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:

Fantastic Fest XVIII Review: In Kenichi Ugana’s VISITORS: COMPLETE EDITION, A Sitcom Of Demons And Humans, And Dancing

Fantastic Fest has come to a close and with this, what I thought was my final review contribution to the event now comes in the form of a look at one of the most peculiar indie horror films ever made. It’s bizzare as shit and out of this world, and just as unique as you could expect or hope for from any director in your pursuit of film consumption: Visitors: Complete Edition. The film’s concept stems from Visitors, a 2021 short film by writer/director Kenichi Ugana who swept nearly forty festival audiences off their feet that year. As its been eight years since he began directing and experimenting with conceptually outstanding stories and aspects, Visitors: Complete Edition marks Ugana’s tenth film, taking his craft to new levels in his consistency as a storyteller. Thus, this latest iteration of the celebrated horror comedy delves into an expanded tale of a dystopian […]

FANNA: Check Out The Trailer For The Latest Malaysian Action Drama Starring Fify Azmi

Lee B. Golden III

2019’s Malaysian hit, Wira, saw the emergence of local cinematic action star Hairul Azreen in the Adrian Teh-directed pic. Inarguably one of the best titles released that year, among its action star caliber also stood actress Fify Azmi who puts on an equally impressive dramatic and physical showcase, and from that point on, I personally wondered if or when we’d ever hear from him again. Fast forward to 2023 and following her recent role in Disney+ Hotstar series Special Force: Anarchy, and indeed Azmi has since made her return to the big screen with action drama Fanna, this time under director Andy W.S. Liew. The cast also joins Azmi with Syafie Naswip, Colleen Rosanna Augustin, Andy Black Tan, Rashid Salleh, Charles Nilbert, Kenji Sawahii, Sahronizam, Roy Azman, and Aleza Shadan. FANNA is a heartwarming love drama film that tells the story of Fanna, a cancer survivor who falls in love […]

FIRST_LOOK.ToxicAvenger.CHEETAH_01_00_46_20.Still001_v2 copy

THE TOXIC AVENGER Lets Loose In A Swell, Pulpy First Teaser

Lee B. Golden III

He was all the craze at Fantastic Fest and ahead of its sold out screening at Beyond Fest this weekend and at Sitges. Now, folks outside the festival purview will get a taste of things to come with a teaser for Legendary’s latest revival out of Troma history, The Toxic Avenger. THE TOXIC AVENGER, a hilarious and action-packed reimagining of the classic Troma film from director Macon Blair features an all-star cast including Peter Dinklage who will pick up the infamous mop to become the toxic hero that no one knew they needed (or wanted) as well as Jacob Tremblay and Taylour Paige with Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon. The teaser itself is NSFW and age-restricted and so it can’t be shown here directly, but there’s nothing stopping you from clicking here to watch it. Enjoy!

GANAPATH Teaser: Tiger Shroff and Co. Kick And Nunchuk Their Way Back To The Big Screen In October

Lee B. Golden III

It’s Friday morning and it’s as good as time as any to make note of a Tiger Shroff action flick if you’re up for it. Yes, the official teaser trailer is circulating for Ganapath: A Hero Is Born, a futuristic tale brimming with money shots of the airborne action star joined by a nunchaku-wielding Kriti Sanon and veteran star Amitabh Bachchan, with action scenes designed and coordinated by Tim Man and his team. The Hindi actioner is written and directed by Vikas Bahl and arrives from Pooja Entertainment on October 20.

SHOWDOWN AT THE GRAND: Terence Howard And Dolph Lundgren Bring Cinematic Heroics To Life In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Shout! Studios will release action comedy Showdown At The Grand in select theaters and across all VOD platforms beginning November 3. The film stars Terrence Howard (Iron Man, Hustle & Flow), John Savage (The Last Full Measure, The Deer Hunter), and Piper Curda (Legacies, The Wretched), with Amanda Righetti (The Mentalist, Reagan) and Dolph Lundgren (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, The Expendables franchise). A proud movie theater owner, George Fuller (Howard), must defend his family business from corporate developers alongside a legendary action star, Claude Luc Hallyday (Lundgren) as art imitates life in a showdown for the ages. Orson Oblowitz directs this, his fourth film following The Rules For Success, Trespassers and 2017 crime drama The Queen Of Hollywood Boulevard. The official trailer is out now and I was quick to catch a banner near the end that read “Filmed In Oblovision” which I thought was pretty hilarious, that is. […]

Promotional photo from Sri Asih: The Warrior For Fantastic Fest

Fantastic Fest XVIII Review: Upi’s SRI ASIH: THE WARRIOR Is A BCU Franchise Force To Be Reckoned With

Lee B. Golden III

Sri Asih was screened and reviewed for Fantastic Fest. The film releases on DVD in the U.S. from Shout! Factory on December 5. Provided that the Bumilangit Cinematic Universe is still very much a thing going forward, director Joko Anwar’s Gundala will hopefully have been worth the big cliffhanger it left for us with actress Pevita Pearce in a live-action cameo appearance as Bumilangit property, Sri Asih. That now brings us the latest move to bring the power-packing, scarf-wielding superheroine into fruition by director Upi, taking notes from late author R.A. Kosasih’s 1954 comic of the same name which launched the Indonesian superhero brand in the first place. The comic’s influence stems even well into Indonesia’s early film industry with the character staking her claim under the stewardship of directors Tan Sing Hwat and Turino Djunaedy. As such, echoes of the character’s prevalence in the 50s are given momentary reference […]

ALICE IN BORDERLAND: Netflix Signals Season Three Of The Hit Fantasy Action Survival Series

Lee B. Golden III

Netflix has greenlit a third season of hit series Alice In Borderland, just a few days after teasing the news on social media. Casting details are currently unknown apart from the returns of series regulars Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya in their respective roles. The series also rejoins with Shinsuke Sato back in the chair to direct, based on Haro Aso’s hit Shogakukan manga publication about a listless gamer who gets mysteriously transported with select members of Tokyo’s population to a parallel universe where everyone must participate in a deadly segmented game of survival. Season one premiered in December 2020, followed by a second season in December 2022 which teases the Joker card at the end of the series. Yamazaki also stars in Sato’s live-action treatments of hit manga, Kingdom, which opened its third installment in Japan theaters in July, and is also on track for a fourth sequel. Sato’s […]

Promotional photo from The Invisible Fight

THE INVISIBLE FIGHT: Kino Lorber Takes Estonian Kung Fu Romp For North America. Check Out The Teaser!

Lee B. Golden III

Director Rainer Sarnet’s Estonian kung fu comedy, The Invisible Fight, is currently enjoying reactions out of Fantastic Fest this week following its previous main competition premiere at Locarno last month. The film is currently set to screen at the next edition of Sitges in October, as well as Latvia for the tenth Riga International Film Festival. USSR-China border, 1973. Rafael, is in the army on guard duty when the border falls under attack from flying Chinese kung fu warriors. Utterly fascinated by the long-haired Chinese hippie black-clad kung fu aces flying around blasting forbidden Black Sabbath music from their portable radio Rafael gets struck by a revelation; he too wants to become a kung fu warrior. Faith leads Rafael to an Orthodox monastery where the black-clad monks do their training but his road to achieving the almighty power of humility required is long, winding and full of kick-ass adventures. The […]

TATSUMI Teaser Signals ‘Ken And Kazu’ Director’s Return To Tokyo XXXVI With New Revenge Drama

Lee B. Golden III

Making its way to the Asian Future section of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival is Tatsumi, a new revenge drama from writer/director Hiroshi Shoji. The film stars Yuya Endo (Onoda: 10,000 Nights In The Jungle) in the title role opposite actress Kokoro Morita (The Legend & Butterfly), and centers on a lonely Yakuza underling who ventures out to find his ex-girlfriend’s killer with the help of her vengeful younger sister. Currently slated for a 2024 theatrical release in Japan, Tatsumi was reportedly a crowdfunded effort for Shoji who raised five million yen prior to the start of production in 2019. The film marks a return to the Tokyo festival for Shoji, eight years after his Japanese Cinema Splash Best Picture award for 2015 crime drama, Ken and Kazu. The festival will screen Tatsumi for two days beginning October 28 nearing the end of the festival’s run on November 1.

Promotional photo for Enter The Clones Of Bruce

Fantastic Fest XVIII Review: In ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE, Among Their Shadows The Legend Lives On

Lee B. Golden III

Kung fu cinema hit one of the worst stalemates it possibly could in 1973 with the death of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, leaving the fate of the industry in the hands of creators and producers desperate to appease markets and somehow magically bring the dead back to life. Thus, Bruceploitation was born, giving rise to a raft of newcomers all operating under a moniker that would bolster capital in some form or fashion as artificially contrived screen essences of the late film legend. And, it worked. Aplenty. Documentarian David Gregory’s Enter The Clones Of Bruce collates and chronicles just how all of this was possible, produced over several years and featuring interviews with some of the very notable Bruceploitation stars of their time, including Bruce Li, Dragon Lee, Bruce Le and Bruce Liang to name a few. Other featured segments take from current interviews from industry laureates like […]

ULTRASEVEN 55TH ANNIVERSARY ANTHOLOGY: Mill Creek Lands November Street Date For Fan-Fave Collector’s Blu-Ray Set

Lee B. Golden III

Mill Creek Entertainment is proudly releasing the Ultraseven 55th Anniversary Anthology collector’s set on Blu-Ray beginning November 14. The set is comprised of over 27 hours of episodes and specials spanning across a total of 18 epic seasons, and a special 12-page booklet on the fan favorite Tsuburaya property. Ultraseven is the third Ultra Hero to come to Planet Earth from the Land Of Light. Having defended Earth from countless alien invasions, his legacy is more than a warrior, but also as a friend and protector of justice. Enjoy 55 episodes and specials with English subtitles featuring Ultraseven from across all eras of the Ultraman Franchise, including: Ultraseven (1967), Return of Ultraman, Ultraman Ace, Ultraman Taro, Ultraman Leo, Ultraman 80, Ultraman Kids, Ultraman Neos, Ultraman Mebius, Ultraseven X, Ultraman Ginga, Ultraman Zero the Chronicle, and Ultraman Orb the Movie. Pre-orders are available at Amazon.

Promotional photo from I'll Crush Y'all for Fantastic Fest

Fantastic Fest XVIII: I’LL CRUSH Y’ALL, SRI ASIH Among Winners Of The 18th Edition!

Lee B. Golden III

The eighteenth edition of Fantastic Fest is still underway and I’m only doing a few more films among those left at my disposal if possible. In the meantime, the jury went to work this year and has elected its winners for its various categories. Have a read, and click here for my review coverage up to now! Austin, TX – September 26th, 2023 – Fantastic Fest is pleased to announce this year’s Fantastic Fest Award winners. It has been an outstanding year for features and shorts, making the job of honoring a select crop all the more difficult, but our esteemed team of jurors have done the nearly impossible and chosen the best films of the festival. “We were graced with wonderful films from around the world this year,” said Annick Mahnert, Director of Programming for Fantastic Fest. “Curating this diverse showcase of cinema for our esteemed jurors was a […]

MOSCOW MISSION Trailer: CMC Pictures Announces October Theatrical Releases Outside China

Lee B. Golden III

CMC Pictures is taking the reigns with select releases in multiple territories for action adventure, Moscow Mission. Rejoiing screen leads Andy Lau and Zhang Hanyu since Feng Xiaogang’s A World Without Thieves and Zhang Yimou’s The Great Wall, director Herman Yau’s latest is based on a true story set in 1993, and centers on a pair of Chinese detectives on a mission to hunt down ruthless robbers plaguing the trans-Siberian railway with violence and chaos. Actors Huang Xuan, Jason Gu, and Janice Man also star for the film’s October 5 release in U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and Ireland. The film opens in China this Friday, September 29.

Promotional photo from BABY ASSASSINS 2 for Fantastic Fest

Fantastic Fest XVIII Review: In BABY ASSASSINS: 2 BABIES, The Work Is Its Own Reward

Lee B. Golden III

Life is still as hard as ever for an assassin trying to make it in today’s economy with a decent part-time job. Such was the case in 2021’s Baby Assassins for endearing killer roomies Chisato (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa) as the two stood toe-to-toe with heavily-armed yakuza gangsters with daily responsibilties to fulfill in between. Two years later, the oddball duo is still “killing it” while trying to get the hang of adulting in writer/director Yugo Sakamoto’s latest sequel, Baby Assassins: 2 Babies. Caught between trying to beat the clock on long-overdue bills while abiding by their assassin guild’s strict policies and dealing with life’s inevitable incidences, Chisato and Mahiro find themselves suspended from the guild and right back at square one, with no choice but to pound the pavement for work. In the interim, little do they know that they have become the targets of Makoto (Tatsuomi […]

SONG OF THE SOUTH: A Classic Boyhood Epic Makes Way For The Big Screen In Vietnam This October

Lee B. Golden III

Late author Doan Gioi’s 1957 novel is now the subject of a new iteration headed for the big screen with period drama, Song Of The South. The official trailer is live as of last week signaling the latest from director Nguyen Quang Dung whose credits partly include The Lady Assassin, 2015 action comedy Super X, and 2020 comedy drama Blood Moon Party. Song Of The South is set during the French occupation, and centers on a young boy named An (Huynh Hao Khang) who sets off on a touching and harrowing journey to find his father after losing his mother in a deadly riot. Actors Tuan Tran, Hong Anh, Bui Ly Bao Ngoc, Do Ky Phong, and Mai Tai Phan also star from a script by Tran Khanh Hoang. The new film also marks a reunion of sorts with several hands on board for the pic which succeeds the 1997 […]

Fantastic Fest XVIII Review: I’LL CRUSH Y’ALL, Come For The Crushing, Stay For The Vengeance

Lee B. Golden III

Spain has been an interesting location to see action titles emerge from in the last decade or so. Like most countries it’s not typically known for the kinds of productions that get talked about on platforms like this one, so when something like Kike Narcea’s latest Iberian coming-out party, I’ll Crush Y’all! makes an entrance, it’s totally reasonable if heads turn in response. Actor Mario Mayo is the go-to this time around, billed as Spain’s answer to Jason Statham although his size, look and build give off more Vince Vaughn a la Brawl In Cell Block 99 than anything. He plays Gabriel – formerly of the nickname “Nuthead” (or Tarado), an ex-convict and former boxer who, after spending a lengthy period keeping his head down and his hands clean, has finally reached the end of his probationary period and can matriculate back into society as a free man. He lives […]

KUBI Gets An Explosive New Trailer For Takeshi Kitano’s Latest Violent Satirical Period Drama

Lee B. Golden III

The newest official trailer has arrived for Kubi, actor “Beat” Takeshi Kitano’s final bow in the director’s chair which opens in Japan cinemas on November 23. Kubi is inspired by Kitano’s own novel and takes a satirical look into multi-angular lens exploring the last several years leading up to the deadly Honno-ji incident that presumably took the life of 16th century warlord, Oda Nobunaga. Kitano is joined by Ryo Kase, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Shido Nakamura, Tadanobu Asano and Nao Omori among the cast also featured on the brand new official poster which you can find just beneath the player.

DHRUVA NATCHATHIRAM: CHAPTER ONE Pops Off In A Must See ‘TrailBLAZEr’!

Lee B. Golden III

Gautham Vasudev Menon is back, and between sequel duties as well seeing as he’s currently prepping one for last year’s Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu Part 1: The Kindling. For this, the interim now grants us an official teaser trailer as of Saturday for upcoming spy thriller, Dhruva Natchathiram: Chapter One – Yuddha Kaandam, casting longstanding screen veteran Vikram whose latest starring role can be seen in Mani Ratnam’s back-to-back two parter, Ponniyin Selvan, based on the classic Tamil novel. Vikram leads the story as an undercover operative charged with his team to find the whereabouts of their missing leader. Menon penned the film with co-scribe Deepak Venkateshan for a production that was roughly twenty years in the making and with cameras rolling since 2017 as the movie fell into its own share of hurdles during the process of filming at multiple locales around the world. The result of all the hard […]

Promotional photo from Jackdaw for Fantastic Fest

Fantastic Fest XVIII Review: Jamie Childs’s JACKDAW Burns The Midnight Oil In A High-Speed Cat-And-Mouse Thriller With An Even Darker Twist

Lee B. Golden III

Filmmaker Jamie Childs’ recent TV credits on Disney+ series “Willow” and Netflix’s “The Sandman” should be an ample warm-up for those who’ve seen his work, and are keen on what the first-time feature director now offers with his latest debut, Jackdaw. At ninety-six minutes, the film packs in a steadily-paced and cerebral crime thriller that runs the gamut for a story set during the course of one night, trekking England’s Northern rust belt amid a heist gone awry. Par for the course is a harrowing story of redemption, hitting the ground running as ex-soldier and motocross champion Jack Dawson – a.k.a. Jackdaw (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) – sets out to acquire a package in the North Sea for crime boss Silas (Joe Blakemore). Efforting to make some quick cash to leave town with his younger brother, Simon (Leon Harrop), it isn’t long after the parcel’s retrieval that Jackdaw realizes he’s being pursued […]

Fantastic Fest XVIII Review: In ONE-PERCENTER, Tak Sakaguchi Demonstrates The Method To The Madness!

Lee B. Golden III

“There are many martial artists in the world. Only one in every hundred master their art. Those are the ‘One-Percenters.’” …That’s a line spoken in the international trailer and newest incumbent feature from writer/director Yudai Yamaguchi, a man imbued with a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to working with actor and genre cinema favorite, Tak Sakaguchi. The pair have done various types of movies together, with Sakaguchi in roles that have seen him merc the undead, partake in explosive baseball battles, and even wipe out henchmen as a bionically-weaponized gangster, among other projects the two have collaborated on with other directors. It would be in 2005 that fans of Sakaguchi would see the actor embark a little more on his own quest into action direction, clearly looking to up his station in the craft following the success he gained from his previous credits. Alas, after more than […]