Lee B. Golden III

About Lee B. Golden III

https://mediumblue-gerbil-491410.hostingersite.com

Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!

Posts by Lee Golden:

VIOLENT NIGHT: Time For Some Seasons Beatings In The Official Trailer!

Geez Louise, if anyone told me years ago that Stranger Things would have been a great time to start keeping an eye on David Harbour in a spell of action performances, you could have fooled me! Welp, since then he’s battled demons in the hit Netflix series as well as in the title role of Neil Marshall’s Hellboy and now we get a brand new look at the actor touting his Holiday best for genre favorite Tommy Wirkola in Christmas actioner, Violent Night. The official trailer is up above ahead of the film’s December release from Universal, so check it out and for all else, read below! To hell with “all is calm.” From 87North, the bare-knuckle producers of Nobody, John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Bullet Train and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw comes a coal-dark holiday action-comedy that says you should always bet on red. When […]

Fantastic Fest XVII Review: GIVE ME AN A, Natasha Halevi’s Hellish Assortment Of Horror And Dark Humor Sends A Message To All

Lee B. Golden III

Virginia Madsen plays coach to a team of cheerleaders who perform a jubilating screed against the patriarchy, inaugurating the brutalist, vividly gruesome, horrific and satirical multi-angular stories among the fifteen shorts told in Give Me An A, the latest feature-length call to action shepherded by writer/director Natasha Halevi. Supported in part by crowdfunding efforts over at Seed And Spark following a four week shoot, the new anthology now arises at film festivals to make its case following the Supreme Court’s leaked opinion overturning Roe V. Wade back in May and their ruling a month later. The film’s inspiration from this eventful decision is made abundantly clear in Meg Swertlow’s “The Voiceless,” the first of fifteen shortfilms from Halevi’s team of directors in which here, a woman is resigned to panic and grief when she looks in the mirror and notices her mouth has been completely sealed off. The tone shifts […]

Now On Tubi: Ranjeet Marwa’s EXILED: THE CHOSEN ONES Begs You To Be Put Out Of Your Misery

Lee B. Golden III

Making an independent action film is one thing, as the hardships and challenges that come with it tend to outweigh the more prosperous and opportune aspects there could be. Trying to accomplish this sort of task is another whole ‘nother ordeal, particularly in the midst of a global pandemic, although suffice it to say, even those projects, however which way they rate, were watchable. Director Ranjeet S. Marwa came into his feature debut, Exiled: The Chosen Ones, after years of directing smaller independent projects, of which nearly all of them are unavailable to watch anywhere as of this write-up. When he took off at the top of 2020, launching a crowdfunder for Blood Rush, a new thrilling action feature in the vein of films like Headshot and The Raid, expectations were high, even including my own. To say the least, however, enough time has passed that with Blood Rush falling […]

Fantastic Fest XVII Review: HEROES OF AFRICA: TETTEH QUARSHIE, A Thrilling, Mystical Look At A Real-Life Hero

Lee B. Golden III

Tetteh Quarshie remains a celebrated figure in Ghanian history for bringing cocoa crops to his region. The “how,” of course, was tentatively subject to scruitiny when local filmmaker Frank Fiifi Gharbin set out to adapt the late 19th century agriculturalist and blacksmith’s tale for his third feature film only to hit a legal snag with Quarshie’s family earlier this year ahead of a planned screening. That his film, Heroes Of Africa: Tetteh Quarshie, is circulating at festivals otherwise indicates that the film now checks all required boxes to satisfy the Quarshie estate, and with none other than Bernard Adusi-Poku starring in the title role from a script also by Gharbin. Our story sees Quarshie endowed with an enchanted amulet by a forest deity, which she says will protect him from harm until his very last breath. Later that day, Quarshie met with weasley friend Ofui (Kwadwo Nkansah), expressing that he […]

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OUTRIGHT LOSER, HIDDEN MASTER: Yen To Shepherd New Action Series In Slate From ‘Wu Xia’ Director’s New Production Banner

Lee B. Golden III

Donnie Yen will reteam with Wu Xia director Peter Chan for Outright Loser, Hidden Master, according to Variety coverage out of Busan this month. The action fantasy drama about tells of “an Asian American who discovers that martial artists in Hong Kong are mysteriously extending their lineage by imprinting their memories, martial art skills and techniques onto the bodies of strangers.” The series is one in a raft of independently produced shows on the roster from Chan’s newly launched Changin’ Pictures, which looks to become a powerhouse production entity for the current momentum and potential for distribution of content featuring Asian talent for streaming platforms. Yen was one of two stars cited as part of the agenda among the five shows listed, with the other being actress Zhang Ziyi’s starring role in The Murderer, which Chan will direct. “Infinite possibilities can be found when filmmakers share the same vision,” said […]

BERLÍN: Cameras Roll For The New ‘Money Heist’ Spin-Off Series

Lee B. Golden III

Production is officially underway for La Casa De Papel (a.k.a. Money Heist) spin-off series, Berlín, with actor Pedro Alonso back the title role. Cameras began rolling in Paris following a press conference a week ago with creators Esther Martínez Lobato and Álex Pina on hand with the cast: “Berin’s character has the most sparkling personality to place it in another universe. We loved the idea of introducing a new gang around Berlin in a completely different emotional state.” Plot details are unknown, whileAlonso, whose character recurred throughout all five seasons of La Casa De Papel, was also present last week to share a glimpse of what’s to come, reciting an opening line of dialogue from the first episode: “There are only ten things that can turn a terrible day into a wonderful one. The first is love. And the truth, that wasn’t the case. My third wife had just left […]

Fantastic Fest XVII Review: HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS, A Love Story Wrapped In A Jubilee Of Zany, Cinematic Indie Wonder

Lee B. Golden III

October 3, 2022: Film duo Ryland Brickson Cole Tews and Mike Cheslik have already made strides in recent years with the harrowing 2018 adventure comedy Lake Michigan Monster, and judging by the looks of their latest endeavor, they’re clearly sticking to what works. For this, we turn to their dialogue-free Hundreds Of Beavers, marking Cheslik’s feature debut with Tews in a starring capacity for a rousing contemporary approach to a classic style of cinema, blending a little bit of everything you could enjoy while rooting for the underdog. Our pointman, in this case, is a happy-go-lucky 19th century drunkard and applejack owner named Jean Kayak (Tews), who finds himself out on his ass one day when he realizes his business has been destroyed. He’s forced to survive in the bitter and harsh elements of the wintery wilderness while struggling to keep warm against tempermental wind and trying to find ways […]

ADIPURUSH: Prabhas Soars In A Mighty New Trailer For The Latest Indian Epic Coming In January

Lee B. Golden III

Following his box office success with 2020’s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior with Ajay Devgn, director Om Raut is aiming even higher with his latest epic, Adipurush, produced by T-Series and Retrophiles and starring none other than Bahubali star, Prabhas. The official trailer went live on Sunday, as did an exclusive from Variety’s Naman Ramachandran citing more on the film as well as its star and director. A derivative take on an Indian mythological folklore, Adipurush is set seven thousand years ago and tells of a king who journeys with his own army to Lanka to rescue his wife (Kriti Sanon) from an evil warlord with ten heads (Saif Ali Khan). Filmed in Hindi and Telugu, the film will also be made available in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada languages when it opens in theaters, IMAX, and 3D on January 12, 2023, with Raut in further talks to release the film wider. […]

CONNECT Trailer Reveals A Killer Look At Takashi Miike’s First Korean Drama For Disney+ Korea

Lee B. Golden III

Firstly set to screen for the 27th Busan International Film Festival this month, fans of acclaimed genre favorite Takashi Miike are now all invited for a look at his latest pivot into streaming with new six-part series, Connect, for Disney+ Korea. What if Miike Takashi, well-known with his unique imagination and visualization, makes a series of drama based on a Korean webtoon? Adapting Shin Dae-sung’s webtoon, Connect depicts a mysterious story that occurs when Dong-soo (Jung Haein) who has been deprived of an eye by organ hunters connects with a person who has received his organ transplant. The unique settings of the original story such as the super regeneration ability of the main character, brutal organ hunters, an unidentified serial killer, and the connection of the body senses between different people become very sensational with the hands of Miike Takashi, who is famous for the extreme violence on human body. His grotesque […]

1987: BLOOD OF THE BAT Dares To Unleash Its Fangs On Gotham!

Lee B. Golden III

Director and producer James Campbell is ramping up another round of comic book crossover thrills over at Indiegogo with independently-produced fan flick, 1987: Blood Of The Bat. A new four-minute proof-of-concept is now running online to showcase what lies ahead for the project, which aims rightly towards its darker, grittier, R-rated approach as Campbell did for its fan-induced award-winning predecessor, 1986: Batman & Punisher, which is currently available on YouTube. We always wanted to come back and do another BATMAN fan film – but it would always depend on what type of story we would want to make… we now have one – and we’re very excited for you all to see it! “1986” was a neon, action short film, heavily influenced by John Carpenter and the early works of Michael Mann and James Cameron… as well as an obvious love of Frank Miller’s THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. With “1987: BLOOD OF THE BAT” we’re going down a darker path […]

MANIFEST WEST: A Family Defends A Mountainous Homefront In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Samuel Goldwyn Films has released the official trailer for Manifest West, the new Western drama thriller directed by Joe Dietsch and Louie Gibson. The film stars brother to the latter, actor Milo Gibson (All The Devil’s Men), and Annet Mahendru, with Lexy Kolker leading the cast. MANIFEST WEST is a coming-of-age story, told through the eyes of a ten-year old girl whose family moves off the grid into untamed North American Wilderness. It’s their attempt to establish normalcy, to thrive off the land, and escape the pressures of modern society. But the family has its own internal pressures building, and you can’t escape what’s going on in your own household, no matter how far you move up a mountain. Manifest West previously screened back in February at the Mammoth Film Festival, where it won Best Genre Film. The film also stars Tim Heidecker and Michael Cudlitz and will release in […]

Coming To Hi-YAH! In October: THE DEBT COLLECTOR, THE DRAGON TAMER, THE MIRACLE FIGHTERS And More!

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA’s exclusive streaming platform, Hi-YAH! is cracking skulls to start the month of October, firstly with Jesse V. Johnson’s action crime romp, The Debt Collector, arriving October 7. Marking lead actor Scott Adkins’ sixth appearance in a film from the veteran stunt professional-cum-filmmaker whose early career credits also include working for directors like Paul Verohoeven, McG, and Kenneth Branagh, the film sees French (Adkins), a struggling martial arts instructor paired up with a rock-bottom former DTV action star named Sue (Louis Mandylor) to tread the mean streets to make ends meet collecting debts for local gangster Big Tommy (Vladmir Kulich). When their latest outside hire arises suspicion of foul play, they are forced to recalibrate their moral compass, putting them in the crosshairs of notorious gangster Barbosa (Tony Todd). October 14 will see the premiere of The Legend Of The Condor Heroes: The Dragon Tamer. Directed by Zhu […]

Fantastic Fest XVII Review: MISSING, On Finding Closure With Cataclysmic Effect

Lee B. Golden III

Trigger Warning: This review discusses topics pertaining to suicide and depression. I’ve covered actor Jiro Sato in mostly comedy roles since he first landed on my radar with Gintama, The Fable, the sequels to both, and eventually From Today, It’s My Turn!!. So, it’s definitely been rewarding to get to explore more of Sato’s dimensions in Siblings Of The Cape helmer and Bong Joon-ho vet Shinzô Katayama’s crime drama, Missing, in which he stars opposite young actress Aoi Ito, who’s been a burgeoning talent for nearly a decade now. The film is actually one of a few credits the two actors share together with the other being NHK series “Hikikomori Sensei”. I haven’t seen that show, although still, I reckon anytime actors reunite from a previous project, then it’s usually a good thing. At least here in Missing, it shows, with Sato and Ito in the respective roles of former […]

Lee Jung-Jae And Jung Woo-Sung Are On The HUNT In The Official U.S. Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

After a high-ranking North Korean official requests asylum, KCIA Foreign Unit chief Park Pyong-ho (LEE Jung Jae) and Domestic Unit chief Kim Jung-do (JUNG Woo Sung) are tasked with uncovering a North Korean spy, known as Donglim, who is deeply embedded within their agency. When the spy begins leaking top secret intel that could jeopardize national security, the two units are each assigned to investigate each other. In this tense situation where if they cannot find the mole, they may be accused themselves, Pyong-ho and Jung-do slowly start to uncover the truth. In the end, they must deal with an unthinkable plot to assassinate the South Korean president… That right there is the wind-up and the pitch for South Korean superstar Lee Jung-jae’s new movie, Hunt, as fans can now look forward to a December 2 theatrical release in the U.S. from Magnolia Pictures. Lee, who has hit big this […]

THE LAST BUTTERFLIES: Whitney Elaine Wegman-Wood Contemplates Motherhood In A Perilous World For Her Newest Passion Project

Lee B. Golden III

Actress and screenwriter Whitney Elaine Wegman-Wood (The Evil Rises, Mystery Highway) is two weeks into her latest campaign for her new short, The Last Butterflies. The project is the result of a personal journey Wegman-Wood began a few years ago stemming from a row of anxiety nightmares which compelled her to tell her story, comprised of details and disclosures all which boil down to one simple tagline as written: How far are you willing to go at the end of the world? The Last Butterflies is teaming Wegman-Wood with producer Sue Vicory of 501(c)(3) production company, Heartland Films, in addition to director Patrick Rea (They Wait In The Dark, I Am Lisa) and actor Cooper Andrews (Den Of Thieves, Shazam!). Tier-based perks are available with more info on Wegman-Wood’s story, the team involved and how to donate over at the project’s official Indiegogo page, as well as with updates also […]

KALEIDOSCOPE: Alexander Nevsky Tackles Serial Killer Thriller With ‘Rio Bravo’ Director

Lee B. Golden III

Promise director Joe Cornet will film Kaleidoscope this Fall, reteaming with actor and producer Alexander Nevsky. The two will also be joined by actress Bai Ling (The Crow) who will play “a mysterious beautiful woman who may or may not be a serial killer” according to an e-mail announcement this week following earlier news broken via JoBlo last week. Says Ling: “With my excitement I’m sharing this good news with you: I’ll be starring in a new thriller called KALEIDOSCOPE! Script is very good and I love my character. She’s very classy and special, she has all the good qualities you would like to see in a woman. But she may be really dangerous… I look forward to working with director/writer Joe Cornet and my friend Alexander Nevsky!” Cornet is co-starring in the film which he and co-scribe Kent Hill wrote. The film marks a reunion for Nevsky and Ling […]

DELETED: Don’t Miss The Trailer For Kent Ng’s Explosive New Action Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

The latest in Malaysian action cinema is already making the rounds in theaters with Kent Ng’s new action thriller, Deleted. The film is directed by Kent Ng and stars Fattah Amin, Dato Rosyam Nor, Henley Hil, Jack Neo, Edmund Tay and Vincent Ng. Singapore Special Tactics and Rescue (STAR) has received an order to wiped out all illegal activities of the organized criminal group. During the mission, Four-faced Buddha’s second son (Shawn) were killed by an unknown and a kidney ready to be sell illegally was stolen as well. Four-faced Buddha is the most notorious human trafficker in the organized criminal group. As a member of the STAR, Vincent is assigned to extradite Fang back to Singapore. Due to the hatred towards four-faced Buddha’s dehumanization, Vincent decided to join Singapore Special Investigation Division and annihilate him. In the meantime, Four-faced Buddha found Yusoff, who was once a STAR instructor hiding […]

BERLÍN: Pedro Alonso Heads Up New Cast For ‘Money Heist’ Prequel Spin-Off Series

Lee B. Golden III

The creators of hit Netflix series, La Casa De Papel (a.k.a. Money Heist) are moving forward with prequel series spin-off, Berlín, according to announcements made this week and hinted several days prior at various news outlets. The cast was also announced on Wednesday via Twitter, listing Michelle Jenner, Tristán Ulloa, Begoña Vargas, Julio Peña Fernández, and Joel Sánchez, and with none other than leading man Pedro Alonso reprising his role from the aforementioned inaugural hit series. It’s been five years since the first season of La Casa De Papel landed on the streamer and became a supercharged hit running five seasons. The show features Alonso aligned with a ragtag team of thieves initiated by a brilliant-minded “Professor” as they spend months incognito preparing to rob the Spanish Royal Mint of nearly a billion Euros. The heist unravels in the first two seasons of the show as it toggles back and […]

Fantastic Fest 2022 Review: SOLOMON KING, A Runaway Blaxploitation Classic Worth The Upgrade

Lee B. Golden III

Deaf Crocodile Films has been on a roll this year with its slate of restored and remastered classics. One such title is the 1974 indie classic, Solomon King, directed by Jack Bomay alongside leading man Sal Watts in the title role, taking the mantle for an opportune move toward the zeitgeist of Blaxploitation cinema at the time titles like Hammer, Black Caesar and Black Belt Jones were the talk of the town. Penned by Watts with a script storied by Jim Alston, Solomon King dives right into the thick of it when Hassan, a power-hungry sheikdom in an oil-rich foreign country, has usurped himself into power, marking the king and his daughter, Princess Oneeba (Claudia Russo), for death. With his brother Manny (James Watts) caught in the crossfire, CIA-trained nightclub owner Solomon (Sal Watts) is alerted to the latest attempt on their lives and is summoned to protect Oneeba upon […]

COOLER: Dave Bautista Headlines New Action Thriller From ‘Hotel Artemis’ Director

Lee B. Golden III

Drew Pearce will reunite with Hotel Artemis co-star Dave Bautista for Cooler, a new action thriller out of FilmNation Entertainment’s new Infrared production label which films in Summer of 2023. The film is the first title to emerge in a first-look deal etched out a few weeks ago between Infrared and Bautista’s Dogbone Entertainment banner. Cooler “follows a South Beach bouncer Ray Sagona, played by Bautista, who is on the brink of finding redemption and getting his family back. But when a drug-filled safe is stolen from the club he works at, Ray is blackmailed into finding it before the Miami PD narcotics bureau comes to retrieve it on Sunday night. Now, as his past and present collide in ever-more dangerous ways, Ray must survive an epic 36-hour odyssey across Miami Beach to get that safe back… one final Herculean task on his journey towards absolution.” Pearce will direct from […]