Lee B. Golden III

About Lee B. Golden III

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Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!

Posts by Lee Golden:

A Case For Better Action Movies: In LIFE AFTER FIGHTING, Bren Foster Understood The Assignment

Life After Fighting is now available in select theaters and on digital from Vertical Entertainment 5.5 min. read Small scale, independent martial arts action movies are at the heart of what I cover on this platform. It takes a lot of effort to make these kinds of films happen, and in doing so, it also takes a great deal of talent and creative moxie to not only make these movies, but to make them fantastic, and memorable. I’m pretty picky about these movies too, having come up from supporting a number of indie action stunt teams in the last twenty years, and subsequently cutting my teeth as a film critic on both sides of the scrutiny fence. As such, I’m not inflexible as a fan of the genre, but I know what I want, and equally, what I don’t want. This was still the case last year when actor and […]

RUN FOR MONEY: THE MOVIE – TOKYO MISSION: The Game Gets Deadly Real In The Official Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

Hit FujiTV competition show “Run For The Money” is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer. Oh? Pray tell!… Run For Money: The Movie – Tokyo Mission is the name of the narrative survival adventure thriller starring Takumi Kawanishi, and Kimata Syoya, along with Aomi Kaneshiro from boyband JO1, and Taiki Sato from Exile Tribe subgroup FANTASTICS. The film is directed by Code Blue franchise vet Masaki Nishiura, and centers on a band of friends who all came up in high school athletics who each get exclusively invited among 1000 other entrants to compete in a citywide competition for 100 Million Yen. Little do they know that the game is about to spiral out of control when a corrupt entity seizes control of the game and the rules turn deadly. Also starring are HIKAKIN, Ririka Tanabe, and young actor Eito Kawahara, Chika Uchida, Hideyuki Kasahara, and Riki Honda for the film’s […]

Fantasia XXVIII: Swords, Sorcery, Salutations And More In The Second Wave!

Lee B. Golden III

Fantasia Festival 2024 is looking better and better. The second wave is here listing a new raft of titles to shore up excitement from folks looking to attend the twenty-eighth edition. The 2nd wave news also enlists a Canadian Trailblazer award for Vincenzo Natali whose 1997 debut, Cube, is getting a 4K-restored world premiere courtesy of the Canadian Film Center. As for the rest of the announcement, take a gander at the gallery below and additonal title announcement beneath. . Oof, this curtain raiser is gonna be a doozy. Check it all out below, and catch up on the first wave if need be, and do stay tuned for the full line-up and then some! ADDITIONAL SECOND WAVE TITLES: 100 YARDS (China) – Dirs. Xu Haofeng and Xu Junfeng Family secrets, demimonde politics, and romantic entanglements complicate the rivalry between two skilled martial artists in the 1920s. The latest from […]

SEVEN SAMURAI Trailer: Janus Films Unsheathes A 4K Restoration For Limited Theatrical Release In The U.S.

Lee B. Golden III

Janus Films is proudly flying the flag for its 4K restoration this year of Akira Kurosawa’s classic jidaigeki epic, Seven Samurai. Deadline broke the news on Thursday with plans to screen in New York at the Film Forum on Friday, July 5, before holding its Los Angeles premiere at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre on Sunday, July 7, and then opening wide on July 12 in Los Angeles at Laemmle Royal. One of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, SEVEN SAMURAI tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride from Akira Kurosawa—featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura—seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action, into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope. Cannes hosted the 4K restoration – reworked by Toho Co. Ltd. – last […]

ESCAPE: Koo Kyo-Hwan Makes A Run For The Border In The Official U.S. Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Just shortly after announcing a July 5 release in the states, Well Go USA is keying folks in with a look at the official trailer for director Lee Jong-pil’s new survival thriller, Escape. Koo Kyo-hwan, Lee Je-hoon, and Hong Xa-bin star in the pic which also releases a few days earlier in South Korea from Megabox Plus M. After completing his required decade of military service and being honored as a hero, a North Korean sergeant makes a sudden shocking attempt to defect to the South, risking life and limb for the chance to finally determine his own destiny. Check out the trailer below:

THE KILLER’S GAME: The Shit Hits For Dave Bautista In The Bloody Shoot ‘Em Up Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Close to three decades since efforts to adapt author Jay Bonansinga’s novel wound up in development limbo, a new look at action thriller The Killer’s Game is finally here. Dave Bautista is the man front and center of all the danger and spectacle shepherded heretofore by Day Shift helmer, stuntman-turned-director J.J. Perry. In the new action-comedy THE KILLER’S GAME, when top hitman Joe Flood (Dave Bautista) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he decides to take matters into his own hands – by taking a hit out on himself. But when the very hitmen he hired also target his ex-girlfriend (Sofia Boutella), he must fend off an army of assassin colleagues and win back the love of his life before it’s too late. The official trailer below also hands you the key twist that emboldens our protagonist to take up arms and fight for his life. This comes amply packaged […]

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HEROES SHED NO TEARS: Eddy Ko Is Trapped Behind Enemy Lines In An Exclusive Clip

Lee B. Golden III

Making its streaming debut at Film Movement Plus on June 7 is John Woo’s 1986 war thriller, Heroes Shed No Tears. The film features Eddy Ko and Lam Ching-Ying in a film that once remained shelved until Woo’s subsequent A Better Tomorrow was released, making Woo a hit director and allowing the previous flick to get some screentime before audiences. In this explosive precursor to his breakout film A Better Tomorrow, director John Woo demonstrates the genesis of his trademark style of hyperkinetic action and violence in the thriller he identified as his “first real film”, breaking a string of low-budget slapstick farces, and building the foundation for his over-the-top genre films that would follow. Making its exclusive North American streaming premiere on Film Movement Plus, HEROES SHED NO TEARS sports a brilliant 2K digital restoration for an optimal viewing experience. Hong Kong action veteran Eddie Ko (The Mission, Lethal […]

DAN DA DAN Is All The Rage As GKIDS Stages North American Release With First Teaser And Poster

Lee B. Golden III

The first poster and trailer are here for Dan Da Dan, the new supernatural romantic thriller fantasy anime acquired by GKIDS as of Tuesday. Fūga Yamashiro (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, The Heike Story) makes his directing debut on the animated series from a script by Hiroshi Seko. DAN DA DAN follows Momo, a high school girl from a family of spirit mediums, and her classmate Okarun, an occult freak. The two of them start talking after Momo rescues Okarun from getting bullied. However, an argument ensues between them – Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts. To make the mutual deniers believe in each other, Momo goes to an abandoned hospital known for its UFO sightings, and Okarun goes to a tunnel that is said to be haunted. In each place, they encounter overwhelming paranormal activity that transcends comprehension. Amid these predicaments, […]

LIKE A DRAGON: YAKUZA Prime Video Live-Action Drama Hails October Launch

Lee B. Golden III

I’ve never seen Takashi Miike’s Like A Dragon adaptation based on the hit game. Maybe that will change one day with the possibility of Tubi streaming, particularly now that the game franchise is back in the headlines. Alas, shout out to Cesar Alejandro Jr. for looping me in on news that broke yesterday with 100 Yen Love and Underdog director Masaharu Take announced to direct Like a Dragon: Yakuza, for Prime Video. More verbiage on the game and its legacy below: Released in 2005 by SEGA, the ‘Yakuza’ game series was positioned as an entertaining game for adults, which found massive fanfare amongst its target audience. The series depicts the lives of fierce yet passionate gangsters and people living in a huge entertainment district, Kamurochō, a fictional district modeled after the violent Shinjuku ward’s Kabukichō, that acts as the backdrop of the gameplay. Like a Dragon: Yakuza showcases modern Japan […]

JAPAN CUTS XVII: Shadow Of Fire, Shin Godzilla ORTHOchromatic, And So Much More As The Full Line-Up Is Revealed!

Lee B. Golden III

The 17th edition of Japan Cuts: Festival Of New Japanese Film is locked in for the summer of 2024. Alas, the full line-up is now available on the official website with tickets and availability, and we’ve got some exciting details to help share. Set for July 10–August 21 in New York City, this year’s edition will present over 30 films spanning 12 days across Feature Slate, Next Generation, Classics and Short Film sections. Among the festival’s lineup are five International Premieres, 10 North American Premieres, four U.S. Premieres, two East Coast Premieres and seven New York Premieres. Additionally, JAPAN CUTS will welcome over eight actors and directors as special guests and host three parties. This edition will mark this site’s fifth effort to remote-cover Japan Cuts since 2019. I’ve managed to screen a wide array of features and shorts in that time – a few of which have yet to see […]

ALIEN: ROMULUS Official Trailer Unloads With A Serious Chestful

Lee B. Golden III

Twentieth Century Studios has finally unveiled the official trailer for Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus. A franchise revival coming to theaters August 16, the film stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu, with a script by Alvarez and by Rodo Sayagues. While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. The trailer below looks fresh and inviting. It starts about as gruesome as you might expect but without giving away the goods, all before touting Alvarez’s work. The rest of it is pure cake with epic spectacle and intensity, building all the way up to a sweet little Alien roar up-close and personal. This one’s for the fans, clearly. Take a look!

HEROES SHED NO TEARS Review: Early John Woo At His Burgeoning Best

Lee B. Golden III

Heroes Shed No Tears has been restored in 2k and streams on Film Movement+ on June 7. The Hollywood appeal for a director like John Woo is something that never should have lapsed after Paycheck. Indeed it wasn’t his best, and still his work warrants longer consideration for industry progression. His most recent return with Silent Night was a blast, and 2024 is looking to keep the energy up some as Film Movement Classics antes up its streaming library with the 1986 war thriller, Heroes Shed No Tears. A cursory scan of the film’s Wikipedia page alludes to the film’s rough history, coupled with Woo’s apprehension to seeing the finished product. I don’t know if that’s still the case and I can’t blame him for moving on. Although, apart from some of the film’s perceived flaws, it’s worth noting Woo’s tactful handling of many areas of the story, including the […]

SHADOW GHOST Promo Image via Kickstarter

SHADOW GHOST Taps Andy Cheng To Helm Live-Action Adaptation Of Crowdfunded Indie Hit Comic

Lee B. Golden III

Crowdfunding is still a viable source for creators to help get their ideas off the ground. Sifu Kurtis Fujita took note last January when he launched his own campaign for indie comic book Shadow Ghost, successfully achieving 263% of its funding goals. With the first print in toe, it was las November when Fujita signaled fans of a feature/TV adaptation in the works, partnering with Atchity Productions, the studio behind The Meg films. Fast forward six months into the new year and the now-reported movie in question has found a director in renowned stunt-multihyphenate and filmmaker, Andy Cheng. “We are thrilled to have Andy Cheng on board to direct the Shadow Ghost film,” said Atchity Productions CEO, Dr. Ken Atchity. “His unparalleled experience and passion for martial arts cinema make him the ideal choice to capture the essence of the Shadow Ghost saga. We are confident that this collaboration will […]

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OWL GIRL: Johnny Yong Bosch Hoots For Crimefighting Thrills In This Newest Proof-Of-Concept Short!

Lee B. Golden III

Don’t rule Johnny Yong Bosch out. His latest out of Vox Rocket Studio, Spades, is still in toe as the actor and ex-Power Ranger-cum-seasoned filmmaker also set his sights on Tidewater Comic-Con last week with proof of concept, Owl Girl. Following the loss of the Parliament of Owls, Skyway City’s greatest super heroes, a young girl named Lina Lopez rises up to defend the city from villains new and old. Zeke, the lone survivor of the Owls, must reluctantly take her under his wing and teach her what it takes to truly be a superhero. Not just the sky highs, but the lows as well. The series is intended for teen audiences and features a mix of serialized and episodic storytelling that reveals more upon rewatch. Bosch is shepherding the concept with Mike Federali and pairing Vox Rocket with Kamen Ramen Studios. Owl Girl is played by actress and industry […]

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DAANVI: Hatchet-Wielding, Mini-Gunning, Ass-Kicking Pooja Sharma Slays In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Nepali action and stunt talent hasn’t always been on our radar here. It helps that films like José Manuel’s The Man From Kathmandu and Saurav Chaudhary’s recent The Unbreakable Agatsya are nudging us a little more these days, and so leave it to director Rupesh Tamang to weave his way into the arena with a blistering look at his own contribution, Daanvi. The film stars Nepalese actress and singer Pooja Sharma who leads the story of one woman’s love story and subsequent quest for retribution. I combed a bit and couldn’t find any exact details or official loglines except for bare minimums, and it gets a teeny bit confusing midway in the official trailer now making the rounds. Nonetheless, the consensus is that it’s a romantic revenge tale, and to Sharma’s credit, shows us the star bedazzling the screen with precisely the kind of stylish, blistering screenfighting émargement that ought […]

BEFORE DAWN: Catch The Trailer For Jordon Prince-Wright’s New WWI War Flick

Lee B. Golden III

July 19 will see the theatrical and digital release of Jordon Prince-Wright’s new war drama, Before Dawn. The film stars Levi Miller, Travis Jeffery, Myles Pollard, Tim Franklin, Jordan Dulieu, and Peter Sullivan, along with Ed Oxenbould and Stephen Peacocke. After leaving his family’s sheep farm in the Australian outback, a young man joins his countrymen on the western front of World War I with hopes of helping expedite an end to the bloody conflict. But as war rages on, he is forced to grapple with the brutal realities of trench warfare, including a near-constant battle to keep himself alive—without leaving another man behind. Prince-Wright and Jarrad Russell created the characters and storied on which Russell’s screenplay is based. Peep the trailer below from Well Go USA.

ARENA WARS Review: Perfunctory Action Schlock & Awe

Lee B. Golden III

Arena Wars opens in North America on June 25 from Gravitas Ventures. It’s admirable that there are still directors out there keen on committing themselves to action cinema nostalgia. As always though, it’s a crapshoot each time and particularly when it comes to the dystopian death game genre. To that end, there are plenty of examples with tons of positives to pull from depending on your tastes. Films like The Running Man, the Battle Royale movies, The Hunger Games films, the Jason Statham-led Death Race, and even The Hunt are all terrific cases in point. Suffice it to say, there are others that fare even less. Dallas Jackson’s more grounded The System is probably the best title in this category I’ve seen as recently as last year, and that’s coming off of covering the gravely subpar U.K. indie, Exiled: The Chosen Ones. Although Brandon Slagle’s Arena Wars fares a wee […]

GRAVEDIGGERS: Catch The Trailer For Joonas Makkonen’s New Survival Action Horror

Lee B. Golden III

Finnish and Canadian releases are in toe for writer/director Joonas Makkonen’s third feature, Gravediggers. The official trailer is now online ahead of release dates currently pending. In a post-apocalyptic world, society has collapsed, and individual survivors are fighting for their existence against viruses, nightly acid rain, and hordes of cannibals. Grave diggers LARS (37) and DONALD (38) spend nights haunted by acid rain in their high-tech base of the past world, and when the rains stop during the day, they dispose of the bodies of the contaminated, doing a long day’s work. When Lars loses his co-worker to a gang of cannibals lurking in the woods, he ends up teaming up with other survivors to get help burying the infected bodies and to be ready for the inevitable future confrontation with the cannibals. Gravediggers stars Ari Karhunen, Enni Ojutkangas, Ari Savonen, Saara Elina, Romeo Makkonen, Zoltán Fodor, Jari Manninen, Olli […]

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HOVERING BLADE Chronicles A Father’s Quest For Vigilante Justice In The Official International Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

“If the law cannot punish evil deeds, then as a father, I shall take matters into my own hands.” The Invisible Guest helmer Chen Zhuo is currently enjoying a mainland rollout of his newest crime thriller, Hovering Blade. CMC Pictures has announced a June 7 theatrical release in U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and we now have an official trailer to take a gander at. This film tells the heart-wrenching journey of a father seeking justice for his daughter, who was sexually assaulted by several minors. Realizing that the law will not ensure the juvenile murderers receive the punishment they deserve, he takes matters into his own hands. Inthe midst of unrepentant crimes, a father‘s relentless pursuit of justice cuts through the darkness. Hovering Blade marks the latest screen iteration of Keigo Higashino’s 2004 novel following Shoichi Mashiko’s titular 2009 adaptation, Lee Jung-ho’s Broken for South […]

THE RAID In 4K Hits Australia And New Zealand Cinemas This Week!

Lee B. Golden III

Nope, I don’t live in Australia or New Zealand, but I am here to help promote a good time. That goes for anyone residing in either region who is curious to immerse themselves in Gareth Huw Evans’ 4K renewal of 2011 crime pic, The Raid in cinemas on May 30 from Umbrella Entertainment The movie shot its leading screen talents to genre acclaim with the likes of Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian reaching global stardom after Evans’ tastemaker hit, Merantau. The two are joined by heavy hitter Joe Taslim and Donny Alamsyah as the story culminates the events of a botched tower block raid that pits brother against brother amidst machinations of police corruption, and a landlord crime boss’s violent reprisal with an army at his disposal. Evans, who is also in post-production on Netflix’s Havoc with Tom Hardy, touted his retinkering with The Raid in the last few years, […]