Enter the Samurai, directed by Brent Baisley, is a raw and often chaotic behind-the-scenes chronicle of the unlikely resurrection of Samurai Cop, a film once relegated to the annals of so-bad-it’s-good cinema. At just under an hour, this documentary captures the messy, passionate, and frequently absurd process of making Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance. While the sequel itself was divisive, this making-of film is arguably far more compelling than the movie it documents.
The documentary pulls back the curtain on indie filmmaking at its most turbulent. From last-minute rewrites and funding collapses to the uncertainty of whether key actors would even show up, Baisley spares no detail in showing just how unstable the production often was. There are heated arguments about budget promises, missing set pieces, and script disputes, painting a picture of a production constantly on the edge of implosion. Yet, that chaos is precisely what makes Enter the Samurai fascinating—it’s less a polished promotional featurette and more an unfiltered look at how cult nostalgia collides with harsh realities.
Interviews with stars like Mathew Karedas (returning after decades away from acting) and producer Gregory Hatanaka give the story emotional depth. Karedas’ own unexpected reemergence—after years of being mistaken for dead—serves as a poignant thread, reflecting both the bizarre fan culture around Samurai Cop and the burden of returning to a role he never expected to revisit. The film also acknowledges the loss of Robert Z’Dar, whose death left a noticeable void in the sequel.
Visually, Baisley captures a mix of candid moments—actors questioning their lines, crew members scrambling for equipment, producers debating money—that gives viewers an authentic feel for the stop-and-go nature of low-budget filmmaking. The documentary also highlights the fans’ role, with Kickstarter footage reminding us that this sequel only existed because of grassroots support.
While Samurai Cop 2 often stumbled under the weight of expectations, Enter the Samurai succeeds because of its honesty. It’s unvarnished, sometimes messy, but always engaging. For cult cinema fans, it’s a must-watch, offering both a cautionary tale and a love letter to the strange alchemy of movie-making.
Verdict: An unflinching, more entertaining companion piece to the sequel it documents.
Jessie Hobson