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New Posters And Trailer Arrive For Tsui Hark's THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN 3D

The promotional campaign has been a slow and steady one throughout the year for director Tsui Hark‘s latest offering, The Taking Of Tiger Mountain 3D. This week however, Bona Film Group is picking things up with a promotional blitz for the epic period actioner, packaged with new trailer and a flurry of new character posters to boot. The film bares roots in history as late author Qu Bo’s 1957 debut short novel prior to becoming a popular Beijing opera during the 1960s, all based on a real-life event that took place in 1946 during the Chinese Civil War about a hero Communist soldier who infiltrates a gang of bandits. It’s a story of war, strategy and intrigue, and for our dear legendary director, that also means epic gun battles on skiis, Mexican standoffs, a dash of romance, and yes, maybe even a 3D tiger, but who’s complaining? The Taking Of […]

Here's Another Batch Of Online Action Shorts From Around The Web!

Lee B. Golden III

As many of you all know in partaking in our collective readership, I also try to share the spotlight with all the various talented performers out their presenting their own short test fight samples online. I do try to cover as much as I get my hands on or whatever comes my way, although it’s challenging at times to lend individual coverage for each project I spot. So, in the spirit of keeping up with independent artists, I’m now presenting clusters of micro articles like this. It probably won’t be a weekly thing, but if it helps entertain and grant folks an opportunity to share their craft more, then all the better. So, here goes! An active team since 2010, Kung Fu Heroes recently unveiled a new promo reel to headline some of their previous and upcoming work. A few of their members I know of already have projects of […]

THE KICKBOXER Reunites Pyun And Mitchell, Gets New Format, New Synopsis And Start Date!

Lee B. Golden III

Artwork by Glenn Cochrane It’s been well over a year and a half since filmmaker Albert Pyun announced a handful of details for an online serial return to the set with martial artist and actor Sasha Mitchell spinning off the Kickboxer saga. That was three months before stating his retirement from film after a 32-year long career upon being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the time, although thankfully, the award-winning director has since remained upbeat with good consultation on his health from doctors and the support of wife and business partner, Cynthia Curran. That said, previous activity on Pyun‘s Facebook page in the past year indicates he had still been brewing a few ideas with the intent on returning to the Kickboxer franchise in some capacity, long after directing two of the four films succeeding the first film with Jean-Claude Van Damme in 1989 from Mark DiSalle and David Worth. […]

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AFM 2014: Steven Seagal To Star In CYPHER

Lee B. Golden III

Well, it’s official. After twelve years of languishing largely in direct-to-video territory while dabbling in reality televsion, instilling friendships with Russian leaders and American law enforcement certain political and law enforcement, actor, expert martial artist and musician Steven Seagal is ready to go back to the big screen. Five months away from any talk of a possible third installment of Under Siege following his 1992 and 1995 films, Seagal is prepping a new $25 million dollar actioner titled Cypher with production company and international sales agent, Aldamisa International, LLC. His original script for the film will focus on the actor’s lead role as a special forces operative who decides to circumvent bureaucracy by going rogue in order to hunt down terrorists being sanctioned by the government. There is no director or other cast as of yet, but it is a breath of fresh air for fans in lieu of his […]

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Hypnotic Samurai Drama DARK SAMURAI Gets A New Teaser!

Lee B. Golden III

Versatile actor David Sakurai is back with another step forward in immersing himself as an action star with writer and director Sidney Lexy Plaut‘s latest feature-length endeavor, Dark Samurai. The new film, produced by Adriana Filipczuk and executive produced by Lene Borglum (Only God Forgives), takes on a visually intense, arthouse-style approach to its multi-dimensional story focused on iconic samurai warrior and author Miyamoto Musashi. Sure, it’s a switch in gears for Sakurai following his electric performance in the martial arts action short, Echoes Of A Ronin, but presents an otherwise stunning and solid new look while stepping into more contemplative territory for its surreal setup. via Twitchfilm: Dark Samurai is inspired by the legend of Miyamoto Musashi, who was one of the most famous Japanese ronin and warrior philosophers. This alternate and very visual interpretation of the fate Musashi is brought into a mixture of a contemporary Yakuza underworld […]

Watch The New Teaser For Upcoming Short, VENGEANCE…MAIS From Aballa Stunts!

Lee B. Golden III

Screenfighting and filmmaking company, Aballa Stunts is still thriving from time to time. Support is close to nil on their home territory despite aiming to put their native Algeria on the map for action cinema, a circumstance shared by many parts of the world, and its safe to say that achieving this kind of goal will ultimately take some time, as well as effort. This month, that effort can now be seen continued in the upcoming short, Vengeance…Mais, a French-language crime thriller directed by Mohammed Besbas and centered on a story of one cop’s search for vengeance against the men who killed his little brother. No English-subs here, but clearly the footage seen in the new teaser is something that aims for something cool to present, especially for fans of martial arts and indie action. Check it out below and support the channel by subscribing!

Jude Law Up For A Villainous Role In KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a while since I saw Jude Law swing a sword, I think. But it will be nonetheless refreshing to see him on the big screen in medieval fashion for the forthcoming production of Knights Of The Round Table from Warner Bros. Pictures. and Village Roadshow Pictues. Variety reported on Friday that Law is currently eyeing the part of a villain role in this, his possible return to the set with Sherlock Holmes 1 and 2 director Guy Ritchie who was attached to the film this year. If confirmed, Law would join actor Charlie Hunnam in the title role of King Arthur along with lead actress Astrid Berges-Frisbey in the role of Lady Guinevere based on the story of the legendary 5th and 6th century British leader whose life has often been a source of folklore through books, film and television; actor Idris Elba was previously rumored for a supporting […]

Upcoming Action Short, BREED OF HUNTERS Gets An Extended Intro Clip

Lee B. Golden III

Independent productions can take great lengths of time to put together, a fact known full well for actor and martial artist Wildchild Gil Sanabria following an earlier teaser for his upcoming shortfilm thriller, Breed Of Hunters. The project was already on its way a bit before then, but slowed down due to necessary rewrites following a departure from one of the actors involved. Rewrites are currently being done for the project which is now expected to fully commense hopefully earlier next year with a new script and cast (and possibly a new title) to accommodate an otherwise great-looking, original project. Breed Of Hunters follows the story of Giovanni Fierro, an inside man for hire, who gathers and sells information in the underground world. He later gets caught in between two sides of justice when he comes across top secret government information revealing an ulterior agenda. While we await further info […]

Check Out The Teaser For This Mystery Project From Danish Action Team, STUNT 360

Lee B. Golden III

European Stunt School founder, filmmaker and longtime stuntman Jacob Sebastian Malm is currently in his eleventh year of activity with Copenhagen-based international stunt and screenfighting performance team, Stunt 360. It’s been a busy year for Malm and his team, and will continue to be so in 2015 as he and his team make their way in the industry on an international level, and fortunately, these plans won’t infringe on what they currently have going on for their own projects as well, as indicated by a recent teaser they have available on their channel showcasing U.K. martial artist and stuntwoman, actress Lauren Okadigbo. The teaser is quite short, but there are plans to extrapolate this project into something much larger with more parts. What that could mean is still a mystery, but Malm has clearly become comfortable in the past year or so while working with Okadigbo, whose background includes Cecily […]

WB To Host Marathon Monday This December For THE HOBBIT TRILOGY

Lee B. Golden III

The Hobbit saga has to be one of the biggest, most beloved and successful franchises of all time. The books by author J.R.R. Tolkien already have generations of followers and while the goal toward a cinematic rendering of the epic middle-Earth saga may have been long and enduring as any journey for any Hobbit beyond the Shire, director Peter Jackson‘s passion for the immensely layered and fantastical tale has proven itself with substantial results. And as such, with the forthcoming theatrical release of The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies next month, Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures are now engaged in some major event planning to host at various theaters for screenings of The Hobbit trilogy on Monday, December 15 for all the über-fans of the property. The studio has since issued a press release with all the official deets you need to know by […]

Guest Review: VENGEANCE OF AN ASSASSIN (2014)

Lee B. Golden III

SYNOPSIS: Being an assassin has its rules – always keep your eyes on your target, be strict on your mission, execute without any hesitation and there is no room for negotiation. Each killer has his own background, but all of them have trade in their blood and losses. For Natee, his only reason in becoming an assassin and leaving behind his brother and his uncle is to find the truth about his parents’ death. It is the issue that he has always doubted and felt that uncle Thanom was hiding something from him. While protecting Ploy, a niece of a local business man from a group of assassins, he was asked to kill the girl instead. REVIEW: Tonight I had the pleasure of attending the premier of Panna Rittikrai‘s last film before his sad, sudden and untimely death, Vengeance Of An Assassin. The usual pomp and stance of a premier […]

Jai Courtney Sets His Sights On SUICIDE SQUAD

Lee B. Golden III

Following news of Fury helmer David Ayer‘s attachment to the forthcoming production of Warner Bros. DC feature, Suicide Squad, flurries of casting announcements have come forward with recent reports of actress Margot Robbie and Jared Leto in talks for the roles of Harley Quinn and Joker, with earlier news of Tom Hardy as Rick Flag, and possible additions of actors Will Smith as Captain Boomerang and Jesse Eisenberg‘s reprisal as Lex Luthor following his role in Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Talks for these roles are still in play with most of them in their final stages in some capacity. Meanwhile, another actor may have also entered the fray in the form of actor Jai Courtney for the role of Batman villain Deadshot. The character originally made his way in the Batman comic storyline in 1950 prior to playing a pivotal role in the Sucide Squad comics almost a […]

Actress Yu Nan Shows Her Stripes In New WOLF WARRIORS Character Posters!

Lee B. Golden III

Nary a word is being said just yet about action star and debut director Wu Jing‘s commando action thriller, Wolf Warriors, which won’t see the light of day until its January IMAX release in China next year. Hopefully though, the film managed to succeed its dealings while gracing the presence of an audience this month at the American Film Market and hopefully fans will get to see just what Wu has in store for this, his second to last performance on film. Besides, any martial arts action fan in their right mind wouldn’t say no to anything as awesome as watching Wu go toe-to-toe with Scott Adkins (Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear), and with any luck, we’ll see how this plays out soon enough in feature-length fashion. In the meantime, the film is getting an awesome 2D, 3D and IMAX release in China next January, and with little more than just a […]

Watch The Second Kick-Ass Trailer For Upcoming Superhero Short BLACK SALT

Lee B. Golden III

Superhero fanfare continues with a new face and a new flavor in the form of Blood And Bone helmer Ben Ramsey‘s slick new short, Black Salt. Actor Kinyumba Mutakkabir stars as the first-ever live action rendition of the original comic book from creator Owen Ratliff who launched crowdfunding campaign earlier on to get things started. With 2014 almost to an end, expect a major campaign blitz to begin soon with the shortfilm’s release slated for sometime in 2015. In the meantime, the second trailer is now online following the first trailer unveiled last month, and for fans of martial arts action and cult comic book lore, Mutakkabir‘s performance aims to do the next level of action some serious justice! SYNOPSIS: Black Salt is a live-action short film project. With only four days left the clock ticks down towards a new world holocaust. The only thing standing in its path is […]

Another New Trailer Is Online For AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON!

Lee B. Golden III

The next five years will be most interesting and exciting for anyone looking forward to what the future awaits following writer/director Joss Whedon‘s Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Basically, expect a whole universe of superheroes and villains alike to assemble in an epic story that will see wars on all sides, something you will want to keep in mind with the pending release of Captain America: Civil War a year and a half from now. In the meantime, our heroes have a bit of a headache on their hands, involving a maniacal mechanial A.I. robot known as Ultron (James Spader), who, like most Marvel villains, wants to see the world burn. And as powerful as his semi-accidental creator, Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) made him, it’s going to take a lot more than a Hulk and a Hulkbuster to stop him. That story will unfold when Avengers: Age Of Ultron […]

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Justin Lin Reportedly In Talks To Direct Multi-Film FAST AND FURIOUS Finale

Lee B. Golden III

Lately it appears Universal is planning on going big with its franchises, and their latest movement on their now-growing cinematic monsterverse has been a sure sign of that. However, the biggest story right now is the buzz pertaining to director Justin Lin‘s possible return to finish off the studio’s biggest franchise to date, The Fast And The Furious saga. According to Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr., if the talks go well, Lin, who took over the franchise between the third and the sixth film, would be on deck to direct multiple consecutive movies that would ultimately wave the checkered flag and end the saga for good. The news has always been brewing for a long time with the possibility of multiple trilogies, even dating back when the franchise’s lead actor, Vin Diesel, boarded the property as a producer for 2009’s Fast And Furious; Those plans were temporarily stifled last year as […]

Watch The First Teaser For THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT Right Now!

Lee B. Golden III

The next chapter in the cinematic installation of author Veronica Roth’s popular YA sci-fi action romance series is about to unfold with the release of the new sequel adventure, The Divergent Series: Insurgent. Filling in where Divergent helmer Neil Burger left off, director Robert Schwentke now sits in the chair with returning leads, actress Shailene Woodley and actor Theo James among a recurring and growing cast that will expand the epic story of a dystopian future where rebels fight back against an autocracy that has split society into five factions to maintain post-war order. It’s a story that already has and will continue to test the limits of our heroes on through the next two releases of Allegiant: Parts 1 and 2 which Schwentke is reportedly tapped to direct as well. SYNOPSIS: THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT raises the stakes for Tris as she searches for allies and answers in the […]

Check Out The Official Poster Art For Netflix's MARCO POLO

Lee B. Golden III

Netflix’s latest embarkment with the new series drama, Marco Polo, will get its day exactly one month from today, and thankfully, a trailer premiered just last month to share an awe-inspiring glimpse into the potent, compelling and dangerous world shaping our title character’s story. That said, we now finally have some official artwork to share ahead of its premiere, featuring lead actor Lorenzo Richelmy front and center. Check it out below! In a world replete with greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry, “Marco Polo” is based on the famed explorer’s adventures in Kublai Khan’s court in 13th century China. Created by John Fusco (The Forbidden Kingdom, Kung Fu Panda, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend), the series is also being produced by The Weinstein Company co-chairman Harvey Weinstein and Game Of Thrones series director Dan Minahan, in addition to Pirates Of The Carribean 5 helmers Joachim Ronning and Espen […]

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Watch The Official Music Video For RISE OF THE LEGEND

Lee B. Golden III

The forthcoming release of director Roy Chow‘s kung fu epic, Rise Of The Legend, is only a week and a half away from its initial theatrical release in China, and the momentum is definitely there. As for how it will do among the critics is still pending news to many, although one can only hope for some good prospects for a film that dares to make its case known among hardcore martial arts fans that are partial to the classics, and you really have to hand it to Chow for leading those efforts. The trailers themselves look glossy and present an otherwise very ambitious take on the classic, fabled life and legend of real-life martial arts hero, Wong Fei-Hung, and his origins as a rebel against corrupt government officials and the criminals who operate under them. Here, based on a script by Fearless scribe Christine To, a young master Wong’s […]

The Monkey King Producers Talk THE MONKEY KING 2

Lee B. Golden III

Action star Donnie Yen‘s 2014 live-action/CG-hybrid fantasy actioner, The Monkey King, was a huge commercial success earlier this year, breaking first day sales records in addition to becoming the highest-grossing film on Lunar New Year in Chinese movie history to name a few. Since then, production company Filmko announced a sequel that would continue the adventures of the title charactet based on work of late author Wu Cheng’en. However, details on the development of the sequel remain to be seen while its production moves forward this month. For this, producers Michael Wehrhahn and Mark Gus Scott of Global Star Productions, who were on hand this past weekend at the Urban Action Showcase and Expo in New York to promote The Monkey King franchise, shared a little bit about the current progress of the sequel in an interview with The Action Elite on Sunday. “Pre-production has started; actually we’re just out […]