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:

Review: FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Is The Adaptation You Can Neither Completely Love Nor Hate

Far be it for me to complain when an anime or manga gets its rights obtained by a studio announcing a film adaptation. I accept almost any number of these announcements largely based on overall curiousness over caution – I’m a fan of anime, but I don’t have a waifu and I don’t fall to far into emtropy with geek discussions. I simply enjoy anime for what it is and if the films are good, then..well… good. Then, the last ten years happened and my awareness expanded when a flood of ballyhoo began streaming for years and years over fandom weariness regarding Hollywood adaptations of anything, be it games, comics or even manga, and that’s still the case. Whitewashing is one cog that keeps this engine running, and by comparison, however, it’s an even more curious instance in Asian territories where Asians comprise of local entertainment figures on a regular […]

BAAGHI 2 Sees The Return Of A Rebel In The First Official Action-Packed Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Actor and martial arts star Tiger Shroff is ready to follow up on the last five years he’s spent making his foray into the indistry. The Munna Michael and Heropanti star is back and hitting harder and heavier these days with several projects in the making, and seemingly with an unmistakable effort to prove himself as India’s answer to Rambo… In at least one instance…literally, while seperately, we have the return of our star in Baaghi 2 following the 2016 hit film and readying a Spring release that sees Shroff back in action with the usual array of big kicks, explosive battles and stunts topped with Shroff’s cinematic appeal. This, being the second of a trilogy in the works with Ahmed Khan following up on Sabbir Khan’s work should service fans plentily from here on. A battle-hardened army officer goes in search of his ex-lover’s child who is mysteriously kidnapped. […]

Hasumi Eiichiro’s OVER DRIVE Meet Your Need For Speed In The First Teaser

Lee B. Golden III

Hats off to Wild 7 and Mozu helmer Hasumi Eiichiro whose latest effort marks a nice looking return to the racing genre for Over Drive. Its latest teaser certainly aims high on the octane for a good sample with a release date currently set for June 1 with Higashide Masahiro (Sekigahara) and Mackenyu (Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure) leading the narrative. At the SCRS (Seiko Cup Rally Series), talented young drivers hope to advance to the WRC (World Rally Championship). Hiyama Atsuhiro is the chief mechanic and an engineer at Supika Racing Factory. He is well regarded by his peers. His younger brother is Naozumi. He is an extremely gifted driver for Supika Racing Factory, but he is also a troublemaker. They continually argue because of Naozumi’s reckless racing style. One day, Endo Hikaru becomes his manager. Morikawa Aoi (Ninja The Monster) also stars along with Kitamura Takumi (Destruction Babies), Machida Keita […]

BLEACH: New Live-Action Teaser Footage Finally Introduces Ichigo’s Heroine!

Lee B. Golden III

I wouldn’t rest too long on actor Fukushi Sota if you’re minding this year’s intake of live-action manga fare. More footage is finally rolling out in the tiniest bits from his latest, Kubo Tite’s BLEACH, hailing from director Sato Shinsuke of GANTZ and Library Wars fame and for that, we get a thirty-second glimpse of what last year’s twenty-second teaser was all about. Indeed, it’s Fukushi reunited with Blade Of The Immortal co-star Sugisaki Hana re-enacting the pivotal moment in which a Ichigo, high school delinquent who can see ghosts is embued with supernatural powers by Rukia, a Soul Reaper injured from battling a “Hollow”. That’s the big creature meeting its demise and for an anime adaptation, there’s a good chance this production did what it felt needed to make such a film happen, especially for a manga with fifteen years of source material… Talk about playing it close to […]

DO[S]A: Don’t Miss The Trailer For Ifa Ifansyah’s Original Martial Arts Action Series Drama

Lee B. Golden III

Willing to take on the title of leading brand of Southeast Asian consumer entertainment, Malaysia-based Astro had been spreading its wings some with a number of filmmakers to develop projects. Celebrated Indonesian director, Ifa Isfansyah (The Golden Cane Warrior) and acclaimed screenwriter Salman Aristo (Yasmine) are just a few of those people in mind with DO[S]A, an original Malaysia-Indonesia collaboration featuring a strong that otherwise enables co-starring actor Cecep Arif Rahman to enhance some great fight action to top the drama. The story tells of three older brothers, Fuad (Ashraf Sinclair), Farid (Remy Ishak) and Fahad (Hisham Hamid) raised through religion and martial arts, try to protect their headstrong sister, Fara (Shenty Feliziana) who has fallen for a man, Arian (Reuben Elishama) escaping the same underground organisation ‘Gerbang Utara’ that their father, Latif (Dato’ M. Nasir) had previously abandoned. Upon arriving in Jakarta, the group find their lives turned upside […]

THE HIT LIST: February 19, 2018

Lee B. Golden III

Welp… it’s been a less than ceremonious weekend for me. Being sick didn’t help much for want of seeing Black Panther (guess who is avoiding Facebook to abstain from spoilers!), but it did give me a chance to do some important work for the site. From L to R (top): Tally Rodin, David Lavallee Jr., Anthony Hoang, Matt Healey, Nilo Ghajar-Williams L to R (bottom): Bryan Sloyer, Jerry Quill, Emily Tung, Jae Greene, Kyle Murillo Ultimately, that includes introducing the week’s entries for The Hit List now online and with none other than stuntwoman Tally Rodin getting our stunt playlist off to an explosive start. Following that are reels by Aidan Kennedy, Ronnie Shalvis, Nilo Ghajar-Williams, Thomas Lorber and a parkour jam sesh hosted by 3Run. Rounding it all out are Daniel Bodlák, Marco Falcone, Emily Tung, Jae Greene, Rebecca Ahn and Robin Calvo. Making the trailer rounds this week […]

EFM 2018: Well Go USA Nabs BUYBUST For A 2018 Theatrical Release

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA continues to prove itself to be a Mecca for genre speciality in Asian cinema for North America. The latest in point hails from breaking news from The Hollywood Reporter with word on the distributor’s acquisition of Erik Matti’s BuyBust, which opens theatrically in the Philippines pending a new release date to be announced. The On The Job and Honor Thy Father helmer directs from his own story scripted by Anton Santamaria in which Australian actress Anne Curtis plays the rookie member of an elite anti-drug narc squad forced to fight its way out of Manila’s most dangerous slum following a poorly-planned buy-bust. The film also stars MMA champion Brandon Vera, with Joross Gamboa, Mara Lopez, Nonie Buencamino, AJ Muhlach and Victor Neri rounding out the cast with stuntman and fight choreographer Sonny Sison (Broken Path, Nilalang) designating the brutal fight scenery, partly sampled in a proof-of-concept action sequence featuring Curtis last […]

SNOWFLAKE Trailer: Crime Comedy With A Touch Of Fisticuffs And The Crazy

Lee B. Golden III

Signaling a feature debut of their own, Adolfo J. Kolmerer and William James were proudly featured among the roster for Raven Banner’s presentation at EFM this week. Among the line-up is German action thriller, Snowflake, billed accordingly on the artwork and with a fine trailer now online that mixes and mingles crime comedy with a mix of gonzo that aims to assure a crowdpleaser for audiences. Take a dash of Tarantino, a splash of Coen brothers, a metric ton of pretzel-logic self-awareness, and a fast-paced series of humorously violent misadventures, and you’re halfway to grasping the magnificent German madness of this bizarre import. Hunting down the murderer of their families in a near-future Berlin, a gang of lowlife characters all want revenge on each other, but along the way they must contend with a myriad of wicked fairytale types—assassins, madmen, a blood-covered angel, and an electric-powered superhero—all apparently come to […]

CALM IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: Actor And Filmmaker Choice Skinner On Life And Living, Fandom And Film

Lee B. Golden III

Making a film of any kind takes some seriously hard work, especially one that pushes boundaries. I’ve never been in an editing booth, although I can imagine the tediousness that comes with putting together a project that can be physically and mentally demanding on its face. Throw in the bread and butter of special visual effects and although your time is your own, you’re ultimately on a whole other battlefield. It’s an emotion that’s understandable for want of being a creative and to be able to share it with audiences. After all you’ve been through in life until now and investing a heavy portion of your time and energy on a project like Black Lightning: Tobias’s Revenge, actor and filmmaker Choice Skinner is more than qualified on the matter after winning Best Fan Film at the Urban Action Showcase and Expo last November. “The team and I were honored to […]

MVD Rewinds With Jean-Claude Van Damme In February And June!

Lee B. Golden III

Guess at your own pace when exactly the time will arrive for any number of action star Jean-Claude Van Damme’s much-hyped projects to come will take shape. His career will always be an enduring staple for action fans and with MVD Entertainment Group, the gusto is all the same with at least two of their forthcoming MVD Rewind Collection releases, firstly with #3 – Black Eagle in a two-disc Blu-ray + DVD Special Edition combo pack coming February 27, 2018. The latter sits at #8 with Sheldon Lettich’s Hard Times remake, Lionheart, also in two-disc Blu-ray + DVD Special Edition combo pack on June 12, 2018 and containing all-new exclusive material, including a newly commissioned interview with the star himself. This one baffles the mind a bit as of late with fan interest currently piqued for a sequel and one only wonders when the wheels will finally start turning. Read […]

Review: DETECTIVE K: SECRET OF THE LIVING DEAD Honors The Living With Love And Laughter

Lee B. Golden III

One can certainly comprehend sticking with what works as a creative. With director Kim Sok-Yun’s commitment to mining the work of author Kim Tak-Hwan undoubtedly comes a delightful trio of entries with the Detective K franchise that began in 2011 and clearly it’s done the filmmaker some justice after working in television in the early two thousandsies. Both the first and second films remain wishlist items for me while Well Go USA has since taken it upon themselves to harbor the release of the latest installment, Detective K: Secret Of The Living Dead. Watching this, it became even more intriguing wondering how the first two would play out on a narrative level prior to constructing a threequel considering what unfolds. Lee Nam-Kyu, who had a hand in adapting the screenplay with other writers for the first two films, lends us a solo act this time around with a screenplay that […]

EFM 2018: Jamie Dornan And Sam Clafin To Star In BORDERLAND

Lee B. Golden III

50 Shades trilogy star Jamie Dornan is switching gears as of this week with action thriller, Borderland, set to film in Dublin and London this summer. The BAFTA nominated actor will be joined by fellow actor Sam Clafin with BAFTA nominee Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones, Luther) directing from a script by Public Enemies scribe Ronan Bennett. Set in 1970’s London, Borderland is a high-octane character-driven thriller, in the vein of Michael Mann’s Heat. After his wife is accidentally shot dead in Ireland, a member of the IRA takes over an Active Service Unit in the English Capital. Their mission is to cause chaos and destruction while his mission is to hunt down his wife’s killer – an SAS captain (Sam Claflin) who is also hunting him. Chris Coen (The Childhood of a Leader, Funny Games) is producing at Unanimous Entertainment with Rebecca Brown (In the Dark), and Alan Moloney […]

CITY HUNTER Is Getting A Live-Action French Adaptation

Lee B. Golden III

French actor and filmmaker Philippe Lacheau is applying his craft as of late with word that he’ll be adapting his own take on the popular Shueisha publication, City Hunter. He’ll be on both sides of the lens directing and starring, thus adding to recent credits such as Babysitting, Babysitting 2, and 2017 comedy, Alibi.com. The news comes in the wake of reports out of Berlin via Variety where French telco operator Orange is taking its newly launched film shingle, Orange Studio, to the sales floor at EFM. Their package joins City Hunter with Amos Gitai’s Tramway In Jerusalem to Jean-Charles Hue’s Tijuana Bible with Ed Skrein starring among others. Hojo Tsukasa’s original 1985 manga serves the basis telling of a womanizing detective who runs a jack-of-all-trades outlet running missions with a beautiful tomboy as his often jealous assistant. The manga ran several OVAs and two live-action films: a 1991 movie […]

EFM 2018: Action Thriller MANUSCRIPT Sets Scott Eastwood And Morgan Freeman To Star

Lee B. Golden III

Highland Film Group is out and about with their package in Berlin for buyers. Featured in their slate is Manuscript which, per The Hollywood Reporter, has Nick Cassavetes replacing John Moore to direct from a script by Louis Rosenberg and Joe Rosenbaum. In this cat and mouse style thriller, a jailed genius convict (Morgan Freeman), leads an ambitious junior editor, through clues in his memoir, to the 20 million in missing diamonds he stole years earlier. As the junior editor gets closer to finding out the truth about the mystery, he falls in to a greater criminal ploy that leaves his life in danger. Mike Witherill (John Wick) and Mark Williams (The Accountant) will produce next to Paris Film Inc.’s Rob Paris for the film’s New Orleans shoot in April. Eastwood, who has appeared in several major franchise pics – namely DC adaptation Suicide Squad and Universal’s The Fate Of The […]

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EFM 2018: Henry Rollins To Return For HE NEVER DIED 2

Lee B. Golden III

It’s not easy to crowdfund a film. Such was the case for filmmaker Jason Krawczyk who, despite falling short of Indiegogo goals, managed to push forward for his third feature length pic, He Never Died, a semi-supernatural tale dipped in blood and family drama about a social recluse with a biblical past whose penchant for eating people finds him rescuing his long lost daughter from a vengeful crimeboss’s kidnapping. The film eventually saw screens at SXSW in 2015 before hitting audiences in theaters and via streaming. Fast forward three years later and whatever the case might have been since then, it seems Krawczyk is now in line to shepherd a sequel per The Hollywood Reporter out of Berlin with Sons of Anarchy series and Bad Boys 2 co-star, actor Henry Rollins reprising the role that marked his feature debuted. There’s no word yet on further casting while Krawczyk plots a […]

‘The Karate Kid’ Sequel Series, COBRA KAI, Unleashes An Ominius Teaser

Lee B. Golden III

YouTube Red will have its way with netizens later this year upon the premiere of The Karate Kid series, Cobra Kai. The sequel to the classic underdog fight drama now has a teaser online introducing a narrative centric to that of Johnny (William Zabka), stoic and struggling amid his search for heuristic redemption thirty-four years after the All Valley Karate Tournament upon losing to a now happily-married and successful Daniel (Ralph Macchio). The drama escalates when the two clash over Johnny’s interest in reopening his old Karate school, Cobra Kai, next to mentoring school bullying victim Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) while suffering from a rift with his own son, Robby (Tanner Buchanan). Ed Asner will play Johnny’s old-school stepfather, Sid Weinberg, with Macchio joined by Courtney Henggeler who will play Daniel’s wife and business partner, Amanda, both parents to daughter Samantha, played by Mary Mouser. Hurwitz and Schlossberg will direct much of the […]

AFTERBURN: Gerard Butler To Pair With ‘The Villainess’ Director

Lee B. Golden III

Den Of Thieves 2 isn’t all that’s stirring this week for actor and producer Gerard Butler. Deadline broke news on Thursday for his latest attachment to new action thriller, Afterburn, based on the 2008 Red 5 Comics publication, and with none other than Korean stunt favorite Jung Byung-Gil set to direct as the start of a hopeful new franchise. Butler will play a treasure hunter joined by a highly skilled weapons expert with an agenda of her own as they set out to collect and capitalize off of priceless artifacts in the wake of a massive solar flare that destroys all technology in Europe. Into The Blue scribe Matt Johnson is penning the script which will mind other storylines in the comics. Original Film and Butler’s G-BASE banner are all producing along with Jung’s partner, Lewis Taewan Kim (Okja) and Endurance Media who is also financing. Steve Barnett and […]

KUNG FURY 2: THE MOVIE Casts Arnold Schwarzenegger

Lee B. Golden III

The mega success of David Sandberg’s crowdfunded, stylish martial arts love letter to the 80’s Kung Fury, has opened the floodgates in fine form. The very shortfilm in question is the subject of the bustling news out of Berlin this week as Sandberg readies production on Kung Fury 2: The Movie with several big names attached, including that of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Hollywood Reporter notes. The Maggie and Aftermath star is set to be joined by the newly added Michael Fassbender and David Hasselhoff with Sandberg directing as well as reprising in the title role. Sandberg is producing via his Laser Unicorns label with Fassbender next to It producers David Katzenberg, Seth Grahame-Smith at KatzSmith Productions with Aaron Schmidt. Also producing are Philip Westgren of B-Reel Films and Conor McCaughan with Pelle Strandberg executive producing on behalf of Laser Unicorns. Taking its myriad cues from ultra-lit 1980s fantasy […]

[UPDATED] Japanese Cult Action Star TAK SAKAGUCHI To Attend Iron Dragon TV Action Fest This August

Lee B. Golden III

EXCLUSIVE: Japanese action star, actor Tak Sakaguchi will share the floor as a guest panelist among other headliners for this year’s sophomore entry of the Iron DragonTV ActionFest. Submissions are now underway for the upcoming event which will be held at the Galaxy Highland 10 Theater in Austin, Texas from August 10 through 12. The humble Ishikawa native is a naturally well-known fan favorite credited for such films as Battlefield Baseball, Versus, Alive, Samurai School, Yakuza Weapon and Sono Sion’s Why Don’t You Play In Hell? to name a few. His latest action-packed starring role now sees him carving and beating armies of villains to a pulp for longtime friend and film partner Shimomura Yuji’s second directing effort, Re:Born, which has since been subject to a raft of critical praise from the festival circuit since last year. Obligatory rules for IDTV Action Fest submissions and entries therein are listed in […]

EFM 2018: Saban Picks Up Crime Comedy, THE ESCAPE OF PRISONER 614

Lee B. Golden III

Announcements out of Berlin are hailing Zach Golden’s latest crime comedy, The Escape Of Prisoner 614, as it screens this week at EFM. Film Mode Entertainment has sold the film to Saban Films for its U.S. release with a cast that includes Golden Globe Winner Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Hand of God) and Martin Starr (Knocked Up). After being fired by their overbearing Sheriff, two well-intentioned but simple-minded Sheriff’s Deputies, decide to go after an escaped prisoner in hopes of getting their jobs back. But when they realize that the supposed murderer they have hunted down is an innocent victim of a racist judicial system, they face a moral dilemma — return the prisoner and be hailed as heroes, or act on their principles in pursuit of true justice. Golden has several credits behind the lens while The Escape Of Prisoner 614 will serve as his debut. He wrote the script […]