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:

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

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, […]

THE KILLER: John Woo’s Remake Of His 1989 Hong Kong Hit Has Already Wrapped Filming

Lee B. Golden III

Remakes and reboots are the center of Rebecca Leffler’s Cannes market coverage over the weekend at Screendaily. Buried in her editorial is the news that John Woo’s revival of The Killer has already wrapped production in Paris. Matthew Stuecken and Josh Campbell, and Eran Creevy adapted the script which centers on an assassin’s efforts to make amends by earning money to help restore the eyesight of a beautiful singer be blinded in a gunfight. Chow Yun-Fat starred in the 1989 original opposite Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, and Kenneth Tsang. Woo’s root flick shot to acclaim through his signature gritty allure and stylish action, becoming part of a staple of golden age Hong Kong films that continue to influence and inspire audiences and creatives to this day. Multiple hands and individuals tinkered with visions for a remake for more than two decades before Woo decided to stake his claim at the […]

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Ryoo Seung-Wan’s VETERAN 3 In The Works

Lee B. Golden III

Director Ryoo Seung-wan is plotting a threequel follow-up to 2015’s Veteran and his latest, I, The Executioner, which just screened Out Of Competition at Cannes. Ryoo confirmed the preliminary details in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter’s Patrick Brzeski on Sunday. “I’m actually already in talks with the actors. A third one will happen. I already have a spin-off story. I’d like to expand this universe and I feel like there are many more stories that I can tell. Of course, there’s a very important precondition for all that though. If Veteran 2 flops, none of this will happen. If you want to see a third one, please give this film your support!” I, The Executioner reunites Ryoo with the prime cast of the first film led by Hwang Jung-min (12.12: The Day). The two previously collaborated on Ryoo’s hit award-winning 2010 crime thriller, The Unjust. Ryoo also dove a […]

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Streaming Sleepers: John Francis McCullagh’s DEAD HAND Scratches The Indie Action Itch

Lee B. Golden III

Dead Hand is now available on Amazon Prime for rental or purchase. 5 min. read Texas-based actor and filmmaker John Francis McCullagh first landed on my radar in 2018 during the good old days of The Hit List. His reel showed promise, and needless to say, his potency as a feature film creative has finally surfaced with Dead Hand, an independently-produced action comedy he and his team partially crowdfunded back in 2021. McCullagh writes and directs his feature debut in which he also stars alongside Brandon Yates, Josh Weinstein, and Angel Rodriguez. The story kicks off with a brutal interrogation by an elusive terrorist named Matthias Frost (Rodriguez), an ex-soldier-turned-zealot eyeing the location of a mysterious and deadly device. What the device exactly is, with exception to Matthias, is mostly anyone’s guess. That especially goes for Eoghan Flynn (McCullagh), a secret agent whose mission it is to nab the device […]

THE PRISON WALLS TRILOGY Eureka Classics Blu-Ray Review

Lee B. Golden III

This was a pretty big task to take on in the past week, but I really wanted to dive into some classic Japanese cinema. Eureka Entertainment remains on the ball as one of the foremost niche outlets priming throwback titles out of banners like Toei, including the Prison Walls Trilogy culminating the first three movies of the “Abashiri Bangaichi” franchise. The trilogy is now available in a box set containing the first three films on two blu-ray discs. The movies are presented in original Japanese Mono with optional subtitles, and commentaries from experts on the stars and subject matter, and much more. I had a blast with these, and if you didn’t pre-order these discs yet, I highly recommend ordering them now. It’s a must-have for anyone in the western world who discovered actor Ken Takakura in Tony Scott’s Black Rain like I did, and is purely keen on venturing […]

TACFEST 2024: ‘I’ll Crush Y’all’, ‘Shadow Fist 3’, ‘Kigurumi Blade’ And More Splash Big For Spain’s Second-Year Genre Festivities

Lee B. Golden III

The International Toledo Action Films Festival & Expo wrapped its goings-on in Illescas last week. The second-annual festival launced on May 15, kicking off a weeklong spell of film fandom and martial arts fanfare with expos, panels and seminars host to topical discussions on industry and the craft, stunts and much more within the first three days. The latter half of TACFEST II saw a plethora of events rolled into one at the Guillermo Plaza Pavilion in Yuncos in Toledo. Expos, training and exhibition segments, mini-cinema and merchandising were all on hand with over a dozen booths on display, including a photo booth where everyone could share their own Dragonz Magazine cover. The weekend also saw more than twenty martial arts seminars held with Grandmasters of Martial Arts such as Sebas Deibe, Paulino Martín, César Alonso, José Torres II (Killer-Ex), and Musical Kata World Champion Jan Sykora from the Czech […]

ESCAPE: Explosive Trailer Revealed For Lee Jong-Pil’s DMZ Survival Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Lee Jong-pil might not be a name familiar to most. A quick look-up notes several of his screen appearances as an actor, namely as a detective in Lee Jeong-beom’s action hit, The Man From Nowhere. It would only be a few more films after until Lee would ascend to the mantle of director for several titles of his own, including his award-winning 2020 flick, Samjin Company English Class. To date, Lee’s work at the helm continues with Escape, starring Lee Je-hoon (Time To Hunt), and Koo Kyo-hwan (Escape From Mogadishu). The first official teaser is now live as of Tuesday after teasing marketeers and audiences with first look stills and posters out of distro outlet Megabox Plus M. The film also stars Hong Xa-bin whose lead role in last year’s Cannes pick, Kim Chang-hoon’s Hopeless, which won the burgeoning star Best Actor at the 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards. Fear […]

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CREATION OF THE GODS I: KINGDOM OF STORMS: Win A Blu-Ray Copy Of Wuershan’s Hit Fantasy Epic!

Lee B. Golden III

Next week will mark the digital and disc release of director Wuershan’s award-winning epic fantasy Creation Of The Gods I: Kingdom Of Storms. I look forward to reviewing this title by then, and in the meantime, I have two Blu-Rays that I’m happily giving away to readers. All you need to do is email me at fcsyndicate@outlook.com with some insight on some of your favorite lore-based fantasy and wuxia. I’ve seen my share, but there’s always an extra space to fill and titles I haven’t seen, so if you have something in mind, consider it a recommendation. In turn, both selected winners will receive an email confirmation with a request for a mailing address, with updates and a tracking number to follow suit. Good luck! More on the movie below: CREATION OF THE GODS I: KINGDOM OF STORMS stars Kris Phillips (The Monkey King 2), Li Xuejian (The Wandering Earth […]

BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F Trailer Pulls Out All The Familiar Stops

Lee B. Golden III

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is hitting Netflix on July 3 and the official trailer is now online. Mark Molloy directs the fourth installment of a franchise that’s become a staple in action comedy since Martin Brest propelled Eddie Murphy’s memorable screen persona into stardom in 1984. Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy. Bronson Pinchot also reprises his flamboyant role with actor Kevin Bacon rounding out the cast. I’ll be sure to share my honest thoughts in a review or reaction post via my socials. In the meantime, the franchise may have fizzled by the 90s but Molloy’s efforts here seem noteworthy. The […]

THE LAST KUMITE Review: Mathis Landwehr Kicks Ass To A Nostalgic Soundtrack In Middling Martial Arts Tourno Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

5 min. read Martial arts fans now have another addition to their 2024 viewing slate with Capelight’s latest digital and physical release, The Last Kumite. The film is directed and penned by Ross W. Clarkson, and co-written by Sean David Lowe who produced the film, and shepherded the film’s initial crowdfunding campaigns in its earlier development stages. Coralling a bevy of nascent and veteran screen talents led by German action star Mathis Landwehr, The Last Kumite centers on Michael Rivers, a widower and seasoned tournament champion exiting the circuit to focus on his school, and raising his teen daughter, Bree (Kira Kortenbach). Seizing the opportunity while attending an afterparty in Michael’s honor, a man named Ron Hall (Matthias Hues) approaches Michael with a sereptitious “business opportunity”: A Kumite in Eastern Europe, and the chance to win a million dollars. Nevermind the consequences of albeit cordially turning down the offer. For […]

New X-MEN Movie In The Works, Lands ‘Hunger Games’ Writer

Lee B. Golden III

Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes scribe Michael Lesslie will write the next X-Men movie, according to the trades on Tuesday. A new film in the franchise had been the talk for some years now but things are finally inching a little closer after the end of last year’s strikes. The Marvel property launched in the comic pages in the 1960s from creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, chronicling the efforts of a band of superheros to mitigate diplomacy in a world then-discovering the existence of mutants. Led by telepath Charles Xavier who founded his School for the Gifted, those efforts often resulted in battling foes both human and mutant alike. The franchise elevated into screen success in the 90s, as well as the most recent revival on Disney+, “X-Men ’97”. On the live-action front, 20th Century Fox got the ball rolling with X-Men in 2000, landing twelve […]

MUZZLE: CITY OF WOLVES Reteams Star And Director For Action Sequel

Lee B. Golden III

A sequel to 2023 action thriller Muzzle is in the works. Production will reteam lead actor Aaron Eckhart and director John Stalberg Jr. who collaborated on the original film. Stalberg Jr. will direct Muzzle: City Of Wolves, which he and Carlyle Eubank (The Signal) storied for a script by Jacob Michael King (Caviar). Stalberg, Jr. is also producing via his Slow Burn banner along with David Frigerio through Broken Open Pictures (Land of Bad, Muzzle, Bad Hombres), and Highland Film Group. Eubank is exec producing for Slow Burn next to Tim O’Hair and RuthAnne Frigerio for Broken Open Pictures. Highland Film Group is handling international rights and is introducing the film to buyers. Haunted by PTSD from his days as a K-9 officer, Jake Rosser (Eckhart) endeavors to lead a peaceful life with his family and retired K-9 companion, Socks. But the tranquility quickly dissolves when a ruthless gang targets […]