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KICK BACK WITH CHRIS Podcast: Fight Scene Fridays, Matt Chats And More With Host Chris Jones!

It’s Friday. For some, it’s still a work day, while others might still be enjoying the Independence Day weekend. At any rate, folks keen on martial arts podcasts are welcome to pan over to Kick Back With Chris, hosted by Chris Jones. The series launched back in 2018, and I first talked about the show that year when I got to throw in a few seconds of some Jackie Chan love at the time for one episode. Jones’s podcast has since evolved a little bit with time and scheduling which has since allowed him to contribute a new adjacent subseries as of late March called Fight Scene Friday, where he and co-host Martin Wan break down and analyze fight scene faves from different films. The films whose scenes they’ve covered so far include Ong Bak (2003), Drunken Master 2 (1994), Rumble In The Bronx (1995), The Matrix (1999), Fist Of […]

JOAN: Help Steven Yu Unleash Infinite Violent Holy Retribution This Year For His New Graphic Novel

Lee B. Golden III

A quick pivot here as we take a gander at some graphic novel assets with a new campaign by author Steven Yu for Joan. Yu doled out a taste for fans several years ago with a small digital preview, and now he’s following up with the completion of his pulpy, action-packed four part epic, with efforts to make Joan a reality now underway at Indiegogo. When the growing authoritarian might of her nemesis, the self-righteous English monarch, King Henry and his magic-wielding dark lords, The Burgundians, spread like wildfire across the medieval hellscape, God resurrects Joan of Arc to stop them. Enchanted with immortality and blessed with infinite ammo, Joan will stop at nothing until these villains are vanquished and peace is restored across France. JOAN is a 4-part graphic novel series set in an alternative 1430’s medieval France. It is a hodgepodge of genres, put together in one unique […]

AMITYVILLE BARBI: Help Crowdfund The New Deadsville Indie Action Horror Romp At Indiegogo!

Lee B. Golden III

Film duo Ronin James and Steph Infection are currently ramping up efforts to make their feature film debut at Deadsville Productions a reallty. Amityville Barbi: The Movie is the name emblazoned on the current campaign over at Indiegogo with just under six weeks left as of this post. Barbi has a secret: She leads a double life. To the public, and her friends, she is a famous Hollywood actress and fashion model. But secretly her family comes from a long line of demon slayers, and Barbi is the latest member of her bloodline to inherit the power and responsibility. Not even her longtime boyfriend Kent knows the truth. So, when a housewarming party goes wrong, and evil is unleashed on Barbi and Kent’s friends and family, Barbi’s worlds will collide! The dead will rise, and Barbi and friends will have to fight to survive! Ronin James (a.k.a Jae Greene) has […]

ECHO 8 TRILOGY: Cast And Production Details Announced For Asian-Oz Assassin Saga As Crowdfunding Launches At Indiegogo

Lee B. Golden III

Crowdfunding is underway for Echo 8 sequels Echo 8: Five By Five and Echo 8: Beyond. Plans are underway to raise funds starting this week over at Indiegogo, with thirty-five days of principal photography commencing in early 2025, following script readings among the cast earlier this year. The micro-budgeted Echo 8 hails from independent production outlet Phoenix Eye Pty Ltd., shepherded by actress Maria Tran who stars in the title role. Tran also directed the film alongside co-star Takashi Hara from a screenplay by Elizabeth H. Vu (The Perception, upcoming Wake). Released this year on Amazon Prime and FAST platform Tubi, Echo 8 sees Tran in the title role, member of assassins’ organization, Zodiac, who begins questioning herself after being handed an assignment that takes a dark twist. Echo 8 also serves as atestament to the endurance of Western Sydney’s local Asian-Australian film community, staring down extensive hurdles brought about […]

CHINATOWN COWBOY: Help Deliver Jaafar Alnabi’s New Big Apple-Set Neo-Noir Western Short To Justice!

Lee B. Golden III

Aspiring director Jaafar Alnabi wants to make a neo-noir Western set in the heart of New York City’s Chinatown. The project in question? Chinatown Cowboy, which is currently at the halfway point of its Seed & Spark campaign with few weeks left! The Cowboy gets a call for an open bounty for Ming, who has stolen from a hot head criminal Wolf. The Cowboy wanders the streets of Chinatown looking for Ming, talking to the locals, to deliver Ming to Wolf, and reveal a deeper and darker history of the Cowboy, and his relationship with the Wolf. The Seed & Spark page has all the details you need to know about the project, including some cool visual references and aesthetics to note. As Alnabi notes below, in part: “I love seeing stories break the mold of their genres. I love westerns, and I love movies from Hong Kong, so I […]

NEW YORK JIANGHU: Help Demi Guo Chronicle Kung Fu’s History In The Big Apple For Her Debut Feature!

Lee B. Golden III

I’d be doing a disservice to my stomping grounds if I didn’t post about this crowdfunding effort now as it has close to a week left in its campaign as of this article. For this, we turn to filmmaker and martial artist Demi Y. Guo’s feature debut, New York Jianghu, which is now seeking backing to support for the filmmaker’s latest documentary on the New York City’s kung fu community. “‘江湖’ Jiāng Hú (n) —’rivers and lakes,’ used to describe martial arts society” New York Jianghu is a feature documentary about the kung fu community of the five boroughs, and the long-overlooked figures that have formed the mythos of kung fu films. Kung fu has meant something different for each generation since it left China and entered the streets of Chinatown. It was a means of making money on the side, entertainment via Bruce Lee and the Wu-Tang Clan, and […]

THE CRAMPS: A PERIOD PIECE: Help Crowdfund Warped Witch Cinema’s Feature Horror Comedy Debut

Lee B. Golden III

I’ve been receptive to a few press offerings by Brooke H. Cellars who it turns out also served as production designer on a horror short I wrote up last Fall, Fck’n Nuts. To add, they’re also an aspiring filmmaker along with their team of ambitious creatives over at Warped Witch Cinema with a raft of projects dating back to 2019, including their latest, Violet Butterfield: Makeup Artist For The Dead, which has already accrued wins at six festivals. Nowadays, Cellars is looking to turn things up with their first feature film now in the form of dark fantastical horror comedy, The Cramps: A Period Piece. The plan is to shoot the project in Lousiana with a budget worthy of a badass crew that can help Cellars bring her vision to life. The film’s campaign over at Indiegogo provides some ample insight in that regard as well, listing current casting details, […]

WILD ZERO 2: Crowdfunding For Cult Hit Punk Sci-Fi Action Horror Sequel Kicks Off In One Week!

Lee B. Golden III

Director Tetsuro Takeuchi’s 2000 cult hit thriller, Wild Zero, is finally getting a sequel with Wild Zero 2: The Strongest Blood Of Humanity, after several years of ramping up efforts to make the film a reality, global pandemics be damned. With an early-shot pilot promo taking off once more just in time for the film’s upcoming Kickstarter campaign launching March 10, the team is now putting the word out for fans to bookmark the page for reminders in time for the launch. Takeuchi announced the campaign officially at an event a few days ago with Wild Zero co-stars, celebrated rock band Guitar Wolf whose titular lead singer and frontman, Guitar Wolf, stars in the inaugural film, as well as the pilot promo, and the upcoming sequel. Director Tetsuro Takeuchi said there is strong interest from Wild Zero fans around the world for the sequel. Delayed due to covid19 we have […]

WILD ZERO 2: Guitar Wolf Is Back As Pilot Promo Revs Up Sequel Crowdfunding

Lee B. Golden III

Grease your wolf whistles, ignite your flaming mics, and fuel up your Kawasakis for another full throttle chapter into the boundless wonder of Rock N’ Roll! Longstanding rock sensation Guitar Wolf and director Tetsuro Takeuchi are teaming up for another zany round of horror punk slasher sci-fi romance with Wild Zero 2: The Strongest Blood Of Humanity, more than two decades after striking gold with the inaugural 2000 sleeper hit. To add, the campaign is readying to launch crowdfunding in the next few days to get funds going, marking the latest step in the process for the team since announcing the sequel at the 51st edition of Sitges. Unidentified objects fly in the sky. On the ground, the Z virus spreads and zombies wander the landscape. The reluctant heroine is Kushinada, a rebellious orphan teenager who unknowingly carries the human-wolf hybrid blood she inherited form her ninja ancestors. The only […]

CHARLIE FOXTROT: Janine Pipe’s UK Cop Thriller Proof Of Concept Short Needs Your Help

Lee B. Golden III

Author and filmmaker Janine Pipe has a few shortfilm credits to her name and is currently in development on a project with director Neil Marshall. In the meantime, her attention as of late is turning to the current fundraising campaign now underway for Charlie Foxtrot with actress Kate Speak (Kaleidoscope Man) set to star in the new action proof of concept in an effort to supplement a larger feature in the same genre space. Armed police officers are called to the scene of a disturbance. Abandoning their vehicle, they head to the location on foot and come across a fatal argument. They radio for assistance, but another unit won’t be there immediately. It soon turns into a chase and fight for their lives as the police officers try to get away from the ruthless gang members hell bent on leaving no witnesses… Who, if anyone, will survive? Charlie Foxtrot is […]

ALERT: Stuntwoman Carrie Annie Bernans Needs Our Help

Lee B. Golden III

I’m inclined to help spread the word for a new GoFundMe campaign now circulating for actress and stuntwoman Carrie Annie Bernans (The Color Purple, Marvel’s Black Panther and Avengers Infinity War/Endgame). Per the latest report from Deadline and updates via social media, an alleged hit-and-run driver crashed into an outdoor dining establishment in midtown Manhattan at 1:30am on Monday, injuring nine people. Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr. and several outlets reported on the incident with a statement from Bernans’ publicist, citing Bernans was one of nine people who suffered multiple injuries before the suspect, who “backed up and rammed into another car” was apprehended by police. Graphic images and details about the incident can be viewed and read at Bernans’ GoFundMe as well as her Instagram page where Bernans also confirmed that her newborn son was in a hotel with their family at the time of the incident. As par for […]

Michael Worth’s HOUSE OF FANGS Invites Eastern And Western Martial Arts Screen Legends For New Campaign At IndieGoGo

Lee B. Golden III

Actor and filmmaker Michael Worth (Killing Cupid) is aiming to reunite a bevy of kung fu cinema laureates with his latest effort, House Of Fangs. The film is billed as a dark action comedy tooled as a modern action tale that harkens back to the style and sensibilities conveyed in beloved martial arts titles from banners like Golden Harvest, Shaw Brothers and Seasonal Film Corporation. Here to ante things up even further to anchor the promise of a true throwback piece is a list of casting potentials that includes Angela Mao Ying (Enter The Dragon), Dragon Lee (The Clones of Bruce Lee), Bruce Le (Enter The Game of Death), Chiu Chi Ling (Duel of the 7 Tigers), Bruce Li (Bruce Lee The Man, The Myth), Don Wang Tao (The Hot, The Cool and The Vicious) and Bruce Leung (Kung Fu Hustle). Rounding out the casting hopefuls are Michael Dudikoff (American Ninja […]

CYBER FIGHTER IndieGoGo: Jack Into William Joseph Hill’s New Proof-Of-Concept Martial Arts Action Comedy Sci-Fi Campaign

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been close to ten years since I’ve mentioned actor and martial artist William Joseph Hill’s name on this site. Not that he hasn’t been busy – quite the opposite, with other film projects and even getting a book published at one point. That brings us to Hill’s newest effort with Cyber Fighter, a shortfilm adaptation of his 2019 novel. Hill’s Indiegogo campaign is now up and running following completion of virtually half the film, with hopes of bolstering his proof-of-concept with enough momentum before audiences and market banners to get a feature film going in the not too distant future. Chronically underemployed and klutzy un-athletic videogame designer Brian Baldwin takes a temp job at major defense contractor Kirkman Enterprises, where he meets software programmer Humbert Cloogey who convinces him to volunteer to be the test subject for Cyber Fighter: A revolutionary new training program for military recruits. As part […]

Cynthia Rothrock, Kurt McKinney and More Join THE LAST KUMITE

Vance Ang

The blockbuster success of Chad Stahelski’s JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4 (2023) is perhaps indicative of the current state of modern cinema. The last decade has been heavily dominated by the superhero genre, with the MCU seemingly replacing the traditional action genre introducing audiences to pre-existing lore – with huge budgets enabling the use of CGI and special effects, designed to WOW the film going public. Yet it might be fair to say that these films may be losing their lustre, with the momentum largely slowing down as the glitzy novelty somewhat fades. Whilst movies like ‘JOHN WICK’ (2014 – 2023) and ‘BULLET TRAIN’ (2022) do utilise special effects, these seemingly evoke the action movies of the bygone era of the 80s and 90s. The action films of the great Sheldon Lettich were vibrant and sexy, championed by the likes of Jean Claude Van Damme. Similarly the Hong Kong action genre […]

COLONIALS: Catch Up With A Clip From The New Action Sci-Fi Releasing Friday [EXCLUSIVE]

Lee B. Golden III

Film Combat Syndicate can share an exclusive clip from Colonials, the new sci-fi thriller starring Greg Kriek, Sean Kanan, Daniel Roebuck, Jon Provost, and Allie Ayers Lindsey. Andrew Balek and Joe Bland directed the pic from a script by Bland and co-scribe Cyrus Cheek. On his mission from Mars, a space colonist’s ship is attacked by a Moon-based civilization and crash lands on Earth. Having lost his memory, he joins forces with the Resistance to save the galaxy from human extinction. Colonials will have a limited theatrical release starting this Friday, followed a digital platform rollout beginning Tuesday April 11 from Epic Pictures Releasing. Check out the clip!

O DRAGÃO DE ROZAN: Help Shiryu’s Dragon Rise In The New Saint Seiya Fan Film From Raciocinando Filmes!

Lee B. Golden III

For the past ten years much of my focus has been on helping to advance the efforts of aspiring independent filmmakers in other countries, and in the course of my pursuits I’ve managed to network myself with numerous fight choreographers around the world. Today, you can thank Gutemberg Lins who I’ve managed to spotlight a few times in that same period, including most recently appearing in the upcoming hit kung fu stoner comedy, The Smoke Master. As of late, Lins has been actively collaborating with filmmaker Nando Rodrigues whose independent film production banner, Raciocinando Filmes, is now looking to etch itself a new mark in the Saint Seiya (or Knights Of The Zodiac) fandom following 2021’s A Lenda de Fênix. For this, we turn to O Dragão de Rozan, and the crowdfunding campaign Rodrigues and his team have unveiled over at Catarse to help earn as close to their 150,000 […]

Watch DRAGON COP Now, And Help The Masebrothers Unleash DRAGON’S REVENGE!

Lee B. Golden III

Yup, it’s Friday. For fans of the good folks over at Masebrothers, it’s also Dragon Cop day as the newest Hong Kong action short homage is released to the masses from film duo Mathieu Caillière and Jeremy Vazzoli, otherwise known as YouTube creators, Masebrothers. Joined by the stunt stylings of Team Cascade 13, the project features Julien Phuong Le and Line Phé as two Hong Kong detectives about to break their latest case wide open when a drug deal goes awry, exposing their investigation and ensuing an all-out martial arts-infused fight for survival. The overall look serves well to the ends of Masebrothers per their brand which targets film fans fond of 80s and 90s action nostalgia, a fact that online music and record label NewRetroWave is more than knowing of having featured Masebrothers on their website on occasion. The company exclusively streamed Dragon Cop on its YouTube channel, in […]

POV: Take A Gander At Brian Karl Rosenthal’s Latest Slasher Shortfilm Crowdfunder

Lee B. Golden III

If you’re a fan of independent filmmaker Brian Karl Rosenthal and you’re looking forward to more of his stuff since his latest derivative gorefest in Marvel Zombies vs. Army Of Darkness, you’re more than welcome to check out what he’s been up to as of late with the new slasher short, POV. Here’s a quick logline: A suburban couple attempt to survive a home invasion on the most dangerous night of the year. The project is ¾ complete and Rosenthal is nearing the home stretch with just a few more days left to go for his latest Indiegogo campaign to support just a couple more nights of shooting and post-production. He’s also accompanied supporters with an in-progress teaser and BTS photos and film stills at the Indiegogo to lend some more insight.

YASUKE: DESCENDANTS Launches Brand New Trailer Ahead Of Hollywood Premiere Event

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been five years since actor and director Calvert David Miles announced the production of his newest film, Yasuke: Descendants, taking its cues from samurai lore surrounding the history of the legendary African warrior who served Oda Nobunaga in the 16th century. The film marks the latest independent production out of Miles’s 3 Strands Of Rope Banner with a cast led by Gichi Gamba, June Mock, David Charles Warren, Danielle Larracuente, and Miles himself. Produced by Miles who also penned the script with co-scribe Marcus Day, the story chronicles the historic and present-day events that now find an FBI agent’s family caught in the crosshairs of an age-old blood feud between descendants of both the legendary African samurai, Yasuke, and Akechi Mitsuhide – the dissident general who betrayed and murdered the daimyo centuries earlier – when a broken mystical family heirloom goes missing. The film is finally on track for […]

BLOODWORLD: Tochi Osuji’s World-Building Art Book Needs Your Help!

Lee B. Golden III

Filmmaker Tochi Osuji has been on my radar for about six years now, having directed shorts like “Pond” and test fight piece “Nancy Drew & The Case of the Missing Food at Feirstein.” Nowadays, he’s eyeing the development of his own animated series, in the form of Bloodworld, with a campaign to raise funds to create an artbook with the employment of professional artists to help expand the world through quality imagery. Billed as a poetic screed against wealth and income inequality, Bloodworld is set in ancient Timbuktu, where a young miner manages to escape the cycle of poverty by climbing the ranks as a prizefighter, only then to be confronted by the choice of either living in his riches or using his skills to even the odds for his people, against a predatory king who secretly steals the blood of his subjects at night for his own empowerment. Osuji’s […]