Episode 106: New York Ninja (1984/2021)

Hello again!

We’re back with Erik’s pick this week, and we’re watching Vinegar Syndrome’s passion project, New York Ninja. This film was shot in 1984, and wasn’t completed until 2021. In the episode we dive into the interesting history behind this film, and the modern creation and resurrection of this lost gem. 

 

There’s a gang of thugs roaming the New York streets, quietly abducting women and selling them into international sex slavery. The ringleader of this operation is a maniacal murderer- ‘the Plutonium Killer’- and he has some VERY unusual abilities thanks to past radiation exposure via secret government experiments. If this sounds like a lot… it’s because it is. 

 

While witnessing one of the women being abducted on the streets, Nita Liu tries to interfere and is ultimately killed by the ruthless gang. After learning of the murder of his wife and unborn child, John becomes a vigilante in pursuit of justice and revenge.

After being thrust into the public eye by a local news crew, the masses dub John the “New York Ninja” and champion his vigilantism. His transformation into a folk hero is juxtaposed with severe disapproval by local law enforcement, who seem more intent on stopping John than making the gang of thugs pay for their crimes.

 

Will justice prevail? Will John take down this international crime cabal? Will we ever make sense of why the Plutonium Killer can inexplicably turn into other people? Join us on this episode to find out!