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:

SNAKEHEAD: Shuya Chang Challenges The Underworld In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Per Collider‘s exclusive on Tuesday, Samuel Goldwyn Films and Roadside Attractions proudly unveiled the official trailer for its October release of Evan Jackson Leong’s new crime thriller, Snakehead. The film just had its run at the New York Asian Film Festival and will soon garner attention beforehand at the 46th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, whose own Robyn Citizen cites the following about the project in her programming notes: A woman rises through the ranks of the gang that smuggled her into New York City, in Evan Jackson Leong’s fact-based debut feature. A decade-long labour of love for documentary filmmaker Evan Jackson Leong (Linsanity, 1040: Christianity in the New Asia), Snakehead is inspired by the real-life Cheng Chui Ping, a.k.a. Sister Ping, who ran one of the largest snakehead operations — gang-led human-smuggling rackets — for nearly 20 years before her arrest, as well as other ripped-from-the-headlines stories […]

Fantasia XXV Review: Rob Jabbaz’s THE SADNESS, Crowdpleasing Horror, Evolved

Lee B. Golden III

I only have maybe two or three other people who write for this site who are more suited to discuss horror cinema. Regardless, the genre I usually cover sometimes veers into the gruesome and horrific enough that my own viewing experience ultimately warrants some growth along the way, and so upon covering Fantasia, I couldn’t resist checking out The Sadness, the feature directorial debut of Taiwan-based Canadian filmmaker Rob Jabbaz who, as of this write-up, just won Best First Feature out of the festival. Other critics and festival programmers who’ve seen this film have had plenty to say, in addition to this being a film definitely made for a crowd. Under lesser-life threatening circumstances, I would certainly agree, and not for nothing either with Jabbaz’s inaugural crowdpleaser serving up as a timely arrival for theatergoers, at a very tender moment in history more than a year and a half following […]

RUPTURE (First Look)

RUPTURE: Don’t Miss The Trailer For Ranjeet Marwa’s Cyberpunk Indie Actioner

Lee B. Golden III

The work continues for director Ranjeet S. Marwa with the official trailer launch for revenge thriller indie, Rupture, starring Mark Strange (Avengement, Ip Man 4: The Finale). The film is one of two that Marwa has already completed with the first, Exiled: The Chosen Ones, still pending a release, with this latest endevaor setting course for next year. Raven, a recently freed man from prison must confront the people who put him inside. However, revenge is not always the answer, redemption is. Joining Strange are David Lamont, Sean Cronin, Shally Amanda, James Bryhan and Nick Khan among the roster. Check out the trailer above and follow the film on Instagram!

DARK BLOOD Puts John Leguizamo Through Hell In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Actor John Leguizamo’s veracity as an actor continues onward in possibly one of the darkest films he’s ever been, with Dark Blood set to release starting next month from FilmRise. Misael (John Leguizamo) is imprisoned in Colombia, waiting to be sentenced for a revenge crime against the man who killed his child. During his confinement, he must adapt to a new life of abuse, including injury and humiliation by guards and other prisoners. His former life starts to become a distant memory as he is forgotten by his loved ones, Misael, lonely and abandoned, finds affection and tenderness in Sarna, the dog of the prison. Leguizamo is joined by Adriana Barraza and Ramiro Meneses, from a script by director and co-writer Harold Trompetero, and scribes Jeiver Pinto and Gerardo Pinzon. Dark Blood will release on Cable VOD beginning September 10, and on TVOD from October 11.

Let’s Jam With A Batch Of First-Look Stills At Netflix’s COWBOY BEBOP!

Lee B. Golden III

I don’t know about you, but if I can manage it timewise, I might just re-live the animated Cowboy Bebop series until Netflix premieres its live-action iteration of the famed space noir cult classic for ten episodes on November 19. For now though, we have stills. Not too many, but plenty to go around featuring our cast in full regalia which you can check out below, simply by tapping to enlarge. COWBOY BEBOP is an action-packed space Western about three bounty hunters, aka “cowboys,” all trying to outrun the past. As different as they are deadly, Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) form a scrappy, snarky crew ready to hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals — for the right price. But they can only kick and quip their way out of so many scuffles before their pasts finally catch up with […]

Fantasia XXV Review: Kazuaki Seki’s JIGOKU-NO-HANAZONO: OFFICE ROYALE, Hell Hath No Fury Like A Salarywoman Scorned!

Lee B. Golden III

The last six years of buzz and fandom hit pretty damn hard as audiences galavanted over their favorite moments of the rather male-dominated HiGH&LOW franchise. Having conquered multiple mediums right through its streaming launch on Netflix last year, imaginably it left a certain curiosity as to what a more female-centric take on gangbuster action cinema would look like. Leave it to the creative controls of screenwriter Bakarhythm, and filmmaker Kazuaki Seki as they bring you of a world beneath the veneer of quiet, reserved female office workers – a world where OL (office lady) gangs frequently collide in their daily battles for dominance over one another. It’s a brutal, violent and rigorous responsibility, the kind that sets a person apart from the “ordinary” types who lead idyllic, mundane and modestly fulfilling lives – people like Naoko (Mei Nagano), for example. This is the world presented in Seki’s feature directing debut, […]

BEHEMOTH: Skywalker Ranch Vet Debuts New Horror Thriller This Friday

Lee B. Golden III

You can always leave it to the expertise and artistry of VFX vets to deliver when it comes to depicting supernatural horror thrills. Formerly of Skywalker Ranch, Peter Sefchik (Avatar, Harry Potter, Shrek and Star Wars franchises) is setting forth this exact goal with Behemoth, with a digital platform release starting this Friday. Joshua Riverton spent ten years working for a global chemical behemoth, notorious for their environmental negligence. When his daughter develops a mysterious illness, he steps forward as a whistle-blower, throwing his life into chaos. He’s convinced that his company’s negligence has made his daughter sick, and there are dark forces hiding the truth. When given the chance to confront his old boss, Dr. Woeland, he allows a standoff to escalate into violence, and Josh is shot in the process. Now Josh is on the run, eating painkillers, and holding Woeland hostage. Josh demands answers about his daughter’s […]

Fantasia XXV Review: CAUTION, HAZARDOUS WIFE: THE MOVIE, Love On The Edge With Heartshot Espionage Thrills

Lee B. Golden III

If there’s one thing that serves as inviting to watch a recent series, its getting to screen that show’s feature film continuation, which is nifty little way to truly end a series drama on a high note. To that end, it definitely depends on how those behind the scenes attempt to weave together the connecting stories. Arguably, it might even lead to the notion that said film can even stand on its own – a notion that Toya Sato’s Caution: Hazardous Wife: The Movie certainly puts to the test in segueing from the cliffhanger end of the titular NTV drama starring Haruka Ayase (Honnouji Hotel, Ichi) and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Silent Night, Mozu franchise) in reprisals of their respective roles. There’s a gradual tone shift as the film commences with an opening action sequence before laying into the moment Nami (Ayase) awakens from a surrealistic dream. When the film starts, we […]

NYAFF XX Review: Evan Jackson Leong’s SNAKEHEAD, A Redemption Story For A Mother Without A Country

Lee B. Golden III

For Sister Tse (Shuya Chang), it seemed as if life couldn’t get more wary. Once the daughter of a prostitute, Tse herself is the latest generational recipient of suffering in her diaspora as an illegal Chinese immigrant, now fully adept to the dangers of the world around her, and with only one clear goal moving forward: Survive. Such is the culminating characteristic for so many in Tse’s shoes, as observed in Snakehead, writer/director Evan Jackson Leong’s feature directorial debut. Reportedly based on a true story, Snakehead explores Tse’s life, past and present, after landing squarely in New York City where Tse fights tooth and nail for her dignity, climbing the ladder from the abusive clutches of her pimp, Suhyun (Perry Yung), to drawing the curiosity of Chinatown’s most “respected” figure and her very snakehead, Dai Mah (Jade Wu). For Tse, just short of illegal sex work, her resilient attitude draws […]

MANIAC DRIVER Pulls Up With Fierce Premiere Poster Art For Kurando Mitsutake’s First-Ever Japanese Giallo Horror

Lee B. Golden III

The 31st annual Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival kicks off its five-day event on September 16, and Karate Kill and Gun Woman helmer Kurando Mitsutake is totally here for it all, indicating as much with the first official poster for his new horror, Maniac Driver. There aren’t any story details, but all we need to know is that Mitsutake is looking to make this the first-ever foray into the Japanese-Giallo genre, which is exactly the kind of energy Mitsutake appears to be matching. There’s more info on what’s premiering this year at Yubari at the official website, so feel free to peep it once you’re done gawking at the cool ink below, and by all means, don’t fall asleep on this one!

Fantasia XXV Review: Tsutomu Hanabusa’s TOKYO REVENGERS, As Gangsta As It Gets

Lee B. Golden III

There’s ample reason why it is anyone in my time zone, or living within three hours within it, can tell you their perceptions about the state of live-action projects based on any Japanese IP to negative avail for the past decade. Granted, barring any such announcements made in the last four or five years, it still bears noting the phenomena of what we’ve seen on the feature film front, specifically with Japanese studios. That’s not to say Japan hasn’t had its misses, but the hits are nearly as consistent as you would expect compared to anywhere else. Warner Bros. Japan’s own streak remains supreme of late with Kakegurui shepherd Tsutomu Hanabusa’s treatment of mangaka Ken Wakui’s Tokyo Revengers, based on the 2017 manga adapted for TV by Liden Films this Spring, and for this summer’s big screen run by Izumi Takahashi (Zebra, Museum, One Night). The bulk importance of films […]

THE HUNT: SAVAGE WITHIN Asks What Becomes Of The Hunted In Fabien Garcia’s New Sci-Fi Thriller Short

Lee B. Golden III

It’s not everyday you read about an independent film project that’s endured more than your average fair share of hurdles along the way. To add, Fabien Garcia’s new sci-fi thriller short, The Hunt: Savage Within, nearly two years in the making with a strenuous two-part crowdfunding effort, also had to mitigate a pre-production period hampered by more sweeping fires across California, along with a deadly viral pandemic that forced much of North America and the rest of the world into lockdown. Such are the conditions that would have anyone wonder how they could strive toward a creatively immersive goal as filmmaking, which requires an entire team of working hands. One thing is certain there: With the right team and an ample amount of supporters, it’s possible, and proudly culminates a theory that worked in Garcia’s favor to help present film fans with a new look into the hopeful future of […]

Fantasia XXV Review: Vicente Amorim’s YAKUZA PRINCESS, Blemished, Albeit Gratuitous, R-Rated Revenge Actioner Thrills

Lee B. Golden III

Those who joined the procession of fandom following Vicente Amorim’s string of TV and film directing gigs in the last decade, including features Dirty Hands, The Division and Motorrad may also take comfort in his latest stint at graphic novel lore. Enter Yakuza Princess, taken from the pages of Danilo Beyruth’s “Samurai Shiro” and casting none other than recording artist and actress, MASUMI, in her screen debut. The film also stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers who takes the mantle for a key character of the comic, and to his credit, displays a kind of physicality that’s nary been seen in his films. Paired together on screen, he and our lead actress present a strong show of force that shines just a few times as our protagonists – less so for the sake of the film’s story where things get just a little more complex, before eventually coming full circle somewhat and […]

NYAFF XX Review: Yu Irie’s NINJA GIRL, Dispensing Ninja Justice One Dart And Dance Move At A Time

Lee B. Golden III

When Yu Irie isn’t thrilling audiences with works like Joker Game, his Memoirs Of A Murderer and A.I. Amok, he’ll also dive a bit into different grades of comedy like with Hibi Rock: Puke Afro and the Pop Star or 2018’s beat ’em up romp, Gangoose. His latest, Ninja Girl, takes a more artful approach boasting the occasional lively and upbeat dance track throughout the more cerebral, quiet tone. The slow-burn notwithstanding, however, it’s rabblerousing shenanigans of Fukuya City’s Mayor and his campaign, running high on a platform of xenophobia with an ordinance underway to signage that bans foreigners, and some of the constituents aren’t having it. This especially includes Goro (Shohei Uno), a former journalist and grandfather to city hall employee, Miu (Saki Fukuda), a quaint, unassuming paper pusher who largely goes unnoticeable by her staff. Goro’s refusal to agree to the ordinance only adds to the discomfort for […]

In Memoriam: Sonny Chiba (1939-2021)

Lee B. Golden III

Thursday started off for a lot of us here in the morning with word that actor and martial artist Sonny Chiba reportedly passed away at the age of 82 from pneumonia related to Covid-19. Japanese outlets initially broke the news followed by trade sources confirming the updates thereafter, with further news circulating on social media. Chiba was an accomplished athlete and martial artist who began his career in entertainment around 1960, with a list of credits spanning over 100 film titles for Toei, notably including movies that would showcase his proficiency in martial arts and screenfighting in cult hits like Karate Warrior, Wolf Guy and The Street Fighter franchise; Some of his recent credits include Deadly Outlaw: Rekka, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift, and Ryuji Yamakita’s upcoming debut feature, Bond Of Justice: Kizuna. I personally haven’t seen enough out of Chiba’s filmography to write […]

OBSIDIAN: Don’t Miss The Trailer For The New Psych Action Sci-Fi Short Thriller From Takashi Hara

Lee B. Golden III

Phoenix Eye’s Maria Tran and Takashi Hara are back with another shortform thriller coming soon in Obsidian. It’s one of several projects from their repetoire that will be slowly rolling out in the weeks and months ahead, and it’s got an enticing trailer you can view above. A young couple’s dangerous run-in with loan sharks is thwarted by the arrival of a mysterious stranger. “Obsidian” is a contemporary drama with sci-fi elements written in the same vein as “Looper” and “Predestination”. With a gripping storyline, dynamic characters and a twist ending, “Obsidian” will captivate the audience, leaving them hopeful for the future. If you’re not subscribed to Phoenix Eye anywhere on social media just yet, consider this your heads-up, especially if you follow burgeoning creators and filmmakers alike. Hara directs as well as stars with Tran from a script by Elizabeth H. Vu, and with action sequences by Tran, and […]

KUNG FU STUNTMEN: NEVER SAY NO!, John Wei’s Hard-Hitting Asian Stunt Documentary Lands An Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

If movies spotlighting the foretold history of stunts in movies is your speed, then writer/director John Wei probably has the right idea in mind, in which case, you could probably take Robin Shou’s Red Trousers: The Life Of The Hong Kong Stuntmen, and make it a double bill with the newest addition to the kiosks, Kung Fu Stuntmen: Never Say No!. Two years in production and balancing interviews with veterans and newcomers alike, Kung Fu Stuntmen: Never Say No! is jointly produced by the Hong Kong Action Stunt Performers Association and Beijing Jizhi Image Film and Television Culture Co., Ltd.. This one’s got quite the ample load here with up to 100 heavy hitters like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen, Xin Xin Xiong and Tsui Hark weighing in, along with so many other legendary faces of the craft. Granted, there’s a lot to be said or continued in discussion […]

PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND: Cage Stands Atop The Anarchy In The Official Poster

Lee B. Golden III

The campaign continues to ramp up for director Sion Sono’s latest genre mash-up spectacular, Prisoners Of The Ghostland, and RLJE Films is unloading all the assets out this week led by an official, and rather badass poster which you can peep at in the gallery below. Sono directs Prisoners Of The Ghostland from a script by Aaron Hendry and Reza Sixo Safai, starring Nicolas Cage as a Hero, a ruthless bankrobber donned in an explosive black leather suit by Samurai Town’s unflinching warlord, The Governor (Bill Moseley), who tasks him with finding his missing adopted granddaughter, Bernice (Sofia Boutella), or be exploded within five days. The film also stars Nick Cassavetes, Tak Sakaguchi and Yuzuka Nakaya. Prisoners Of The Ghostland releases in select theaters and on-demand from September 17. (Hat tip to Matt Essary for forwarding assets my way and contributing to this article!) (Updated with correct poster on August […]

PicsArt_08-17-04.50.52.jpg

Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2021 Affirms September Dates, Feature Line-Up And More!

Lee B. Golden III

The next installment of the Fighting Spirit Film Festival for 2021 will be another constrained event, this year for further film festivities, and for remembrance of the fallen. Opening the festival’s two-day gathering at the Stratford Picturehouse on September 11 will be Bao Tran’s feature debut action comedy, The Paper Tigers. Ten years in the making and brought to life with the support of a global community, the film stars Alain Uy, Ron Yuan and Mykel Shannon Jenkins as three washed-up former kung fu disciples on a quest of self-discovery and old age as they’re faced with confronting the elite martial arts assassin who killed their Sifu. Altitude will release the film on Digital September 30. Following that will be what looks to be one of the most gripping documentaries you’ll ever bare witness to in More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story. From Love Project Films and written by […]

NYAFF XX Review: Chiu Sin-Hang’s ONE SECOND CHAMPION, On Superpowers And Second Chances

Lee B. Golden III

Chiu Sin-Hang’s One Second Champion sets itself right into an intro flashback where we meet a young Chow Tin-yang, a boy whose life, for all we know, is a miracle following a harrowing birthnight in which he was braindead for exactly one second before revival. Little would Chow know that this one inkling in time would grant him a sixth sense, giving him a second of foresight if he concentrates hard enough, and despite his own gambling-addicted father’s shameful disapproval of its lack of expediency, the young and idealistic Chow, then TV-famous for his unique abilities, remains hopeful that he’ll be able to explore and apply them to their fullest potential. Fast forward some two decades later and Chow (Endy Chow) is a beleagured, down-and-out single father stuck working in a bar under an employer dealing with his own marital angst. As if being indebted to gangsters for his own […]