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BLADE OF THE 47 RONIN Unsheathes A Dystopian Female Samurai Thriller

A new Friday report by Variety‘s Patrick Frater confirms the completion Blade Of The 47 Ronin, the sequel to the original Keanu Reeves-led 2013 Universal Pictures release. Actor and filmmaker Ron Yuan (Step Up China) directs for a second venture with Tim Kwok producing, and a script by John Swetnam, Lucifer actress Aimee Garcia, and A.J. Mendez. The film, which wrapped in Hungary this week, hails from Universal’s 1440 Productions shingle. Actress Anna Akana (Jupiter’s Legacy) stars alongside U.S. martial artist Teresa Ting and Mike Moh (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), and Warrior actor Dustin Nguyen, along with Chris Pang, Japanese actor and model Fukuyama Chikako, action star Mark Dacascos, Luna Fujimoto, Akira Koieyama and Nino Furuhata. As Frater notes, Blade Of The 47 Ronin is set in Budapest, 300 years following the events of the first film. It takes a more subversive turn as it brings a more […]

WARRIORS OF FUTURE: Ng Yuen-Fai’s New Sci-Fi Thriller Revs Up A 2022 Hong Kong SAR China Release

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been about eight years since actor Louis Koo planted his producer flag at One Cool Film, having built a successful slate of active and developing projects. One such title includes VFX steward Ng Yuen-Fai’s long-awaited feature directing debut, Warriors Of Future, starring Koo and actor Sean Lau – both who’ve kept busy in the years since completing the film. Fast forward to today, and after surviving a changing industrial atmosphere in the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the film’s campaign is on a roll as of last week, rolling out two Breaking News-style promos published online for Hong Kong SAR China readers – the latest of which you can view above. The film, according to HK01, is revving up a release on 200 theatrical screens in 2022, which will also include outdoor theaters. In the not-too-distant future, pollution and global warming have left Earth barren, a giant meteorite […]

THE PIRATES: GOBLIN FLAG Sets Sail In The Spectacular First Trailer For The High-Seas Adventure Sequel

Lee B. Golden III

Director Kim Jung-hoon’s third and latest outing continues the high-seas thrills in The Pirates: Goblin Flag, following up from Lee Suk-hoon’s 2014 inaugural now with a new cast of characters and story to boot. Taking the lead are actors Kang Ha-neul, Han Hyo-joo, Lee Kwang-soo and Kwon Sang-woo with many more as the new story unfolds with warring pirate factions all vying for the lost treasure of the Goryeo royal family. You can now sample all that and more in the first official trailer above ahead of the film’s January release, along with eight new characters posters just below.

CLEAN: Adrien Brody Dispenses Brutal, Bloody, Unflinching Vigilante Justice In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Adrien Brody is proudly checking all the boxes for his latest collaborative effort, Clean. IFC Films is opening the new dramatic crime thriller in theaters on January 28. Clean, a man with a violent and criminal past, seeks redemption after being awakened by personal tragedy. He dedicates his life to his broken community, and the safety of young girl who reminds him of his daughter. When her life is put in danger, it ignites a return to the darkness and violence he’s worked so hard to leave behind. In his attempts to save her, he might very well save himself. Brody’s statement – released along with the assets – alludes to his upbringing in New York City, acknowledging ongoing hardships that continue to plague rural and suburban neighborhoods to this day. He describes the film as “a tribute to the fearlessness of those, who, in spite of pain, loss and […]

THE RUNNER: Boy Harsher’s Chilling New Darkwave Doc-Style Meta Horror Thrills In Select Theaters And On AMC’s Shudder In January

Lee B. Golden III

Are you into horror and darkwave music any? Turn your interest over to music and film duo Boy Harsher (Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller), and their latest cinematic effort, The Runner. The new film will have its day-and-date run in select theaters and on AMC Networks’ Shudder streamer in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand from January 16. Unable to tour and unwilling to make “club music”, and with Matthews coping with her MS diagnosis, the two began developing the project, using Muller’s moody, cinematic sketches and Matthews’ own conception of “a sinister character: a woman running through the woods”, crafting a meta-style “documentary” horror that weaves Boy Harsher’s recording process with a story that “explores lust, compulsion, and the horrific tendencies of seduction.” Written, directed, and produced by Boy Harsher, The Runner follows a strange woman as she travels to a secluded, rural town where her violent […]

VAN HELSING Sets Sail For Complete Series Release In The UK From Dazzler

Lee B. Golden III

Dazzler Media is proudly presenting both the final season, as well as the complete collection of the hit fantasy-horror series, Van Helsing. Both are set to arrive to the UK on Blu-ray, DVD and Download-to-Own from January 10. Van Helsing has become one of the most exciting and entertaining fantasy-horror shows of recent times, combining brutal action with compelling storytelling and memorable characters. Inspired by the Helsing graphic novel series, the show has gone on to earn a loyal fan following worldwide. Following an event referred to as “The Rising”, vampires now dominate the world. Vanessa Van Helsing (Kelly Overton, True Blood, Legends), the great-great-great-grand daughter of vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, is resurrected to lead the surviving humans in their struggle against the vampires. Van Helsing The Complete Collection features all 65 episodes from every season, including the eagerly awaited fifth and final season. Pre-orders for the complete boxset are currently available at AmazonUK.

Wilmer Valderrama Partners With Disney For New ZORRO Series

Lee B. Golden III

If you’re memory is any good then you probably haven’t forgotten about the previously-reported Z from director Jonas Cuaron. That film has a far different vision based on the classic pulp hero, “Zorro”, than what Disney Branded Television now has in store and time will tell if that project ever gets off the ground. As for the latest, leave it to actor Wilmer Valderrama (That 70’s Show, Disney’s Encanto, NCIS) who is set to shepherd a new reimagined incarnation for the studio. The new action adventure western episodic will center on Valderrama as Don Diego de la Vega and his swashbuckling alter ego, the masked vigilante himself. Valderrama will also exec produce alongside DBTV’s outgoing president and chief creative officer, Gary Marsh, and Zorro Productions Inc.’s John Gertz (“The Mask of Zorro,” “The Legend of Zorro”). Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television, said, “We’re reimagining this Disney classic as a […]

GOTHAM KNIGHTS TV Series in Development at The CW

Edward Orndorff

It was recently announced that a new series in the DC Universe will be making it’s way to TV screens from The CW. Gotham Knights, based on the comics rather than other existing or upcoming projects like the same-named game or Batwoman, takes place after the murder of Bruce Wayne, as his adopted son struggles to maintain peace in a city without it’s dark protector. Names attached to the project so far include Chad Fiveash and James Stoteraux (both, The Vampire Diaries, Gotham) as writers and Executive Producers. Natalie Abrams (Supergirl) is writing and co-Executive Producer. Representing Berlanti Productions in association with WB Television is Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden. The plot summary as shared by the CW: In the wake of Bruce Wayne’s murder, his rebellious adopted son forges an unlikely alliance with the children of Batman’s enemies when they are all framed for killing the Caped Crusader. And as the city’s […]

THE SIEGE OF ROBIN HOOD: Paul Allica’s Debut Action Adventure Emerges With A Pair Of Posters

Lee B. Golden III

It’s taken more than five (count ’em…FIVE) years for actor, stunt performer and filmmaker Paul Allica to come as far as he has with his feature directing debut, The Siege Of Robin Hood. It’s been a journey imperiled with insurmountable odds at times – challenges that Allica has met head on through some pretty immense problem-solving and resourceful thinking. To that end, Allica’s journey of production ended when he officially wrapped all post-prod editing back in September and garnered the attention of the trades thanks to landing a platform with international sales reps at Kaleidoscope. Distro acquisitions and release news currently remains pending as far as I know, but a cast and crew screening is already in tow later this month, and Allica has a new pair of posters to celebrate the occasion. In a time of chaos and tyranny, the once great nation of England teeters perilously on the […]

SHIN ULTRAMAN Attacks In A Brand New Teaser Ahead Of May 2022 Release

Lee B. Golden III

It’s taken all of this year for things to finally align for Tsuburaya Productions and Toho as the two companies worked to further mitigate the hampering conditions of the on-going pandemic. Invariably though, Shin Ultraman is finally coming as announced on Monday during the Tsuburaya Convention 2021 special program with two pairs of updated posters and teasers – one of the latter which you can view above showcasing our titular hero. Slated for a May 13, 2022 release from Toho, Shin Ultraman is directed by Shinji Higuchi, in reunion with Shin Godzilla cohort, screenwriter Hideaki Anno who is also producing the pic via his Studio Khara banner following the film’s announcement several years ago. The film stars Takumi Saito (Kiba: The Fangs Of Fiction, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku) as the human host for the Ultraman armor in this throwback incarnation to the original. Also starring are Masami Nagasawa, […]

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: Michelle Yeoh Meets The Multiverses Head On In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

The campaign is now in full throttle with an official trailer for Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s new fantasy action comedy, Everything Everywhere All At Once. Taking the lead here is actress Michelle Yeoh following recent appearances in Gunpowder Milkshake and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend Of The Ten Rings. She is joined by Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong and Jamie Lee Curits. An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led. The film is slated to have its world premiere next Spring at SXSW before hitting theaters from A24.

Fight Scene Faves: A Short List Of Memorable Fight Scene Moments In Film

Lee B. Golden III

Years ago, I became obsessed with listing my “top-tens” or “fives” in final fight scenes. There was a UK website that produced such lists and for their final fight scene list, it bothered me for the longest time that it never had the one featured in Drive between Mark Dacascos and Masaya Kato, so you can imagine how fulfilled I felt when the page loaded and I finally saw it listed. That website has long since disappeared, but the practice of listing fight faves stands strong among the action genre fandom to this day. Thus, I felt compelled to just list my own top ten in final fight scenes just to feel it out some and see what folks think. For this, I applied several factors into this analysis; While choreography and cinematography are both important elements, I made other deductions as well which include the scene’s connection to the […]

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IRIS CHANG: THE RAPE OF NANKING: Scars Filled with Hope, Healing Wounds From the Past

Mike Garcia

The rape of Nanjing, is one of the darkest atrocities in recent history, a happening that´s been denied by some ultra nationalist groups and was forgotten in the west history books for a very long time… December 13th is the Nanjing massacre memorial, to commemorate such a tragic happening, I´ve decided to write about this moving long feature documentary from 2007, that revolves around Iris Chang, an enthusiastic Asian-American young writer, author of the best seller book, “The Rape of Nanking“, a work that brought to light to western readers the horrors that the Japanese Imperial Army commited during their invassion of the city in 1937. The makers of the feature, combined Chang´s real footage from TV appearances, with dramatizations of passages from her life in which she´s wonderfully portrayed by the gorgeous Olivia Cheng, displaying on the screen the reasons and motivations Iris had to expose to the world […]

BEN & JODY: A Village Revolts In The Brand New Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

And just as I hoped, a new trailer is streaming online this week for Angga D. Sasongko’s Filosofi Kopi threequel, Ben & Jody. A seemingly completely tonal changeover from its more dramatic roots based on Dewi Lestari’s literary work, this film elevates to a more action-centric narrative, pitting our title characters at the core of an explosive and exciting new tale fitting enough to accomodate action legend Yayan Ruhian’s screen caliber opposite our leads, played by Chicco Jericho and Rio Dewanto. Also starring are actresses Hana P. Malasan and Aghniny Haque who can be sampled almost immediately in the trailer placing themselves favorably as a screenfighting pair. As for the skinny? Ben (Jericho) and Jody (Dewanto) are no longer in the coffee game together, while Jody’s recent farming activism in a remote village finds him reunited with Ben just as village falls to a gang of illegal loggers led by […]

HALO: Don’t Miss The Teaser For The New Live-Action Series

Lee B. Golden III

I haven’t really been a gamer post my Sega Genesis years, so I’ll leave the particulars of Paramount+’s new upcoming series, Halo, to the fans who’ve dabbled amply with the Xbox games the show is based on. As for the series teaser that just debuted for the eighth Annual Game Awards livestream on Thursday, it looks like a pretty rich and well done sampling of what lies ahead for its premiere next year. As a live-action series exclusively for Paramount+, HALO will take place in the universe that first came to be in 2001 with the launch of Xbox(R)’s first “Halo” game. Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, HALO the series will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future. The series stars Pablo Schreiber (“American Gods”) as the Master Chief, Spartan-117; Natascha […]

Super Spy Thrill Ride OPERATION FORTUNE Gets New Trailer

Edward Orndorff

Set to release in 2022, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre is the latest action comedy vehicle from veteran writer and director Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes [2009]). Led by action film mega-star Jason Statham (The Transporter, Crank, The Expendables), it sets Statham as super spy Orson Fortune as he teams up with a crew of the world’s top operatives to take down a billionaire arms broker. Supported by a cast including Aubrey Plaza (Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Child’s Play [2019]) , British Grime artist Bugzy Malone, and Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Stranger Things), he and his crew recruit Hollywood’s biggest star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnet, Lucky Number Slevin, 30 Days of Night) to attempt to stop arms dealer Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant, Cloud Atlas, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) from selling a deadly new weapon techhnology. The adventure promises to take our crew around the globe and, if the […]

COBRA KAI Season 4: Generational Rivalry Escalates In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

William Zabka and Ralph Macchio are back in session as a united front in the season four premiere of Cobra Kai. This time the two are paired once again against actors Martin Kove and Thomas Ian Griffith, further bringing the Karate Kid franchise fandom full circle following a climatic season three end that drew the battle lines once and for all. Also featured are Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, Peyton List, Jacob Bertrand, Tanner Buchanan, Gianni DeCenzo and many more among the roster of new and returning faces to gather as the series ramps up a fifth season with number 4 streaming on Netflix beginning December 31.

RRR: Brotherhood, Brawn And Ballistic Brutality In The Official Trailer For S.S. Rajamouli’s Latest Epic

Lee B. Golden III

By now the official trailer for S.S. Rajamouli’s new film, RRR, is pretty much selling itself after its exclusive theatrical cast and crew press premiere on Thursday. And not for nothing either, as it’s host to a slew of striking imagery to capture the mood and tone, with none other than actors NT Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan at the fiery forefront of this explosive tale of two freedom fighters rebelling against the British empire. That’s pretty much all we’ve had to go on up to this point, and gladly we have a trailer that dives a little more into the nuances of the premise. There are hints between some of the editing but there’s plenty for you to put two-and-two together to elucidate how our protagonists are brought full circle. Also listed are Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Olivia Morris, Samuthirakani, Alison Doody and Ray Stevenson among the cast […]

SCHEMES IN ANTIQUES: Well Go USA Sets December Date For Derek Kwok’s Latest

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is propping up nicely to end the year on a robust with new crime thriller, Schemes In Antiques. Billed on the marquee is director Derek Kwok (Full Strike, As The Lights Go Out), with a cast that lists Lei Jiayin (How Long will I Love U, Cliff Walkers) Li Xian (The Captain, Soul Snatcher) Xin Zhilei (Brotherhood of Blades 2, The Rescue) and Ge You (Farewell My Concubine, My People, My Country; My People, My Homeland). Despite his family’s famed expertise on ancient relics, Xu Yuan makes a simple living as the owner of an electronics shop, eager to distinguish himself from a disgraced ancestor executed for treason after stealing a Chinese artifact for Japan. But when a descendant offers to return the relic to China, Xu Yuan uncovers a decades-old mystery and embarks on a journey that could finally restore his family’s reputation—and may also cost […]

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BAD CITY: ‘Hydra’ Director Returns For Second Feature With V-Cinema Legend Hitoshi Ozawa

Lee B. Golden III

If you’ve been following this site for the last few years, you’ll notice the gargantuan fuss I’ve been making about Japanese stunt professional-turned-director Kensuke Sonomura, whose well-earned ceremony with his hit directorial debut Hydra, starring actor Masanori Mimoto, continues to this day. Thankfully, there’s more to report as film production in Japan gracefully ramped up a little more in the past year, and so the aforementioned duo have certainly been keeping busy. This especially goes for the latest reports out of the region on Sonomura’s sophomore feature, Bad City, which kicked off production in November and was officially announced to the press just several days ago in Nakama City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The film’s release in 2022 is set to mark the 60th birthday celebration for V-Cinema legend Hitoshi Ozawa, whose career of thirty four years includes credits films like Beat Takeshi’s Boiling Point, Takashi Miike’s Dead Or Alive, Hajime Gonno’s […]