Pray for Death

Pray For Death
Limited Theatrical Release Poster
Directed by	Gordon Hessler
Written by	James Booth
Starring	Sho Kosugi Norman Burton James Booth Kane Kosugi Donna Kei Benz Michael Constantine
Music by	Thomas Chase
Cinematography	Roy H. Wagner
Edited by	Bill Butler Stephen Butler
Production company	Transworld Entertainment
Distributed by	Transworld Entertainment
Release date	9 August 1985
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English Japanese
Budget	$4,000,000 (estimated)
Box office	Unknown

English

Pray For Death is a 1985 American martial arts action-thriller starring Sho Kosugi, James Booth, Norman Burton, Michael Constantine, and the lead Kosugi's son Kane Kosugi

At the insistence of his American-born wife, Aiko (Donna Kei Benz), Yokohama salaryman Akira Saito (Sho Kosugi) decides to immigrate from Japan to the country of her birth to raise their two sons Takeshi (Kane Kosugi) and Tomoya (Shane Kosugi) and start their own business. Unbeknownst to his family, Akira is in fact a highly skilled ninja, who had faithfully protected the secrets of the temple minded by his adoptive father and sensei, Kaga. Years before, Akira's brother, Shoji - also raised and trained by Kaga - sought to steal from the temple in disguise, forcing Akira to engage him in battle and kill him. Akira's meditation on this matter is disrupted by an attack from Kaga to encourage him to wipe the guilt from his mind before it kills him. Akira announces his intentions to move to America to start a new life, and to put the shadows of the ninja behind him. Kaga makes him swear never to reveal the secrets of their sect, and gives him a ninja helmet as a parting gift, but reminds him he can never leave his shadows behind.

The Saitos land in Los Angeles and meet with Sam Green, the widowed owner of a closed restaurant and apartment that Akira and Aiko planned to buy. After the sale is completed and the family visits the local mall, the cigar store area of the building is broken into by police Sgt. Trumble (Charles Greuber), a corrupt cop along with his partner Sgt. Joe Daly (Matthew Faison) working for local mobster Mr. Newman (Michael Constantine). Daly removes loose floor boards and puts a large white box underneath, containing the Van Adda necklace. However, he reconsiders and double-crosses the mob by taking the necklace for himself. The next day Newman's enforcer, Limehouse Willie (James Booth), waits until the building is again deserted before entering himself only to discover the necklace is missing. Seeing Sam Green's packed luggage in his car, Willie incorrectly dedeuces that he's skipping town with the jewels and kills him even though he doesn't find them. Suspicion now falls on the Saitos.