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:

SHADOW: Zhang Yimou’s Wuxia Epic Arrives On DVD, Blu, 4K Ultra HD And Digital Next Month

Zhang Yimou’s masterful watercolor wuxia paean, Shadow, was one of the best received titles in the past year both locally and abroad. The film is currently scheduled to hit Fantasia in Montreal this summer while the good and kind-hearted folks at Well Go USA are lining-up something mighty special with a DVD, Blu-Ray combo, 4K Ultra HD combo and digital HD release on August 13. Billed as one of the influential directors in filmmaking of the last two decades, Zhang makes his stellar return to the fray with a sweeping visual delight that stars Deng Chao in a hypnotic dual role that saw the actor tackle one of the most challenging performances of his career. Rounding out the cast are Ryan Zheng and Sun Li, with Hu Jun, Guan Xiaotong, Leo Wu and Wang Qianyuan. In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a […]

Zara Phythian on the set of TRIBAL (2019)

TRIBAL: Clapperboards, Kicks And Fisticuffs Behind The Scenes With Fight Coordinator Nick Khan

Lee B. Golden III

Matt Routledge’s feature directing debut, Tribal, is still fomenting with production while a new behind the scenes featurette is now circulating via the film’s social media page. The feature introduces fight choreographer Nick “Blade” Khan, charged with the action assembly for a cast that lists Zara Phythian (Doctor Strange), Ross O’Henessey (Avengement), Rachel Warren (Horizon) and Thomas Dodd. Tribal centers on two ex-soldiers rebounding from PTSD. When their latest segue to a more quieter life as a security firm lands them a property gig for a troublesome millionaire heir, they’ll be forced to fight for their lives against a mysterious evil force picking their team off one by one. Tribal hails from OTM Film & Wildstyle Production. Follow the film on Facebook here.

Watch The Trailer For Yuhe Li’s Crime Comedy, ABSURD ACCIDENT

ABSURD ACCIDENT Trailer: Li Yuhe’s Debut Black Comedy Lands In North America On July 18

Lee B. Golden III

Li Yuhe’s feature debut Absurd Accident, drew some enthused reactions from critics and also tended to festival crowds in Shanghai and parts of the U.S.. Cheng Cheng Films is proudly taking the mantle for its U.S. distribution with a release now set for July 18 on Amazon Prime Video and VoD platforms wherever it’s made available. Bouncing with nail-biting suspense and ingenious humor, young Chinese filmmaker Li Yuhe’s feature debut portrays a puzzling crime happened in a rural small town, where greed, lust and wit battle it out in one night. It all starts from a sexually impotent motel owner hiring a pro to murder his cheating wife. Everything goes exactly as planned, until two blind daters, a robber, a policeman and a strange dead body unexpectedly arrive. The film stars Chen Xixu and actress Gao Ye Gao, with Ren Suxi, Dong Bo, and Lou Yunfei also starring.

THE ISLAND: Catch Huang Bo’s Sprawling Adventure Debut On Blu-Ray July 30

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA has a pair of delights proudly rolling out on July 30. One is The Swindlers and you can learn more about that here. The other hails from debut director Huang Bo with The Island as the U.S. distro company now readies the film’s Blu-Ray release. News of a meteorite bound to strike the earth doesn’t have much effect on Ma Jin’s everyday life; he still gets up and goes to a job where he spends his time daydreaming of a romance with his colleague Shanshan, and of winning the lottery. But when this cataclysmic event occurs during a team-building trip, he finds himself shipwrecked on an island with an odd group of coworkers… and the winning lottery ticket in his pocket. The Island stars Huang Bo along with Shu Qi, and actors Wang Baoqiang and Zhang Yixing.

Now On Kickstarter: Bat In The Sun’s LEGEND OF THE WHITE DRAGON Revealed

Lee B. Golden III

After several days of teasing fans with vague images and posts, Bat In The Sun is now all in with their latest Kickstarter now live for Legend Of The White Dragon. Fans who’ve eyed the buzz on this project so far will undoubtedly recognize its DNA – made obvious with the clear casting of talents like Jason David Frank and Johnny Yong Bosch, former stars of a certain long-running tokusatsu series. Of course, there’s also this: In the Aftermath, the city was left decimated. A past reminder of the great battle and fall of heroes. As a result of the death and destruction the city became known as Angel Graves. The heroes were blamed, stripped of their titles and hunted. But as evil once again threatens to return they must rise from the ashes with the power of the White Dragon. The project is being billed as a darker and […]

THE BRINK: Well Go USA Touts Exclusive Hi-YAH! Stream For New Max Zhang Action Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is proudly ramping up its power-packed HiYAH! channel with the long-awaited release of director Jonathon Li’s crime thriller, The Brink. The Texas-based firm is still rolling the film out on Blu-Ray beginning August 20 while folks keen on a more spectacular all-you-can-eat buffet of action cinema of the Asian variety will proudly be the first among North America’s streaming demo to watch. A renegade cop is on a mission to bring a shady smuggler to justice by any means necessary. When his investigation leads to a Triad mob boss and global smuggling ring, his manhunt quickly turns from local misconduct into a violent international incident. A relentless barrage of high flying action and explosive fight sequences, in this breakneck thriller, once the fists start flying, they never stop – not even underwater. The film stars Max Zhang who’s been leaving a mark of late with releases at […]

Streaming On Netflix: On Joe Lynch’s POINT BLANK, Must Love Movies, Babies And Top 10 Hits Of Ths 80s

Lee B. Golden III

Everly and Mayhem helmer Joe Lynch‘s latest feature outing, Point Blank, will be a testament for some critics as to how some remakes fare compared to others. Produced under the auspices of production banner banner WarParty Films, the magnifying glass will especially hover for folks curious of its future endeavors, including a remake of a certain Indonesian crime thriller. It helps that enough time has lapsed for a film like Fred Cavayé’s 2010 thriller to still carry some viability for moviegoers. History notes the film would’ve once had Mark Wahlberg involved in some capacity, which probably makes the casting of Marvel Cinematic Universe co-stars Frank Grillo and Anthony Mackie all the more buoyant for fans of both actors. Following most of Cavayé’s formula with screenwriter and co-star Adam G. Simon (Man Down) adding his own touch, it’s not too long before registered nurse, Paul (Mackie) finds himself ambushed in his […]

Review: Herman Yau’s THE WHITE STORM 2: DRUG LORDS, A Violent Tale Of Rivaling Tycoons And A City Caught In The Middle

Lee B. Golden III

Benny Chan’s The White Storm was a riveting, explosive crime epic in 2013, packed with riveting and high drama led by Louis Koo, Sean Lau and Nick Cheung for its heroic bloodshed narrative. That was six years ago, and with the time its taken for The White Storm 2: Drug Lords to arrive, newly-installed Herman Yau crafts an explosive, spectacular sequel that swells the bodycount. Yau’s tale spans a fifteen year tale of brotherhood, betrayal and retribution, culmimating the interwoven tales of two triad brothers, Dizang (Louis Koo) and Tin (Andy Lau), and a relentless cop named Fung (Michael Miu) on a mission to bust the city’s worst of the worst. Over the course of the film, what neither side is ready for are the casualties that already remain pending as the city’s war on crime spills on the streets, as do the rivalries between bosses. Tin is a junkie […]

Review: In Riley Stearns’ THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE, Life Imitates Art Through Violent Catharsis

Lee B. Golden III

While not purely outstanding, Nima Nourizadeh’s entertaining out-of-the-blue Jesse Eisenberg action romp, American Ultra, was a definitive change of pace for the actor best known for quieter, more subtle roles emulating innocuous “beta male” types. Such is what you’ll find at the top of Faults helmer Riley Stearns’ The Art Of Self-Defense before the rest of the narrative unfolds from its cautionary exploration of male toxicity with a touch of nudity and gender disparity. In Stearns’ The Art Of Self-Defense, Casey Davies (Eisenberg) is often fragile – best remembered as that guy everyone likes to belittle at the office while in the way of no one despite his best, albeit mediocre attemps to socialize. He’s an accountant, lives alone with a Dachshund, and is learning French as a means of fulfilling his own minimal wanderlust. One evening he leaves out to restock on dog food only to find himself the […]

NYAFF Review: Kim Tae-Gyun’s DARK FIGURE OF CRIME Tells A Lean, Long Tale Pitting Good Against Unyielding Evil

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Kim Yun-Seok is having a banner year with his directing debut, Another Child, a worthy cosign as one of two milestones for the screen star in the wake of his latest film, Dark Figure Of Crime which opened in October, and screened at NYAFF last weekend. Ripped from the headlines for Kim Tae-Gyun’s sophomore outing, Dark Figure Of Crime, opens with a meet-up at a restaurant between detective Kim Hyung-min (Kim Yun-Seok), his informant Jung-Bong (Kim Young-Woong), and confessed killer Kang Tae-oh (Ju Ji-Hoon) goes awry. Before long, a seperate unit nabs him for the murder of his girlfriend, sparking a grim reunion when Kang gives Kim a potentially prospective phone call confessing to the death and dismemberment of six more bodies. The two commence an arrangement, of sorts, that enables Kim to pursue a cold case roster in exchange for handing Kang perks behind bars. At least one […]

BLOOD ON HER NAME: Catch The First Teaser For Matthew Pope’s Fantasia Thriller Debut

Lee B. Golden III

Debut director Matthew Pope and producer Don Thompson are currently readying their place at this year’s Fantasia Festival to showcase their latest offering, Blood On Her Name. The two also penned the film which will screen for the Cheval Noir Competition whereupon both will be on hand to host the film’s Fantasia rollout. That event is just over a week out as of this piece with screening dates set for July 17 and July 19. The festival just rolled out an official teaser – firstly revealed by Entertainment Weekly – for the new dramatic thriller for which festival programmer Mitch Davis has obliged folks curious to see what Pope is bringing to his first crowd. A body lies bleeding on the ground in front of small-town garage owner Leigh Tiller (OZARK’s Bethany Anne Lind). The killing wasn’t planned, it was an accident, borne of self-defense. In a panic, she decides […]

NYAFF Review: Masaharu Take’s THE GUN Takes Provocative And Chilling Aim At Growing Madness

Lee B. Golden III

Tackling award-winning literature for a change of pace, it was Fuminori Nakamura’s 2002 Shincho-prized novel, The Gun, which ultimately sought the interest of director Masaharu Take for his subsequent endeavor at the time. Doused in hypnotic black and white, the celebrated In The Hero and 100 Yen Love helmer’s adaptation enjoins a cast here led by Destruction Babies co-star Nijiro Murakami for an intriguing, introspective view into the downward spiral of a man numb to his own decaying state. Opening with a shot of our lead character, Toru (Murakami), he discovers a gun at a murder scene and takes it into his possession. It’s the start of a dual lifestyle for the young college student whose campus days sees him often with girl-crazy friend, Keisuke (Amane Okayama) whose only main concern is to get laid and party as frequently as possible – something entirely opposite of Toru’s own mindset most […]

KOAN OF SPRING Trailer: An Aging Master Never Stops Learning

Lee B. Golden III

Niche distributor MVD is proudly packaging its roster of forthcoming DVD releases for the remainder of the year, including none other than director Lou Ma Ho’s (pseudonym) acclaimed feature debut, Koan Of Spring. He directs from a own script which made the competition rounds back in 2006 before its completion on film and subsequent festival circulation seven years later. Starring Jim Adhi Limas, Koan Of Spring centers on Master Troung, the emperor’s fearless, aging fencing instructor tasked with finding the emperor’s successor as the country has prepared for war. With two weeks to complete his mission, Troung visits the home of a former general resigned to living the quiet life as a fisherman with his daughter and two sons. While vetting his children, the lake the ex-general lives by tells a legendary tale all too familiar to Troung, though it is only now that Troung will come to grasp its […]

Joe Taslim to play Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat

MORTAL KOMBAT: Joe Taslim Covets The Role Of Sub-Zero

Lee B. Golden III

The Night Comes For Us star Joe Taslim is first on the roster to be cast for Simon McQuoid’s upcoming Mortal Kombat film as key character, Sub-Zero. Production is officially slated to kick off later this year in South Australia. Movement on the film comes years since New Line launched its own live-action films in 1995 and 1997, followed by a TV series, an animated series, and a twebseries from Warner Bros. Digital shepherded by Kevin Tancharoen and Garrett Warren. James Wan is producing with Todd Garner, and with Larry Kasanoff, E. Bennett Walsh, Michael Clear and Sean Robins exec producing. Greg Russo penned the script based on the hit 1992 game which has maintained its shelf life to date with new installments. Taslim, best known for successes in film in television like The Raid franchise, Furious 6 and season two-bound Cinemax series, Warrior, is the latest actor to don […]

Review: THE SWINDLERS Baits You With A Brilliant Crime Caper [Reprint]

Lee B. Golden III

It’s often interesting in wondering how a director can conjure a mystery tale that keeps audiences guessing. Jang Chang-Won’s new film, The Swindlers, certainly lives up to the task with as much intricacy and detail as possible in its two hour duration. Written by Jang for his own debut, the film sets its course with tragedy in its wake when a church learns it was swindled out of billions by Doo-Chil (Heo Sung-Tae), a schemer who fakes his own death while escaping from Korea. Eight years later, we meet Ji-Sung (Hyun Bin), a vengeful con-artist hunting Doo-Chil and eager to hatch a plan of his own until he’s forced to pair up with Hee-Soo (Yoo Ji-Tae), an ambitious prosecutor to help culminate more than enough evidence to catch the big fish. The devil, of course, is in the details with a story that offers numerous moving pieces in its narrative. […]

THE SWINDLERS Score Big On Blu-Ray And Digital July 30

Lee B. Golden III

If it feels like it’s been the longest time since you last heard word on Jang Chang-Won’s feature debut, The Swindlers, then you’re not dreaming. The hit caper dramedy which stars Yoo Ji-tae, Hyun Bin, Bae Seong-woo, Park Sung-woong and Nana is finally on track for a digital and Blu-Ray release on July 30 from Well Go USA (my review here)! High stakes and fast talk are the game in this crime caper that brings together an all-star cast as unlikely allies from different sides of the law. Each member of the team has their own motives, but they’ll have to work together to achieve their common goal – trapping the world’s most legendary con man.

355: Jessica Chastain Spy Thriller Lands In Paris As Production Begins

Lee B. Golden III

Production has reportedly begun on Dark Phoenix helmer Simon Kinberg’s female fronted spy thriller, 355, as announced by actress and producer Jessica Chastain. All signs here point to Paris as the starting point after recovering from the stalemate surrounding headliner Fan Bingbing’s tax evasion charges last year amid China’s crackdown on tax fraud in the industry. Universal Pictures acquired North American rights at Cannes last year for a 2020 date to be later announced. Kinberg penned the script with Theresa Rebeck with Chastain and Fan joined by Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, Sebastian Stan, Edgar Ramirez and Diane Kruger – the latter whose casting was reported in June by Variety’s Justin Kroll who divulges the following on the film’s basic plot: The movie follows a group of spies from international agencies around the world. These women must bond together, overcoming their suspicions and conflicts, to use all their talents and training […]

George Kosturos in AMERICAN FIGHTER (2019)

AMERICAN FIGHTER: George Kosturos Ups His Game In The Official Extended Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Filmmaker Shaun Piccinino is proudly taking the floor at the Auditorium des diplômés de la SGWU for the world premiere of his new action drama, American Fighter. The film, which returns actor George Kosturos to the screen in a loose follow-up from Alex Ranarivelo’s American Wrestler: The Wizard, is screening on July 28 for this year’s 23rd Fantasia Festival which just unveiled an extended trailer above, and programmer Rupert Bottenberg sums up the film accordingly: It’s 1981 and the California sun is shining bright, but there are dark clouds over college kid Ali Jahani, a wrestling champ. He’s haunted by memories of revolutionary Iran, from which he escaped as a child. Those disturbing dreams are realized when bad news, not his beloved parents, greets him at the airport. He’s desperate to get his mother safely out of Iran, but this can’t be done through conventional channels. And it can’t be […]

NYAFF Review: SABU’s Introspective Oddity In Hard-Hitting JAM Delivers From ‘Misery’

Lee B. Golden III

I’m not a personal believer in Karma – as much fixing there needs in this world, that is. As for Japanese auteur SABU’s latest co-piloting with LDH Pictures, Jam, the concept is pretty feasible a plot device as far as film and storytelling go, though my only real concern was for how at least one character would meet his end here. It fell a bit short on my own expectations, but it’s a small nitpick, though, and it didn’t take much away from my own enjoyment throughout. Pensively etched in doses of wry comedy, brutal drama and action that hits hard where it hurts, Jam culminates around three key characters: A pop star looking to revive his career, an ex-con with a score to settle, and a wheelman desperate to save his girlfriend. Jam kicks off with a stimulating opening score that sets the tone for our first major: a […]

THE HIT LIST: July 8, 2019

Lee B. Golden III

It’s right about that time again with another two weeks gone, and another Hit List installment jam-packed with stunt professional and indie-action how-do-you-do’s! Erin Haus leads the way with her latest stunt reel in the first playlist, followed by reels from the usual raft of today’s talented and up-and-coming stunt performers: Will Greenburg, Robert Steven Brown, Nilo Ghajar-Williams, Brandon Ly, Lexie Kay, Lucas Leong, Geoffrey Boggs, Jennifer Mitchell, Austin Durden, Jordi Webber, Stacie Rathbone, Jacob Garcia, Luis Moco, Claire Hoogenboom, Tim Rook, Brynne Knickle, Alex Stines, Heather Burridge, Hunter Smith, Adair Moran, Thibault Chiron, Stephanie Baur, Alex Winters, Joseph Oreste, Natalie Goldwin, Andrew DiBartolomeo, Ronald Lu, Fiza Fukazawa, Shawn Daniels, Jason Elwood Hanna, Ayami Sakaeda, Frederic Jean, renowned fight coordinator Art Camacho and stunt coordinator Jimmy Christiansen. No trailer stuff here for the moment. Instead, we have the latest announcement from online film fighting tutour, fight choreographer and Hollywood stunt […]