Sam Firstenberg: The Urge to Tell Stories

Host Cal welcomes legendary Sam Firstenberg Director, known for Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo and Ninja III: The Domination. Sam Firstenberg details his origins as a director. He grew up in Jerusalem and frequented a neighborhood theater that showed Hollywood films. Consequently, this fascinated him, hooking him on the idea of telling a story on a big screen. He quickly realized he was a natural storyteller who wanted to use the modern media of cinema.

Life in Los Angeles and the Director's Craft

Sam Firstenberg arrived in Los Angeles at 21 for film school. While in school, he met Israeli director and producer Menachem Golan, who would later head Canon Films. He began his career as a low-level worker on Golan’s first American movie, Lepke. Furthermore, he spent five years as an assistant director before returning to Hollywood to pursue directing. Firstenberg explains the director’s role: he is a craftsman, hired to direct a script developed by the producer. Thus, he does not own the film; he simply creates the storytelling and creative part of the movie. Conversely, he contrasts this with an auteur, like Quentin Tarantino, who controls the creation from A to Z.

A Philosophy of Pure Entertainment

Sam Firstenberg Director believes his approach to cinema is purely from an entertainment, not artistic, point of view. For instance, he sees his role as someone destined to entertain people and transfer an audience to another world for an hour or two. He firmly believes that humans need this element of storytelling and escapism from everyday reality.

The Pivot to Martial Arts and Canon Films

After his first independent social drama, Canon Films approached Firstenberg to direct Revenge of the Ninja, a sequel to their successful Enter the Ninja. However, Firstenberg admits he had never seen a martial arts or Hong Kong movie before the offer. His only exposure to Eastern fighting was Japanese samurai movies. Nonetheless, he worked closely with star and martial arts master Sho Kosugi. Kosugi ushered him into the world of ninjutsu, a fighting style that was then rarely introduced to the Western world. Ultimately, Sam Firstenberg Director had the freedom to shape the script and action sequences, ensuring the fights and action aligned with the story he wanted to tell.

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