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:

GAYONG: October Martial Arts Biopic Prod Taps ‘Mat Kilau’ Co-Star For Malaysia’s Answer To ‘Ip Man’!

I highly suggest looking into Malaysian actor Beto Kusyairy’s filmography, particularly if you’re a reader of this website and others like it. One quick-to-point title I’ll throw out is Syamsul Yusof’s Mat Kilau, readily available on Netflix and has Kusyairy joining lead actor Adi Putra in the story of a band of warriors rebelling against British colonial rule in the 1890s. Kusyairy has one of my more favorite moments in the movie that really got my action fanboy blood flowing and ultimately put him on the map for me as someone I’d like to see more of. That day finally arrived in recent weeks with Sol Pictures Sdn Bhd putting the word out for director Faisal Ishak’s upcoming production of Gayong, taken from the name of the titular Malaysian fighting style of Silat Gayong. What’s more is Kusyairy will star in the lead role of Silat Gayong grandmaster Datuk Meor […]

Stephen Tung Wai and Terrance Lau in Stuntman

STUNTMAN Review: Old School, New Rules, Lasting Reward

Lee B. Golden III

Stuntman opens in UK and Irish cinemas on October 11. I’ve been able to see nearly twenty of the films involving actor and action choreographer Tung Wai. Nowadays, I and a plethora of Hong Kong movie aficionados familiar with his work can include his latest starring role in Stuntman, an ode to the legacy of dauntless stunt professionals in film and television, including and namely those in the city where chance moments to revive the bygone era of action cinema are otherwise at times fleeting. It is a struggle accentuated accordingly by Herbert Leung and Albert Leung, stunt professionals themselves who’ve since taken the mantle for their directorial debut. To add, the casting is spruced up with the likes of actor and stunt and action multi-hyphenate Tung for the lead role alongside fellow frontmen Terrence Lau and Philip Ng, both back for another row on the screen since going toe-to-toe […]

HIGH FORCES: Don’t Miss The Final Trailer For The Latest Thriller Starring Andy Lau

Lee B. Golden III

Oxide Pang’s new sky-high action thriller, High Forces, has a final trailer out and about as of Monday. Its release in mainland China kicks off on the same day as well with subsequent releases in Malaysia and Taiwan, followed by an October 10 release in Hong Kong and Singapore. “Is anyone there? Yes…” A mysterious message from Gao Haojun (Andy Lau) came from 10,000 meters in the air. A five-star luxurious A380 airplane was hijacked on its maiden flight. The hijacker Mike (Qu Chuxiao) is threatening the lives of all 800 passengers onboard and Gao’s wife (Liu Tao) and daughter (Zhang Zifeng). Gao, an international security expert, stepped up to deal with the hijackers. Will he be successful save all the passengers and resolve the crisis? Catch the final trailer below!

WOLVES, PIGS AND MEN And VIOLENT PANIC: THE BIG CRASH: Two Exclusive Clips From The Upcoming Film Movement Classics Titles Arriving Friday

Lee B. Golden III

Film Movement Classics is readying the VOD and Digital releases of two classic titles – restored in 2K – from one of the most lauded filmographies in world cinema history. Kinji Fukasaku’s Wolves, Pigs and Men (1964), and Violent Panic: The Big Crash (1976) are set to stream on the SVOD network this Friday, and we have a pair of clips from both films which we can share exclusively. Japanese director and genre master Kinji Fukasaku is often remembered amongst cineastes for his final film, BATTLE ROYALE (2000), but in his home country, the prolific auteur – across a 40-year career, he directed over sixty movies, received three Japanese Academy Film Prizes for best director, and helped redefine many genres, most notably the Yakuza genre – was respected for a broad range of films that often used violence to make statements about social control, authority, and individual freedom. Of the […]

FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK: BALLERINA Trailer Sets The Stage For A New, Action-Packed Chapter

Lee B. Golden III

The John Wick franchise continues to grow even after the seemingly endmost events of Chapter 4 last year. For this, the saga has taken a few steps in that area and now with a new look into one of them with From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina, featuring Ana de Armas leading a cast of old and new faces from the roster. Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. Len Wiseman is the man charged with steering the de Armas end of things from a script by Shay Hatten. The cast includes Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, and the late Lance Reddick in one of his final screen appearances to date. Also featured are Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Norman Reedus, along with Ian McShane, […]

DOMINO: New Official Trailer Revealed For Vietnamese Crime Actioner

Lee B. Golden III

Tino Nguyen’s new action thriller Domino has an official trailer as of Thursday following a teaser earlier this month in a long-running campaign finally getting traction. I actually kinda dig this trailer too, particularly with its white knuckle cliffhanger vibe at the end, whereas a lot of trailers are way more spoilery than they need to be. At any rate, we have actor Thuan Nguyen in the role of An, the estranged and only son of a crime boss who is summoned to America, and uncovers a deadly double-cross in his father’s organization. With the help of an undercover cop and innocent lives now at risk, it’s up to An to tread a seedy criminal underworld he wanted no part in, in order to bring his father’s killer to justice. Domino, or Domino: The Last Exit as one English translation notes, also stars Henry Nguyen, Quoc Cuong, Simon Kook, and […]

Jack Kesy with gun - Hellboy The Crooked Man

HELLBOY: THE CROOKED MAN Review: A Laudible, Decent Lo-Fi Comic Book Thriller Reboot

Lee B. Golden III

Hellboy: The Crooked Man will open in UK cinemas from September 27 from Icon Film Distribution. The years continue to pass as any fan-driven hopes of another entry in to the Guillermo Del Toro lens of another Hellboy movie grow inevitably farther from reality. Both films are memorable classics while the Neil Marshall-directed 2019 drew nowhere near the success of its predecessors despite its big scale visuals and ambition. With three films now in our rearview, the latest test of potency for Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse brainchild now comes by way of Brian Taylor, who is no stranger to comic book mediums with credits on Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), and Jimmy Hayward’s Jonah Hex (2010). Alas, we get Hellboy: The Crooked Man, penned by Christopher Golden along with Taylor and Mignola, the latter who also served as one of the film’s exec producers. The 1959-set movie touts a […]

SINNERS Teases Ryan Coogler’s ‘New Vision Of Fear’ In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Little was known about the unnamed genre film that Ryan Coogler and his Fruitvale Station, Creed, and Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan were reuniting for as of January. It’s been hype-inducing, even enough that it ensued a bidding war in which Warner Bros. Pictures came out on top by the following month, and now, the official trailer and key art has been revealed for the new thriller, Sinners, which opens in theaters and IMAX on March 7. From Ryan Coogler—director of “Black Panther” and “Creed”—and starring Michael B. Jordan comes a new vision of fear: “Sinners.” Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. “You keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home.” Sinners sees Jordan in a dual role here, and […]

TRUE IDENTITY Reveals Official Trailer For Michihito Fujii’s New Cat-And-Mouse Whodunit Thriller!

Lee B. Golden III

Following a pair of teasers released over the summer, Shochiku has unveiled the official trailer for new mystery crime thriller, True Identity. The film is directed by Michihito Fujii who also penned the script with co-writer Kazuhisa Kodera, based on Tamehito Somei’s 2020 novel. True Identity stars One Last Bloom actor Ryusei Yokohama who plays Kaburagi, a man on the run for murder. With every development turning over something different for the relentless detective pursuing him, the investigation soon brings into question just who his suspect really is. Also starring are Rhio Yoshioka, Shintaro Morimoto, Anna Yamada, and Takayuki Yamada. Catch the official trailer and poster below ahead of the film’s November 29 release in Japan!

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PANDA PLAN Gets A U.S. Trailer Ahead Of An October Release

Lee B. Golden III

Zhang Luan’s new action comedy adventure Panda Plan has a trailer now online which you can view below. Well Go USA is releasing the film theatrically in North America on October 18, starring Jackie Chan in a fictional version of himself before a cute little panda named Hu Hu. Soon after legendary kung fu star Jackie Chan is invited to adopt a beloved zoo panda named Hu Hu, a notorious international crime syndicate sets its sights on the bear and offers a massive bounty for his capture. Faced with this sudden crisis, Jackie enlists the help of his agent and Hu Hu’s fiercely dedicated caretaker, leading the trio on an outrageous and unforgettable adventure as they seek to outsmart—and outkick—the bad guys at every turn. Also starring are Wei Xiang, Shi Ce, Han Yanbo, and Jia Bing.

Fantastic Fest XIX Review: In THE DRAFT!, A Ghastly, Twisty Tale Of Survival With Gruesome, Stirring Effect

Lee B. Golden III

Yusron Fuadi directed a little genre delight that released late last year to Indonesian cinemas in the form of The Draft!, which now makes its way to Fantastic Fest for its International Premiere. It centers on five college friends – Ani (Anggi Waluyo), Iwan (Adhin Abdul Hakim), Wati (Anastasia Herzigova), Budi (Ibrahim Alhami), and Amir (Winner Wijaya) who set out for a getaway to a remote villa owned by Ani’s uncle (Ernanta Kusuma), only to bear witness to an increasing presence of strange events and apparitions, and gory afflictions that are somehow all summed up to one surprising conclusion. It’s a little hard to explain without giving the goods away, but what I can say is that the story does take awhile to develop as the darker and more sinister aspects of the story set in. Additionally, it is interesting that this film is billed as a horror comedy which […]

Marvel’s THUNDERBOLTS* …Assemble? Watch The New Teaser Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

Marvel’s Thunderbolts* are coming, at long last with an official teaser trailer now up to signal fans with the latest move in the post-Endgame comic book saga following Black Widow and Disney+ series Falcon And The Winter Soldier. Jake Schreier directs the pic starring Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Sebastian Stan and Lewis Pullman, and more. There’s no official logline yet, but gather as much as you will from the footage below as there’s plenty to sift through. This thing was leaked online a while back too, but it’s nice to see an asset like this with way more clarity than something spy-shot from an angle, which is pretty lame. Beyond that, May 2, 2025 is the date!

THE CHAMPIONS Blu-Ray Review: An Underrated Classic That Scores Big For Hong Kong Film Fans

Lee B. Golden III

THE CHAMPIONS is now available from Eureka Entertainment.

TEACUP: A Storm Brews In The Official Horror Series Trailer For Peacock

Lee B. Golden III

Attendees at the 19th edition of Fantastic Fest got a taste of things to come from upcoming horror thriller series, Teacup. The new Peacock episodic now has an official trailer and key art which you can view below. From modern-day master of horror and the mind behind The Conjuring and Insidious, James Wan’s Atomic Monster produces the series with UCP, joined by first-time showrunner Ian McCulloch (Yellowstone). TEACUP stars Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale), Scott Speedman (Grey’s Anatomy), and Chaske Spencer (The English) and follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive. Teacup also stars Boris McGiver, and Emmy winning actress Kathy Baker, and will stream the first two episodes exclusively on Peacock on Oct 10, with two episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays until Halloween, October 31. Watch the new trailer:

STUNTMAN Reveals New Promo For UK/Ireland Release In October

Lee B. Golden III

Trinity CineAsia hit the ground running over the weekend announcing an October 11 theatrical release in the UK and Ireland for Hong Kong action drama, Stuntman. The film stars Terrance Lau and Philip Ng, along with stunt veteran Stephen Tung Wai, a seven-time winner of Best Action Choreography at the Hong Kong Film Awards, marking his latest return after seven years. The story follows a washed-up action choreographer who is struggling to find his way in a changing industry. He risks everything to stage a comeback, while also attempting to repair the relationship with his estranged daughter. Stuntman is co-directed by Albert and Herbert Leung, both real stuntmen-turned-filmmakers, who draw from their own professional experiences to create this dramatic, moving and inspiring story. Stuntman also stars Cecilia Choi, Sing Lam, and Rachel Leung. The company also revealed its latest promo which you can view below.

Fantastic Fest XIX Review: In RAZE, Zoë Bell Knuckles Up In A Do-Or-Die Fight To The Finish

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been about ten years since I’ve seen Josh C. Waller’s feature debut, Raze, when it came out. The film landed on my radar during my first year with a website and I did quite a bit of press for it seeing as it fell under my purview for the talent at hand and the given subject matter – a story where dozens of women are taken, trapped and imprisoned into an unending underground hell full of death matches until there is one survivor. I couldn’t wait for this film to come out, and I think it’s equally exciting that this film is getting some extenuating festival hype by way of Fantastic Fest for the kind of genre crowdpleaser it aims to be. Indeed, the casting of Zoë Bell augments the film’s profile some with a stuntwoman taking the mantle with a lead role after more than ten years pursuant […]

HEAVIER TRIP Rocks Out With An Official Trailer For The New Comedy Sequel

Lee B. Golden III

With the first film in their rear view, 2018 Finnish rock comedy adventure Heavy Trip now has a second chapter in toe with Heavier Trip, making its way to Fantastic Fest this weekend. Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren are back in the director’s chair for the new installment along with returning cast and some new faces in the mix. Death metal band Impaled Rektum escapes prison to perform at Wacken, Germany’s iconic music festival. Their wild and perilous adventure into the metal music scene challenges the band’s integrity in the sequel to cult classic HEAVY TRIP. Heavier Trip stars Johannes Holopainen, Max Ovaska, Chike Ohanwe, Samuli Jaskio, Anatole Taubman, David Bredin, Martti Syrjä, Mats Eldøen, Helén Vikstvedt, Sinikka Mokkila, Jussi Vuori, and Ruth Rosenfeld. Also, watch the new trailer below and you’ll get a glimpse of beloved J-metal trio, Babymetal, in their cameo appearance, visual and audio!; Seriously, that band […]

THE MARTIAL ARTIST: Catch The Teaser And Trailer For Shaz Khan’s Dramatic New MMA Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Pakistani-American actor Shaz Khan has been on the rise for about fifteen years now with a number of indie screen credits. His latest continuation now puts him squarely on the MMA fandom radar with his next pic, The Martial Artist. Khan also debut directs from a script he penned (credited as “SK”) with co-writer Michael Ross Albert, based on “Say It Ain’t So,” a short film Khan wrote and directed by 2016. The movie held its premiere at a rousing red carpet VIP event in Bahrain back in late June, marking a milestone for Khan in the five years it took since development, training and preparation for the lead role, and production during 2020. When MMA rising star Ibby “The Prince” Bakran shines in a local fight, the world’s largest promotion company offers him a deal he can’t refuse. Now aligned with the sport’s top developing athletes, Ibby has a […]

Frank Grillo in "Hounds Of War" (2024) - XYZ Films

HOUNDS OF WAR Review: Frank Grillo Evens The Playing Field In Isaac Florentine’s Leveled-Up Revenge Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Hounds Of War arrives on Digital on September 20 from XYZ Films. The current state of Isaac Florentine’s directing career is a bit of a mystery these days. He still remains as a fixture among the cadre of take-home action fandom for most, particularly having sheperded the post-Walter Hill Undisputed sequels of DTV lore amid his 30+ year career proliferating some of the best in martial arts movie stardom. Interestingly, he’s had a few core signs during this period that he was maturing (or at least trying to) as a director, namely with films like Assassin’s Bullet and Antonio Banderas starrer, Acts Of Vengance. His latest now comes after wrapping things up with his Boyka-of-choice with Scott Adkins starrer, Seized, having since collaborated with leading man Frank Grillo whose name has been on the chyron of trade casting reports almost year round for more than a decade now, having worked […]

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Fantastic Fest XIX Review: Kensuke Sonomura’s GHOST KILLER Scares Up A Killer Thriller With Supernatural Delight

Lee B. Golden III

Ideally, if you follow a certain filmmaker favorite long enough, the possibilities grow even more fascinating in terms of tangential topical discourse. For starters, I’ve seen the action fandom opine over the connectivity of Jesse V. Johnson’s films, and chatter over what Jason Statham’s cameo in Michael Mann’s Collateral could mean. Even Hasbro is on the verge of finally coalescing two of its hit properties since Steven Caple Jr.’s Transformers entry last year. By extension, I imagine a world nowadays where discussions could – if not already – begin materializing on the kind of tapestrial coherence of the burgeoning directorial work of action specialist, Kensuke Sonomura. Immediately with 2019’s Hydra and 2022’s Bad City, Sonomura proved his vigor and value as a cinematic storyteller capable of putting together quality action cinema marketable to audiences worldwide. In doing so, he’s introduced fans to a colloquial cinematic world all his own – […]