Jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular setting. Jidaigeki show the lives of the samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants of their time. Jidaigeki films are sometimes referred to as chambara movies, a word meaning "sword fight", though chambara is more accurately a subgenre of jidaigeki. Jidaigeki rely on an established set of dramatic conventions including the use of makeup, language, catchphrases, and plotlines.
Richard Harrison is an American actor, writer, director and producer. Harrison was very prolific and worked with most of the better-known names in European B-movies during the 1960s and 1970s, branching out to exploitation films shot all over the world in the early 1970s.
Jiraiya, originally known as Ogata Shuma Hiroyuki (尾形周馬寛行), is the toad-riding protagonist of the Japanese folk tale Katakiuchi Kidan Jiraiya Monogatari (報仇奇談自来也説話) "The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya"). The tale was originally a Yomihon that was published in 1806–1807, and was adapted into a serialized novel that was written by different authors and published in 43 installments from 1839 to 1868; one of its illustrators was woodblock artist Kunisada. Kawatake Mokuami then wrote a kabuki drama based on the first ten parts of the novel, which premiered in Edo in 1852, starring Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII in the leading role. Since then the story has been adopted into, several films, video games, and manga and has also influenced various other works.
Godfrey Ho is a former Hong Kong-based prolific film director and screenwriter, sometimes considered the Ed Wood of Hong Kong cinema. Ho is believed to have directed more than one hundred films, including over 80 movies from 1980 to 1990 before his retirement in 2000. Many of his works are now regarded cult films by aficionados of Z movies as being among some of the most "so bad it's good" entertaining movies ever created.
Scott Shaw is an American author, martial artist, and filmmaker.
Donald G. Jackson was an American filmmaker.
Conrad Brooks was an American actor.
The Roller Blade Seven is a 1991 cult martial arts film directed by Donald G. Jackson, written by Jackson and Scott Shaw, produced by Jackson and Shaw, and starring Shaw, Frank Stallone, Karen Black, Joe Estevez, Don Stroud, and William Smith.
Guns of El Chupacabra is a 1997 martial arts based monster film that was directed by Donald G. Jackson and was produced by and stars Scott Shaw. The co-stars of this film include Julie Strain, Kevin Eastman, Conrad Brooks, Joe Estevez, and Robert Z'Dar.
Hell Comes to Frogtown is a 1988 American science fiction action film that was created by Donald G. Jackson. The screenplay was written by Jackson and Randall Frakes. The film was directed by Jackson and R. J. Kizer, and stars professional wrestler Roddy Piper as well as Sandahl Bergman, Cec Verrell, William Smith and Rory Calhoun.
Undercover X is a 2001 action-adventure film that was directed by and stars Scott Shaw.
Vampire Blvd. is a 2004 vampire film directed by and starring Scott Shaw. This co-stars of this film include Kevin Thompson, Joe Estevez Robert Z'Dar, Adrienne Lau and Jill Kelly.
Return to Frogtown is a 1993 B movie directed by Donald G. Jackson. It is the sequel to the 1988 cult film Hell Comes to Frogtown. Like its predecessor, the film is set in a post-apocalyptic future where mutant frog-people are at war with mankind.
Ryūzaburō Ōtomo is a freelance Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who was formerly affiliated with Aoni Production, 81 Produce and the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.
Peter Renaday is an American actor. His career spans several films and television shows. His major roles include Master Splinter in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as Abraham Lincoln in the Hall of Presidents, and Henry in Country Bear Jamboree at Walt Disney World.
The Rock n' Roll Cops, also known as Rock n' Roll Cops 2: The Adventure Begins, is a 2003 martial arts action film directed by Scott Shaw. The film stars Scott Shaw, Kevin Eastman, Julie Strain, Robert Z'Dar and William Smith. The film was co-produced by Donald G. Jackson who also plays a small role in the movie.
Afro Samurai: Resurrection, is a 2009 Japanese anime television film sequel to the miniseries Afro Samurai, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Lucy Liu. It aired on Spike on January 25, 2009.
Baby Ghost is a 1995 American comedy horror film directed and edited by Donald G. Jackson, and starring Joe Estevez and Conrad Brooks.
