Also known as Five Elements Ninjas, this was my introduction to old school kung fu movies, and what an introduction! After ninjas wipe out his martial arts school, the lone survivor — a young man named Hao — vows to avenge his master and brethren. But in order to take on the powerful ninja clan that uses the elements to their advantage, he must acquire some ninja talents of his own.

Chang Cheh’s Chinese Super Ninjas contains everything I could ever want in an old school kung fu flick. It’s over-the-top in every possible way, from the melodrama and training sequences to the fight choreography and inventive weaponry, and most of all, the carnage. Vivid arterial sprays abound as Hao and his allies hack and slash their way through the evil ninjas, who have more than a few bloody tricks of their own.

I originally watched Chinese Super Ninjas back in high school courtesy of a VHS copy that my friend had recorded off cable TV, and I could feel it rewiring my brain the entire time. It left such an impression on me, in fact, that it was one of the very first movies that I ever bought online, and on VHS, no less. (And I still have that tape somewhere in my storage room.)