Salon’s John Gorenfeld did the world a big favor today by debunking an ongoing myth.
Apparently, in 1984, ridiculous B-movie called “Ninja III: The Domination” hit theaters. One scene shows a helicopter pilot issuing some warning over his radio, before ninjas miraculously work their way into the helicopter and throw him out the door.
The pilot was played by a guy named Howard Dean.
In fact, the irreplaceable Internet Movie Database even has a page for Dean, which regrettably lists the presidential candidate’s appearance on HBO’s K Street and the Ninja III movie on the same page, implying that the same person was in both. Thankfully, Salon’s report explains otherwise.
I have the distinct impression that Dean fans are disappointed. In fact, Gorenfeld noted some Dean supporters have hosted “Ninja III parties” where people gather to see if the helicopter pilot was, in fact, their Howard Dean. The resemblance is close enough to have convinced a few people.
Alas, Dean was practicing medicine in Vermont when the “film” was being made, and had no time to run off to Arizona to pretend to be a helicopter pilot warning others of a ninja threat. The Salon report notes, however, that a Dean staffer was concerned enough about this to ask the governor “point-blank” if he was in the movie. Dean, of course, explained it was a different guy.
That settles that.