This Just In: NORWEGIAN NINJA comes to DVD on August 30th‏

FROM THE PRODUCERS OF ‘DEAD SNOW’ (THE ‘CITIZEN KANE’ OF NAZI ZOMBIE MOVIES) COMES THE LATEST GENRE-BUSTING NORDIC TRIUMPH

NORWEGIAN NINJA

A Scandinavian Diplomat Becomes a Soviet Spy – or Is He Really His Country’s Most Kick-ass Patriot? This Wild Ride of a Movie Telling the (Somewhat) True Story of a Great Cold War Scandal Hits Dark Sky Films DVD on August 30, 2011

“Hilarious and menacing.” – The Wall Street Journal

 “a wonderful bonkers pastiche of James Bond, eastern mysticism

and Cold War movies.” 

– Moviegrrl Reviews

The true story of Norway’s biggest traitor gets a hilarious and thrilling reimagining in the no-holds-barred NORWEGIAN NINJA. Created by the producers of the Norwegian cult hit Dead Snow, about Nazi zombies, the movie will thrill both ninja action fans and (alternative) history buffs when Dark Sky Films releases it on DVD, via MPI Media Group, on August 30, 2011. The disc has an SRP of $24.98.

In 1984, high-ranking Norwegian diplomat Arne Treholt was tried and convicted of acting as a spy on behalf of the Soviet Union. But what if the courts got it wrong? What if the case against him was a sham? What if – dare we consider – Treholt was not a spy at all but a patriot of the highest order and the leader of a secret ninja force created by King Olav? A ninja force locked in a secret battle against all who would challenge Norwegian sovereignty?

A fictionalized account of the most notorious political scandal in Norwegian history, NORWEGIAN NINJA is a deliciously tongue-in-cheek spoof of the Cold War spy movie, with added ninja action. Blending historical events and actual newsreel footage of the Treholt affair with his own less-than-historical elements, debuting writer-director Thomas Cappelen Malling (a contributor to the upcoming horror anthology The ABCs of Death) creates a film that wryly questions just how truthful the truth really is. And then sends a ninja to punch the truth in the face.

NORWEGIAN NINJA is “hilarious and menacing, absurd and insightful, and an accomplished work of genre film making that authoritatively upends the cold-war spy thriller,” novelist J.S. Marcus raved in The Wall Street Journal. 24framespersecond.net said the movie is “a loving tribute to all things Bond, with gadgets, aging ninjas and sky cars aplenty.” Robert Koehler of Variety wrote, “Thomas Cappelen Malling’s debut feature indeed delivers as expected in an intentionally cheesy sendup of espionage thrillers, old TV and Cold War politics.”

Provocative in the vein of the “autobiographical” Chuck Barris tale Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, NORWEGIAN NINJA has helped lead to a reopening of Arne Treholt’s case. The DVD brings the wider movie public into the loop of one of modern European history’s most notorious events.

NORWEGIAN NINJA SPECIAL FEATURES

-           3 Deleted Scenes

-           6 Bonus Scenes

-           6 Featurettes Including Interview with actor Mads Ousal, writer-director Thomas Capplen Malling, and producer Eric Vogel

-           Music Video

-           Trailer

About Dark Sky Films

Dark Sky Films is dedicated to the discovery, preservation and production of new and classic horror, sci-fi and cult films from around the world. Based in Chicago, Dark Sky Films is a wholly owned subsidiary of The MPI Media Group -- one of the largest independent entertainment companies producing and distributing a compelling slate of the world’s most respected cinema, documentaries, performances and television programs.

About MPI Media Group

The MPI Media Group is a leading producer, distributor and licensor of films, home entertainment, historical footage and more. Founded in 1976, Chicago-based MPI Media Group remains one of the largest independent entertainment companies producing and distributing a compelling slate of the world’s most respected cinema, documentaries, performances and television programs. MPI’s wholly owned subsidiaries include MPI Home Entertainment, Dark Sky Films, and the WPA Film Library. www.mpimediagroup.com