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Frank Grillo in "Hounds Of War" (2024) - XYZ Films

HOUNDS OF WAR Review: Frank Grillo Evens The Playing Field In Isaac Florentine’s Leveled-Up Revenge Thriller

Hounds Of War arrives on Digital on September 20 from XYZ Films. The current state of Isaac Florentine’s directing career is a bit of a mystery these days. He still remains as a fixture among the cadre of take-home action fandom for most, particularly having sheperded the post-Walter Hill Undisputed sequels of DTV lore amid his 30+ year career proliferating some of the best in martial arts movie stardom. Interestingly, he’s had a few core signs during this period that he was maturing (or at least trying to) as a director, namely with films like Assassin’s Bullet and Antonio Banderas starrer, Acts Of Vengance. His latest now comes after wrapping things up with his Boyka-of-choice with Scott Adkins starrer, Seized, having since collaborated with leading man Frank Grillo whose name has been on the chyron of trade casting reports almost year round for more than a decade now, having worked […]

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Fantastic Fest XIX Review: Kensuke Sonomura’s GHOST KILLER Scares Up A Killer Thriller With Supernatural Delight

Lee B. Golden III

Ideally, if you follow a certain filmmaker favorite long enough, the possibilities grow even more fascinating in terms of tangential topical discourse. For starters, I’ve seen the action fandom opine over the connectivity of Jesse V. Johnson’s films, and chatter over what Jason Statham’s cameo in Michael Mann’s Collateral could mean. Even Hasbro is on the verge of finally coalescing two of its hit properties since Steven Caple Jr.’s Transformers entry last year. By extension, I imagine a world nowadays where discussions could – if not already – begin materializing on the kind of tapestrial coherence of the burgeoning directorial work of action specialist, Kensuke Sonomura. Immediately with 2019’s Hydra and 2022’s Bad City, Sonomura proved his vigor and value as a cinematic storyteller capable of putting together quality action cinema marketable to audiences worldwide. In doing so, he’s introduced fans to a colloquial cinematic world all his own – […]

Lionsgate's teaser poster for DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA

DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA: The Chase Is On In The Official Trailer For The Upcoming Action Crime Sequel

Lee B. Golden III

It only took seven years to make happen but the campaign for Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera is finally here!… Lionsgate rolled out the first teaser poster on Wednesday featuring Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. in one of the most compelling face-offs in heist genre history, and you know the hype is real if you’ve seen 2018’s Den Of Thieves and watched as Butler’s tattered L.A. detective wrestle his way through marital fallout, and self-destructive booziness while blazing his way through a cerebral game of wits and bullets with a deadly gang of armed robbers and their cunning leader. The man back at the helm is none other than Christian Gudegast whose work on the first film is nothing short of celebrated by any and all who’ve been heralding the film’s reception with comparisons to Michael Mann’s Heat. Gudegast also wrote the script in which case if memorable moments […]

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REEZA GTR Hits The Gas With The Official Trailer For The New Malaysian Actioner

Lee B. Golden III

It took a bit of pointing and tapping to find what’s what and who with this but the official trailer is out for Ahmad Idham’s new action flick, Reeza GTR. The trailer itself crackles with energy aplenty and all the trimmings and nods to its target audience from fast cars to faster fighting moves, and a hero to root for in actor and singer Alif Satar. Reeza, a young man with a big heart, is on the verge of achieving his dreams. When he meets the beautiful Myra hiding in the trunk of his car, his life turns chaotic and is never the same again as she is on the run from mysterious persons. The film also stars Sophia Albarakbah, Nelissa Nizam, Eizlan Yusof, and Ropie, and opens in Malaysian theaters October 17.

HAYRIDE TO HELL Trailer: Strap In For The New Horror Comedy From Breaking Glass Pictures

Lee B. Golden III

Breaking Glass Pictures is releasing the new horror comedy thriller Hayride To Hell on digital and on demand beginning September 24. The film stars screen icons Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, House of 1000 Corpses) and Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th franchise), in their latest work who previously worked together on Christian Winters/Alan Smithee’s Old 37 (2015). Set on the Coxe Family Farm in rural Willis County, Farmer Sam (Bill Moseley) exacts his bloody revenge on unscrupulous local town-folk, including Sheriff Jubel (Kane Hodder), who menace him and attempt to steal the farm that has been in his family for 200 years. Hayride To Hell is directed by Dan Lantz (Alice and the Vampire Queen, Alpha Rift, and Bloodrunners) from a script by Kristina Chadwick and Robert Lange, the latter whose family-owned Sugartown Strawberries Farm in Lavern, Pennsylvania was where the movie was made. News of the release […]

SUPER SPIES AND SECRET LIES: Eureka Rolls Out A Trio Of Bond-Inspired Shaw-Produced Espionage Classics In November!

Lee B. Golden III

Eureka Entertainment is taking the superspy leap with a trio of spy-themed Shaw Brothers productions in Super Spies and Secret Lies. The titles, The Golden Buddha, Angel with the Iron Fists and The Singing Thief, will roll out via the Eureka Classics shingle beginning November 19 in North America on Limited Edition Blu-Ray with 2000 copies per territory. Read on for the language and catch the trailer! Following the enormous international success of Dr. No and From Russia with Love, Bondmania swept the globe and initiated a cycle of Bondsploitation movies. Studios all over the world sought to capitalize on James Bond and the concept of the super-spy – including Hong Kong’s venerable Shaw Brothers, who began producing tales of intrigue, espionage, and grand theft in the mid-1960s. Eureka Classics presents three of their best in this special-edition set: The Golden Buddha, Angel with the Iron Fists and The Singing […]

KILL ‘EM ALL 2 reveals the trailer for the unexpected sequel

Mike Garcia

In 2017, Jean Claude Van Damme teamed up with friend and occasional collaborator Peter Malota (The Quest, The Order) for his directorial debut. The result was a direct-to-video film with some good action moments but an overall somewhat uneven result that failed to satisfy the Belgian actor’s fans. Nobody could have expected that seven years later we would have a direct sequel to that film, this time with Bulgarian Valeri Milev (Code Red, Bullets of Justice) replacing Malota in the directing duties, for a sequel that at first glance and judging by its trailer, seems to offer a more refined product that may manage to make up for the shortcomings of its predecessor. This direct sequel sets the story seven years later from its predecessor, the plot follows Phillip (Jean Claude Van Damme) after his retirement as spy, living a peaceful life in Italy, but peace won´t last long when […]

MICKEY 17 Trailer: Robert Pattinson(s) Collide In Bong Joon-Ho’s Interstellar Latest!

Lee B. Golden III

Bong Joon-ho has always had a fantastic way of telling stories with compelling and subversive social messages. His latest effort seems indicative as much based on what we can now see in the first official trailer for the new sci-fi adventure, Mickey 17, with Robert Pattinson starring alongside….well, other… Robert… Pattinsons? Wow. From the Academy Award-winning writer/director of “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho, comes his next groundbreaking cinematic experience, “Mickey 17.” The unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living. Also starring Naomi Ackie, and Steven Yeun, and Academy Award nominees Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. Warner Bros. Pictures is rolling out international releases on January 28 next year ahead of its U.S. release on January 31 in theaters and IMAX. Enjoy the trailer!

THE SWORD: Eureka Unsheathes The 1980 Wuxia Classic In 2K Limited Edition Blu-Ray This November!

Lee B. Golden III

I have a feeling that Patrick Tam’s The Sword was one of those remastered specialty picks that played a festival that flew off my radar at some point. Certainly it feels like it. At any rate, this baby is now coming to a phys-media outlet near you with Eureka Entertainment announcing their release of the 1980 wuxia classic as part of the Eureka Classics line beginning November 19. The film will be made available on Blu-Ray and with a 2k restoration with a limited edition release of the package rolling out 2000 copies (per territory), which include exclusive features such as an O-card slipcase, and a collector’s booklet. Read on for the language below and then head over to the MVD shop to make your pre-order! Best known as a key contributor to the Hong Kong New Wave as the director of My Heart is That Eternal Rose and the […]

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The Criterion Collections Picks Up A Slice Of Sammo Hung Military Madness This December!

Shaun Williams

Every now and again, the guys and gals at Criterion – who are mostly known for releasing some rather high-brow cinema on Blu-ray – give action fans something special. Whether it’s their Police Story and Once Upon a Time in China releases or John Woo’s Last Hurrah for Chivalry, they certainly know their Hong Kong cinema. And so it should come as no surprise that, yesterday, Criterion announced they’ll be releasing Sammo Hung’s military actioner, EASTERN CONDORS, on shiny Blu-ray in December. Region locked US residents have been waiting for this once, since the only decent releasee as of late has been the Region B Eureka! Entertainment disc, which saw the film in a three-movie set with The Magnficent Butcher and The Iron-Fisted Monk. Criterion’s release will be standalone and, per usual, is jampacked with special features. Per Criterion: Legendary actor-director Sammo Hung delivers a bazooka blast of pure adrenaline in this exemplar of Hong Kong action […]

Brooklyn Horror Film Fest IX: The Full Line-Up Is Here!

Lee B. Golden III

No, I don’t typically cover horror on this platform, but there’s always something for everyone on some scale when it comes to these festivals. The upcoming ninth edition of the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival is no different, as shown with the details now available in the full line-up which you can below ahead of its launch next month. Peep the festival art below as well with the language just beneath encompassing all there is to know about what’s in store with badges now on sale and limited tickets up for grabs this Friday! Brooklyn, NY– The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (BHFF) announces today the full program for its 2024 incarnation, running October 17-24 with all screenings held at Nitehawk Cinema’s Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations. Audiences are in for an unworldly lineup of films and events, including a special screening of Larry Fessenden’s HABIT with the Leviathan Award Ceremony, honoring his film career. The Opening Night film is […]

CELLS AT WORK: Mei Nagano And Takeru Satoh Fight Back Against Formidable Ills In The Official Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

The official trailer is out for Hideki Takeuchi’s long-awaited adaptation of the hit manga and anime, Cells At Work. Best of all apart from the featuring of Mei Nagano and Takeru Satoh is the inclusion of other key characters, and now with actors Abe Sadawo and Mina Ashida adding the apropos human element to the stakes. The film, as fans of Akane Shimizu’s IP know it, embarks on an Osmosis Jones-style adventure of a red blood cell and her travails at maintaining the human body, alongside all the requisite cells needed – including the bacteria and virus-batling white blood cells and T-cells, and the healing cells to form clots. I love Takeuchi’s approach already, and not that I wasn’t already sold on the teaser from a while back, but this trailer makes a great case for recommended viewing. Cells At Work arrives in Japan cinemas from Warner Bros. Japan on […]

REDEMPTION Teaser Surfaces With Michael Chuah Back In Action!

Lee B. Golden III

Oof! The last we heard from actor and filmmaker Michael Chuah for his latest production with Redemption was in 2022 when cameras were rolling. Fast forward a little under two-and-a-half years later and at long last the first sign of life has since gone online with a first look teaser featuring Chuah in leading man fashion for Malaysia’s moviegoing demos. A mercenary who wants to undergo a peaceful life, has to come out of retirement when he sees his newly moved in neighbours being targeted by the local crime syndicate. The film also stars Mimi Chu, Tian Long, and Cherry Cheng, and is subject to a January 2025 release. Catch the teaser below!

Sammo Hung smoking - Twilight of the Warriors - Walled In

TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN Hits Digital, DVD, Blu-Ray, And 4K UHD This Fall From Trinity CineAsia

Lee B. Golden III

Trinity CineAsia is out to make its case with the upcoming UK/Irish home releases of Soi Cheang’s Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In. The film stars Raymond Lam, Terrence Lau, German Cheung and Tony Wu, along with Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Richie Jen, and Philip Ng. From award-winning director Soi Cheang (Mad Fate, Limbo, Dog Bite Dog), this gritty, fight-filled epic is adapted from the cult Manga series “City of Darkness” by Andy Seto and based on the novel by Yuyi. Set in British colonial Hong Kong in the 1980’s, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In follows a troubled youth as he accidentally enters the infamous Kowloon Walled City – a dangerous Chinese enclave ripe with gang crime and corruption. He soon discovers order amidst the chaos, and gains life lessons from the inhabitants as they resist a villainous invasion. With a production budget of $40 million USD, it is […]

BEFORE DAWN Blu-Ray Review: Jordon Prince-Wright’s Serviceable WWI Epic

Lee B. Golden III

Before Dawn is a new WWI epic drama, directed by Jordon Prince-Wright who co-wrote the script with Jarrad Russell. The film stars Levi Miller as Jim Collins, the son of an outback sheep farmer who decides against the wishes of his father to join the ANZAC Corps in the fight against the Nazis in France. The result is a cataclysmic journey of tragedy, dark reflection and bravery chronicling the near-900 day endeavor as we watch Jim tackle the dogs of war, measuring his own courage and ideal school of thought against an environment encumbered by a survival-first instinct. This aspect of the story is explored aptly through brewing tension between Jim, and Thomas Nickles (Travis Jeffery) following a mission gone wrong resulting in the death of Travis’s brother, Harry. The impasse eventually reaches a boiling point under the stewardship of their superiors, including the dogged Sgt. Beaufort (Myles Pollard), even […]

TIGER COP: PROJECT A: Richard Norton Joins In As Maria Tran And Adrian Castro Hail Next Chapter In The Nostalgic HK Style Shortfilm Saga

Lee B. Golden III

Fans of the independent Fideo Films and Phoenix Eye platforms are reconvening once more for another entry into the cult “Tiger Cop” shortfilm saga with Tiger Cop: Project A. Aussie director Adrian Castro will reteam with rising star Maria Tran (Tracer, Suka, Echo 8) on the new short with cameras rolling in Sydney and Melbourne in December. Tran will lead a cast that also lists Melbourne-based collaborators Vinh Nguyen, martial artists Louis Damien Chaurémootoo and David Hong, and comedian/actor Georgina Neville. Further bolstering the roster is legendary action star Richard Norton, whose credits partly include Twinkle Twinke Lucky Stars (1985), China O’Brien (1988) and its 1990 sequel, as well as Mr. Nice Guy (1987), Mad Max: Fury Road and its 2024 prequel, Furiosa, and upcoming Cynthia Rothrock Western vehicle, Black Creek. The concept behind Tiger Cop: Project A is a highly celebrated one for fans of the 80s and early-90s […]

Streaming Sleepers: Killers And Killer Gimmicks Run Amuck In Chris Huo’s THE COMEBACK

Lee B. Golden III

The Comeback is currently streaming on Hi-YAH!, and is available on Digital from Well Go USA. Mainland action titles tend to fall by the wayside for me. This is mainly because I don’t have an iQIYI account like some of my mutuals do, and so I rely on the good will and economic viability of a streamer like Hi-YAH! to obtain these kinds of titles for their output to the niche Asian film crowd which I’m a part of. Alas, we get The Comeback, which marks the most recent reteaming of director Chris Huo and his Blind War star Andy On, who takes a seat here as antagonist to lead thespian Simon Yam. The streamer’s logline would have you thinking differently as it cites Yam’s role as Mr. Hua, a revered antique dealer in a small village who helps fight back against a violent gang trying to seize the properties. […]

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FIGHT AGAINST EVIL Review: Xiao Mie fights crime in an intense action thriller

Mike Garcia

Xiao Mie (As God, Fighting for the Motherland) grew up in movie sets in company of film deities such as Jet Li (My Father is a Hero, Legend of the red dragon) or Chow Yun Fat (Hard Boiled, The killer) and being directed at a very young age by legendary filmmakers such as Corey Yuen (Above the Law, Ultraforce) or Wong Jing (God Of Gamblers, City Hunter), is undeniable that there´s no better film school than have been blessed with the chance of learning the craft from the best, This, combined with his exceptional qualities and overwhelming charisma, has made Xiao Mie become, in his own right, one of the most visible faces of action cinema coming from China. FIGHT AGAINST EVIL, was small production released in 2021 highly influenced by the forays into cop films by Wilson Yip (Ip Man, SPL) with Donnie Yen (Flash Point, Kung Fu Jungle) […]

TAKE COVER Trailer rumbles the screen with the promise of a good action spectacle

Mike Garcia

Signature Entertainment has launched the trailer of the next adventure starred by who is possibly nowadays the most beloved action star by all those fans who long for the older style of action cinema in which problems were resolved using the the fists and throwing kicks and bullets flew all over the screen barely hurting anyone. The trailer promises to the fandom a good dose of good action entertainment with Scott Adkins in good shape, soon fans will have the chance of enjoying his efforts on “DEATH MARCH” by Louis Mandylor, a story set in Philippines during World War II, or the expected “DIABLO” by Ernesto Diaz Espinosa, in which is expected a new epic showdown between the British actor and Marko Zaror. On TAKE COVER, Adkins is well accompanied by Alice Eve (Bombshell), in a plot that revolves around Sam Lorde (Scott Adkins) a hitman who after a hit […]

Beyond Fest 2024: Catch The Full Line-Up!

Lee B. Golden III

Info on the twelfth edition of Beyond Fest is out this week as of Thursday with the full line-up and tickets on sale as of Friday. The picks are jam-packed with a variety of notable hits and new arrivals. Speed fans might be keen on grabbing a seat with the actor in attendance. Check out the announcement below with links included to the Beyond Fest and American Cinematheque websites: THE BIGGEST GENRE FILM FESTIVAL IN THE U.S., BEYOND FEST, RETURNS FOR ITS 12TH OUTING WITH AN 82-FEATURE SLATE AND 15 DAYS OF GLOBAL CINEMATIC CELEBRATION Beyond Fest announces its 2024 festival slate including the World Premiere of SALEM’S LOT, a Very Special Screening of DEVARA: PART 1, International Premiere of Toho’s MY HERO ACADEMIA: YOU’RE NEXT, West Coast Premieres of THE BRUTALIST in 70mm with Brady Corbet, Palme d’Or winner ANORA with Sean Baker and Mikey Madison, Ali Abbasi’s THE APPRENTICE, Marielle […]