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AlmostAGhost

Episode 241: Ninja III: The Domination

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The modern depiction of ninjas is from the Kabuki tradition. The audience knew to ignore the stagehands, dressed in all black, as not part of the action of the play. But sometimes, an "invisible" stagehand would kill someone in the play, and that was regarded as a ninja secretly assassinating someone. 

 

Historical ninjas would never dress like that, even at night, as they are trying to blend in and such an outfit would be incredibly suspicious. As spies, they would want to avoid the kind of confrontation that would ensue from dressing like that.

 

As much as anything, movies use that trope so the heroes can wholesale slaughter any numbers of faceless enemies without it being alarming.

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In addition to being a ninja movie, this is also a subset of the aerobics movies of the 80s like Heavenly Bodies and Perfect where an aerobics studio was just a natural setting for a movie. Same thing that gave us things like Death Spa.

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Paul would've loved to have the hot and mild running Clamato envisioned by this guy: 

Except maybe with V8 instead -- Or both.

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Ninja III =  Free on Prime Video (w/subscripton)

4 Glaring Omissions:

1. Billy’s line: “Listen, there’s an officer in the the Asiatic Division. He said there’s this guy downtown that the local Japanese swear by.” Cause we all know how small, suburban Arizona towns in the 80s had police departments with African, “Asiatic,” Balkan, Indosesian, etc. divisions...I died!

2. The Doctor: “Physically, you’re great. I see no problem. You are under severe stress, of course.

But otherwise, Dr. Bowen the psychiatrist you saw, said there’s nothing out of the ordinary. Aside from your exceptional extrasensory perception and your preoccupation with Japanese culture.”

What stress aside from being stalked by Billy?

What exceptional powers of extrasensory perception?

What cultural obsession (a sword she found)?

3. Police Response Time @ Golf Course: Since the ninja is still at the golf course and how fast he is, we must assume this small town has been able to deploy roughly 50 cops and a helicopter within 2 minutes. Uh, not possible. 

4. Police Batons: there’s a moment when a cop spins the baton for a sec at the cemetery fight and has the sound effect of an elaborate nunchucks display. But, more to the point, these cops know this ninja survived point blank shot gun blasts and machine gun fire and they’re trying to fight “him” with a stick?

PS - Anyone else wonder why the cops were guarding the morgue inside and out like a Scarface mansion scene? Had they showed heightened alert due to the golf course events, it’d make sense. But as J,J&P said, they were casual & relaxed just hours after dozens of fellow officers were brutally slain. 

 

 

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Oh, I also wanted to share this video cause before I found it on Amazon Prime for free, I looked on YouTube and caught this scene. I thought this music was from the movie and thought “damn! this movie has got a killer sound track!” 

That song (especially starting at the one minute mark) makes the scene so much more compelling to me. 

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I appreciate what was said at the top about BLM and such. I am sure Reddit will hate it. One thing I would like to ask that the podcast do is try to have more people of color as guests. I know the guests are often friends and I get that, but sometimes that kind of insular community stands in the way of introducing new voices. 

I discount Nicole Byer through this podcast (and Girl Code gifs on Tumblr) and I couldn't be happier to have her in my life. 

I don't mean never have white people but make a concerted effort for more diversity? 

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The gang keeps referring to the movie as being set/filmed in Culver City, or outside of LA, but it's actually Phoenix. ‪‪I wasn't sure myself while watching it, but ‪‪the credits confirmed it was filmed entirely in Arizona, in Phoenix and area suburbs Glendale and Tempe, and Sedona, likely the scenes on the rocks/temple on the hill.

Edited by JoaquinSlowly
completed a thought
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2 hours ago, Nick T. said:

Oh, I also wanted to share this video cause before I found it on Amazon Prime for free, I looked on YouTube and caught this scene. I thought this music was from the movie and thought “damn! this movie has got a cooler sound track!” 
 

That song (especially starting at the one minute mark) makes the scene so much more compelling to me. 

This is perfection

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3 hours ago, JoaquinSlowly said:

The gang keeps referring to the movie as being set/filmed in Culver City, or outside of LA, but it's actually Phoenix. ‪‪I wasn't sure myself while watching it, but ‪‪the credits confirmed it was filmed entirely in Arizona, in Phoenix and area suburbs Glendale and Tempe, and Sedona, likely the scenes on the rocks/temple on the hill.

Crazy, cause I immediately assumed it was Arizona and not LA (where I live). The deserts/brush land around LA do not look like anything seen in the golf course scene  Also, they mentioned Beverly Hills maybe due to the beautiful palm trees, but the houses were all dumps. Clearly not Beverly Hills.  

 

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5 hours ago, Elektra Boogaloo said:

I appreciate what was said at the top about BLM and such. I am sure Reddit will hate it. One thing I would like to ask that the podcast do is try to have more people of color as guests. I know the guests are often friends and I get that, but sometimes that kind of insular community stands in the way of introducing new voices. 

I discount Nicole Byer through this podcast (and Girl Code gifs on Tumblr) and I couldn't be happier to have her in my life. 

I don't mean never have white people but make a concerted effort for more diversity? 

I appreciate the sentiment and support the cause as well. I’ve been speaking out on police conduct for 25+ years. In fact, my family and I got one cop fired for misconduct  through a lawsuit (long story). However, one thing I think many people forget is that blacks/African-Americans (not really sure there’s any consensus on what term is more appropriate) is that they compose only 8% of the population. People always talk about under representation, but I’d bet much more than 8% of new releases have a black lead or co-lead. The point being is that there are just a lot more white and Latino folks around. Asians, black, etc. are a tiny demo in comparison.
My point really being that what people often tend to think of as a lack of proactive efforts at inclusion are simply down to sheer numbers.

 

I get how some might be listening for a break from this 24/7 situation might not like it, but I feel/hope that, due to the type of person this show attracts, the mass majority will be  and understand they can just fast forward past it if they don’t want to hear it. 
 

PS - I listened to the Stealth episode with the little Key & Peele guy. Bloodsport is my favorite HDTGM episode and Nicole was hilarious in that. Her guest appearance on The Meg was amazing too. She’s been a great regular. Can’t wait until the Arclight gets that special “Nicole Buyer will be yelling at the screen during this viewing” feature Jason suggested.  

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Is it at all possible that Chris was actually trying to turn Billy off by pouring V8 on herself? After hitting on her at the police station, not taking her very terse "no" for an answer, stalking her at her second job, standing on the sidelines as she is attacked by the gang of gym rat rapists/purse snatchers, threatening to "haul her in" after she handily defends herself from them, whisking her away in his Fletch-mobile against her will, petulantly negging her over her stance about not dating cops, and threatening to dump her in the neighborhood Axel Foley conned his way into in Beverly Hills Cop II, it's possible that Chris thought her best, last-ditch option for getting rid of this hairy-backed creep was to take him back to her junk-artist loft, don her blousiest pair of parachute panties, douse herself in sticky vegetable juice, and hopefully freak his shit out enough for him to want to finally leave her alone. Sadly, it didn't work.

This episode featured one of the absolute best entries in what I hope will soon become a supercut compilation of Paul's misadventures which I lovingly refer to as "How Did We Get Scheer?" Virgin bloody marys and after school toy gun time?!? Please tell me a two sizes too big smoking jacket was also involved!

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6 hours ago, Nick T. said:

They also miss the doctor says, “You’re a very fit healthy young woman w/an above average diet (I’d argue very healthy since she won’t even “use soft drinks) Despite your amazing extra sensory perception and obsession with Japanese culture, I can find no reason for these problems. But of course, you’re under tremendous pressure.”

What pressure? What powers of extra sensory perception? What cultural obsession? Does she mean the sword she found?

Chris' teetering stacks of manga and Sailor Moon cosplay outfits would have blown her doctor's mind.

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5 hours ago, JoaquinSlowly said:

The gang keeps referring to the movie as being set/filmed in Culver City, or outside of LA, but it's actually Phoenix. ‪‪I wasn't sure myself while watching it, but ‪‪the credits confirmed it was filmed entirely in Arizona, in Phoenix and area suburbs Glendale and Tempe, and Sedona, likely the scenes on the rocks/temple on the hill.

Also, the licenses plates for all the cars are clearly from Arizona. It was suprising to me when I noticed it, though. There's something about the movie that makes you just assume "southern California." Hmm. 

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1 hour ago, Blast Hardcheese said:

 

This episode featured one of the absolute best entries in what I hope will soon become a supercut compilation of Paul's misadventures which I lovingly refer to as "How Did We Get Scheer?" Virgin bloody marys and after school toy gun time?!? Please tell me a two sizes too big smoking jacket was also involved!

Interesting theory about the V-8 juice, but she was so strongly coming onto him that I just thought of it as more of a playful gesture. At the time, I actually thought it was foreshadowing for blood to be spilled for a moment.  

Paul’s home stories are sooooo crazy, that as hilarious/weird as that is, it’d be like wayyyy down on the list. Another one that’d also be way down on the list yet still funny that just came to mind for no reason was the signed Arliss Hat. But, yeah man, Paul has the craziest childhood stories and young adult misadventures (how I’d classify his desk-less, duty-less job where he was ordered to have lunch with Brittany Spears. I’m assuming Paul stories are a Howdies category.  

More omissions that just came to mind: 
-Police Baton: there’s a moment when a cop spins the baton for a sec at the cemetery fight and has the sound effect of an elaborate nunchucks display. But, more to the point, these cops know this ninja survived point blank shot gun blasts and machine gun fire and they’re trying to fight “him” with a stick?!

-Police Response Time @  Golf Course: Since the ninja is still at the golf course and how fast he is, we must assume this small town has been able to deploy roughly 50 cops and a helicopter within 2 minutes. Uh, not possible. 

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1 hour ago, DannytheWall said:

Also, the licenses plates for all the cars are clearly from Arizona. It was suprising to me when I noticed it, though. There's something about the movie that makes you just assume "southern California." Hmm. 

Arizona license plates are crazy distinct (or am I just thinking of New Mexico) and I missed that too. The canyons and mountains in the opening/around the golf course also don’t look like anything in LA County (except the course itself). But the area stands in for so many places it’s natural to assume it was shot here. And, the industrial areas and station almost looked liked they were shot on a big lot. 
 

Anyone else wonder why the cops were guarding the morgue inside and out like it was a Scarface mansion scene? If they had showed heightened alert or amazement at the golf course events, it’d have made some sense. But as mentioned in the show, they were casual and relaxed just hours after dozens of officers were brutally slain. 
 

PS - RE: June’s favorite art form/some well known forum member names, Lucinda Dickey was the ⭐ of Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo

9B3F8B49-FD04-451A-942C-CDD65DD02FFF.jpeg

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Paul, June, and Jason incorrectly thought that when Chris drove away in the work van and abandoned her co-worker that she simply went home.  When Billy was talking to her, he says that he has to drop his partner off.  This is the cop who plays pool by himself at his home. (Clearly he can afford the pool table because he doesn’t own a car and needs other people to drive him to and from work).

Chris recognizes the partner, who is sitting in the passenger seat.  She leaves in the van to tail Billy and see where the partner lives.  Then later that night she comes back and kills that cop while he’s playing pool.

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9 hours ago, Nick T. said:

I appreciate the sentiment and support the cause as well. I’ve been speaking out on police conduct for 25+ years. In fact, my family and I got one cop fired for misconduct  through a lawsuit (long story). However, one thing I think many people forget is that blacks/African-Americans (not really sure there’s any consensus on what term is more appropriate) is that they compose only 8% of the population. People always talk about under representation, but I’d bet much more than 8% of new releases have a black lead or co-lead. The point being is that there are just a lot more white and Latino folks around. Asians, black, etc. are a tiny demo in comparison.
My point really being that what people often tend to think of as a lack of proactive efforts at inclusion are simply down to sheer numbers.

 

I get how some might be listening for a break from this 24/7 situation might not like it, but I feel/hope that, due to the type of person this show attracts, the mass majority will be  and understand they can just fast forward past it if they don’t want to hear it. 
 

PS - I listened to the Stealth episode with the little Key & Peele guy. Bloodsport is my favorite HDTGM episode and Nicole was hilarious in that. Her guest appearance on The Meg was amazing too. She’s been a great regular. Can’t wait until the Arclight gets that special “Nicole Buyer will be yelling at the screen during this viewing” feature Jason suggested.  

I didn’t mean to be like “you guys aren’t doing enough” but I was trying to think of something actionable that the podcast could undertake. I am sure the 8% is correct where you are. In LA it is 11%. Let’s round down to 10. They have done 241 movies. I would argue they shoot try to have had 24 Black guests or thereabouts? And I don’t meant to say they have not because I can think of Nicole, Tawny Newsome, Hannibal Burress, Colton Dunn and Rhetta off the top of my head. I think they have had a fair number but maybe not 24. I could look at the list of guests on Wikipedia but I am lazy. 

Was just trying to be helpful not critical. 

 

Sorry i I have little to say about the film. I didn’t watch it. I do love the music in that clip. And I really hope we get “How Did We Get Scheer” category or supercut in the Howdies. I posted some time stamps of other examples in the Howdies thread if anyone knows how to do supercuts. 

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Firstly I think they all spoke poignantly about the situation being faced in the U.S. I'm sure we outside of America cannot understand the specifics of it, but the actions do have ripple effects and I sure many people globally are thinking more about their government systems. Having said that Ninja. a couple of points:

 At the golf course, those cops are responding to a 451 which is Arson. 

For better or worse at least the murderous sword demon was a loyal friend, it took time out of its schedule of senseless scientist murder (or maybe he was doing anti ninja research?) to avenge the guy it was possessing. I'm assuming this wasn't the sword demons first possession, so it's nice to see it had an emotional attachment to the ninja arsonist from the golf course.

I love the scene where eyepatch guy fights that house too.

Finally, the scene where the apartment is going crazy and she gets sucked into the cupboard, all the sound effects made by someone's mouth were amazing.  A master folie artist must have been at work.

 

 

 

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I was curious how much force it takes to crush a golf ball like the ninja does with his bare hands.

It varies by brand but, according this this video, the weakest took 19613 newtons of pressure.

According to this site, "excellent" grip strength is 141 pounds of force which is about 627 newtons. So, the ninja has hands about 31 times stronger than even the strongest person.

https://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/handgrip.htm

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3 hours ago, DrGuts1003 said:

Paul, June, and Jason incorrectly thought that when Chris drove away in the work van and abandoned her co-worker that she simply went home.  When Billy was talking to her, he says that he has to drop his partner off.  This is the cop who plays pool by himself at his home. (Clearly he can afford the pool table because he doesn’t own a car and needs other people to drive him to and from work).

Chris recognizes the partner, who is sitting in the passenger seat.  She leaves in the van to tail Billy and see where the partner lives.  Then later that night she comes back and kills that cop while he’s playing pool.

Yep, that was pretty clear. But they’ve got rug rats running around and Jason had his jigsaw puzzle. 

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2 hours ago, Elektra Boogaloo said:

I didn’t mean to be like “you guys aren’t doing enough” but I was trying to think of something actionable that the podcast could undertake. I am sure the 8% is correct where you are. In LA it is 11%. Let’s round down to 10. They have done 241 movies. I would argue they shoot try to have had 24 Black guests or thereabouts? And I don’t meant to say they have not because I can think of Nicole, Tawny Newsome, Hannibal Burress, Colton Dunn and Rhetta off the top of my head. I think they have had a fair number but maybe not 24. I could look at the list of guests on Wikipedia but I am lazy. 

Was just trying to be helpful not critical. 

 

Sorry i I have little to say about the film. I didn’t watch it. I do love the music in that clip. And I really hope we get “How Did We Get Scheer” category or supercut in the Howdies. I posted some time stamps of other examples in the Howdies thread if anyone knows how to do supercuts. 

Oh, I didn’t mean to imply I thought you were being over critical for a second. I thought you had a great suggestion. I was more saying it in context of ongoing grandstanding at Hollywood about casting diversity. On that subject, Hulu has done a great job in some of its new shows, doing Hamilton style version of black actors in period era comedy- dramas like The Great (about Catherine The Great). I’d say 40% of the actors are black despite it being 18th century Russia and the cast is effing great. I think Paul was overly critical of himself, but it came from, obviously, a good place.

Love Grudian’s science fact. Hilarious! Now, I want to know what science would say about their jumping ability. 

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Billy was super creepy from moment one with his interactions with Chris.  When he first meets her, he makes several pleas for her to go out with him, asking if she likes coffee, daiquiris, pizza, etc.  Then he says “how about candy?” and he goes to his pocket and then you hear a plinking sound on the floor.  Does Billy just keep loose candy in his pockets?  And who would ever take him up on that offer?

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