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ICHI THE KILLER: Watch The Brand New Trailer For Well Go USA’s DEFINITIVE REMASTERED EDITION Re-Release

2017 was a banner year celebrating a career of well-over 100 movies to his name. This year, consider Well Go USA’s latest, Ichi The Killer, a retrospective of sorts as the 2001 manga adaptation re-emerges once more from its digital veneer to a lush, retreated and revamped 4K director’s cut. Takashi Miike’s ICHI THE KILLER has endured as one of the most influential pieces of genre filmmaking of the last two decades, and now it returns in a stunning all-new 4k restoration approved by Miike himself. This visceral, bloody, and often hilarious film follows Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano), a notoriously sadistic yakuza enforcer whose search for his boss’ killer brings him into the orbit of a demented costumed assassin known as Ichi (Nao Ōmori). The film is currently undergoing a scant theatrical from Well Go USA since premiering in New York City last November. Toronto film programmer is also hosting the […]

MEGALO BOX Winds Up For A Knockout Series In The Official Trailer For Moriyama Yo’s Anime

Lee B. Golden III

Just in time for the 50th anniversary of Kajiwara Ikki’s classic boxing manga, Ashita No Joe, an official trailer went viral this week for Moriyama Yo’s Megalo Box which Tokyo Broadcasting System will air in April. The narrative here sets in the near-future tale chronicling the life of the stoic J.D. (a.k.a. Junk Dog), an underdog athlete competing in the underground spot of enhanced boxing through prosthetic exoskeletons. TMS Entertainment is behind the animation which you can sample below.

Scott Adkins Actioner TWILIGHT ZODIAC Rolls Cameras As Production Goes Underway

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Scott Adkins is staying on his feet well into the new year in lieu of the upcoming release of his latest with director Jesse Johnson, Accident Man. The multifaceted martial arts star is currently in China making headway with a raft of actors for Twilight Zodiac as confirmed by Adkins’s Facebook fanpage with the martial arts star reuniting with helmer Ernie Barbarash following the 2011 Jean-Claude Van Damme headliner, Assassination Games. Plot details are thin while several photos can be seen via social media featuring the likes of Adkins who rejoins with action director Tim Man for their fifth project together, and with actor and martial arts star Andy On who rematches once more with his fellow Black Mask 2: City Of Masks co-star. Also starring is lead actress Anna Troung best known for shepherding recent Vietnamese actioners with director Cuong Ngo on Huong Ga (2014) and Truy Sat in […]

Crime Thriller BEAST OF BURDEN Roars Online In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Daniel Radcliffe is especially set to make some noise in the coming year following Greg McLean’s harrowing survival biopic, Jungle. Turning once more to Momentum Pictures this week, we now get a glimpse at the official trailer for Jesper Ganslandt’s Beast Of Burden setting up a good deal of crime and suspense in its narrative with Radcliffe front and center. Pilot Sean Haggerty (Daniel Radcliffe) must deliver cocaine across the US-Mexico border for his final run as a drug smuggler. Alone in a small plane, he is faced with the burden of choosing between his allegiance to the Cartel, his deal with the Drug Enforcement Administration and saving his increasingly tense relationship with his wife, eagerly awaiting his return. Beast of Burden opens in select theaters, VOD and Digital HD on February 23, 2018 with Pablo Schreiber and Grace Gummer also starring. Watch the new trailer below!

THE CAGE FIGHTER: Jeff Unay’s New Underdog MMA Doc Gets A Riveting New Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Visual effects wizard Jeff Unay (Hellboy, The Adventures Of Tintin) is taking his career into a new direction as of late, seeing his way ringside with an interest in cinema verité with the life and times of beleagured MMA fighter Joe Carman. Such is the subject now the center of Unay’s The Cage Fighter, a fresh new documentary readying for a February 2 release from IFC Films’s Sundance Selects shingle. When life hits him hard, Joe Carman punches back. Newly 40, Joe juggles long hours working in a boiler room, an ongoing custody battle, his wife’s chronic illness, and the demands of raising four girls. The one place he finds release is in the ring, where he competes in the bruising sport of mixed martial arts. Despite the promise he made to his family to stop fighting, Joe continues to train secretly, determined to prove that he can keep up with […]

Jackie Chan Fantasy, KNIGHT OF SHADOWS: WALKER BETWEEN HALFWORLDS, Doles Out New Artwork And Posters

Lee B. Golden III

Going into the new year won’t feel at all abandoning for Jackie Chan fans. Mtime shelled out new production photos for the actor’s latest, Knight of Shadows: Walker Between Halfworlds, hailing the completion of production this week as well as an extended cast listing under sophomore director, Vash. In Ancient China, the boundary between the worlds of humans and monsters once collapsed! The legendary demon hunter (Jackie Chan) defends humanity from an inhuman invasion. The fragile barrier holding back the kingdom of monsters is torn open when an otherworldly princess sacrifices herself to save a human. He becomes a legendary demon hunter, tracking down the beasts that enter the human dimension, assisted by a lawman protégé and a motley group of friendly monsters. When something starts kidnapping village girls to feast on their souls, our hero encounters another demon hunter who is not fully human! This new epic features exciting action, […]

GINTAMA Unleashes Demonic Weapons And Old Rivals In The Official U.S. Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA has unveiled the full trailer for their latest limited theatrical release, Gintama. Azoland Pictures is hosting its U.S. and Canadian rollout which commences this Friday based on Sorachi Hideaki’s highly successful gag manga and its equally fantastic animated series which is currently running. Oguri Shun, Hashimoto Kanna and Masaki Suda star in the film here taking cues from the Benizakura Arc. I won’t get too much into the narrative here as I’ve promoted this movie a billion times and I still have yet to see it, and the trailer is subbed anyway; As it stands the current showtimes in my area aren’t conducive for me so expect me to have an opinion on it a few months from now when it opens on VoD and DVD/Blu-Ray. At any rate, check the trailer below. It’s nothing different from the Japanese trailer last summer but it’s something. However, note […]

A Case For Better Action Movies: Mark Dacascos’s SHOWDOWN IN MANILA Fights For 80s Ensemble Action Glory, Loses

Lee B. Golden III

Star bodybuilder, journalist, author and crossover film producer and action star Alexander Nevsky refuses to be pigeonholed into playing the stereotypical Russian bad guy in movies. This is a campaign he’s been on for the better part of the last twenty years or so in the course of his growing film career and it’s a worthy effort to pursue in an industry rife with a constant need for change and improvement in many ways. Characteristically, that fact plays well into filmic vision and direction despite the cult fondness of a genre or a given period of cinema. Nevsky’s latest lead role in the new ensemble action thriller, Showdown In Manila, makes for a worthwhile case in point as we approach its upcoming North American release from ITN Distribution. Granted, Nevsky’s screen presence isn’t the most weighted in drama, while one can argue in favor of his ability to tell stories […]

Saban Nabs BLACK WATER For U.S. Release This Spring

Lee B. Golden III

It’s January, which means fans of action star Jean-Claude Van Damme are currently enjoying his latest Amazon series, Jean-Claude Van Johnson while footage remains pending per the production of The Bouncer from director Julien Leclercq unless noted. For now, the next several months should eventually see some movement for the actor’s latest film, Black Water, which finally found a home for its U.S. release at Saban Films according to news broken this week among the trade sites. Helmer Pasha Patriki reunites Van Damme and fellow action star thesp Dolph Lundgren from a script by executive producer Chad Law which sees a framed secret operative look for answers as he and others fight their way out of a CIA submarine. Producers Tyler W. Konney and Dawn’s Light Productions’s Richard Switzer storied the script with Jason Cherubini and Alexander Ferguson also producing, and Patriki, David Allen, Patrick DePeters, Eric Fischer, Matthew Helderman, […]

Jason Statham Readies Action Thriller In China With STX And Tencent

Lee B. Golden III

Flagship Entertainment Jon Turtletaub’s shark thriller, The Meg, is currently poised for an August 10 release. This leaves off any number of projects that lie in wait for action star Jason Statham whose latest comes across as one of the actor’s several career maneuvers toward the Chinese market. Such is also what appears to be according to Tuesday’s exclusive over at The Hollywood Reporter citing a new deal between Statham, STX Entertainment and Tencent Pictures. Statham, who currently reigns in box office success next to his fellow headliners in Universal Pictures’s Fast saga, will reportedly star and produce the project which will be a Chinese co-production. Further details about the movie itself remain unknown as we await further news on a director and other cast. This comes after a year since it was confirmed that the star’s recent pairing between Statham and partner Steven Chasman for Hong Kong action thriller, […]

DC Adaptation, FLASHPOINT, Circles ‘Vacation’ And ‘Game Night’ Directors

Lee B. Golden III

Warner Bros. Variety’s exclusive on Tuesday revealed that Spider-Man: Homecoming scribes John Francis-Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are in talks to finally crew-up the directors’ chair Warner Bros.’s long-gestating Flash movie. The film, Flashpoint, will be their third pairing as directors after Vacation and upcoming action comedy, Game Night, hailing the latest development in a stained period of preproduction for the film after Ezra Miller became attached to the role in 2014. Brief delays ensued in the last few years as the revolving door of known directors in talks swung with “creative differences” becoming central to the respective departures of Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), and thereafter with Seth-Grahame Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), and even DCEU staple Ben Affleck who currently lays claim to the role of Batman in the franchise. Further production details remain pending for the film which takes from the 2011 DC publication by Geoff Johns in which our hero […]

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Boxer Florian Munteanu To Star As Ivan Drago’s Son In CREED 2

Lee B. Golden III

Warner Bros. Bringing rumors at long last full circle ahead of production start in March, leave it to Sylvester Stallone to update fans via Instagram with word of German-Romanian boxer Florian Munteanu for a starring feature debut in Creed 2. Munteanu will take the reigns as the son of long-defeated Ivan Drago as seen in the events of the 1985 film, Rocky IV, made at the height of the Cold War starring Dolph Lundgren as Drago opposite Stallone who starred and directed. Congratulations to Florian “ Big Nasty” Munteanu for getting the part as IVAN DRAGOS son! 27 years old , 6 feet four, 245 pounds of talent.#mgm #creed #creed2 A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on Jan 15, 2018 at 5:59pm PST Stephen Caple Jr. is taking the reigns following Ryan Coogler’s 2015 hit film starring Michael B. Jordan in the title role spinning off the classic boxing […]

GOALKEEPER OF THE GALAXY Teaser Takes You Out Of This World

Lee B. Golden III

Crossfire and Furious helmer Dzhanik Fayziev is taking audiences to the far reaches our stratosphere next year. With production ongoing for sci-fi sports thriller, Goalkeeper Of The Galaxy, we now witness a teaser that brims with slick, visual spectacle and character design. This sets the tone for a post-apocalyptic tale in which a nearly-toppled Earth, in the aftermath of a deadly crossfire between warring interplanetary factions, now leaves mankind hinging its fate on the victor of a high-octane soccer tournament. We don’t get to see that action just yet but the teaser itself lends plenty to go on for fans to wonder just what they’ll get in 2019. Take a look!

CINEMATIC ACTION DIPLOMAT: A Conversation With Alexander Nevsky

ITN Distribution In a perfect world, a man like Alexander Nevsky would need no introduction. Often referred to as the “Russian Schwarzenegger”, the 6′ 6” bodybuilder and fitness author has been a cinematic force to be reckoned with since writing, producing and starring in the 2004 actioner Moscow Heat. Since then, he’s grown exponentially as a filmmaker and cinematic diplomat with a series of action extravaganzas; all possessing strong themes of international cooperation and understanding (along with a healthy dose of action and explosions). Coming off of his directorial debut in the 2014 thriller Black Rose, he’s back as the producer and star of Showdown in Manila; a throwback action film from first-time director Mark Dacascos. Film Combat Syndicate: Hello Alexander! It’s good to finally talk to you! Alexander Nevsky: Hello James. Let me tell you something… Film Combat Syndicate was supporting me and my films long before I started […]

GINTAMA: Catch The Official U.S. Trailer For Fukuda Yuichi’s Live-Action Manga Adaptation

Lee B. Golden III

Azoland Pictures is bringing Fukuda Yuichi’s live-action manga adaptation, Gintama, to the big screen in the U.S. and Canada beginning this Friday. It’s a film that I’ve especially waited for and have cheered on if only for the fact that the animated series, currently on its final arc from TV Tokyo, is my most favorite of all the shows I myself have seen, even as some who’ve seen cuts of the film since its rollout starting last summer in Japan have fallen short of some expectations despite becoming a regional box office hit. Oguri Shun, best known for roles in other adaptations like Miike Takashi’s first and second Crows Zero films leads the narrative based on Sorachi Hideaki’s long running gag manga set in an alternative universe where aliens have conquered Japan. The story, previously summed up in an animated feature edit in 2010, takes its cues from the Benizakura […]

THE HIT LIST: January 15, 2018

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been something of an eventful weekend; things happened and by Saturday evening I was ready to hibernate away from social media through Sunday no matter what… Then I got a surge of energy and figured I’d put it to use and besides, there’s still a plethora of content to share including in this week’s Hit List that I’ve been collecting and I intend to introduce them now that I’m awake. From L to R (top): Thekla Hutyrova, John Orozco, Angela Jordan, Eliver Ling, Mélodie Veillard L to R (bottom) Geoffrey Boggs, Jessie Simpson, Dennis Ruel, Katelyn Brooke, Benjamin Alexander Besides, these stunt reels were pretty stimulating and very much kickass with Lorenz Hideyoshi Ruwwe highlighting his work load going into 2018. He kicks off this segment followed by reels courtesy of Jessie Simpson, Benjamin Alexander, Mélodie Veillard, Eliver Ling, Ivy Haralson, Geoffrey Boggs, Thekla Hutyrova, Kawui Joa, Ikeda Ai, […]

Crowdfunding For THE MARTIAL ARTS KID 2: PAYBACK Launches At Indiegogo

Lee B. Golden III

Crowdfunding officially kicked off on Monday with a new Indiegogo campaign for The Martial Arts Kid 2: Payback. Action stars Don “The Dragon” Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock are back and co-producing, as well as rejoining a cast of returning and new faces led by title star, actor Jansen Panettiere, and once more with writer/director Michael Baumgarten who helmed the first film as well as last year’s Paying Mr. McGetty. Plot details are unknown for the sequel following the first installment centered on an embattled teenager struggling to face the odds in a new neighborhood with help of his martial arts expert sibs, Uncle Glen and Auntie Cindy. Returning are Brandon Tyler Russell, Matthew Ziff and martial artist TJ Storm to reprise their roles with Chuck Zito emerging for the sequel next to actor Sasha Mitchell and with award-winning stunt coordinator James Lew back to direct the action. Florida’s Cocoa Beach […]

TRAFFIK Signals With Harrowing Suspense In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Writer and director Deon Taylor (Supremacy) is currently making headway readying his next narrative film project, .38, a police drama which tackles the interwoven tales of cops, civilians and criminals in a single night on the dangerous streets of St. Louis, Missouri. That news comes in the wake of the recent campaign for the April rollout of his next completed thriller, Traffik, which now has a trailer circulating and looks to stir some rightful hype as an exciting thriller with Omar Epps, Paula Patton and Luke Goss starring. In the action packed thriller, Patton and Epps play a couple who are off for a romantic weekend in the mountains, isolated at a remote estate. The couple are surprised by the arrival of two friends, Sanchez and Alonso when the weekend takes a dark turn. The foursome are forced to fight for their lives in this action packed thriller and will […]

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John Wick Spin-Off Series, THE CONTINENTAL, Lands At Starz; Keanu Reeves To Executive Produce

Lee B. Golden III

Lionsgate We’ve long known since last summer that a television spin-off series set in the John Wick universe was in the making. Pan over now to this week’s events over at the Television Critics Association where news is just making headway for the series, The Continental, with word that the show has landed at Starz with actor Keanu Reeves attached. Serving as showrunner will be Chris Collins (Sons of Anarchy, The Wire, Man in the High Castle) who will also pen the script outlining the show’s forte exploring the auspices of the titular assassins’ luxury hotel chain as seen in 2014’s John Wick and last year’s John Wick: Chapter Two. Thunder Road’s Basil Iwaynk is executive producing along with franchise scribe Derek Kolstad, who has been building up his workload ever since then in addition to his latest start on STXfilms’s Nobody with 87Eleven. Chad Stahelski and David Leitch who […]

Cinedigm, Crimson Forest Announce EXTRAORDINARY MISSION, KUNG FU TRAVELER And More In First Wave Of Titles For New Distribution Deal

Lee B. Golden III

Leading indie distributor Cinedigm announced a new partnership this week with Asian distribution label, Crimson Forest Films for a multi-year deal that will gage domestic releases across all home entertainment channels, including DVD/Blu-Ray/4K, digital platforms, cable and satellite VOD and broadcast television. With audiences in North America and select titles for international territories in their purview, the first film to release from their slate will be bomb disposal thriller Shockwave starring Andy Lau, which accrued $58 million dollars at the international box office, and eventually arrived on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital last week from Cinedigm. Following suit is Alan Mak’s Hong Kong actioner, Extraordinary Mission, which Crimson Forest gave a limited release last Spring. Also in tow are Cheng Wei-Hao’s Taiwanese horror hit, The Tag-Along on February 6, 2018 through Digital and its bigger scale sequel in April on DVD, and actor and martial artist Tiger Chen’s sci-fi, Kung Fu […]