Flicks: The Ninja Squad (1986)

Rule #1 of Ninjitsu: always wear a head band stating you are, indeed, a ninja.

The Ninja Squad (1986) star Richard Harrison (not that one) is famous for two things. Number One, as being rumored during his time as a extra in Italy to suggest Clint Eastwood to Sergio Leone when the famed director was looking for a lead in "A Fistful of Dollars" in 1964. And, Number Two, as acting or starring in 17 unbelievably awful ninja-sploitation films from 1984 to 1988 sometimes starring eight films in one year.

These sixteen movies start with Ninja Thunderbolt (1984), then Ninja Champion (#1) and Ninja Holocaust(#2) both made in 1985. Some say a Holocaust would be enough to stem the tide of Harrison's ninja themed roles yet at the end of 1985 came Ninja Terminator (#3), another Hong Kong release exploiting the title from James Cameron's The Terminator from 1984 and nothing else.

Actually Ninja Terminator is regarded today as something of a camp classic. The over-the-top dramatic dialogue unfailingly illicits unexpected howls of laughter. "You betray the ninja empire?! Why did you no that, you reckon?" In what part of China is "reckon" a popular expression? Seriously. Someone needs to get back to me on this.

Harrison continued with his fifth ninja foray in Ninja Hunt(#4), our current feature Ninja Squad (#5) and Ninja Dragon (#6) all released in 1986. In 1987, Harrison went on to do Cobra vs. Ninja (#7), Hands of Death (#8), Ninja Operation: Licensed to Terminate (#9), Ninja Avengers (#10), Ninja Commandments (#11), Ninja Kill (#12), The Ninja Showdown (#13) and Ninja: Silent Assassin (#14) while also finding time to star in Hitman the Cobra a Chinese WWII period anti-Japanese film.

In 1988, Harrison starred in Ninja Powerforce (#14), Ninja Strike Force (#15) and The Power of Ninjitsu (#16) before making his final ninja themed movie Diamond Ninja Force (#17) the same year.

References:
IMDB, The Ninja Squad (1986)
IMDB, Richard Harrison

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Flicks: Trip With The Teacher (1975)

Even in 1975, the irony of this title was not always lost the stoner crowd.

Trip With Teacher (aka Deadly Field Trip) is Helter Skelter meets The Hills Have Eyes shot on a shoe string budget by Earl Barton. The 1975 rape-revenge film stars Zalman King as the main heavy Al the Biker. In another two decades, the same Zalman King would direct The Red Shoe Diaries (1992) and become a millionaire after adapting the film into a softcore simul-sex cable television series. However, in the post-Summer of Love year of 1975, Zalman King was a struggling nobody cast as a sweaty, begoggled biker and part-time Rapist.


OK, my motivation is: I haven't had an acting gig since 1963? Got it!

Trip With Teacher features four teen-age students and their big-legged teacher encountering crazed motorcycle thugs in the Rape Mountain Range of Western Utah. After dispatching the sole male of the group zaniness ensues as the females are preyed upon in a remote cabin.


The most creative split-screen? Shot was in a 1975 b-movie of course ...

Never fear ye restless manlings, for, after aun unlikely change of heart among one of the rapacious bikers the remaining females are eventually rescued. At the end of the picture there are toothy smiles all around and a lesson well learned: never ask anyone who owns a secluded cabin up on Rape Mountain for a lift anywhere!

One skull outta a possible four.



References:
IMDB, Trip With Teacher (1975)
Wikipedia, Trip With Teacher
House of Self-Indulgence, Whatta Trip! OR Goodgirls Don't Play w/Dead Things

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