N for Ninja

Before we all suffer massive epileptic haemorrhages from watching Speed Racer, here's a reason to try to survive the experience: the next Wachowski brothers project is called Ninja Assassin and revolves around a ninja-training school. They're only producing; James McTeigue who directed V for Vendetta is at the helm, but NINJAS.

These pyjama-wearing killing machines are rarely depicted favourably on screen. Far too often they are merely a load of anonymous baddies prancing around who get dispatched like common passers-by, eg, The Last Samurai. This is lame. We prefer proper ninja movies, where one expert ninja silently enters a fortress of 100 bad guys, kills them all and then disappears before anyone knew he was there. There were loads of these in the 80's, such as Pray For Death and anything else with Sho Kosugi in it. Their time has come again.

Meanwhile enjoy this short film about the ups and downs of living with ninjas, entitled 'A Ninja Pays Half My Rent.'