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| The Ninja Hunt (1964) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick. |
Overall, the movie is pretty good, but it's nothing too extraordinary. It's a typical action programmer that doesn't have huge ambitions beyond telling a simple story and delivering some excitement. The movie did surprise me, however, in just how explicit it was. It's very violent, especially by the standards of the time. Several characters experience Lucio Fulci-style eye trauma, and, even more shockingly, there's a teaspoon of nudity. (It's brief and semi-hidden, but you can definitely see it.)
The 35mm print was kind of rough in parts, but it was very watchable. Despite being made in 1964, it looks like it could have been shot 10 years earlier. I'm not sure if that was a film stock issue, but the movie looked much creakier and antiquated than its year of production would suggest.
The Ninja Hunt was a decent watch. Its bad guys were certainly bad, so you will likely find yourself rooting for their demise by the end. I look forward to seeing other offerings at this theater very soon!
