NINJA THE MISSION FORCE 7: NINJA EXORCIST

One more time, once again...Ed Glaser's production NINJA THE MISSION FORCE keeps my mouth opened during all the running time of the new episode. How the hell the screenplay can be so damm cool & funny? Ed has understood prefectly how Godfrey Ho's mind works. If IFD might decide to produce movies again, Dark Maze Studios would be the perfect company to be partners with.

This time an all-time-classic from exploitation cinema is redubbed & re-edited so we can enjoy Sonny Chiba as the ninja exorcist. Then, we have HIM teaching Gordon " a la " IFD style. This new episode from NINJA THE MISSION FORCE is the closest one to date to the IFD "spirit". Don't waste your time reading my words. Enjoy the show & spread the word. Ninja the Mission Force is what IFD fans have been waiting for years!!!

NINJA THE MISSION FORCE 6: SPACE NINJA in The Space!

Due to my family & personal situation, I am late again to warn all of you, my dear friends, Ed Glaser's NINJA THE MISSION FORCE is broadcasting a new interesting, awesome & crazily episode. If you think Pigs in the space, that show included in the classic The Muppets show was funny, you should enjoy this new episode from the very best online series that Dark Maze Studios brings us every week.

Don't waste your time. Watch it & tell your best friends & worst enemies to enjoy this homage to Godfrey Ho "classic" works!

Taiwan Black Movies at IFD & Filmark ( Part 1)

The early 80's was a great time for Spanish low budget video companies. VHS system was arising & many pirate labels offered to the hungry market tons of rare & obscure movies. Then little by little, step by step and with the new laws most of those labels dissapeared but some collectors kept those releases. One favourite genre was Kung Fu, the spirit of Bruce Lee was still around & many people didn't know, he died almost 10 years ago, then we also had Jackie's classic kung fu comedies...the audience was hungry of that kind of movies but the new laws cut the pirate circuits & the new legal releases arrived but we got a problem...Golden Harvest or Shaw Brothers movie rights were too expensive for those humble, modest companies so they had to get cheaper titles & that's how Ocean Shores or IFD titles flooded most of video rental shops!.

A documentary that was a great resource to find out a lot of information about IFD working ways.

At that time, we didn't know we were given some of the rarest, most obscure & now hard-to find titles from different places in South East Asia & specially from Taiwan. Then, almost 30 years later, in 2005, we were surprised with a documentary titled TAIWAN BLACK MOVIES that talks about gangster films shot in Taiwan from 1979 to 1983. Many people who starred the documentary complained that it is a pity many of those movies were gone forever since the negatives were destroyed after the film's commercial life, but...they never considerated that most of those movies were released on tape in countries like Greece & specially Spain!

Missing movie? No, no, no...some copies are still alive in collector's hands!

I didn't know about Taiwan Black Movie till early 2008 when my good friend Domingo López was told I was making a research about IFD & Filmark. Having friends & connections like Domingo López is a blessing since I was able to get a copy of that documentary to continue my "search of the truth about IFD & Filmark".

Ocean Shores, IFD, First Films & Filmark brought to Spain some gems from Taiwan.

After I watched it, I realized I had many of the mentioned movies!!! and even in very good conditions. Those spanish humble video companies got nice masters of some already missing Taiwan black movies and sincce the market was so hungry at the time, they released them several times just changing the sleeves & some times even the titles!!!

Tattoer Ma Sha movies were everywhere in Spain during the 80's!

Many Taiwan black movies arrived to Spain on their original cut, some of them with the original title credits in Chinese some, with new English titles when they came throught IFD.

Back on time, it was easier to find Elsa Yeung's movies in my video rental shop rather than Shaw Bros classics!

In the following posts, I will try to compile which Taiwan Black Movies arrived to Spain & how later IFD will re-used them with new added fotage for other European & American markets.

I don't like to review what I watch because my viewpoint about any movie has the same value as yours. I am nobody to judge a proffesional filmmaker work, or tell what is good or bad since all depends on your preferences: What you may think is a masterpiece in cinema history, it may be a piece of crap for myself...or viceversa; but I highly recommend to check this link if you need a nice review about Taiwan Black Movies documentary.
http://byjohncharles.blogspot.com.es/2011/09/movie-review-taiwan-black-movies-taiwan.html

Curse of the IFD THUNDERBOLT series 10: Scorpion Thunderbolt Original korean-taiwanese movie on tape discovered!!!!

Scorpion Thunderbolt is indeed one of the favourite IFD movies for almost all the fans around the globe. Not only the only horror-fantastique episode in the Thunderbolt saga, but in opinion of many die-hard collectors ( among them Jack J) the best IFD movie ever, Godfrey Ho's masterpiece. It seems this movie has "something" that makes it so special!

Spanish VHS cover

During many years I have been searching information about the original movie IFD used to create Scorpion Thunderbolt, while checking the credits & the style, everything pointed that it was a taiwanese production. It was not a bad search direction since IFD used a lot of taiwanese movies on its ninja films & they also released a lot of those Taiwan Black Movies in the early 80's...but I was partially wrong since Scorpion Thunderbolt was made re-editing a korean-taiwanese co-production titled GRUDGE OF THE SLEEPWALKING WOMAN (Mongnyeohan, 1983). You check more details about the movie here.

I eventually found out the origin of Scorpion Thunderbolt & what movie was used to design it, but the most difficult part was still a challenge: Was GRUDGE OF THE SLEEPWALKING WOMAN edited on tape somewhere??? Is it still avaliable? Could we enjoy it some day?... Well check the pic below to get the right answers!!!

Chinese language VHS edition of the original movie used for Scorpion Thunderbolt

As you can see GRUDGE OF THE SLEEPWALKING WOMAN was released on tape somewhere in Asia, May be Hong Kong? May be Taiwan? May be anothe chinese spoken language country? but the amazing thing is a 4th generation copy of this movie is avaliable with english subtitles at www.rarekungfumovies.com.

Now we don't have an excuse to complain about how we wish you could enjoy Scorpion Thunderbolt on its original cut & even subtitled!!!

Catman 2: Boxer's Blow Unpublished: Original Thai movie poster.

IFD offered us several sagas, from the now-re-valued Thunderbolt movies to the Ninja Operation episodes or the Ninja Thunderkids or War City...etc etc. All those sagas were done at the end of the 80's when the ninaj craze was still at its peak & war movies like Platoon or Born on July 4th were real blockbusters. But IFD still had a hope on Catman after Lethal track, so they decided to continue filming new adventures starred by our favourite shabby superhero.

The second entry was Boxer Blow, but this time we were not so lucky since Catman appears just 10 minutes during all the movie in some scenes that look like were discharged from the first part..anyway, what we can confirm is that all Catman scenes from both movies were shot back to back in a 2-3 weeks.
This indeed was a alarm signal that people at IFD were becoming lazy ( like it was happening at Filmark) & new scenes were shorter & shorter movie after movie. A real pity because Catman on its nature had screen potential to become into a cult character as it happened to the Robot of Filmark's Robovampire.

Jonathan Isgar who played Catman also had enough charisma & sense of humour to portray it in more movies. Jonathan Isgar will be always remembered as the evil gweiloh of Once Upon a Time in China but I am sure he could be also remembered as the tackiest & poorest Superhero who has ever come from a Hong Kong production.

In the other hand, as it happened in Catman Lethal Track, we have Joseph Lai used another thai movie as main body for Boxer's Blow. A movie that would remain hidden if not because of our good friend from Thailand Jub Khun who kindly helped me to identify such movies & even offered the original poster of them.

I am trying to locate the movie on domestic format but it seems those movies have been swallowed by the Earth since are almost impossible to find them.
By the moment, we only have to enjoy the original poster.

Thanks To Jub Khun for his kind & priceless help!

NINJA THE MISSION FORCE 5: NINJA VIRUS

I should feel ashamed, really, very ashamed of myself. Since NINJA THE MISSION FORCE was premiered I have became lazier & I am updating this blog with Ed Glaser's effords. But the truth is NINJA THE MISSION FORCE is the hottest & the coolest ( what a paradox) show in the net right now.
Week after week we are amazed that NINJA THE MISSION doesn't lack freshness but it is more & more interesting & funnier at every new episode. It is very similar to what I felt everytime when I used to go to the video rental shop & I found a new ninja title from IFD or Filmark in my teen years.

Today's episode is shocking!!!! Terrifying!!!! See what it happens to John Travolta when the Ninja Science is used with evil purposes. To be honest, I have never enjoyed Travolta with a better dubbing work than the one in NINJA THE MISSION FORCE. Don't miss it & enjoy the show.

NINJA THE MISSION FORCE 4: N IS FOR NINJA

Every Thursday is a feast in this site. I get up looking forward to see the new NINJA THE MISSION FORCE episode. The reason is easy to understand. Every episode are 15 minutes of insame healthy laughts & amazing pleasure. Not only Ed Glaser's cinematographic skills that offer us what Godfrey Ho did many years ago, but the scripts & dialogs are fresh, simply & clean funny.
Ninja the Protector storyline was about an evil ninja who wanted to control the pret-a-porter market, NINJA THE MISSION FORCE: N is FOR NINJA, evil ninja Bruce tries to get the supreme power throught the encyclopedias sales!!!!... The ninja empire is really rotten!

Make a favour to yourself & enjoy NINJA THE MISSION FORCE: N IS FOR NINJA.

Catman in Lethal Track Unpublished: Original Thai movie poster

IFD not only offered us ninja movies, war flicks, kickboxers adventures, korean cartoons or kung fu flicks. No...IFD was beyond genres & they even also offered us superheroes motion pictures; no average ones but bizarre ones like Catman, also known as Us Catman.

IFD's SuperHero

Catman was portrayed by the one Jonathan Isgar who is still laughing whenever he remembers the shooting & the first time he appeared on the set wearing his superhero oufit. Once again, wrong informations say Catman & its sequel were directed by Godfrey Ho who was hidden as Alton Cheung. Once again we have to tell that is false since Alton Cheung who despise many people still believe is not another Godfrey Ho pseudoym.

Catman: Lethal Track was the first adventure of one of the world's most bizarre superheroes. His adventures continued in Catman: Boxer's blow.

Catman in Lethal Track was done just re-editing & re-dubbing a thai movie starred by Thai superstars Krung Svrilai who plays a eye-patched villain this time & Sorapong Chatri accompained by his regular supporting actors playing the hero as usual.

Superb Thai poster whose creators never imagine a superhero would enter on the movie outside Thailand

Joseph Lai found a gold mine in Thailand's action movies from the late 70's. During almost a decade Lai and Tomas Tang offered to world some of the most bizarre & obscure thai actioners that probably would have never been distribute outside their origin place if not because IFD & Filmark cut & paste effords.

Alternative artwork for the thai movie used to design IFD's Catman Lethal track

Catman was one good example since director Alton Cheung just added 15 minutes of new fotage starring Jonathan Isgar & the late Blue Moroney fighting among them while in the other hand we have most of the untouched fotage of this thai movie.



Thanks to Jub Khun for his kind help to identify Catman's original source movie!.

Ninja Phantom Hero Usa Unpublished: Original Hong Kong movie poster

When two years ago I decided to open a blog dedicated to IFD & Filmark movies, I just thought to share some information I had to end those false informations about Godfrey Ho, Joseph Lai & Tomas Tang. During many years I had been collecting their movies, I found some original source movies in Hong Kong on VCD, I found some filming locations used by IFD / Filmark crews while I was hiking around Hong Kong & even I got the chance to meet Mike Abbott who kindly gave me a lot of information & pictures taken during the shootings of his movies... But it happened that during these 2 years I have contacted ( and I have been contacted by) a lot of nice people whose support & help gave me more tips, information, pics and even movies that made this site a place where we can share everything about IFD & Filmark instead of being a blog where I just say most of the information about IFD & Tomas Tang spread by fools in internet was false.

Well, the very first posts dedicated to Filmark here were dedicated to Ninja Phantom Hero Usa starred by the great Jonathan Isgar. You may check them here & here. It was my first Filmark movie & one of my favourites. The original movie used by Tomas Tang was unknown to me until I decided to re-search on the HKMD comparing cast names until I assumed Filmark bought a 1983 movie titled Struggle for leader to design Ninja Phantom hero Usa. Struggle for Leader was directed by Lee Chiu who years later worked for IFD using the name of Charles Lee in movies like Full Metal Ninja or the Thunder Ninja kids saga.

Spanish VHS art cover

At the time there was not picture or any relevant information to confirm my suspicion, but a new research few days ago proved that this time I was right!!! Teddy Wong, one of the editors of HKMDB and a nice pal & better friend updated the original Hong Kong poster of Struggle for Leader, the movie that made possible Ninja Phantom to be done!

Struggle for Leader Taiwanese poster...it is simply AWESOME

Once I have confirmed Struggle for leader was the original movie Filmark used for its Ninja Phantom Hero Usa, a new "mission force" has been set: locate a copy of it!...I really need to see this movie on its original cut. Struggle for leader includes an all star cast & it is dramatically violent, sad, gritty, grin, shocking & catching movie similar to the ones made in Taiwan at the same time. Something similar happens to Ninja Phantom hero usa that has to be seen on its uncut version. It was edited in the Us as Ninja empire with a lot of cuts that made it totally unwatchable.

Please check the original technical details of this movie at HKMDB. Thanks to Teddy Wong for uploading the original poster of Struggle for leader.

Ninja The Mission Force 3: Citizen Ninja

This morning when I started my computer & I checked if the new episode of Ninja The Mission Force was already online, I felt very surprised with the new episode title: Citizen Ninja...Citizen Ninja??? I just remembered that Troma movie starring Toxie title Citizen Toxie, but I was wrong. Here we have what The Stranger should have been. The story of a ambitious young man trying to get the supreme Ninja power instead of other trivial things!!!!

Ed Glaser delivers more & more crazy fun & laughs on each Ninja The Mission Force episode. It is usually said sequels are never better than originals...wrong viewpoint since Ninja The Mission Force is better & better every week. I could not imagine better re-dubbing for The Stranger.

IFD guys could use any kind of movie & just re-editing & re-dubbing it (remember they even used a brazilian erotic drama in Ninja Knight 4: Joy of the living dead) were able to offer us a new product & then with the new ninja scenes, we were given a 90 minutes of crazy & even experimental cinematic experience. That's exactly what Dark Maze studios is doing now & Ninja the Mission Force is more than a simple homage to those movies Joseph Lai brought to us more than 25 years ago.

No more talking...lets enjoy NINJA THE MISSION FORCE: CITIZEN NINJA,
KNOCK KNOCK..