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FORCE OF THE NINJA (1988) presented by Fist City

May 12 : 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Fist City is a monthly series by The Saint Louis Video Society that pulls the most obscure, weird and rarely seen/ screened VHS Tapes from their archive and brings them to the Arkadin screen…for FREE!

This May, we visit FIST CITY for the LAST TIME. That’s right—all good things must come to an end, and, in this case, FIST CITY ends with an almighty strange passion/vanity project hybrid.

FORCE OF THE NINJA (1988) is a little-known ninja film, shot in Tucson, by the director of DEMONWARP and NEW YEAR’S EVIL, Emmett Alston. This film falls in-between two other ninja films directed by Mr. Alston, the Sho Kosugi vehicle 9 DEATHS OF A NINJA (1985), and a 3 NINJAS-knockoff, LITTLE NINJAS (1993), so this isn’t his first, or last, ninjitsu rodeo. FORCE OF THE NINJA pits a kindhearted ninja against a craven group of mercenaries who have kidnapped a teenage heiress to the Japanese royal family. Only thru sheer cunning, and an amazing array of ninja skills, can our hero (played by the avuncular Doug Ivans) rescue this girl and dismantle the evil organization. A film that’s equal parts child-like, almost a live-action GI Joe episode, and wildly violent, it’s a heady combination to close out over a year of programming for FIST CITY.

Please join us as we say farewell, and also share more info about June’s VHS SWAP MEET and the new film series from SAINT LOUIS VIDEO SOCIETY!

Pre-show at 6:30 pm, featuring ninja deep cuts, trailers, and more!

Arkadin does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. However, we encourage researching titles to determine if a screening may contain content that could be upsetting to you. Please feel free to contact us for guidance on specific films. Information about content can also be found on Common Sense Media, IMDB and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.

Theater Policies

  • All seats are first-come, first-served.
  • The theater opens 30 minutes prior to showtime, except for “Happy Hour” events and pre-shows when the theater opens at the listed start time.
  • All ages are welcome at Arkadin except for Drinkolas Cage events, which are restricted to 21+. We follow the MPAA rating guidelines for all other films.
  • Tickets can be purchased using the BUY TICKETS link above. Upon ordering, you will receive a confirmation email from Square. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the show at the concession counter.
  • If you’ve purchased advance tickets, when you arrive, please give your name at the concession counter to check in.
  • Tickets are returnable by sending a request through the contact form located on our About Us page prior to showtime.
  • When an event is sold out, we reserve the right to release open seats to customers on the waitlist. If you have a pre-purchased ticket and arrive late and there is no seat for you, your ticket will be refunded.
  • All screenings are held in our indoor theater unless indicated otherwise in the event description above.
  • Please respect your fellow movie-goers by remaining quiet and refraining from using your cell phone throughout the screening.