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:

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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 […]

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FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: THE REVENGE OF SCAR/THE FINAL ALCHEMY Debut On Netflix This Fall

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been five years since director Fumihiko Sori’s live-action adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist out of Warner Bros. Japan. This year’s sequels have since arrived and with Netflix going full-circle with the respective releases of Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge Of Scar, and Fullmetal Alchemist: The Final Alchemy on August 20 and September 24. The final battle for the future has begun. The legend concludes with these two films, forming a “complete version” telling the story up until the end of the original manga. Ed and Al visit Central, where a serial murderer is targeting State Alchemists. While the identity of the criminal is unknown, he is called “Scar” because of the X-shaped scar on his forehead. When the brothers are targeted as well, they fight Scar. In the face of overwhelming strength, Ed’s Automail is destroyed and their lives hang by a thread. Will the brothers be able to overcome this […]

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Fantasia XXVI Review: SPECIAL DELIVERY Arrives With Full-Throttle Fun

Lee B. Golden III

If there’s one particular kind of story that usually hits many of the right notes with Korean movie fans of late, it’s where the hero must rescue a child from certain dangerous, criminal elements. For this third film to date, writer/director Park Dae-min is handed the reigns for a story that clearly takes some cues from the likes of Edgar Wright, Simon West and Louis Leterrier and for this, we get Parasite and Man Of Will actress Park So-dam’s newest role in action thriller, Special Delivery. Our story centers on Jung Eun-ha, a North Korean defector who’s long been in the care of Baek (Kim Eui-sung). Together with Asif (Howard Han), they operate an elite delivery business for clients out of Baek’s junkyard and save for Eun-ha’s eagerness for a 50/50 split away from the usual 40% take she earns, not only is she good at what she does, but […]

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DUNE: PART TWO Commences Principal Photography For 2023 Rollout

Lee B. Golden III

Cameras are now rolling in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy for Dune: Part Two, according to an announcement on Monday. Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve is back to direct the second installment following the film’s critical and commercial acclaim from its release last year, taking six Academy Award wins including Bests in visual effects and for composer Hans Zimmer’s original score. Hailing from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment, Dune: Part Two sees Villeneuve directing from a script he co-wrote with Jon Sphaits, continuing his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller. The film centers on the interplanetary upheaval over spice on the desert planet, Arrakis, wherein the fate of Paul Atreides, the noble son of the House Of Atreides, will be decided as a war looms between an evil Baron and the warrior dwellers of Arrakis. As the studio describes it, the sequel “will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as […]

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YU YU HAKUSHO: Meet Kurama And Hiei In Two More Images For The Upcoming Live-Action Series

Lee B. Golden III

A few other pieces of character art were revealed in the wake of this past weekend’s debut reveal of Tokyo Revengers star Takumi Kitamura in the title role of the upcoming live-action series adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho. The streamer also shared promotional images of actors Jun Shison (HiGH&LOW: The Worst, Bubble) and Kanata Hongo (Fullmetal Alchemist trilogy) in the respective roles of Kurama, the fox demon in human form, and Hiei, a fire demon imbued with a supernatural power born from the “evil eye” on his forehead. The casting announcement for the role of Yusuke’s high school frienemy, Kuwabara, remains pending following a teaser image over the weekend. All three characters and more are expected to join Kitamura for the series with a story based on Yoshihiro Togashi’s original manga which centers on a delinquent high schooler who is thrust into a dark adventure as a spirit detective when […]

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SURVIVING THE GAME: A Word With ‘Layers Of Lies’ Star And Director Ramin Sohrab

Lee B. Golden III

What you’re seeing above is just one major bookmark of actor and martial artist Ramin Sohrab’s life – the result of years of training and hardship earned through his craft up to this point, as he now makes his way to the festival circuit outside Iran for the first time with rescue action thriller, Layers Of Lies. In addition to starring, he also directs this, his debut feature, a choice which be one of necessity. A result of unending searches for a good crew to hire within his means eventually confined him with the authority of directing tfilm himself. The result? Four years of principal photography, during which Sohrab would be, as he puts it in our first interview, “fighting” for his life. Government and local industry restrictions within Iran, stifled funding, and broken commitments due to a fickle film market, a Covid-19 infection, and a broken leg are all […]

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CARTER Official Trailer Reveals Single-Take Explosive Action Adventure

Lee B. Golden III

The New York Asian Film Festival’s Daniel A. Craft Award-winning Jung Byung-gil’s latest thriller is hitting Netflix on August 5 with Carter, and a new trailer is online following a teaser revealed earlier this month. Save for the logline, this footage now immerses us into a story that’s more visually descriptive – even more so in the YouTube description as it notes the film’s story will be told in real-time. A man wakes up missing his memories. Directed by a mysterious voice from a device in his ear, he sets off on a hostage rescue mission rife with danger. Invariably, you can expect fans of Jung’s The Villainess and films like One Shot and Crazy Samurai Musashi might be keen on this latest endeavor. Lead actor Joo Won is joined by Lee Sung-jae and Jeong So-ri.

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NYAFF 2022 Review: MAMA BOY, A Visually Poetic Tale About Growing Pains

Lee B. Golden III

U.S.-born filmmaker Arvin Chen’s third feature is a profile in coming-of-age hardship amid family drama in Mama Boy, fresh out of Taiwan and currently circulating festivals abroad with its latest movement now at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival. Distribution Workshop is representing the film internationally per its announcement last year with a cast led by Tiny Times franchise actor Kai Ko, and actress Vivian Hsu following their last shared screen credit, Jeff Chang’s 2013 comedy, Machi Action. We meet Xiao Hong (Kai Ko), who’s a bit of a basketcase. He lives with his overprotective and intrusive mother, Meiling (Sara Yu), who insists on coordinating just about every aspect of his life in hopes of securing his future, including his romantic interests. There is just one problem: Xiao has just turned 29. He’s never had a girlfriend, and everytime she sets him up on a date, it ends in […]

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YU YU HAKUSHO: Takumi Kitamura Is Yusuke Urameshi In The First Promotional Image For The Netflix Live-Action Series

Lee B. Golden III

Netflix is getting its spirit energy up this weekend with a first official look at actor Takumi Kitamura (Tokyo Revengers) in the lead role of the upcoming live-action series adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho, following its 2020 announcement. Sho Tsukikawa is directing the series from a screenplay by Tatsuro Mishima, with Akira Morii producing for ROBOT, and Kaata Sakamoto exec producing for Netflix. The original IP centers on Yusuke Urameshi, a rebellious teen delinquent who dies saving a child’s life – an act that soon thrusts him into whirlwind adventure and danger as a newly-minted “Spirit Detective”. Joined by his friends, they encounter swathes of supernatural evil in an epic journey of self-discovery that will test his resolve and push him beyond his limits as a skilled fighter and warrior, all leading up to a final confrontation with his own darkness. Yoshihiro Togashi wrote and created the original manga published […]

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THE RIVER WILD Reboot Now Filming, Cast Photo Revealed Ahead Of 2023 Release

Lee B. Golden III

A new reimagining of Curtis Hanson’s 1994 thriller, The River Wild, is now underway in Hungary from writer/director Ben Ketai (“StartUp,” “Chosen”). The announcement comes with a first look cast photo which you can view above, featuring Leighton Meester (The Weekend Away, “Single Parents”), Taran Killam (“Saturday Night Live,” “Single Parents”), and Adam Brody (Ready or Not, “StartUp”). The brand-new adventure thriller follows a brother (Killam) and sister (Meester), who love but distrust each other, as they embark on a white-water rafting trip with a small group, including the siblings’ childhood friend (Brody), who turns out to be more dangerous than he appears. The film will debut on non-theatrical platforms worldwide in 2023 from Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. “We are excited to announce a thrilling new The River Wild story, with fresh characters and a story that brings the universe to new audiences and […]

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BLACK LOTUS: Frank Grillo Toplines New Action Thriller From ‘Boyka: Undisputed’ Director

Lee B. Golden III

Principal photography has just begun on action thriller Black Lotus, according to production notices sent out on Friday. Todor Chapkanov (Viking Quest, Boyka: Undisputed 4, 2nd unit for The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Expendables 4) will direct a cast headed up by Frank Grillo (The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, Copshop, Boss Level) opposite eleven-time world Dutch kickboxing champion and lead actor Rico Verhoeven (Kickboxer: Retaliation, Netxlix series “Undercover”) Penned by Tad Daggerhart (The Expendables 4), Black Lotus sees Verhoeven in the role of special forces officer Matteo Donner. After his best friend dies while on a joint mission, he roams the world struggling with guilt. Once back in Amsterdam, he ends up in a one-man war in the streets and on the canals of the city. Between explosions, flying bullets and crashing cars, Donner has only one goal: to rescue the kidnapped daughter of his dead friend. Cameras are rolling in the […]

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SALOUM: Jean Luc Herberlot’s Award-Winning Senegalese Thriller Arrives In Theaters And Streaming This September

Lee B. Golden III

AMC Networks’ premium horror and thriller streamer, Shudder, and IFC Midnight have acquired Saloum, the highly-anticipated and award-winning feature from writer/director Jean Luc Herbulot (Dealer). The film will release theatrically on Friday, September 2 ahead of streaming Thursday, September 8, with national rollout will on September 9. “Saloum is a bold combination of horror, revenge thriller and African folklore that’s worthy of every bit of praise it’s been receiving at festivals,” said Shudder General Manager, Craig Engler. “We’re proud to share this incredibly original and thrilling film from the distinctive voice of Jean Luc Herbulot with our members and theatergoers.” Said Herbulot, “I created the Hyenas as a personal gift for my own 7-year-old self who grew up without heroes and my 37-year-old self who was bored by modern African cinema, and today I hope they can be the heroes of many across the globe. It’s very important for us […]

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BLOODY HELL: Watch As Ben O’Toole Fights Tooth And Nail On One Leg Out Of Norway On Shudder

Lee B. Golden III

If you were lucky to catch director Alister Grierson’s splashy action horror comedy, Bloody Hell, during its festival run and loved it, you’ll be pleased to learn that it’s now available on AMC’s premiere horror streamer, Shudder, for all subscribers as of Friday. You’re welcome to peep my review of the film from its Nightstream premiere, but you’ll definitely be in for a treat to say the least. Bloody Hell follows a man with a mysterious past who flees the country to escape his own personal hell, only to arrive somewhere much, much, much worse. To survive this new horror, he turns to his personified conscience. Together, they must race against time to free themselves from a twisted family hiding a very dark secret. The film was originally released last year by Entertainment Squad’s The Horror Collective and has since gone on to earn a 91% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Robert […]

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Fantasia XXVI Review: BABY ASSASSINS, Japanese Action Cinema All Grown-Up!

Lee B. Golden III

Originally published July 15, 2022: The last several years have seen a notable of proliferation of the newest J-wave of action cinema titles out of Japan. To this end, films like the HiGH&LOW franchise which remains on-going to this day, stars and figures like Shun Oguri, Tak Sakaguchi, Takumi Kitamura and Masanori Mimoto, and directors like Kensuke Sonomura have all been welcome assets amidst the emerging talents of late, and it’s not over yet with other filmmakers and performers bound to leave their mark in the coming weeks and months. This especially goes for director Hugo Sakamoto, who has been increasingly influential in his craft for at least six years to date, having since made waves stateside at Fantastic Fest last year with his most recent endeavor, Baby Assassins. The film is still trekking the festival circuit in North America, and in no short order looks to be a solid […]

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NYAFF 2022 Review: ONE AND FOUR Evens The Odds With Solid Direction

Lee B. Golden III

Anyone out here in the West looking to familiarize themselves with actor and poet Jinpa can do so with a few possible selections, including leading Tibetan auteur Pema Tseden’s sixth feature, Jinpa, as well as Zhang Yang’s 2016 adventure drama, Soul On A String. Otherwise, audiences are currently welcome to embrace the actor’s latest role in a searing new Chinese-Tibetan western noir from Tseden’s son, debut filmmaker Jigme Trinley in the form of One And Four, a film that squarely reunites the star with Tseden who produced the pic for its local release last year. The wintery Western noir is set in the late 1990s in the mountains where we meet Sanggye (Jinpa), a rural forest ranger whose desolate worklife is nothing short of dilapidated, he can’t sleep, and he’s currently wrestling with a hangover despite it being against the rules for him to drink on the job. The latter […]

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‘WARRIOR’ TV Series Spin-Off Lands At Paramount+ With Additional Cast

Lee B. Golden III

It was last Fall that Warrior helmer Gavin O’Connor made it known that a television spin-off of his hit 2011 film was in the works and in talks to streamers to help shop the series. On Thursday, Mike Fleming Jr.’s exclusive re-affirmed the show’s existence with word that Lionsgate Television is developing the ten-episode series for Paramount+. The report also notes that actress Gina Rodriguez (Miss Bala, I Want You Back) will join retired two-time UFC champion Daniel Cormier, who was attached as of September of 2021, to star in the series among its four main principal cast members. O’Connor is aiming to direct all ten episodes, and is creating the show with Adair Cole, with whom he will also serve as showrunner. The series, titled in previous reports as “Warriors”, wasn’t something O’Connor had in mind much less a sequel in the years since the inaugural MMA drama featuring Joel […]

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MANEATER: Take A Bite Out Of The Official Trailer For Justin Lee’s New Shark Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Saban Films is heading out to sea with shark thriller, Maneater next month. The official trailer is now online with a date set for August 22 in theaters, on Demand and Digital. What better place to drown your sorrows than an idyllic island paradise? That was the idea when Jesse’s friends convinced her to not let a broken engagement stand in the way of enjoying her prepaid honeymoon. Their sorrows weren’t the only thing going to drown on their trip especially with a man-eating shark swimming just below the surface. Maneater stars Nicky Whelan, Trace Adkins with Jeff Fahey and Shane West.

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THE RETALIATORS Unleashes Unholy Vengeance This September In Theaters!

Lee B. Golden III

CineLife Entertainment and Trafalgar are set to release action horror revenge thriller The Retaliators worldwide starting this Fall. The announcement comes following a ceremonious reception for the film at over two dozen festivals globally and nationally for directors Bridget Smith and Samuel Gonzalez Jr. who direct from a script by brothers Darren and Jeff Geare. An upstanding pastor uncovers a dark and twisted underworld as he searches for answers surrounding his daughter’s brutal murder. A high-octane original soundtrack and cameos from some of the biggest names in rock music set the tone as this horror-thriller reveals a game of revenge played using a new set of rules. The Retaliators stars Michael Lombardi, Marc Menchaca, and Joseph Gatt along with Papa Roach front man Jacoby Shaddix, and cameos and music by Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee, Five Finger Death Punch’s Ivan Moody, Zoltan Bathory, and Chris Kael, Papa Roach, Jaya of The […]

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Fantasia XXVI Review: Lee Sang-Yong’s THE ROUNDUP Knocks ‘Em Out Once More In The Hit Action Crime Sequel

Lee B. Golden III

Watch any of actor Don Lee’s earlier films and you’ll know he wasn’t as sizeable as he has been in the last, say, maybe eight or ten years. Regardless of whether his beefy build was a planned effort or not, however, you have to give it to him for using it to his advantage and ultimately paving a way for an evolution in Korean cinema of late with a raft of hard-hitting roles as a big, hard-hitting character with enough screen charisma to match the likes of Schwarzenegger and current business partner Stallone to name a certain few, which now brings us to Lee Sang-yong’s The Outlaws follow-up, The Roundup. Enter Ma, the “Beast Cop” himself played once more by actor Don Lee in a story now set in 2008 where he and his unit’s captain, Jeon Il-man, are sent to extradite a criminal operating in Vietnam. The case eventually […]

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THE WARRIORR: Don’t Miss The Trailer For N. Lingusamy’s Newest Tamil/Telugu Actioner

Lee B. Golden III

Making landfall this week is the release of director N. Lingusamy’s tenth film, The Warriorr, for which I have to credit the #ActionTwitter crowd for spotting first. The trailers running online in both Telugu and Tamil have millions of views since airing a week and a half ago, with a cast led by Ram Pothineni, and Aadhi Pinisetty. The skinny? Pothoneni plays a tough-as-nails deputy superintendent to the police who goes up against a notorious gangster who frankly isn’t afraid to choke a MFer out. The trailers look positively ridic and speak ever so much to why it is they appeal to Westerners, and this is definitely not a complaint. Krithi Shetty, Akshara Gowda and Nadhiya also star!