The Psychotronic Film Society’s ongoing weekly series of underappreciated or downright obscure feature films from around the globe continues Sept. 26 at The Sentient Bean. On that night, they’ll salute the career of Hong Kong’s Godfrey Ho, one of the most infamously strange and prolific writer-directors of all-time.
Although he retired from filmmaking years ago, Ho is both revered and reviled worldwide for crafting (often under assumed names) well over 100 “cut-and-paste” movies, in which he shoots a small amount of original footage (usually, of masked “ninjas” fighting) and then brazenly mixes in pre-existing scenes from other Asian filmmakers’ obscure works — often without their knowledge or permission. Then, to make some sort of cohesive plot out of the ensuing celluloid mess, he writes new dialogue and clumsily dubs the whole thing over into a new language in hopes this will help to obfuscate his filmic thievery.
That night, the PFS will screen Ho’s 1987 rarity “Ninja 8: Warriors of Fire,” which has something to do with a “confidential blueprint” in the possession of a Vietnam vet and the “Black Ninja Empire,” which will go to any lengths to obtain it. Filled with shoddy camerawork, a nonsensical plot, poor-quality English dubbing and copious amounts of incredibly silly martial arts sequences, it’s a guilty pleasure for fans of movies that are “so-bad-they’re-good.” 8 p.m. showtime.