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:

NYAFF 2022 Review: Shinji Higuchi’s SHIN ULTRAMAN Is One Of The Biggest, Most Deserving Fanfilms Ever Made

There’s a huge, extensive legacy to consider with the Ultraman franchise as it dates back to 1966, and the question of whether or not a studio can remake a classic property. As a Westerner, I can certainly speak for Hollywood’s intake of IPs whether homegrown or born abroad, and it’s been a rocky ride. With a film like Shin Ultraman, however, I can only ascertain its general success from its current box office reception following its theatrical Japan release back in May, and so to that end, I can only dive into this review as someone relatively new-ish to the franchise apart from my past consumption of Ameritoku and learning of its Super Sentai Origins and other Showa-era materials. Alas, we get Shin Ultraman, the latest reteam from Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi following their pairing on Anno’s Evangelion projects among others. For both Anno and Higuchi, Shin Ultraman stands […]

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Nunchucks, Swords, Donnie Yen And More In The First Look Promo For JOHN WICK 4!

Lee B. Golden III

Nunchucks? Swordfights? Guns? Dogs? Keanu Reeves punching a makiwara? These are just small highlights of the tidbits we’re finally seeing in the first look out of Lionsgate for the fourth John Wick film arriving on March 24,

NYAFF 2022 Review: Eiji Uchida’s OFFBEAT COPS, Practice, Practice, Practice!

Lee B. Golden III

Offbeat Cops is an original story written and directed by Eiji Uchida for his fourteenth film to date. It stars Hiroshi Abe as Tsukasa Naruse, a divorcee and hard-boiled detective on the verge of catching the elusive leader of a phishing ring that targets elderly people, violently invades them at home and robs them of any money or personal belongings before leaving their victims for dead. When the film starts, he’s so close to getting his man that he can taste it, and will go to just about any lengths necessary to catch the culprit, even if it means abusing his authority with suspects. His maverick style of investigation, however, has also cost him his image as the three decades he’s spent being a detective has transformed him into an incorrigible colleague at the station, shoving his weight around and being insubordinate towards his seniors, intolerant of meetings and by-the-book […]

BABY ASSASSINS: Now Streaming On Hi-YAH!, Catch The Official Comic-Con U.S. Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

In the late hours of Thursday evening, Well Go USA Entertainment and streaming imprint Hi-YAH! were on hand at Comic Con International: San Diego to promote the upcoming release of Hugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins. The official trailer is now online for the hit action comedy, which stars Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa as two lazy high schoolers moonlighting as career assassins for a private organization with just one important caveat: Their expenses will no longer be covered, forcing them to get regular day jobs when they graduate. Whether or not they can unlearn their sociopathic tendencies and acclimate to societal norms long enough as functioning members of society remains to be seen. However, when their last job ultimately puts them in the crosshairs of an unruly yakuza boss and his incorrigible children, it’s an all-or-nothing fight for survival. Baby Assassins also stars Takashi Nishina, Yasukaze Motomiya, Nagiko Tsuji, Tsubasa Tobinaga, […]

Trailer: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES, Because Who Needs Heroes?

Lee B. Golden III

Folks attending Comic-Con International this week got a glimpse of what’s to come with a few motion poster gems from next year’s Paramount Pictures release, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. The official trailer, however, is live as of Thursday and you can now view it above ahead of the film’s March 3, 2023 due date. A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is based on the classic table top game and is written and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. The film stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, […]

Disney+ Delivers The R-Rated Goods With DEADPOOL, DEADPOOL 2 And LOGAN

Lee B. Golden III

Disney+ is ramping up its R-rated content this Friday with the releases of Deadpool, Deadpool 2, and Logan, according to the trades and press announcements on Thursday. All three films will be made available in the U.S. under the Marvel brand. The news comes following the stellar success of the first two Deadpool films with a third to be directed by Shawn Levy in reunion with his Free Guy and The Adam Project star. Logan remains lead actor Hugh Jackman’s final appearance as the Marvel character seventeen years after debuting the adamantium-clawed maverick in the 2000 inaugural superhero ensemble, X-Men. “Deadpool” (2016): Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, […]

For Your Fealty, A First Look At Keanu Reeves In JOHN WICK: CHAPTER FOUR

Lee B. Golden III

Lionsgate is rolling out a first official look at Keanu Reeves in the title role for the next chapter in the John Wick saga which you can view below. The film, opening March 24, 2023, sees Reeves directed once more by Chad Stahelski, this time from a script by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch and a mix of new and returning characters comprised of Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Rina Sawayama, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Bill Skarsgård, Donnie Yen, Marko Zaror, Scott Adkins and Clancy Brown. Check out the photo, and stay tuned!

LIGER Trailer: Vijay Is A Lover AND A Fighter, Mike Tyson Is A Cowboy And That Is A Thing

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Vijay Deverakonda is finally getting his day as of Tuesday with a new trailer look at sports fighting action thriller, Liger, from Puri Connects and Dharma Productions. There’s no immediate story info on hand as I’m writing this, but the trailer is robust and full of action, adrenaline and machismo with Deverakondra offering just a little bit into what his character is here. Also, clearly there is no stopping Mike Tyson at this point when it comes to his own endeavors in entertainment. He’s been in titles produced in Hollwood, China and Egypt and now he gets to add a Hindi/Telugu production in the form of a cameo…as a cowboy, no less. Iddarammayilatho and Romantic helmer Puri Jagannadh directs from a script he wrote and which also has Ananya Panday starring for its August 25 release.

HiGH&LOW: THE WORST – X (CROSS) Scores A Brand New Official Trailer And Poster For The New Action-Packed Chapter

Lee B. Golden III

Get ready to immerse yourselves into the excitement once more with HiGH&LOW: THE WORST – X (CROSS), the latest installment of EXILE HIRO’s high-energy action franchise. The newest official trailer made landfall on Thursday following a spate of special promos and a teaser back in late Spring ahead of the film’s September 9 release. DTC Yukemuri Junjo hen From HiGH&LOW helmer Norihisa Hiranuma succeeds Sigeaki Kubo who has shephered most of the franchise between its television and theatrical properties leading up to 2019’s HiGH&LOW: The Worst. THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE member Kazuma Kawamura is back to reprise his lead role as leading Oya High troublemaker and badass Fujio Hanaoka, leading a cast from a script penned by Hiranuma along with Shoichiro Masumoto and Kei Watanabe Kei, which takes from Takahashi Hiroshi’s “CROWS” and “WORST” manga publications. More from LDH: In the latest work “HiGH&LOW THE WORST X”, Oya High […]

Fantasia XXVI Review: A Look At Wong Jing’s 1982 Action Adventure, MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG

Lee B. Golden III

Undoubtedly, one of the most well-received aspects of being an avid Arrow Video collector nowadays means being exposured to rounds of cult classic titles long-adorned by certain niches. Specifically, we’re talking those of the Hong Kong cinema kind and folks especially fond of Arrow’s Shawscope 2K restorations of late, including and not limited to Wong Jing’s third directorial outing in his career with Ti Lung starrer, Mercenaries From Hong Kong. Ti Lung plays Lok Li, a hired killer working in Hong Kong already wanted for murdering the son of a crimeboss. Before he can escape to Thailand until the heat blows over, Lok gets enveloped into even more trouble at the behest of Ho Ying (Candice Yu), a wealthy tycoon’s daughter who claims she is being blackmailed by the assassin who allegedly murdered her father and stole a highly confidential audiotape. Assembling a team of six to retrieve the tape […]

SHRAPNEL Lands A Brand New Poster For Its 2023 Release

Lee B. Golden III

A new official poster is now running online for Shrapnel, the new action thriller from director William Kaufman (The Brave, Jarhead 3: The Siege). Jason Patric (Sleepers, Narc) and Cam Gigandet (Twilight, The Magnificent Seven) star in the pic which is in post-production ahead of a TBA 2023 release from Saban Films. Patric plays a rancher who crosses the border in search of his missing daughter who mysteriously vanishes during a trip to Mexico with her best friend. He decides to take matters into his own hands, with the help of a former Marine buddy (Gigandet), after the local authorities provide little help and he discovers that they are in cahoots with the dangerous cartel behind his daughter’s disappearance. Kaufman directed from an original screenplay by Chad Law and Johnny Walters. Elias Axume is produced the pic for Premiere Entertainment, which handles worldwide sales, with Al Bravo for Al Bravo […]

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Simon McQuoid Will Direct MORTAL KOMBAT 2 For Warner Bros.

Lee B. Golden III

Simon McQuoid will return to direct the sequel to last year’s Mortal Kombat, according to Deadline on Wednesday. Jeremy Slater is penning the script as of January. McQuoid directed the first installment based on a script by Greg Russo, adaptating a new story based on the hit game created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. It returned many classic game characters to the screen, largely with the exception of Lewis Tan who headed the cast as an original character for the film. Warner Bros. Pictures released the film on HBO Max and in theaters where it became a box office hit alongside other theatrical titles including Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train, and F9. Critical reviews, however, were hit or miss depending on whose pieces you take more to. Casting details haven’t been made official, save for actor Joe Taslim who informed fans last April that he’s contracted for at […]

NYAFF 2022 Review: It’s All Fun And Games Until A LESSON IN MURDER Gets Dangerously Personal

Lee B. Golden III

Anyone new to the work of director Kazuya Shiraishi might already be keen on his unabashed directing style. For those who haven’t seen some of his previous work like the more robust The Blood Of Wolves and it’s sequel, The Last Of The Wolves, are welcome to check the aforementioned titles out at a latter point sometime, with his latest, Lesson In Murder, able to serve as a bit of a soft opener into the chilling and gruesome. A slow-burn crime procedural in its entirety, we watch as Masaya Kakei (Kenshi Okada), a terse, meek young adult fresh into college just as he and his family are in mourning from the loss of his grandmother, is thrust into an intrinsic journey when he receives a letter from Yamato Haimura (Sadao Abe), his former childhood baker who is now incarcerated and on trial for torturing and murdering nearly two-dozen teenagers. Driven […]

JAKA: Production Wraps On Indonesian Action Thriller From Dan Rizzuto

Lee B. Golden III

A first look image via detikHot is now making the rounds for Indonesian local TV action pic, Jaka. The film is the second directorial effort from stunt professional Dan Rizzuto following his debut feature, Torn: Dark Bullets. Actor Ramadhan Ruswandi, pictured, stars in the film from a script by Rizzuto alongside Josh Mazerolle. The martial arts action thriller centers on a man whose son gets kidnapped while on a family vacation, and is coerced into protecting him by doing the dirty work of corrupt officials for a major criminal organization. Rizzuto is also producing Jaka for Road Dog Entertainment along with Elfina Luk and Ryan Santoso, with trajectory currently set for the global film markets. Rizzuto is based in Canada and operates film and television stunt and fight training facility M1 Fight Design. He is multi-faceted in stunts, action performance and choreography with credits partly including Netflix series Wu Assassins […]

THE FIGHT MACHINE: Don’t Miss The Trailer For The Latest Bareknuckle Brawler From Andrew T. Hunt

Lee B. Golden III

Raven Banner is on deck at Fantasia to screen its package at this year’s 26th in-person edition, including and not limited to company co-founder and Spare Parts helmer Andrew T. Hunt’s new action drama, The Fight Machine. Based on the novel “The Fighter” by acclaimed author Craig Davidson (Jacques Audiard’s Rust & Bone), Hunt co-penned the pic with Davidson for a cast led by rising stars Greg Hovanessian and Dempsey Bryk. In The Fight Machine, Paul Harris leads a sheltered existence. The son of a winery owner, his suits and cars are paid for, his career in the family business assured. He is insulated from the rough realities of life—until a vicious barroom beating sets him down a new path. Rob Tully also feels that his life is on a set course. A born boxer with natural talent, Rob trains with his father, Reuben, and his uncle Tommy, both of […]

GLORIOUS: Shudder Launches First Teaser Ahead Of Fantasia Premiere

Lee B. Golden III

Following its recent acquisition by AMC Networks’ premiere horror streamer, Shudder, the first official teaser is now online for new horror thriller, Glorious, starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) and Oscar-Winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash). Directed by Rebekah McKendry (All The Creatures Were Stirring, Bring It On: Cheer or Die), the film is set to screen at SGWU Theatre Hall at 9:30pm prior to releasing on Shudder beginning August 18. Spiraling out after a bad breakup, Wes (Ryan Kwanten) ends up at a remote rest stop miles away from civilization. His situation worsens after he finds himself locked inside the bathroom with a mysterious figure (J.K. Simmons) speaking to him from an adjacent stall. As Wes tries to escape, he finds himself an unwilling player in a situation bigger and more terrible than he could possibly imagine… Ahead of its hotly anticipated world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, […]

Netflix Acquires Syndey-Based Animation Firm Animal Logic

Lee B. Golden III

Netflix is proudly announcing its acquisition of Australian animation studio, Animal Logic. The acquisition is expected to support Netflix’s ambitious animated film slate, building on films like Academy Award-nominated Over the Moon, Academy Award-nominated Klaus and the recently released The Sea Beast. The Sydney-based firm, co-founded by CEO Zareh Nalbandian, has been home to award-winning design, visual effects and animation for over thirty years, with a second studio in Vancouver, Canada as of 2015. Their credits partly include Hollywood hits like Happy Feet, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, The LEGO Movies and Peter Rabbit 1 & 2, as well as a number of VFX credits like The Matrix, Moulin Rouge!, 300, and The Great Gatsby. The announcement also builds on an already strong partnership between the two companies, with a full slate of films across both of Animal Logic’s locations with titles like The Magician’s Elephant, directed […]

MURDER AT YELLOWSTONE CITY Set To Duel At Home Next Month On DVD And Blu-Ray

Lee B. Golden III

Director Richard Gray’s (Robert The Bruce) new Western thriller is now hitting the DVD and Blu-Ray trail with Murder At Yellowstone City. The film, which stars Gabriel Byrne, Thomas Jane, Isaiah Mustafa, Anna Camp, Aimee Garcia, Emma Kenney and Zach McGowan from a script by Eric Belgau, will have its disc releases on August 23 from RLJE Films. In MURDER AT YELLOWSTONE CITY, the once peaceful and booming Yellowstone City has fallen on hard times, but when a local prospector strikes gold, things seem to be turning around. Any hope is soon shattered when the prospector is found dead and the Sheriff quickly arrests a mysterious newcomer. But nothing is so simple in this sleepy western town, and more than a few of the locals have secrets to keep and reasons to kill. As the brutal murders continue, pitting neighbor against neighbor, Yellowstone City goes down a bloody path to […]

Now On Prime Video: Dean Fujioka Is PURE JAPANESE, With Blood-Soaked Retribution

Lee B. Golden III

Folks sifting through their home streaming mediums for something to watch can now feast their curious eyes on Pure Japanese, from director Daishi Matsunaga over on Prime Video. The film marks the latest screen appearance from actor Dean Fujioka whose recent starring roles partly include Koji Fukada’s The Man From The Sea and Shinichi Nishitani’s Marriage, as well as Fumihiko Sori’s two recent live-action chapters of Fullmetal Alchemist to name a few. Fujioka takes on both starring and producing duties from a script by Tatsuo Kobayashi. The actor stars as Tateishi, who performs for a stunt show at an Edo-themed family park as an action actor. Not much is known by his colleagues about his traumatic past, save for a terrible accident he is said to have observed while performing stunts on a project in the United States. It’s a past that’s largely gone unaccounted for without incident as long […]

NYAFF 2022 Review: PREMAN: SILENT FURY, Audibly Thrilling Crime Drama That Sometimes Gets Trippy

Lee B. Golden III

Originally published July 19: Falling somewhere between cerebral crime drama and reductionist martial arts thriller is writer/director Randolph Zaini’s feature debut, Preman: Silent Fury. The film tells of Sandi (Khiva Iskak), a gangster whose organization, led by Guru (Kiki Narendra), is currently on a violent campaign to force villagers out of their homes at the will of a sinister politician named Hanoeng (David Saragih). When Guru’s attempt to cudjole the village keeper, Haji (Egi Fedly), into selling his property turns violent, Sandi’s own son, Pandu (Muzakki Ramdhan), falls witness to the incident, making him a target and forcing Sandi to protect his son in a race against time, hired killers, and a narrowing chance to redeem himself. The film definitely takes some whimsical turns in its recurring flashbacks of Sandi’s childhood, which is enough to pair against the film’s more gritty and gruesome imagery per the action and drama. Key […]