American Samurai: Sam Firstenberg’s Director’s Cut has been constructed and ready to watch on YouTube

Those of you who love martial arts movies and follow our JoBlo Original, Reel Action, on YouTube may have seen the spotlight episode we did on the Mark Dacascos 1993 capoeira movie, Only the Strong. While Only the Strong should have skyrocketed Dacascos to martial arts stardom, he would actually have an earlier credit with a role in a Cannon film called American Samurai, which starred David Bradley of the American Ninja sequels. American Samurai would come from the director of many Ninja-related movies, Sam Firstenberg, for the infamous once-upon-a-movie studio. Sam Firstenberg was a director who the company often collaborated with, but American Samurai would be the first movie that Cannon took their famous scissors to and alter the film against the director’s vision.

Last year, Firstenberg posted in an official Facebook account for the director’s cut of American Samurai where he posted an update message for the fans, “Thirty-two years later, American Samurai is being re-edited to include all the authentic graphic violence in the fights, removal of scenes that were not part of the initial production, scenes are being placed in their proper order, and sequences are straightened out to not only fix major continuity issues but also to fix the flow of crucial fight sequences and dramatic moments. Using two different versions of the film, editor Lyle Goodwin is working closely with Sam Firstenberg to finally realize, for viewers and fans, the initial vision that was realized so long ago of this martial arts cult classic, American Samurai. Buckle up and enjoy the original ride you were supposed to take.”

The director’s cut of the film has been completed and released on Firstenberg’s YouTube channel. According to Inside Ninjutsu, the director reflects on this new final cut with the message, “I have just finished viewing the final cut of AMERICAN SAMURAI and let me tell you all, this is one bad ass, exciting, captivating, compelling movie. It is as close as possible to the original version as can be. The work Lyle did on it is fabulous. The titles and credit montages are works of art. The new transitions are a very refreshing and enriching addition. And all the tweaking and improving within the fights are welcomed enhancements.”

The new cut’s editor, Lyle Goodwin, added, “Pay close attention. You’re going to see a lot of little things that have been changed. There are so many shots and portions of scenes that were taken completely out of sequence, that it would take me days to put them back in.”

You can now watch Sam Firstenberg’s original vision of American Samurai on his account below.

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