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:

BRUSH OF THE GOD: Help Crowdfund Kaiju Film Legend Keizo Murase’s Feature Debut!

Legendary Kaiju cinema stalwart Keizo Murase, 88, is taking matters into his own hands with feature directing debut, Brush Of The God. Murase, who began his career in the 1950s working as a monster suit designer for Toho, has since taken to Kickstarter to help raise funds for the project, for which he will, for the most part, employ the kind of practical Japanese special effects wizardry that is signature of yesteryear Kaiju films. Murase will direct from a script by Takeshi Nakazawa (Hatsukoi-Geinin), which pits the film’s very title as crucial to the plot. The story centers on Akari, the granddaughter of a recently-deceased SFX model maker who was on track to make Brush Of The God his first feature film. Aided by her classmate at her grandfather’s farewell party, hardcore Tokusatsu fan Takuya, the two suddenly find themselves sucked into a wormhole that pulls them into the world […]

Year Nine…

Lee B. Golden III

I gotta say… this year-end piece has been pretty hard to ponder what with all the overthinking I’ve done. Keeping it simple was just as difficult for an approach to this thing, further elongating the lack of inspiration that I’ve increasingly felt in the last four months or so. That’s writers’ bloc for you. It’s a real bitch, and indeed, many things have factored into it, and it’s all still a challenge to take in. After coping with the passing of my sister back in April, I now find myself at a point where my own health and wellness are priority, in addition to my peace of mind. That meant a great deal of convalescence, both equally internal and external. It’s also meant recurring doctor visits in the past two months and more going forward. The good news is it’s not Covid-related, in case any of you are reading this […]

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Lionsgate Announces March 2023 Release For The Next JOHN WICK Chapter

Lee B. Golden III

Lionsgate has announced a March 24, 2023 release date for the fourth installment of the John Wick saga, effectively delaying the film from its initially planned May 2022 release. Chad Stahelski directed the film from a script by Michael Finch, Shay Hatten and Derek Kolstad with actor Keanu Reeves reprising the title role once more. Plot details remain unknown, while fans may remember what happens to our stoic protagonist at the end of the third film, following his ballistic re-entry into The Continental, now faced with the consequences of his vengeful and subversive actions against a hierarchal system of underworld politics and assassins he long since wanted out of. Joining Reeves is a new and returning cast mixture that insofar includes Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and Laurence Fishburne, action stars Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror and Hiroyuki Sanada, and actors Bill Skarsgard, Rina Sawayama, Shamier Anderson and Clancy Brown. […]

THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS Review: A Surprise Sci-Fi Epic Love Story Feasibly Shoehorned Into Reality

Lee B. Golden III

More than twenty years since The Matrix launched a multi-million dollar movie franchise that catapulted minds into a vast millieu of sci-fi wonder, director Lana Wachowski (half of the duo that helmed the original trilogy prior to their transitions) returns to both amaze and bewilder with one of the most meta sequels you’ll probably ever see. And no, I probably won’t disclose much about the film and its plot. Like the great Morpheus once said… “I cannot tell you what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.” You’ll either love The Matrix Resurrections, or hate it; There’s plenty to appreciate in how Wachowski births a new story into the mix – an impressive and equally bold and brilliant move in the creativity department considering so many moviegoers are so myopic that upon the end of The Matrix Revolutions, things might as well have been what they were […]

THE NORTHMAN Convicts With Viking Vengenace In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

This one took me by surprise, but we now have a trailer for Robert Egger’s new medieval revenge epic, The Northman. Focus Features is unleashing this beast on April 22 in theaters. From visionary director Robert Eggers comes The Northman, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder. With an all-star cast that includes Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.

THE TIGER MASK Official Trailer Roars Online

Lee B. Golden III

Currently making the rounds is the official trailer for The Tiger Mask. (not to be confused as a direct adaptation of Ikki Kajiwara’s 1968 manga from what I can tell). There isn’t much available to go by, plotwise, but the gist here is a story which sees actor Jo Han-sun transform from a boring nobody to a kick-ass somebody overnight after stumbling upon the titular mysterious mask of legend. Directed by Yum Jung-won, the film also stars are Hwang Bo-un, Kang Byul, Jung Tae-woo and Kim Heung-rae, with a release date in South Korea for December 30.

BLADE OF THE 47 RONIN Unsheathes A Dystopian Female Samurai Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

A new Friday report by Variety‘s Patrick Frater confirms the completion Blade Of The 47 Ronin, the sequel to the original Keanu Reeves-led 2013 Universal Pictures release. Actor and filmmaker Ron Yuan (Step Up China) directs for a second venture with Tim Kwok producing, and a script by John Swetnam, Lucifer actress Aimee Garcia, and A.J. Mendez. The film, which wrapped in Hungary this week, hails from Universal’s 1440 Productions shingle. Actress Anna Akana (Jupiter’s Legacy) stars alongside U.S. martial artist Teresa Ting and Mike Moh (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), and Warrior actor Dustin Nguyen, along with Chris Pang, Japanese actor and model Fukuyama Chikako, action star Mark Dacascos, Luna Fujimoto, Akira Koieyama and Nino Furuhata. As Frater notes, Blade Of The 47 Ronin is set in Budapest, 300 years following the events of the first film. It takes a more subversive turn as it brings a more […]

WARRIORS OF FUTURE: Ng Yuen-Fai’s New Sci-Fi Thriller Revs Up A 2022 Hong Kong SAR China Release

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been about eight years since actor Louis Koo planted his producer flag at One Cool Film, having built a successful slate of active and developing projects. One such title includes VFX steward Ng Yuen-Fai’s long-awaited feature directing debut, Warriors Of Future, starring Koo and actor Sean Lau – both who’ve kept busy in the years since completing the film. Fast forward to today, and after surviving a changing industrial atmosphere in the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the film’s campaign is on a roll as of last week, rolling out two Breaking News-style promos published online for Hong Kong SAR China readers – the latest of which you can view above. The film, according to HK01, is revving up a release on 200 theatrical screens in 2022, which will also include outdoor theaters. In the not-too-distant future, pollution and global warming have left Earth barren, a giant meteorite […]

THE PIRATES: GOBLIN FLAG Sets Sail In The Spectacular First Trailer For The High-Seas Adventure Sequel

Lee B. Golden III

Director Kim Jung-hoon’s third and latest outing continues the high-seas thrills in The Pirates: Goblin Flag, following up from Lee Suk-hoon’s 2014 inaugural now with a new cast of characters and story to boot. Taking the lead are actors Kang Ha-neul, Han Hyo-joo, Lee Kwang-soo and Kwon Sang-woo with many more as the new story unfolds with warring pirate factions all vying for the lost treasure of the Goryeo royal family. You can now sample all that and more in the first official trailer above ahead of the film’s January release, along with eight new characters posters just below.

CLEAN: Adrien Brody Dispenses Brutal, Bloody, Unflinching Vigilante Justice In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Adrien Brody is proudly checking all the boxes for his latest collaborative effort, Clean. IFC Films is opening the new dramatic crime thriller in theaters on January 28. Clean, a man with a violent and criminal past, seeks redemption after being awakened by personal tragedy. He dedicates his life to his broken community, and the safety of young girl who reminds him of his daughter. When her life is put in danger, it ignites a return to the darkness and violence he’s worked so hard to leave behind. In his attempts to save her, he might very well save himself. Brody’s statement – released along with the assets – alludes to his upbringing in New York City, acknowledging ongoing hardships that continue to plague rural and suburban neighborhoods to this day. He describes the film as “a tribute to the fearlessness of those, who, in spite of pain, loss and […]

THE RUNNER: Boy Harsher’s Chilling New Darkwave Doc-Style Meta Horror Thrills In Select Theaters And On AMC’s Shudder In January

Lee B. Golden III

Are you into horror and darkwave music any? Turn your interest over to music and film duo Boy Harsher (Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller), and their latest cinematic effort, The Runner. The new film will have its day-and-date run in select theaters and on AMC Networks’ Shudder streamer in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand from January 16. Unable to tour and unwilling to make “club music”, and with Matthews coping with her MS diagnosis, the two began developing the project, using Muller’s moody, cinematic sketches and Matthews’ own conception of “a sinister character: a woman running through the woods”, crafting a meta-style “documentary” horror that weaves Boy Harsher’s recording process with a story that “explores lust, compulsion, and the horrific tendencies of seduction.” Written, directed, and produced by Boy Harsher, The Runner follows a strange woman as she travels to a secluded, rural town where her violent […]

VAN HELSING Sets Sail For Complete Series Release In The UK From Dazzler

Lee B. Golden III

Dazzler Media is proudly presenting both the final season, as well as the complete collection of the hit fantasy-horror series, Van Helsing. Both are set to arrive to the UK on Blu-ray, DVD and Download-to-Own from January 10. Van Helsing has become one of the most exciting and entertaining fantasy-horror shows of recent times, combining brutal action with compelling storytelling and memorable characters. Inspired by the Helsing graphic novel series, the show has gone on to earn a loyal fan following worldwide. Following an event referred to as “The Rising”, vampires now dominate the world. Vanessa Van Helsing (Kelly Overton, True Blood, Legends), the great-great-great-grand daughter of vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, is resurrected to lead the surviving humans in their struggle against the vampires. Van Helsing The Complete Collection features all 65 episodes from every season, including the eagerly awaited fifth and final season. Pre-orders for the complete boxset are currently available at AmazonUK.

Wilmer Valderrama Partners With Disney For New ZORRO Series

Lee B. Golden III

If you’re memory is any good then you probably haven’t forgotten about the previously-reported Z from director Jonas Cuaron. That film has a far different vision based on the classic pulp hero, “Zorro”, than what Disney Branded Television now has in store and time will tell if that project ever gets off the ground. As for the latest, leave it to actor Wilmer Valderrama (That 70’s Show, Disney’s Encanto, NCIS) who is set to shepherd a new reimagined incarnation for the studio. The new action adventure western episodic will center on Valderrama as Don Diego de la Vega and his swashbuckling alter ego, the masked vigilante himself. Valderrama will also exec produce alongside DBTV’s outgoing president and chief creative officer, Gary Marsh, and Zorro Productions Inc.’s John Gertz (“The Mask of Zorro,” “The Legend of Zorro”). Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television, said, “We’re reimagining this Disney classic as a […]

THE SIEGE OF ROBIN HOOD: Paul Allica’s Debut Action Adventure Emerges With A Pair Of Posters

Lee B. Golden III

It’s taken more than five (count ’em…FIVE) years for actor, stunt performer and filmmaker Paul Allica to come as far as he has with his feature directing debut, The Siege Of Robin Hood. It’s been a journey imperiled with insurmountable odds at times – challenges that Allica has met head on through some pretty immense problem-solving and resourceful thinking. To that end, Allica’s journey of production ended when he officially wrapped all post-prod editing back in September and garnered the attention of the trades thanks to landing a platform with international sales reps at Kaleidoscope. Distro acquisitions and release news currently remains pending as far as I know, but a cast and crew screening is already in tow later this month, and Allica has a new pair of posters to celebrate the occasion. In a time of chaos and tyranny, the once great nation of England teeters perilously on the […]

THE UNBERABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT Red Band Teaser Sees Nic Cage On The Run!

Lee B. Golden III

New stills rolled out earlier this week at EW for director Tom Gormican’s new Nicolas Cage action comedy headliner, The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent. More importantly though, the new official trailer that dropped on Tuesday has all the Cageness Cage fans could want from a Cage film, and it looks like it’s gonna be lots of fun when it releases next year on April 22. Nicolas Cage stars as… Nick Cage in the action-comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, the fictionalized version of Cage must accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan (Pedro Pascal). Things take a wildly unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative (Tiffany Haddish) and forced to live up to his own legend, channeling his most iconic and beloved on-screen characters in order to save himself and his loved ones. […]

SHIN ULTRAMAN Attacks In A Brand New Teaser Ahead Of May 2022 Release

Lee B. Golden III

It’s taken all of this year for things to finally align for Tsuburaya Productions and Toho as the two companies worked to further mitigate the hampering conditions of the on-going pandemic. Invariably though, Shin Ultraman is finally coming as announced on Monday during the Tsuburaya Convention 2021 special program with two pairs of updated posters and teasers – one of the latter which you can view above showcasing our titular hero. Slated for a May 13, 2022 release from Toho, Shin Ultraman is directed by Shinji Higuchi, in reunion with Shin Godzilla cohort, screenwriter Hideaki Anno who is also producing the pic via his Studio Khara banner following the film’s announcement several years ago. The film stars Takumi Saito (Kiba: The Fangs Of Fiction, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku) as the human host for the Ultraman armor in this throwback incarnation to the original. Also starring are Masami Nagasawa, […]

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: Michelle Yeoh Meets The Multiverses Head On In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

The campaign is now in full throttle with an official trailer for Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s new fantasy action comedy, Everything Everywhere All At Once. Taking the lead here is actress Michelle Yeoh following recent appearances in Gunpowder Milkshake and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend Of The Ten Rings. She is joined by Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong and Jamie Lee Curits. An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led. The film is slated to have its world premiere next Spring at SXSW before hitting theaters from A24.

The Crows Are Coming, As HIGH & LOW: THE WORST Is Announced For Late 2022 Sequel Release!

Lee B. Golden III

We may never know what becomes of the mysterious figure, “Bulge”, hinted at with the end of 2017’s High & Low: Final Mission. I’m not really sure, though it’s exciting to think about now that the hit action franchise is back in the headlines. More to the point, Japanese trade news sites are now reporting the early Fall 2022 release of a sequel to Shigeaki Kubo’s High & Low: The Worst, from Shochiku, in a new video which you can view above, and a poster announcement featuring the cast which you can check out further below on this page. The sequel, to be directed by HiGH&Low franchise co-scribe Norihisa Hiranuma (director of DTC Yukemuri Junjo hen From High & Low), will bring back a mix of both returning and new cast members; Actors Kazuma Kawamura, Hokuto Yoshino, Ryuji Sato, Fuju Kamio, Kohei Fukuyama, Ryu, Takahide Suzuki, Satoshi Uekiya, Ken Nakajima […]

Fight Scene Faves: A Short List Of Memorable Fight Scene Moments In Film

Lee B. Golden III

Years ago, I became obsessed with listing my “top-tens” or “fives” in final fight scenes. There was a UK website that produced such lists and for their final fight scene list, it bothered me for the longest time that it never had the one featured in Drive between Mark Dacascos and Masaya Kato, so you can imagine how fulfilled I felt when the page loaded and I finally saw it listed. That website has long since disappeared, but the practice of listing fight faves stands strong among the action genre fandom to this day. Thus, I felt compelled to just list my own top ten in final fight scenes just to feel it out some and see what folks think. For this, I applied several factors into this analysis; While choreography and cinematography are both important elements, I made other deductions as well which include the scene’s connection to the […]

BEN & JODY: A Village Revolts In The Brand New Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

And just as I hoped, a new trailer is streaming online this week for Angga D. Sasongko’s Filosofi Kopi threequel, Ben & Jody. A seemingly completely tonal changeover from its more dramatic roots based on Dewi Lestari’s literary work, this film elevates to a more action-centric narrative, pitting our title characters at the core of an explosive and exciting new tale fitting enough to accomodate action legend Yayan Ruhian’s screen caliber opposite our leads, played by Chicco Jericho and Rio Dewanto. Also starring are actresses Hana P. Malasan and Aghniny Haque who can be sampled almost immediately in the trailer placing themselves favorably as a screenfighting pair. As for the skinny? Ben (Jericho) and Jody (Dewanto) are no longer in the coffee game together, while Jody’s recent farming activism in a remote village finds him reunited with Ben just as village falls to a gang of illegal loggers led by […]