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Streaming Sleepers: RISE OF THE MACHINE GIRLS Delivers Worthy Sequel Satisfaction

Follow Cesar’s film updates and musings on Facebook! In the not too far future, the selling of body parts is a lucrative business; and none are as successful as the Dharma Company. Led by Aoyama Dharma (Negishi), the company runs a business that leaves many without limbs or organs. These souls find themselves ostracized by the world at large so form a town for the victims of Dharma. Living as best as they can, two sisters Ami (Tsukimiya) and Yoshie (Hanakage) make a living as idols/entertainers who fight with weapons on their missing appendages. When Dharma makes a move to eliminate the town, the two sisters must team up with a mysterious hitman (Sakaguchi) to stop the carnage and take down the evil Aoyama. A sequel nearly fifteen years after the first film, Rise of the Machine Girls offers just as much as you’d expect if you have seen the […]

Streaming Sleepers: In Dennis Law’s FATAL CONTACT, Wu Jing Hits Hard, But Emotions Hit Harder

Lee B. Golden III

Hong Kong filmmaker and former Milkyway Image (Hong Kong) Ltd. cohort Dennis Law found himself on some pretty green pastures in the early 2000s upon the release of Wilson Yip’s blistering call-to-arms Donnie Yen starrer, S.P.L.. He would team up a few times over with that film’s co-star, Wu Jing, in the years that followed with the production of a few more action-geared titles on their bumper, the first of which would be Fatal Contact, Law’s second directorial gig after 2005’s The Unusual Youth. Law directs the film from his own script starring Wu as Kong, a national martial arts champion and struggling Chinese opera group performer who gets lured into the world of underground fighting. Joined by girlfriend Tin and a hustler named Captain as his fighting coach, making money is the name of the game as Kong finds himself wedged as a key asset between two rival bosses […]

MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS Trailer Teases A Harrowing Legacy Indeed!

Lee B. Golden III

November 17 will see the Apple TV+ premiere launch first two Matt Shankman-directed episodes of Godzilla spin-off series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The ten-episode drama stars Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski, and now gets an official trailer lend some inviting imagery into the opulent tale as inspired by Legendary’s Monsterverse which segues by next year into the hotly-anticipated Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco, and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking […]

Streaming Sleepers: Take A Journey Back To NATURAL CITY On Kanopy

Lee B. Golden III

Celebrate twenty years of a modern sci-fi action classic in the form of South Korea’s answer to “Blade Runner”!

Streaming Sleepers: Roman Perfilyev’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN UKRAINE, Historical Reverence Wrapped In Thrilling Vengeance And Energy

Lee B. Golden III

Writer/director Roman Perfilyev’s second film took a while to get to our side of the globe but folks looking to check out his sophomore feature can now do so in Once Upon A Time In Ukraine. Samuel Goldwyn Films gave a theatrical and VOD release back in April. Featuring actors Roman Lutskyi and Sergey Strelnikov, the story is set in 1844 Ukraine where a serf named Taras, an aspiring poet and storyteller, finds himself captive and separated from his beloved Maria (Kateryna Slyusar) by an evil lord (Andrey Malinovich) who trafficks women to foreigners. Upon a chance escape, he befriends Akayo, a half-Ukranian Japanese ronin who previously wandered past the border following a scrimmage with a squad of lethal ninja assassins. As the story progresses, the two find a common goal in their respective quests, with Akayo taking on Taras as his apprentice to train him for the deadly battles […]

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MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS Teases New Characters Of The Monsterverse Spin-Off Series From Apple TV+

Lee B. Golden III

Here’s a little taste for those of you still waiting for the upcoming Godzilla films from Takashi Yamazaki and Adam Wingard: Apple TV+ is spearheading its own take on Legendary’s Monsterverse iteration of the Toho franchise with Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters and new stills are out featuring the cast. Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga — spanning three generations — reveals buried secrets and […]

WARRIOR – Season 3, Episode 7 – How We Belong in This World

Kyle Wong

After bringing Father Jun back to Chinatown, he suffers from PTSD. Spouting his rivalry with Long Zii and giving Young Jun deeper worry among the deal with Mai Ling. Father Jun goes missing and Young Jun has the Hop Wei search for him, only to be returned by Li Yong. Young Jun sees this and what Ah Sahm has been doing as a sense of him losing trust. The Donahue brothers are caught by the police, arresting them for robbing a Chinese grocery store and witnessed by Zimo. Zimo and two others find another Irishman near Chinatown, beating him down as a message. Leary is called to bail out the Donahues but Atwood does not budge. Learning the way Atwood dispenses justice shakes him, putting the perspective into the Irish who threaten to enter Chinatown. Leary decides to settle it his way. Leary enters Chinatown alone to find Ah Sahm. […]

KINGDOM 2: FAR AND AWAY Review: Shinsuke Sato’s Epic Sequel Ignites The Franchise Spark

Lee B. Golden III

Shinsuke Sato’s 2019 manga adaptation, Kingdom dared us to dream. His hit sequel, Kingdom 2: Far And Away, demanded we saw our dreams through… Shin (Kento Yamazaki) takes the mantle as he leads a regiment of makeshift soldiers accomodating the Qin forces of King Eisei (Ryo Yoshizawa) and battlefield General Hyoko (Etsushi Toyokawa) to the Daikan Plains in response to the advancing neighboring forces of Wei. Along the way, Shin finds himself reuniting with Bihei (Amane Okayama) and elder brother Bitou (Takahiro Miura) before the regiment’s arrival to the plains where the men must group into units of five to be formidable. Joined by the unassuming Takukei (Takayuki Hamatsu) and the terse but deadly Kyoukai (Nana Seino), Shin and the brothers form a quintet and charge into battle with the regiment under the leadership of Commander Bakukoshin (Kiyohiko Shibukawa). The attack leads to the first of multiple battles with Wei […]

WARRIOR – Season 3, Episode 6 – There is No Future in People’s Ways

Kyle Wong

—NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED— A piece of history that happened after 1870’s, which the show is set in. The Chinese has ported into Germany during this time and have built their community. With WWII happening, the Chinese was unaffected unless their ideologies were brought to light. After Pearl Harbour, the Gestapo arrested Chinese Germans and Chinese nationals, putting them into concentration camps which led to torture, assault and slavery. I haven’t brought a piece of history to these reviews since Season 2, Episode 9. This episode had me searching for anything that could have brought some historical background but this is what I only found. Why did I bring up this type of history? Also in honor of Bruce Lee’s 50th Anniversary, it was good to see his daughter Shannon, finally having a role in the show, she helped put together. Bringing her father’s vision on the screen and […]

Streaming Sleepers: Shinsuke Sato’s KINGDOM And KINGDOM 2: FAR AND AWAY Charge Into Battle On Netflix!

Lee B. Golden III

Any day is a good day when there is Shinsuke Sato-related news to report, and I nearly cried when I learned this. Laugh and judge me as you may, I don’t care. These are the happy tears, buddy… Netflix has just released Sato’s 2019 epic, Kingdom, along with last year’s blockbuster sequel, Kingdom 2: Far And Away, both starring Alice In Borderland’s Kento Yamazaki and based on Yasuhisa Hara’s hit manga. Kingdom sees Yamazaki in the role of Xin, an orphan who vows vengeance after losing a dear friend, striving to become the world’s greatest general. The sequel continues with Xin joining a ragtag infantry to fend off a far-superior invading army. Actors Kanna Hashimoto and Ryo Yoshizawa also return to headline both films, as well as Sato’s trilogical installment, Kingdom 3: Flame Of Destiny. That film opens through Toho in Japan next Friday, stateside Netflix launch pending, fingers crossed […]

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Streaming Sleepers: Make A Run For RÒM, Now On Tubi!

Lee B. Golden III

Here’s another delightful streaming surprise for ya: Ròm, from debut director Tran Thanh Huy is now streaming on Tubi. I caught this as a recommendation by a mutual tending to duties for the 19th New York Asian Film Festival back in 2020. Tran Anh Khoa stars in the title role opposite Nguyen Phan Anh Tu in Huy’s often kinetic, bustling urban survival drama, about a 14 year old orphan on borrowed time as he’s forced to square off against rivaling numbers runners amid Ho Chi Minh City’s illegal underground lotto network. You’re welcome to defer to my review for some extra highlights, but this film is sometimes one of those films that takes residency in my head when I look back on the titles I’ve covered, wondering if anyone else will get to see it. Alas, check out the trailer below as well if you so fancy it, and wonder […]

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NIGHT OF THE ASSASSIN Review: Kwak Jeong-Deok’s Heroic Bloodshed Debut Wields With Vitality

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA’s premiere Asian film streamer, Hi-YAH!, will launch Night Of The Assassin on July 21, with an August 8 release on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD. Kwak Jeong-deok’s feature debut arrives in the U.S. with Night Of The Assassin, a period story set during a tumultuous time where power is up for grabs between anyone seeking it, and willing to hire anyone deadly enough to help get it. Inan (Shin Hyun-joon) is one such person – a fearsome swordsman with skills to match the reputation he’s earned. One fateful night, however, a long-dormant pulmonary illness surfaces, forcing him to seek a healer only to be advised that his next battle could be his last. A year later, the wayward Inan finds himself roaming a mountain village whereupon after stopping a gang of bandits from harrassing a tavern owner named Seon-hong (Kim Min-kyung), she takes him in for a day […]

WARRIOR – Season 3, Episode 5 – The Way the World Works

Kyle Wong

Young Jun is transported to the deportation centre, there he learns that him and various other Chinese citizens are to be shipped back in two days. He also learns his status means nothing when a group led by Sicheng beat him up for all the Hop Wei has done to them and their families. While recovering from his wounds, Young Jun is reunited with Father Jun. The two plan to escape the centre when they are to be moved. Mai Ling is left in a cell, while Li Yong learns that the Long Zii council chooses not to release her, revealing they are aware of her dealings and using the Tong’s money. Li Yong takes matters into his own hands by blackmailing Buckley. Buckley visits Mai Ling, informing her that she is no longer needed but she offers a new deal. Mai Ling is released, Li Yong reveals his trust […]

Streaming Sleepers: The Time Travel Saga To Settle Old Scores Begins In TOKYO REVENGERS On Crunchyroll

Lee B. Golden III

If there’s one thing that bothers me the most – at least as I write this, it’s when news of a film makes it to a legit accessible streaming platform here in the states and there’s barely a blurb about it newswise. At any rate, consider this a call to action as Tsutomu Hanabusa’s live-action adaptation of Ken Wakui’s Tokyo Revengers is now streaming on Crunchyroll two years after its release. The film stars Takumi Kitamura in the role of a loser who finds himself able to travel back-and-forth in time while mitigating with the brother of the only woman he’s ever loved, and tasked with traveling back to high school in order to prevent her present day death. I got to screen the film during Fantasia XXV and you can read my review here. Needless to say, it was a blast to check out, and with the two-part sequel […]

WARRIOR – Season 3: Episode 1 Review – A Hard Hitting Return

Kyle Wong

On December 4th, 2020, it was the last time we saw Warrior grace our TV screens and we wanted more. Though Cinemax ceased all its original programming and the show was left in limbo. In January 2021, HBO Max picked up both seasons and streamed it for a new audience, even campaigning their support of the representation the series presents. In April 2021, Shannon Lee, the cast and crew announced they are back. With excitement and a victorious smile from the cast, crew and fans around the world, “Warrior” is coming back for season 3. In July 2022 to October 2022, filming started and completed with cast of old and new uniting to bring us what we have been waiting for. Let’s see if I can do this again. “Exactly the wrong time to get proud, now is the time to adapt or die.” – Wang Chao It’s been a […]

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Streaming Sleepers: In Tiffany Toney’s BORA, Sex, Drugs And Murder Unravel Chilling Duality

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned a word on Bora, the latest independent thriller debut from actress, producer and filmmaker Tiffany Toney. The movie was shot several years ago and has since run the post-production gamut followed by screenings and a subsequent release on Amazon Prime Video as well as FAST platform, Tubi. The concept here isn’t too dissimilar from other films you may have seen. Invariably, it’s a rich take on a popular angle venturing into the psychological, with a sexy, chilling twist that serves the film’s rewarding narrative. Enter Ajima Cole who inaugurates our story in the role of Elon, a young woman whose idyllic life with boyfriend Shawn (Gichi Gamba) is about to take a life-shattering tumble ahead after a chance (we’ll say) bumping-into with a wandering junkie named Bora (Toney). Well into the first half of Bora, the viewer is introduced to a bevy of […]

WARRIOR Tests The Limits Of Peace In The Trailer For Season Three!

Lee B. Golden III

Back in March I attempted a lookback series of articles revisiting the hit Tong series drama, Warrior. The theme was Unsettled Scores, and while I never got around to finishing this mini column, the official series trailer is now here and clearly our mains have some axes to grind since season two. In the wake of the race riots that upended Chinatown in season two, Mai Ling uses her government connections to consolidate power, while Ah Sahm and the Hop Wei must find new ways to survive. June 29 can’t come fast enough. Boy oh boy!

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BLOODHOUNDS: Kim Joo-Hwan’s New Netflix Action Series Gets A Trailer That Doles Out All The Smoke!

Lee B. Golden III

Just when I thought my news day was done, here comes Midnight Runners and The Divine Fury helmer Kim Joo-hwan bringing my day to a high-note ending with one knock down after throwdown banger exhibited in the official series trailer for upcoming series, Bloodhounds. Bloodhounds is a story about two young people who step into the world of loan sharks in pursuit of money and get caught up in a web of much darker forces. After his perfect performance in a dual role in The King: Eternal Monarch, Woo Do-hwan returns as Geon-woo, who jumps into the world of loan sharks to pay off his debt. Having intrigued viewers with his multi-faceted charm in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Lee Sang-yi plays Woo-jin, who first meets Geon-woo as his opponent in boxing but ends up working with him. Meanwhile, actor Park Sung-woong plays vicious loan shark Myung-gil, who is driven solely by money […]

Hit Series KUNG FU Ends At The CW

Lee B. Golden III

Christina M. Kim’s CW network upgrade of classic TV series Kung Fu wasn’t exactly targeted to viewers like me, per se. Nonetheless, it was only recently that I binged all three seasons with my mother on HBO Max and found myself enjoying it more than I expected, and even reveling for a little bit in the hopes of a continuation. Alas, when the news broke on Thursday of the show’s cancellation as part of a cost-cutting measure for shows to be filmed in the UK and Canada – per the network’s new business model, I was disappointed to say the least. Feel free to comment in reaction to my post about the series on Instagram, but I’ll just go ahead and say that this was one of the finest shows I’ve ever watched – credited for steering the movement for better AAPI representation in entertainment, and frankly speaking, actor Tzi […]

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AMERICAN BORN CHINESE Brings the Gods of Chinese Mythology to Disney+

Mike Garcia

This May 24th, Disney+ premieres this action comedy Based on 2006 Graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, in an upcoming TV series, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and written by Charles Yu and Kevin Yu, that comprises 8 episodes on its first season, that brings the Gods of Chinese Mythology to an international audience, reuniting part of the cast of the recent multi-acclaimed winner of the Oscars, “Everything, Everywhere at all once”, with Michelle Yeoh portraying Guanyin, the Goddess of mercy or Daniel Wu as Sun Wukong, The Monkey King, including Ke huy Quan, Ben Wang, Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han, Jim Lui, Sydney Taylor, or Stephanie Hsu as recurring character among many others. The story revolves around Jin wang, a young student who meets a new Taiwanese exchange student at school, that brings chaos to his life, involving him in a battle between Gods of […]