Revenge of the Bushido Blade (1978)

It might be intense and rather somber, but there’s no mistaking the meaning behind Revenge of the Bushido Blade!  Someone is out for BLOOD!

Presented for the first time in a brilliant and shockingly glossy 4K remaster, Revenge of the Bushido Blade (aka The Last Reunion or Ninja Nightmare) is a CULT_SIZED CLASSIC slice of some of the tastiest American-Filipino martial arts cheese to ever grace the not-so silver screen.  Too bad we have to wade through some starkly somber moments of poorly-executed drama to get to the action scenes because when Leo Fong is waving his father’s blade around, well, all HELL is on notice.  The end is near, Mofos!

"a CULT_SIZED CLASSIC slice of some of the tastiest American-Filipino martial arts cheese to ever grace the not-so silver screen"


 

Directed by Jay Wertz and featuring the martial artistry of Z-movie legend Fong (Enforcer from Death Row) as Kimon Matsuda, Revenge of the Bushido Blade is at times a crazy martial arts actioneer that walks the thinnest of lines between cheesy drama and cold-blooded REVENGE.  That is the course it maintains when it isn’t too busy addressing the guilt that some of its characters feel when their previous psychotic moments come back to haunt them in the form of a BLADE!

Guilt?  About what?  Revenge of the Bushido Blade opens with a startling and unwarranted attack on a family in the Philippines.   What happens behind those closed walls is both disturbing and haunting as a band of brutal American soldiers rapes and kills the family of General Matsuda.  

Essentially, the 10-minute opening attack leaves a young Japanese boy named Kimon waiting decades to enact his revenge upon these soldiers (as old men) and what a spectacular revenge it is that he sets out to achieve.  Of course, it is made all the easier by their reunion and when Kimon, now an adult, finds out about it, his blade is at the ready!Revenge of the Bushido Blade (1978)

All he has to get through is their drunken monologues - which includes a shirtless Philip Baker Hall waxing poetic - and then slice away for his nightmares to end!  

Co-starring Cameron Mitchell (Raw Force) as Sam Hacker, the sole soldier to show remorse for the attack when it originally happened, Revenge of the Bushido Blade features some nice and tight cinematography by Frank E. Johnson (Raw Force), a funky soundtrack by William Loose (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, The Game), and the acting talents of Chanda Romero (Agaw Armas), Philip Baker Hall (Rush Hour), Hope Holiday (Raw Force) and Vic Silayan (Of the Flesh).

Picking off platoon members one by one, Revenge of the Bushido Blade is now on blu-ray thanks to Dark Force Entertainment!

3/5 beers

Revenge of the Bushido Blade (1978)

Blu-ray Details

Home Video Distributor: Dark Force Entertainment
Available on Blu-ray
- May 25, 2021
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
:
Audio:
English 2.0 mono DTS-HD
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set; DVD copy
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

The lone witness to the murder of a World War II Japanese general plots revenge when the guilty soldiers hold a reunion. Cinematography by Frank E. Johnson (Raw Force). Soundtrack by William Loose (Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, The Game). Uncut Rated-R version of the film.  Dark Force Entertainment presents Revenge of the Bushido Blade on blu-ray thanks to a brand-new 4K transfer from the original 35mm with extensive color corrections made!

Video: 

Dark Force Entertainment’s 4K transfer, with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, is solid.  This might be a low budget film, but it looks pretty cool and natural due to the extensive color corrections done to the transfer.  It’s not pretty but that’s by design; the 4K scan brings out the grizzly details and the grays in the shoot with confidence. Revenge of the Bushido Blade, with a bold color palette, looks good and is charged with a solid presentation. Colors; however, do not pop like you might be expecting. Again, this is by design as the film looks to be shot naturally. Shadows are weak and so, too, are the black levels.

Audio:

The sound is presented in an English 2.0 mono DTS-HD track that is adequate for the release

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • None

Special Features:

On top of the brand new 4K remaster, Dark Force Entertainment gives fans of this chop socky flick their choice between the uncut and R-rated version of the movie, a 40-minute on-camera interview with Fong, and trailers.

  • On-camera interview with Leo Fong
  • Trailers

Blu-ray Rating

  Movie 3/5 stars
  Video  4/5 stars
  Audio 3/5 stars
  Extras 3/5 stars

Composite Blu-ray Grade

3/5 stars


Film Details

Revenge of the Bushido Blade (1978)

MPAA Rating: Unrated
Runtime:
98 mins
Director
: Jay Wertz
Writer:
Galen Thompson
Cast:
Cameron Mitchell, Leo Fong, Chanda Romero
Genre
: Action
Tagline:
Psycho Soldiers Killed His Parents...Now He's Martial Arts Trainied...Master of the Blade...AND READY TO PAY THEM BACK!!!
Memorable Movie Quote:
Theatrical Distributor:

Official Site:
Release Date:

DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
May 25, 2021.
Synopsis: The lone witness to the murder of a World War II Japanese general plots revenge when the guilty soldiers hold a reunion. Cinematography by Frank E. Johnson (Raw Force).

Art

Revenge of the Bushido Blade (1978)