News

HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS Is Coming To A City Near You Starting This Month!

Award-winning Hundreds Of Beavers duo, filmmaker Mike Cheslik and actor Ryland Brickson Cole Tews are taking beaver-fever on the road! The film had enjoyed a yearlong-plus run in the festival circuit and will now expand with festive screenings with the cast and crew for a Great Lakes Roadshow, kicking off at the Showplace Icon Theater in Minneapolis, Minesota on January 26, and ending at the Fox in Toronto, Canada on February 10. Each performance will include an intro, live performers, exclusive merchandise, and a Q&A with special and surprise guests, while plans are also underway to roll out the film in select U.S. with the following listings to start: • New York City, NY (IFC Center beginning February 27)• Los Angeles, CA (Laemmle Glendale beginning March 15)• Atlanta, GA (Plaza Theater on February 9)• Charlotte, NC (The Independent Picture House beginning March 29) Lensed in Wisconsin and Michigan over a […]

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CONTOUR: Eric Jacobus Soon To Release Original Cut Of His Hit 2006 Martial Arts Indie Comedy For Free On YouTube

Lee B. Golden III

Actor, stuntman, motion capture performer, video essayist and filmmaker Eric Jacobus (“Mortal Kombat Legacy”) will be releasing his 2006 hit action comedy, Contour, for free on YouTube in the coming weeks. Jacobus made the announcement last week in a community post on his channel last week, further offering followers a chance to provide feedback with an advanced screening. Billed as the “black & blue” edition (as illustrated by the film’s original poster), Contour was the next major step for Jacobus and his fledgling team of aspiring stunt performers known as The Stunt People, after co-directing Immortal with Chelsea Steffensen, and winning big with MTV shortfilm crowdpleaser, Undercut. The team had already begun crafting several shortfilms as it assembled its members from various parts of California over time. Contour stars Jacobus who plays Lawrence “Law” Young, a shiftless thug indebted to a weasley boss posturing himself as a martial arts pioneer. […]

JACKDAW: Vertigo Burns The Midnight Oil With An Official Trailer For The English Rust Belt Crime Flick!

Lee B. Golden III

JACKDAW is an unrelenting action thriller set over the course of a single night against the backdrop of North East England, an area where breathtaking coastal landscapes meet the brutality of industry. Jack Dawson, a former motocross champion and army veteran, returns to his hometown to care for his brother after their mother dies. Hoping to start a new life, he takes what could be a life-changing job for an old school friend turned local criminal, Silas.What should have been a straightforward pick-up of a package in the North Sea turns into a nightmare when Jack is double-crossed, and his brother is kidnapped. As he fights for survival and searches for answers, Jack encounters friends and adversaries old and new across a violent night-time odyssey through England’s Northern rust belt. Jamie Childs’ newest crime thriller arose last year during Fantasia Fest and was a blast during its run. Starring Oliver […]

SUITABLE FLESH Is Coming To Shudder And AMC+ This Month!

Lee B. Golden III

Shudder and AMC+ subscribers can now take to the latest announcement from the AMC Networks-led platform for its exclusive January 26 streaming launch of erotic supernatural horror thriller, Suitable Flesh. The film is directed by Joe Lynch (Mayhem, Chillerama) and is adapted from H.P. Lovecraft’s cult favorite short story, and stars Heather Graham, Judah Lewis, Bruce Davison, and Barbara Crampton. Psychiatrist Elizabeth Derby becomes obsessed with helping a young patient who’s suffering from extreme personality disorder. However, it soon leads her into occult danger as she tries to escape from a horrific fate. Suitable Flesh was produced by Crampton, Bob Portal, Inderpal Singh and Joe Wicker. The film is also part of Shudder’s larger upcoming Janaury line-up which includes cult hits like The Thing, Donnie Darko, The Eldery, and much more. Check out the latest promo below, and feel free to sift through my review of Lynch’s scintillating thriller.

THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU Feature Continuation Of The Hit Show Films This Year!

Lee B. Golden III

The next phase of “The Mandalorian” is in development for the big screen as the trades are reporting as of Tuesday. Series exec producer Jon Favreau is on board to direct, as well as produce alongside Kathleen Kennedy, and Dave Filoni. Tilted The Mandalorian & Grogu, the new film follows up on the three-season success of the hit aforementioned series which launched in 2019, spotlighting a new arc in the sprawling Star Wars saga with actor Pedro Pascal in the title role. The series is one of several live-action takes in the universe featured on the Disney+ service, along with “The Book Of Boba Fett,” and last year’s Rosario Dawson starrer, “Ashoka,” with others pending including “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” and Leslye Headland’s “The Acolyte” with Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae. “I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created,” said Favreau. “The prospect of […]

CRIMINAL Creators Tapped To Shepherd New Prime Video Series Adaptation

Lee B. Golden III

A Prime Video series adaptation is officially pending based on the multi-Eisner Award-winning graphic novel, Criminal. Creators/authors Ed Brubaker (Westworld, Batman: Caped Crusader) and Sean Phillips on board to exec produce. More from Deadline via Brubaker in 2019 from Monday’s report: “Criminal tells the interweaving saga of several generations of families tied together by the crimes and murders of the past,” … “And one of the big events in many of these characters’ pasts, which has been referenced since the very first Criminal story, was the death of Teeg Lawless. Before we even met Teeg, we knew that he had died when his son was a teenager, but other than the identity of his killer, we have never told the rest of that story. It’s just been a ghost haunting the series, as Teeg Lawless has become one of the most popular characters in the comic.” Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reports […]

ECHO 8 Trilogy: Casting Call Underway For ‘Five By Five’ And ‘Beyond’ Through February

Lee B. Golden III

Film duo Maria Tran and Takashi Hara are kicking off principal photography in Q1 2025 for the back-to-back production of the sequels to the independently produced Australian noir action psych thriller, Echo 8. A casting call is now underway with submissions to be sent by February 8. The Echo 8 Trilogy represents a collection of urban action assassin films with a female- led perspective, crafted under the creative direction of Maria Tran and penned by Elizabeth H. Vu. This trilogy takes audiences on three distinct cinematic journeys: “Echo 8” (2023), “Five By Five” (2025), and “Echo 8 Beyond” (2025). Five By Five: Set three decades prior to ‘Echo 8,’ the prequel ‘Five By Five’ unveils the enigmatic Agent 5’s grief-stricken existence and his gradual spiral into chaos while climbing Zodiac’s hierarchy. Echo 8 Beyond: After the occurrences of ‘Echo 8,’ Anna finds herself pursued by lethal Zodiac operatives tasked with […]

WITH LOVE: Stunt Pro Jonathan Eusebio To Debut Direct Ke Huy Quan Actioner For Universal, 87North

Lee B. Golden III

It will be a while before we learn the details of what lies ahead but it is confirmed that Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once) has booked his next starring gig in With Love, a new action film out of Universal Pictures and 87North. Industry stunt coordinator and second unit director Jonathan Eusebio (300, John Wick franchise, The Matrix Resurrections, Violent Night) will make his feature directing debut from a script being penned by Luke Passmore following up on an original script by Josh Stoddard (Warrior, Kaleidoscope) and Matthew Murray, according to Deadline. The addition of Quan is especially warming given how long he’s been in the game, and the celebration brought on by his success in the aforementioned Daniels-directed A24 release starring Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis. Adding to the attraction is the stunt professional-turned-filmmaker aspect with Eusebio’s attachment, something that’s long been the […]

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 […]

CONTRACTS: A New (Shorter) Director’s Cut Is On The Way For Alex Chung’s Feature Hitman Debut [EXCLUSIVE]

Lee B. Golden III

It’s early days at the moment but a director’s cut is now pending for Contracts, stuntman, actor and director Alex Chung’s feature debut which released on DVD and Blu-Ray through Indiecan in 2020. Chung broke the news in a brief teaser on Monday which you can view below, and to that end I reached out for a few more tidbits on the updated version. There wasn’t much Chung could divulge to me privately except the following, stating he “wanted to see a cut of what it would have looked like before making the decision to turn it into a feature.” To note, that choice was made in the ten years Chung spent expanding the concept from a small series of action shorts leading up to what would have been a third short film had he chosen to stay the course. Interestingly, Chung added “…The main thing is it’s shorter” when […]

CYBER FIGHTER: Cameras Roll For Indie Sci-Fi Martial Arts Comedy Proof With Feature Plans In The Works [EXCLUSIVE]

Lee B. Golden III

Actor and director William Joseph Hill is ramping up production on sci-fi martial arts fantasy comedy, Cyber Fighter. Cameras are now rolling for the proof of concept shortfilm, which I am told will have a festival run well into the new year as Hill and his team boost the project to feature film fruition by 2024. Cyber Fighter comes from Four Scorpio Films in association with We Make Movies, and is based on and adapted from Hill’s independently-published 2019 novel. It centers on Brian Baldwin, a temp and former game designer who takes a job at a defense contractor. The adventure begins when he volunteers for a top-secret virtual reality/mind programming experiment, during which black belt-level fighting skills are downloaded directly to his brain, turning him into a human weapon. Production on the proof began at the iconic Los Angles Center Studios this week, following announcement of the project at […]

Dear Sister

Lee B. Golden III

Hey, Isis. It’s your brother. I feel a little out of practice writing this out for a number of reasons. One being, well…I spent all year wondering if this year was gonna go well enough that my year-end summation piece wouldn’t just be an amalgam of depressing updates. Every year, I wonder what the next step each day will bring, and if I’m on the right track. Doubt tends to set in at times – something I’ve learned as a result of many a good thing in my life coming to a screeching halt, making it unavoidable to have to curve any relaxed feelings of comfort and safety. I think that’s what’s also affecting my blood pressure these days… More on that later. Anyway, it’s your birthday today. Mom was emotional this morning when I reminded her. She mourns you still, everyday. Sharing your image in her stories, talking about […]

Max Cancels WARRIOR. Here’s How We Can Save It!

Lee B. Golden III

Netflix has reportedly acquired martial arts drama Warrior for streaming in February 2024. The news comes by way of Deadline’s Rosy Cordero who also notes the show’s original platform, Max, has no plans to venture into a fourth season, and that all the actors have been released from their contracts. The show premiered in 2019 as a Cinemax Original, the latest evolution of a concept originally birthed by Bruce Lee, toplining actor Andrew Koji, who leads the series drama from Shannon Lee, Jonathan Tropper, and Justin Lin. Set in the late 1800s, the now three-season show chronicles the journey of Ah Sahm (Koji), a martial arts who quests to San Francisco where he finds himself wedged between the warring Tongs, and racial tumult within the mechanisms of the city’s political establishment, all while trying to reunite with his sister. Warrior moved to streamer Max for its third season launching back […]

THE SMOKE MASTER Trailer: Freestyle Digital Blazes Up January U.S. Release For Hit Martial Arts Stoner Comedy

Lee B. Golden III

Brazilian kung fu stoner comedy, The Smoke Master, is finally on track to start the new year with a U.S. release from Freestyle Digital Media. VOD rights were announced by the company earlier this month will plans to release the film on DVD, and all stateside digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms from January 2. THE SMOKE MASTER follows the journey of Gabriel and Daniel, two brothers cursed by the Chinese mafia with its feared Three Generations Revenge, who has already reaped the life of their grandfather and their father. To survive, one of the brothers must learn the Smoke Style secrets, a little-known controversial martial art, based on cannabis usage and taught by a single master, high in the mountains of the far reaches of China. In other words, THE SMOKE MASTER is a stoned Kung-Fu movie. Starring Daniel Rocha, Thiago Stechinni and Tony Lee, The Smoke Master […]

News Briefs: A24 Tackles MMA Biopic, White Returns In TROUBLE MAN, Kodansha’s ORIGIN Brewing, NORYANG This Friday, And More!

Lee B. Golden III

• Following news broken in 2019, Dwayne Johnson will play Mark Kerr, confirming a new biopic based on the no holds barred era of the UFC fighter’s career. The film will be directed by Uncut Gems helmer Benny Safdie who reunites with A24 for the project. (Deadline) • Trouble Man lines up Michael Jai White along with Method Man, Gillian White, Orlando Jones and more for the action comedy from Samuel Goldwyn Films. Featuring fight choreography by Joey Min, White plays an ex-cop-turned-P.I. who unravels a larger conspiracy while investigating a famed R&B singer’s disappearance. (Deadline) • Kodansha and Majestic Limited will bring Origin to the big screen. Korean author Boichi’s hit publication which only recently arrived in the U.S. last month, is a violent futuristic action sci-fi set in Tokyo where mysterious beings known as “Origins” hunt down non-human remorseless killers preying on humans. (Variety) • Ridley Scott will […]

LONDON CALLING: Josh Duhamel, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Rick Hoffman And More Join Highland Action Comedy Underway In South Africa

Lee B. Golden III

Production is underway in South Africa with Josh Duhamel (Shotgun Wedding), Jeremy Ray Taylor (Warner Bros.’ It franchise), and Rick Hoffman (USA Network’s “Suits”) set to star in action comedy, London Calling. The film additionally reunites Duhamel with Bandit helmer Allan Ungar who is reuniting with Duhamel, with a script by Oscar-nominated Omer Levin Menekse and Quinn Wolfe. London Calling will also join the trio with Aidan Gillen (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”) who will play the city’s biggest mob boss whose relative is mistakenly killed by mediocre hitman Tommy Ward (Duhamel). Per the synopsis, Ward goes on the run and is stuck in L.A. To get back to his son on the other side of the pond, Tommy makes a deal with his new employer (Hoffman): teach his socially awkward teenage son Julian (Taylor) to be a man, in exchange for safe passage. Tommy is now forced to drag Julian, […]

KINGDOM: RETURN OF THE GREAT GENERAL Signals The Next Explosive Chapter In The First Teaser

Lee B. Golden III

Director Shinsuke Sato’s treatment of the Kingdom franchise continues to be one of the greatest and most beautiful looking things to happen to live-action manga adaptations, all right up to this past summer’s hit third chapter release, Kingdom: Flame Of Destiny. Following its announcement in September, the next feature installment based Yasuhisa Hara’s publication is only half a year away now with the July 12 release of Kingdom: Return Of The Great General, with Toho leading the charge as its begun so with an official teaser to signal fans. The cast of returning and new characters is led by Kento Yamazaki who continues the saga as Shin, the former orphan-turned-warrior whose ongoing pursuits to become the greatest general in the Warring States carry with them the memory of a beloved friend Piao, who sacrificed himself as the penultimate body double to King Eisei, both dually played by Ryo Yoshizawa. Following […]

PENDEKAR AWANG: Fattah Amin Returns To The Warfront Against The British In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Folks who’ve been keen on more developments overseas in Malaysia might be interested in what’s ahead with the upcoming release of period action drama, Pendekar Awang. The film is billed as a spin-off follow-up to Syamsul Yusof’s hit flick, Mat Kilau, based one the true story of a rebel warrior’s quest to tame British colonial rule in Pahang the late 19th century. That film, starring Adi Putra in the title role who led the scrimmages against the British, co-starred Fattah Amin in the role of Awang, a rebel cohort who often clashed with the leader in strategy and hierarchy, before ultimately putting aside their differences. The new movie now sees the supporting character take the mantle with Amin reprising his role before a new cast in Pendekar Awang, with none other than NYAFF Daniel A. Craft award-winning director Areel Abu Bakar (Silat Warriors, Walid) in the director’s chair. Transparently speaking, […]

BLUE EYE SAMURAI: Netflix Announces Season Two For Hit Animated Action Adventure Series

Lee B. Golden III

I literally spent part of the last five minutes or so this afternoon scribbling a rant about how much I loved catching the first season of Blue Eye Samurai – from creators Michael Green and Amber Noizumi, that when I posted my thoughts on Instagram, it would be mere minutes later that the trades would announce a second season offering of the hit series. Alas, Netflix is putting out the gospel as well in a new announcement below, featuring select highlights from the propulsive first season. Actress Maya Erskine is expected to reprise her VO-role in the lead as Mizu, a ronin who treks across Japan whose longstanding quest for vengeance is chronicled with an introspective lens, spotlighting a hero’s tale of love, betrayal, and survival amid political upheaval, and colonial conquest. The show is certainly one that pushes envelopes, and all are invited to check it out as soon […]

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Loren Avedon And Keith Vitali Are Neither Retreating Nor Surrendering As They Announce BLOOD BROTHERS 2

Lee B. Golden III

Actor and martial artist Loren Avedon took to social media over the weekend to announce the development of a sequel to No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers, the 1990 action thriller which also starred actor Keith Vitali (Wheels On Meals), along with Rion Hunter and Mark Russo. The new movie would reunite Avedon and Vitali for the first time since headlining director Lucas Lowe’s installment of Hong Kong-produced American martial arts crossover action flick from Seasonal Films, which centered on two warring brothers who must put aside their differences to avenge their father’s death at the hands of a Colombian terrorist, played by Hunter. The No Retreat, No Surrender franchise began with 1985’s No Retreat, No Surrender with Kurt McKinney and the then-nascent star Jean-Claude Van Damme. Hong Kong cinema mainstay Corey Yuen directed the first two installments of the franchise, the second of which swapped McKinney for a […]