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PAINTBALL MASSACRE Trailer: It’s All Fun And Games Until A Class Reunion Turns Into A Deadly Fight For Survival

When a group of old friends gets together ten years after high school and head out of town to play a simple game of paintball, things quickly go wrong as they realize there is a killer on the loose. And what else would you expect, given the film’s title?Paintball Massacre is a British dark comedy full of suspense and gore and laughs. Here’s the official synopsis: True British dark comedy horror at its finest. Providing suspense, gore and a few laughs along the way. When a group of old school friends from Mass Acre Prep School are reunited after 10 years, everything is not quite as it seems. An organised paintball trip ran by three smug marshals, led by Marshal Shelley (Katy Brand) puts them in the middle of nowhere, miles away from civilisation. The final game “Capture the fort” does not go according to plan and it is clear […]

Your Next Viewing: ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS (Final Girls Berlin 2020)

Christina Ortega

The 2020 Final Girls Berlin Film Festival ran from February 6 through 9 and we here at Film Combat Syndicate were lucky enough to have remote access to some of the feature films and shorts. One of the ideas guiding this year’s film festival was best described by co-director Sara Neidorf when she said, “Horror is a very elastic term and we’re excited to discover films that make us question and expand our conceptions of what horror can be, both in ways that are distant from and uncannily near our own realities.” The Argentinian film Rock, Paper, Scissors fits this above thought perfectly. Horror is not always an escaped mental patient, the teenage girl being stalked by what appears to be a superhuman, nor is it the monsters hiding under the bed. Sometimes horror is just not knowing who to trust. In Rock, Paper, Scissors directors Macarena García Lenzi and […]

Your Next Viewing: DARK WHISPERS (Final Girls Berlin 2020)

Christina Ortega

The 2020 Final Girls Berlin Film Festival runs from February 6 through 9 and we here at Film Combat Syndicate were lucky enough to have remote access to some of the feature films and shorts. My first film to view for the Film Fest was the Australian film Dark Whispers. This one was unique as there was an overall story that moved forward in between short tales. Here is the official synopsis: When Clara discovers her deceased mother’s revered Book of Dark Whispers, she can’t stop reading the strange stories within its mystical pages. Each weird tale reveals a new facet of the twisted human psyche…or, in this case, the not-so-human. From the horror of grief to roommate living disasters, from existential dread to right-swiping vampires, there’s something for all tastes. The horror anthology is brought to you by eleven female directors from across Australia. Each of the strange stories […]

VIGILANTE: Action Pic In-Development From ‘Jarhead 3’ Director, Scott Adkins In Talks To Star

Lee B. Golden III

Avengement star Scott Adkins is reportedly circling a chance to reteam with director William Kaufman for action thriller, Vigilante, according to news broken at City On Fire on Friday. The film also reunites Kaufman with screenwriter Chad Law who penned the director’s 2015 dystopian zombie thriller, Daylight’s End, as well as Adkins’s Isaac Florentine actioner, Close Range. Law is co-penning the script with Josh Ridgeway, and with Andrea de Liberato (Among The Shadows) producing. Vigilante centers on a disgraced soldier who wages war against the city’s most dangerous criminals, only to end up endangering the lives of the very same people he initially set out to help protect. Kaufman and Adkins last paired up for 2016 threequel, Jarhead 3: The Siege. A seperately-gestating reboot of Kaufman’s stellar 2010 crime pic, Sinners And Saints, which the two circled with actor Johnny Strong back in 2017, still waits in the wings. Vigilante […]

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 Seeks New Writer; Sam Raimi In Talks To Direct

Lee B. Golden III

Michael Waldron is reportedly being tapped to pen Marvel’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, according to THR‘s Borys Kit. The news comes following the arrival of Sam Raimi in the wake of departing Doctor Strange helmer Scott Derrickson who still gets exec producer credit. Waldron, who is showrunning upcoming Disney+ series, Loki, replaces Jade Bartlett as screenwriter for what was previous being tweaked as something more toward a horror pic in Kevin Feige’s comic book movie millieu, post-Infinity Saga. Benedict Cumberbatch is expected to reprise his role in reunion with fellow Doctor Strange courts Benedict Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Raimi comes with a certain clout as he’s best known for shepherding Marvel’s younger era of comic book movies via Tobey Maguire’s leading role in the Spider-Man trilogy. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is just one in a new slate of Phase Four titles, releasing currently on […]

EFC: Female-Fronted Mixed Martial Arts Thriller Joins Canada’s ‘PFC 13’ For March Teaser Launch

Lee B. Golden III

Director and exec producer Jaze Bordeaux’s WMMA tournament action thriller, EFC, is signaling an exclusive teaser event in association with Canadian martial arts brand, Prospect Fighting Championships. The teaser launch kicks off at the REBEL Nightclub in Downtown Toronto the weekend of PFC 13, on Sunday, March 8 at 4pm. Formerly titled Excelsis, EFC wrapped last February with a story set in the world of the titular fighting tournament, now under historic scrutiny after a melee involving an amateur fighter named Cassady. The organization seizes the opportunity to take Cassady in along with seven other prospective competitors to vie for the champion crown, as Cassady soon realizes her big break is more than just another fight. “It was only a matter of time before the most dominant brand in Canadian Mixed Martial Arts would team up with the most anticipated female led Mixed Martial Arts Drama Sport movie” said exec […]

Win Your Copies Of FIRST LOVE And WARRIORS OF THE NATION From Well Go USA

Lee B. Golden III

It’s giveaway time! And we’re rolling out a dual set of titles for this one with the approaching releases of Takashi Miike’s hit romantic crime thrillride, First Love, and Marko Mak’s latest kung fu outing, Warriors Of The Nation. Well Go USA is releasing both titles respectively on February 11 and February 18 on Blu-Ray, and so to score the films for yourself, all you simply need to do is e-mail us (with WARRIORS/FIRST LOVE in the subject header) at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com, and attach an answer AND a YouTube link to the following question: What is your favorite Wong Fei-Hung fight scene? AND/OR What is your favorite Takashi Miike movie fight scene? The contest is solely attributed to U.S. residents, and the deadline to make your entries is February 18. Good luck from now until then, and click the gallery below to learn more about the films (be sure you are […]

LIFE AFTER: A Word With LIFE XP Star, Actress And Stuntwoman Cassandra Ebner

Christina Ortega

One of my many hobbies is playing video games so when I was told about a web series that focuses on a female gamer, I had to give it a try. I was so hooked I finished it in two days (it would’ve been less, but real-life demands kept getting in the way). After viewing Life XP, I was eager to talk with Cassandra Ebner, the creator, writer, executive producer, and lead actor of the series. But her talents don’t stop there; she’s also performed stunts for Game of Thrones, Batwoman, Flash, Supernatural, and more. Want to learn more about her? Read on: You’re a gamer, an actor, a writer, and a stuntwoman. How did you get started in these roles?I was forced as a child to play the video game quake with my dads friends. Once they could beat his 5 year old daughter, he allowed his friends to […]

Your Next Viewing: LORE

Christina Ortega

“For years we have transgressed on Native American burial sites now something mythological is fighting back….” Would you go into a forest steeped in spooky tales to find a missing person? Would your answer be any different if the missing person was your son? Lore, directed by Christian Larsen and Brock Manwill, is heavily influenced by stories of the Lakota tribe. But it is so much more than a tale of a search party. Larsen and Manwill released an official statement explaining that: “We were fortunate enough to have cast members from three different Native American nations…each of them brought authenticity and elevated our film in both performance and spirit…while Lore is meant to be a scary story, our hope is that one can come away from it knowing that no matter what path of life’s questions you find yourself on, you are not alone.” To put it simply, here […]

SPIRAL: A Horror Legend Rebooted In The First Teaser

Christina Ortega

In October of 2004, I met a man who made me think about a very important question: how strong is your will to live? How far would you go to ensure that you kept living? Since 2004 there have been a total of 8 films with Jigsaw asking people this same question and testing them. Last year it was announced that Chris Rock was creating a *gag* reboot of the Saw films. And I cringed. And I gagged. Not another reboot, I cried out, shaking my fist in the air. Here’s what I knew at the time: According to Joe Drake, Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group chairman, this version “reimagines and spins off the world of the notorious Jigsaw Killer..” Rock has said that he has been a fan of the Saw films since they began in 2004 and is excited for the opportunity. He will be working with the series […]

THE HUNT: SAVAGE WITHIN Brings Back Z-Team Films For New Indie Sci-Fi Action Feature [Exclusive]

Lee B. Golden III

Actor, martial artist and filmmaker Fabien Garcia is developing female-centric sci-fi pic, The Hunt: Savage Within. The project has been ongoing for some years now, and also now comes with conceptual imagery and artwork that I’ve been allowed to share which you can view at the bottom of this article. Story and plot details center on the role of Sarah, a forest ranger who finds herself hunted by an extraterrestrial being until a band of spec-ops soldiers arrive to her aid while investigating the crash site of the entity’s spaceship. The film is being billed as a gritty action feature likened to a mix of classic cult thrillers such as Predator, Terminator and The Thing. Garcia is shepherding pre-production under his Z-Team Films banner with Laurent Buson (Merantau), and Christine Gorchon. The label is an upscale rebranding of his former Z-Team label which emerged in 2003 with Buson as both […]

‘Street Fighter: World Warrior’ Cancelled, ‘Assassin’s Fist’ Director Confirms

Lee B. Golden III

Actor and martial artist Joey Ansah took to Facebook on Wednesday to officially update fans of his hit 2014 live-action adaptation series, Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist. “…Do not expect a follow up series anytime in the immediate to near future.” Ansah wrote on Facebook. “Horrible news I know, but all we can do is look forward. I still have a fantastic relationship with Capcom and the fight to do something with them in this space is not over!” Ansah, and fellow cohort, series headliner Christian Howard created the project, borne from a three-minute proof of concept titled Street Fighter: Legacy, directed by Owen Trevor, and released online in 2010. The three-minute short grew major attention in the years that followed, and proceeded onto Kickstarter to finance an independent series. The campaign drew subsequent backing from Capcom USA, Inc. and production company Assassin’s Fist Limited with the two joined by Jacqueline […]

CIRCLE OF BONES: ‘Blood Hunters’ Star And Director Return To The Action-Horror Vain In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Venturing into his third feature, actor and filmmaker Vincent Soberano has rolled out the official trailer for supernatural thriller, Circle Of Bones. Soberano penned the script with co-writer Larry Dela Cruz for a story that teams him once again with actress and martial artist Sarah Chang following their previous work on tournament thriller The Trigonal, and action horror, Blood Hunters: Rise Of The Hybrids. When Filipino police investigate a lone survivor from a series of bizarre and macabre cult murder-sacrifices that has left a trail of bloody, dismembered bodies and bones, they find a former American FBI agent living in seclusion – disfigured, traumatized and mentally unstable. Her accounts of supernatural events, demonic possessions, ancient prophecies and child sacrifices only sound too incredulous, where lines are blurred, bordering between truth, deception or delusion. Soberano is currently aiming to get some festival traction this year along with some market movement before […]

Sony’s THE MAN FROM TORONTO Eyes Kevin Hart, Jason Statham For Buddy Action Comedy Shoot In Spring

Lee B. Golden III

The Man From Toronto is director Patrick Hughes’ newest endeavor from Sony Pictures. Production is slated to start in March with a potential reunion in store for actors Jason Statham and Kevin Hart following Hart’s cameo in David Leitch’s Fast And Furious Presents: Hobbs And Shaw. What happens when the world’s deadliest assassin, known as ‘The Man from Toronto’, and Teddy, New York’s biggest screw-up, are mistaken for each other in a rented Airbnb? The Man from Toronto and Teddy are forced to team up and save the day, but the real question is, will they survive each other? You can pretty much guess who is playing who at this juncture, but Hughes’ attachement is an added bonus as it looks to be a second pairing with Statham since directing the action star in The Expendables 3. As Deadline‘s Amanda N’Duka notes, the film is storied by Jason Blumenthal and […]

HAVOC: ‘The Raid’ Director And Producer Pair Up For Upcoming Actioner Shooting This Summer

Lee B. Golden III

Gareth Evans will return to the director’s chair this August for action thriller, Havoc. Todd Brown, XYZ Films’ Head of International Acquisitions, made the announcement a few weeks ago during a shared panel at the Danish Film Institute with Alexander Brøndsted, co-producer on Lorcan Finnegan’s sci-fi thriller, Vivarium. Plot details and casting are underwraps for Havoc which marks a reunion for Evans and Brown who share credits dating back to their early partnership on Asian genre titles like The Raid, The Raid 2, V/H/S 2, and Netflix release, Apostle. Evans began teasing the project last summer with a shot of the script, and other pics featuring the pre-vis stunt performers for the project which also rejoins the Welsh director with action coordiantor Jude Poyer following Apostle, and their upcoming Sky gangster drama series, Gangs Of London. XYZ Films reps international sales on Vivarium which was acquired by Saban Films last […]

THE BATMAN Begins Filming Ahead Of June 2021 Release

Lee B. Golden III

Matt Reeves took to social media to unveil a peek at the new logo for The Batman, now filming in London with actor Robert Pattinson staking his claim in DC Comics territory. Warner Bros. Pictures made the announcement on Tuesday with Reeves directing, a move long-awaited since the film’s hampered development process in the years since the studio’s efforts to manifest a superhero franchise after Man Of Steel, until the release of Justice League in 2017. #DayOne #TheBatman cc: @GreigfraserD pic.twitter.com/kOgcsa6zX3 — Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) January 27, 2020 Pattinson marks the tenth actor to play the dualing roles of Batman and billonaire Bruce Wayne between since the comic took off in the 1930s. The latest incarnations include voice actor Kevin Conroy’s performance in Crisis On Infinite Earths for The CW, and Iain Glen for season two of Titans, streaming on DC Universe. Read on for the official text: Principal photography […]

JOAQUIN BORDADO: ‘Maria’ Director Inks New Superhero Adaptation At Viva For Live-Action Comic Franchise Launch

Lee B. Golden III

Nilalang and Maria helmer Pedring Lopez will direct a feature-length revival Filipino comic book property, Joaquin Bordado. The film will be the first in a slate of multi-IP titles now added to the wheelhouse for Viva Films for which Lopez now coins as the #CaparasUniverse – a nod to comic book creator/author Carlos J. Caparas. The serial comic book franchise took off in the 1970s and onward, telling of a covert assassin-turned-ex-con whose new lease on life finds him imbued with powers through a transfer of mystical tattoos. Armed with newly-amped fighting prowess, he sets out on a quest for vengeance against his former boss. A live-action feature firstly took off in 1988 prior to a successful GMA Network series run in 2008 starring Robin Padilla. Lopez, who had been in development with the project for close to a year until this week, took to social media to give thanks […]

RITES OF MEN: ‘Shazam’ Star Leads New Revenge Drama For ‘Bad Day For The Cut’ Director

Lee B. Golden III

DC fans are only a few years off from a sequel to actor Zachary Levi’s 2019 hit, Shazam. Until then, as of announcements last week, folks can look forward to his newest dramatic endevaor, Rites Of Men, from award-winning director Chris Baugh (Bad Day For The Cut). Levi will star from a script by Oscar-nominated writer Jonathan Herman (Straight Outta Compton, upcoming Scarface remake), about a man who will stop at nothing to find his 16-year-old son’s killers. During his mission, he finds the strength to forgive and become a better person. Herman will also be creatively involved throughout the production process. Vedette Finance CEO Anthony Jabre (Heist, Aftermath, upcoming 14 Fists) will produce with veteran Bob Cooper of Landscape Entertainment.

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ONLY HUMAN: ‘Kung Fu Ghost’ Actor Noah Sargent Debuts New Crime Thriller Shoot For Blue 76 Banner

Lee B. Golden III

Emerging actor Noah Sargent will lead the cast for Only Human, the launchpad for his shared family film banner, Blue 76 Productions. The new feature film is one of several projects on the way from the company sheperded by Sargent, alongside his father, Laurence James Sargent who also stars. Only Human sees the younger Sargent in the role of Jason, a footsoldier working alongside his brother Charles (George Cesil) for a crime boss named Mac (Laurence James Sargent). When a job goes awry and his brother dies, Jason is left outraged and with no choice but to tend to his natural instincts and seek vengeance. Both father and son serve as executive producers, with the younger Sargent also making his directing debut. He pens the script with Stuart Smith, who serves as producer and also co-stars. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ONLY HUMAN (@onlyhuman2020) Only Human […]

NYAFF Winter Showcase 2020: Steal Your Heart With LOVE AT FIRST BITE For These Seven Edible Titles

Lee B. Golden III

Last year’s inaugural Winter Showcase by the New York Asian Film Festival was an amazing red carpet stunner with films like Miss Baek and Malaysian crime drama, Fly By Night outlined for its bilateral Crazy Broke Asians/A Touch Of Old School theme. As we speak, the NYAFF is now ready to load up on its approach toward the 19th summer film festivities, and before then, next month’s Winter Showcase is taking it up a notch with Love At First Bite, ushering in the new decade with a spotlight on food cultures through cinema. At a juncture when America still obsesses over Bong Joon-ho’s award winning Parasite, and some of its more minute plot points such as the wonders of Ram-Don (jjapaguri), it is timely to show that when it comes to putting food front and center, Asian movies do it best. The 2020 line-up, consisting of seven titles, is described […]