young Chinese woman named Shook, who was eventually to become his wife and mother of his children, plus Sho had his first foray into the cinema with part's in a minor Taiwanese film titled "The Killers", and then in a Korean production, shot in Los Angeles known as "The Stranger From Korea".Sho's big break came in 1981 when karate legend Mike Stone pitched a screenplay under the title of "Dance of Death" to Cannon Films. Cannon was at the time, a lackluster production house that had two years prior been purchased by film producer cousins Menahem Golan & Yoram Globus. The innovative cousins quickly turned Cannon into a profitable key player in the independently produced film market by latching onto topics popular to the youth market, having rapid shooting schedules, relatively unknown casts and tight budgets. Menehem Golan once remarked that he believed it was impossible to lose money on a film shot for the US market with a budget of under $5 million!!Cannon Films backed Stone's screenplay and the title was changed to _Enter The Ninja (1981)_ starring Franco Nero, Christopher George & Susan George with filming completed in the Phillipines in early 1981. Sho's role was as the evil black ninja "Hasegawa", and his icy screen presence and martial arts skills grabbed the attention of martial arts film fans, and ignited the huge fascination with ninjitsu that engulfed martial arts for the next decade. With the financial success of their first "ninja" film, Cannon readily backed a further ninja movie, only this time Sho was elevated to being the star of the film and had become a good guy!! Revenge of the Ninja (1983) was shot in Salt Lake City, Utah in late 1982 and featured Sho as a ninja master forced to flee from Japan to America with his only surviving son, after the rest of his family are butchered by opposing ninjas's. Launching into an art importing business with an American business partner, Sho finds out too late that his partner is also a ninja, importing drugs hidden in Sho's Japanese dolls. The second film outstripped the first on box office takings, and Sho Kosugi was now the hottest star in martial arts cinema!Based on those booming ticket sales, Cannon were once again happy to back another ninja movie, and in late 1983 shooting commenced in Phoenix, Arizona on Ninja III: The Domination (1984). The plot line however, was a rather strange affair, with the spirit of dead ninja possessing the body of dance instructor Christie (played by Solid Gold dancer Lucinda Dickey)......it was a misguided attempt by Cannon to combine ninjutsu with the 80s break dancing craze and horror movies about possession. None the less, fans didn't seem to mind, and the third installment in Cannon's ninja trilogy did reasonable business at the box office.Kosugi then starred in the short lived action TV series _"The Master" (1984)_ alongside legendary screen bad guy 'Lee van Cleef' , before going onto star in several more ninja films, including taking on Mafia thugs in the bloody Pray for Death (1985), stopping terrorists as a ninja commando in Nine Deaths of the Ninja (1985) and as a ninja secret agent taking on "the Muscles from Brussels" Jean-Claude Van Damme in the military adventure Black Eagle (1988).However, by 1990 the US movie going public had grown tired of a decade of black clad ninja's hurling shuriken's and swords at each other, and Sho Kosugi left Hollywood to venture back to Japan where he became involved in numerous TV productions again centered around martial arts. In 1992, Kosugi starred in his biggest budgeted movie to date, a samurai epic titled _Journey of Honor (1992)_ also featuring screen legends Toshirô Mifune and Christopher Lee. Since then, Kosugi has remained very active in Japanese TV, was involved in contributing martial arts choreography for the highly popular Sony Playstation game "Tenchu; Stealth Assassins", plus he returned to Hollywood in the late 1990s to set up the Sho Kosugi Institute to assist Asian actors wishing to break into the mainstream US film market.Undeniably, many of the ninja films featuring Sho Kosugi were marred by low budgets & cheap production....however his superb martial arts skills and captivating on screen presence have assured him a unique place in the history of martial arts cinema, and his name has become synonymous with the art of ninjitsu.

Trivia random: Father of Shane Kosugi and Kane Kosugi