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HIT LIST HEAD’S UP: Master Ken Joins Lunar Stunts For The OF MARTIAL ARTS AND MEN Shortfilm Trilogy

EXCLUSIVE: The week is not without its exasperation at times as I gather a good share of stunt reels, demos and shortfilms for weekly installments of The Hit List. Challenging, sure, but it certainly guarantees some of the most fun I have every week and frankly what makes it so enjoyable are some of the projects and creators themselves, especially if I vouched for them personally. With filmmaker and action director Eric Nguyen in this instance, I’d gladly do that ten times over. Fall back to late 2015 when Nguyen presented martial arts fans with the 16-minute action comedy, Of Martial Arts And Men, pitting Lunar Stunts principles, actors Irvin Nguyen and Mickey Arce at the center of an underdog tale about about a struggling martial arts teacher’s last ditch effort to save his school with the help of his newest student. The shortfilm is already one of a multitude […]

Crime Pic, SHOT CALLER, Lands At Saban With Early Teaser Poster Art

Lee B. Golden III

Bold Films just presented its latest teaser poster for the upcoming crime thriller, Shot Caller, for which we now have word of its new home this week at Saban Films according to Deadline. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh (Snitch) from his own script, the film sees Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game Of Thrones) leading the tale of a prison gangster fresh out from behind bars only to be forced back into the underworld by his superiors in lieu of a a major crime with a brutal rival gang on the streets of Southern California. Joining Coster-Waldau is actress Lake Bell and actor Jon Bernthal with Emory Cohen (Brooklyn), Omari Hardwick (Power), and Benjamin Bratt rounding out the cast. Waugh produced the film via his Cadre Filmworks banner next to Participant Media’s own Jonathan King, and Michel Litvak and Gary Michael Walters for Bold Films whose Jeffrey Stott and Lisa Zambri executive produced. […]

The Brand New ATOMIC BLONDE Trailer Reminds You Why We Like David Leitch

Lee B. Golden III

David Leitch has long had me sold – even before his shared success with co-director Chad Stahelski on John Wick in 2014. Bringing starpower and experience with filmic competence certainly helped along the way and no less with a career of well over twenty years which led to a fruitful partnership in training actors at Inglewood’s 8711 stunt and fight training camp. Yes, action fans are happy thusfar and Leitch is a proven influence in that regard as his latest, Atomic Blonde, readies its July 28 with Mad Max: Fury Road actress Charlize Theron showcasing her usual tough-as-nails gravitas for this stimulating new thriller to heat up your summer. Best of all here is that amid Hollywood’s habitual shaky-cam tomfoolery, you can also SEE what the hell is going on in the action as everything that gets punched, stabbed, kicked, shot or flipped over is caught on camera with the […]

Bateman, McAdams, Chandler Star In Action Comedy GAME NIGHT, Now Filming

Lee B. Golden III

Vacation helmers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are back in the saddle at Warner Bros. Pictures with principal photography is underway in Atlanta, Georgia for the new action comedy, Game Night. Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses) and Oscar nominee Rachel McAdams (Marvel’s Doctor Strange), are leading a cast from a script by Accepted scribe Mark Perez and with Bateman producing with John Davis, and with Marc S. Fischer, John Fox and James Garavente executive producing. From New Line Pictures, Game Night stars Bateman and McAdams along with Kyle Chandler (Manchester By The Sea) in the respective roles of Max and Annie, whose weekly couples game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s charismatic brother, Brooks, arranges a murder mystery party with all the trimmings, including fake thugs and faux federal agents. With the game already underway, Brooks supposedly gets kidnapped which is supposedly part of the “script” as all […]

THE HIT LIST: April 10, 2017

Lee B. Golden III

I may have to take a break from the Hit List next week so as to catch up on projects as well as movies. I miss watching movies these days…it’s funny. Of course, there’s always the chance I’ll have one ready for next week so we’ll see. For now, all matters pertaining to this week’s installment are now front and center for your viewing, and we begin with a hearty playlist of demo reels from some of today’s top and rising stunt performers, and included are Hayley Wright, Duke Jackson, Eimar O’Grady, Chris Schmidt Jr., T. Ryan Mooney, Sarah Laidler, Allen Quindiagan, Elissa Cadwell, Carl Langlais, Jean-Paul Ly, PeiPei Alena Yuan, Tom Caserto and Shaun Alphonso with stunt coordinator John Kreng rounding things out via Vimeo with an extended workreel following last week’s entry. Enjoy! There are only three items on the promotional end of things this week and with the first, […]

Watch The Official U.S. Trailer For Matthias Hoene’s ENTER THE WARRIOR’S GATE

Lee B. Golden III

Cockneys VS. Zombies helmer Matthias Hoene’s latest cinematic adventure has already seen its share of screentime throughout Asia and is now poised to take on a limited theatrical rollout for Enter The Warrior’s Gate. Granted the first thing that comes to mind when looking at the trailer from any angle are any number of previous films that transport a Western protagonist to an ancient Asian setting and so there’s no hiding it, but if a little fantasy action is what you need to get your May started, this one might be up your alley. Epic fantasy-adventure meets martial arts action in this thrilling film written by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen. After a mysterious chest opens a gateway through time, teen gamer Jack (Uriah Shelton) is transported to an ancient empire terrorized by a cruel barbarian king (former WWE superstar Dave Bautista). Jack will need all of his gaming […]

Cinevest Acquires Anna Mormando’s Indie MA Drama, BOUND BY DEBT

Lee B. Golden III

Things have been slowly coming together in the past few years with actor, filmmaker and martial artist Paul Mormando for the new action drama, Bound By Debt. Efforts on that end have since extended to Cinevest Interactive who have reportedly acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film for its December release marking wife and film partner Anna Mormando’s own debut at the helm. Paul Mormando plays Dylan James a rough and tough underground fighter who is estranged from his family. Robert James is an addicted gambler with a wife and two daughters. When Dylan can no longer fulfill his obligations to the mob, Mob Boss Mr. Russo uses Robert’s gambling addiction and family as leverage against Dylan. The two brothers will have to reunite to save themselves and Robert’s family. Bobby Ciasulli also stars and is joined by Nikki Silva and Alexis Mormando with actor Samuel DiFiore, and hailing from […]

THOR: RAGNAROK Reacquaints Old Enemies And Frenemies In The First Teaser Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

If there’s one thing you have to commend Marvel for doing, is keeping their end of all things film such good fun no matter how much people pine for something R-rated or family-friendly. At best, they’ve maintained quite the balance on all ends with thrilling action and storytelling with a cohesive narrative that keeps things nonetheless grounded in the whirlwind of fantasy we’re immersed in. That is now something we get to test out with director Taika Watiti at the helm for his current delivery with Thor: Ragnarok with Chris Hemsworth back and donning a slightly more dapper hairdo to accompany the beefcake Asgardian appearance. Joining in on the fun is the ceremonial return of Marvel familiar’s Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk once more, with actor Karl Urban on the villain end of things as Skurge and Cate Blanchett in the seething role of Hela, […]

THE WITNESS SPEAKS: An Interview With Actor And Filmmaker José Manuel

Lee B. Golden III

It’s probably a pretty timely thing for me to be able to interview someone like José Manuel. Jackie Chan just had a birthday and Manuel, well… he’s probably one of the biggest Chan fans I’ve interviewed in my time on this site. He’s bigger than me for sure, and in the wake of his own efforts as a filmmaker and entertainer with a distinct and profound love for action on film, I couldn’t be more proud of him. I actually REALLY wanted to meet him late last year when he attended the events at the Urban Action Showcase and Expo, only I had approximately zero clue that he was in town and had only found out when he presented a documentary video of his trip on social media. I was a bit floored and a laughed it off; it wasn’t too upsetting, rather just delightful to know that New York City […]

Review: SABAN’S POWER RANGERS (2017) Proves Its Reboot Worth

Lee B. Golden III

I’m like most recovering casuals as of late when it comes to anything remotely having to do with the Tokusatsu genre of film and television. That said, there’s still plenty of content to take in from Japanese TV shows and movies, though America’s participation in this signals a tremendous and opportune moment for us Westerners as part of the worldwide audience. Needless to say, if you were a Fox Kids viewer on Saturday mornings, you were never bored and due largely in part to the succession of Toei’s succession of their Super Sentai franchise with Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Crossing over into North America with producer Haim Saban and Shuki Levy for the longstanding hit series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the show took on multiple evolutions on the small AND big screens, all now preceding Lionsgate and SCG Films on their quest to birth a new big screen franchise reboot starting […]

McQuarrie Lights The Fuse With Production Start For M:I 6 – MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Lee B. Golden III

Paramount/Skydance To say that there are some high hopes for the next installment of the Mission Impossible franchise would be an understatement. I reckon both returning lead actor Tom Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie have that covered planning some big stunt sequences having been planned in the past year, and they’ve now gone full speed ahead with production underway according to McQuarrie’s latest tweet below: Light the fuse… (photo @rdhardy) pic.twitter.com/kidurRcjpi — ChristopherMcQuarrie (@chrismcquarrie) April 8, 2017 Plot details remain unknown but the cast will have a mix of new and returning faces with Cruise joined by Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin from the hit fifth film, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and actors Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner reprising from previous installments; Roles attributed to actor Henry Cavill, and actresses Vanessa Kirby and Sian Brooke remain to be detailed, and with more casting news ahead. Cruise is proucing with Don […]

Help Kickstart STORIES FROM THE TRENCHES: THE OFFICIAL SAM FIRSTENBERG BOOK!

Lee B. Golden III

Like the artwork in the thumbnail above? Well you can thank German poster designer Ralf Krause whose latest piece of work is now the efficacy of famed Hollywood filmmaker Sam Firstenberg in current efforts by Marco Siedelmann on Kickstarter. The goal? Stories From The Trenches: The Official Sam Firstenberg Book which will contain intricate stories from the eyes, ears and experiences from our subject among others, comprising decades of a bygone era of film production from a studio famous for its hallmark output of stellar independent B-movies featuring iconic stars of its time, and much, much more! The Kickstarter page delves deeper into the various entities of the forthcoming book which now has just over a month as of this write-up to reach its $10K+ goal, and all in exchange for perks to match the donor amount options listed. Feel free to check it out as well as a much […]

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Luc Besson’s THE FIFTH ELEMENT Snags A Two-Day 20th Anniversary 4K Theatrical Screening Event In May

Lee B. Golden III

I remember first catching the trailer for Luc Besson’s upcoming sci-fi, Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets and likening it to the director’s equally splendid intergalactic futuristic sci-fi bid, The Fifth Element. Granted the film’s over-the-top bravado and almost anime-style delivery, the formula itself applied a groundbreaking tale that garnered the film’s succession at the box office nearly 20 years ago. 20 years later, The Fifth Element is now heading back to limited theaters this May for a two-day anniversary screening event. The presentation will be shown on May 14 and May 17 at 2:00pm and 7:00pm (both local time), in 4K resolution hosted by Fathom Events and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment prior to the film’s then-homebound release debut on 4K Ultra HD on July 11. Per the announcement: From its opening scenes in 1914 Egypt to its towering views of 23rd Century New York City, and its […]

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KABANERI OF THE IRON FORTRESS Kicks Off Anime Movie Night Later This Month!

Lee B. Golden III

Crunchyroll is ramping up its proliferation a little more this Spring as per its January announcement for Anime Movie Night, among other things. With that in mind, they’re ringing it in with their first event feature in the form of the Kabaneri Of The Iron Fortress Double Feature: Part 1: Light That Gathers and Part 2: Life That Burns. SYNOPSIS: During the industrial revolution, mankind is threatened by a sudden emergence of undead monsters who can only be killed by piercing their heart through an iron plate. Those bitten become one of them. Called “Kabane,” these monsters exploded in number. The Hinomoto people built fortress stations and barricaded themselves inside. Only steam locomotives, the Hayajiros, can travel between them. The 12 episode series aired on Fuji TV last year before releasing as two aforementioned compilation films in December prior to Crunchyroll’s merchandising acquisition thereafter. Tickets are available for purchase by […]

Catch THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS Cast & Crew World Premiere Live In NYC This Saturday

Lee B. Golden III

The marketing is in full swing with just one week through to the release of the new movie, The Fate Of The Furious. The official Facebook page will have its own live feed from New York City for its world premiere on Saturday, April 8 at 6:30pm EST to which you can tune in through the player just below via its fan page. While you’re at it, I came across YouTuber Rossatron’s latest video dissecting the Fast franchise and exploring just what it is that makes it so successful. He makes some pretty staunch points about it, and all worth keeping in mind as we look toward the next two films rounding out the saga from Universal Pictures. Sidebar: As for how they’ll do it…well, I’m pretty sure they’ll find a way to make it work, though the Diesel V. Johnson beef still puzzles me some.

See The Elric Brothers In Action In The Official FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Manga author Arakawa Hiromu’s 2001-2003 Enix publication, Fullmetal Alchemist, has stood the test of time with two animated series and films and further posterity on home release platforms. Given this, I guess the next obvious step would be to take things further and test the waters with a live-action approach, a feat that is never easy to do and especially with a story as big, sprawling and emotionally compelling as this one. It brings us the story of two brothers, held together only by the bond as strong as their skills in alchemy following one of the most peak, tragic moments in their childhood, and an act of blasphemy that would gravely change their lives. It’s a story that only thickens more and more as you go with military drama and upheaval as part of the central narrative, and with characters both real, and twice as supernatural. There’s conspiracy, danger, […]

CANNIBALS AND CARPET FITTERS Offers A Helluva Way To Watch What You Eat In The First Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

In for some action and horror with heavy doses of blood, gore and other reasons to watch your eating habits? Then Predator: Dark Ages helmer James Bushe’s Cannibals And Carpet Fitters is right up your alley with post-production already underway, building on its previous shortfilm successes from a few years earlier. SYNOPSIS: A group of carpet fitters are sent on a job to an old country house in the middle of nowhere. However they soon discover it is a trap set up by the savage, cannibalistic family, the Hannings. The carpet fitters are forced to fight for their lives or risk ending up being the evenings dinner. Unfortunately they are not quite your typical heroes! Darren Sean Enright and Richard Lee O’Donnell wrote the script as well as return to star themselves next to actor Dominic Holmes, martial arts exponents – actress Zara Phythian (Marvel’s Doctor Strange) and actor Grant […]

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER TWO Locks And Loads On Blu-Ray And 4K Ultra HD This Summer

Lee B. Golden III

John Wick: Chapter 2 (4K Ultra HD) [Blu-ray] If you went and saw John Wick: Chapter Two in theaters this past Winter or at all on the big screen, chances are you’ve endured one of the best action movies and sequels therein by far. Some will try, or have tried, to present counterpoint on this, but I reckon that the John Wick canbase that began flourishing in 2014 isn’t staying quiet over this one, and now its heading to Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD this summer. Peep the details and specs below courtesy of Blu-Ray.com and pre-order your copies today. Summit Entertainment and Lionsgate Home Entertainment will bring to 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray director Chad Stahelski’s action film John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), starring Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Bridget Moynahan, Ruby Rose, and Laurence Fishburne. The two releases will be available for purchase on June 13. Official Synopsis: In this […]

CHUCK: Rocky Meets ‘The Real Rocky’ In The First Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Last year’s news saw no shortage of boxing movie titles and director Philippe Falardeau’s latest, Chuck, was one of them. Dealing with the life and times of one of boxing’s celebrated figures is a script from Jeff Feuerzeig and Jerry Stahl with actor Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) leading the tale both inside the ring AND out. SYNOPSIS: He was the pride of Bayonne, New Jersey, a man who went fifteen rounds in the ring with Muhammad Ali, and the real life inspiration for Rocky Balboa. But before all that, Chuck Wepner (Liev Schreiber) was a liquor salesman and father with a modest prizefighting career whose life changed overnight when, in 1975, he was chosen to take on The Greatest in a highly publicized title match. It’s the beginning of a wild ride through the exhilarating highs and humbling lows of sudden fame—but what happens when your fifteen minutes in the […]

Alexander Nevsky Thriller, BLACK ROSE, Gets An April Outing In The U.S.

Lee B. Golden III

Don’t fall asleep on multifaceted action star/producer/director Alexander Nevsky. His latest U.S. release with the long-awaited thriller, Black Rose, is finally poised for a North American release with word of ITN Distribution’s acquisition of the film hailing from Nevsky’s Hollywood Storm banner. The film, which opens in the U.S. on April 28, is a mix of what our own James Couche described in his review as, among other things, “a gutsy move for a first-time director” in his debut following a spate of locally produced action thrillers in his native Russia, and here with a more cerebral formula in the vein of Red Heat. Nevsky is joined by Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines), and actors Adrian Paul, Robert Davi and Matthias Hues for the story of a Russian police major who sets out to bolster the LAPD’s investigation into a series of gruesome murders of young women […]