franklin correa

MANHUNT: Franklin Correa’s Latest Thriller Launches On Multiple Platforms

Independent director, actor and martial artist Franklin Correa has managed to succeed quite a bit in his efforts in the last seven years I’ve observed his work. Characteristic of the kind of no-budget indie fare his films usually sit in, they definitely bare an unmistakable lackluster presentation in terms of production quality, which is bound to irk even the most optimistic moviegoer, and admittedly, the trailer above for new thriller, Manhunt, definitely alludes to this sort of reaction. Nevertheless, I’ve always given credence to his efforts along with that of his performers, in addition to the grist of his storytelling capacity. His latest no-budget crime drama oddity looks to present this very continued potential as it launched on Tuesday. The film is available to rent via YouTube, Amazon Prime and Xumo with a DVD release TBD. Manhunt centers on Conroy (Franklin Correa), a survivalist and combat instructor forced into a […]

NOCTURNAL Campaign: Help Boost Pre-Production For Franklin Correa’s Ambitious New Indie Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Independent filmmaker and actor Franklin Correa is making some important moves in 2019. One will be to move to Georgia from his current home in New Jersey where he’s taken on numerous trades as both a decorated Ninjitsu instructor, a chef, as well as a filmmaker founded on self-sustainance and community involvement. That move will include bringing his craft to the city of Atlanta for the production of action horror, Nocturnal. Joined by fellow film cohort, Grandmaster Robert Parham, the film – ten years in the making – sees Correa as an ex-bodyguard to one Josiah who finds himself targeted by a vampiric cult out of Cape Verde in West Africa looking for dracula’s heart – a relic they believe will make them immortal. Correa, best known for starring and directing in low/zero-budgeted independent thirllers such as Flash Drive, Mistaken, Lyco and upcoming indie, Manhunt which Parham exec produces, is […]

Franklin Correa’s MANHUNT Is On In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Zero/low budget projects are always a testament to one’s tenacity and strive as a filmmaker. Certainly, indie director, actor and martial artist Franklin Correa’s previous efforts such as Flash Drive and Mistaken have all proven themselves to be a balancing act between quality and substance; Most of his films lack the appealing polish films generally have although his strengths lay largely in his ability to tell stories. His most recent effort, Lyco, proved to be much more worthy in its delivery having attended Cannes this summer and now with a release currently on Amazon Prime. His next offering is already in tow with new the new thriller, Manhunt, which sees Correa in the role of a CQC expert and survivalist who, with the help of his FBI trainees, sets out to rescue his girlfriend from an illegal arms dealer seeking vengeance. Correa is joined by Jorge Valentin and actress Anissa […]

Supernatural Action Horror Indie, LYCO, Heads To Cannes For Buyers In May

Lee B. Golden III

Pantero Productions Shami Media Group has acquired the worldwide rights to actor and filmmaker Franklin Correa’s recently-completed Pantero Productions action horror thriller, Lyco, just in time for its presentation at Cannes in May. The move marks the next phase of Correa’s career for this, his sixth turn at the helm since picking up and moving forward from smaller roles and stepping into the director’s chair in 2007. Lyco hails as Correa’s own homage to the work of John Carpenter, telling of an deadly curse that befalls two couriers, their boss, friends and loved ones when an ancient relic draws them in pursuit by assassins, a psychotic voodoo priest and his loyal fanatics. Correa leads the cast and is joined by Terrance Epps, Jorge Valentin and Macquell James with Marilyn Tolentino, Greta Quispe and Miguelina Olivares. Noted horror director, Insane-O-Rama’s own Marc Fratto (Hellfire) has applied his own polish to several […]

Review: Indie Action Horror LYCO Teeters On Monotony, Maintains With Spells Of Substance

Lee B. Golden III

Independent filmmaker Franklin Correa, like most in his field, is a work in progress. That said, his latest in upscaling comes with the slightly more polished effort from Pantero Productions with the new movie, Lyco, a slight switch in gears for the Flash Drive and Mistaken helmer keen on venturing into John Carpenter and Stephen King territory just a tad. Granted, there are stumbles along the way in this small scale endeavor by the local New Jersey-based martial artist and instructor who also serves a few good moments of fight action for what it’s worth. The acting often tows the line between balancing itself on a meandering script while trying to deliver a sense of naturality – it works in some moments while in others, you’re left checking the time. The story suffers as a result of all this, while the concept itself brings something truly interesting and viable: Correa […]

Voodoo Suspense Consumes The First Trailer For Indie Action Horror, LYCO

Lee B. Golden III

Independent filmmaker Franklin Correa is back this year and switching gears just a bit from his usual action-tethered efforts in films like Flash Drive and Mistaken. Thus, we get a first trailer for upcoming action horror, Lyco which centers on a collector who is but one of several people eyeing an ancient relic smuggled into the U.S., including a sadistic voodoo serial killer with more nefarious purposes. Macquell James stars in the title role with a cast that joins Correa with Nikki Silva, Marilynn Tolentino, Dayveonne Bussey, Lester Greene, Miguelina Olivares, Bruno Barros, Sandra Fernandez and Greta Quispe. Valentin produces with Emilio Pantero of Pantero Productions along with Jamale Session, Correa executive producing with co-exec producer Marc Fratto (Bound By Debt) lensing.

Screener Review: MISTAKEN (2015)

Lee B. Golden III

New Jersey local Ninjutsu instructor and independent filmmaker Frankin Correa is following through this year with the release of his latest film, Mistaken. The film itself isn’t an action heavy one and plays out much more as an intricate crime drama than anything, though Correa himself still leaves a little room in the third act to showcase his brand of action, and for the most part, it works. Clocked at one hour and five minutes, the film sees Correa in the role of Joey who meets up with and drops off friend LaShawn at a location where LaShawn is expected to drop off a package for an incognito deal. Five years later, Joey is a settled pizzeria owner in Boston, Massachusetts who decides to return to his home in Jersey City, New Jersey to surprise his mother for the holidays and her birthday, only his return reignites baggage and attracts […]

Make Em' Pay In The New Teaser For MISTAKEN

Lee B. Golden III

In the past decade or so, there’s been a distinctive breath of life on the upper East coast of North America where the independent action filmmaking is gradually coming together. Director, action choreographer and Ninjutsu expert Franklin Correa remains part of those efforts, putting forth a vision for film that focuses a little less on stylish martial arts action and more on gritty execution of techniques through fight scenes, most notably made exemplary in his previously released thriller, Flash Drive, now available on DVD. More could be coming our way from Correa with the hopes of seeing some collaborative projects come together with fellow independent filmmaker Paul Mormando, and to my knowledge, those projects were still developing. In the meantime, you can catch his latest promo teaser for the forthcoming release of his next feature-length indie effort, Mistaken, which underwent its first teaser last year followed by a united effort […]

New York Actress CRYSTAL T. WILLIAMS Needs Your Help

Lee B. Golden III

I don’t normally write about things non-related to movies on my blog. However, since the release of the first teaser for independent filmmaker, actor, martial artist and New Jersey native Franklin Correa‘s upcoming action suspense thriller, Mistaken, a situation has arisen to which I feel a responsibilty to engage in. Today during a private Facebook chat, I briefly met actress and Mistaken co-star Crystal T. Williams, an aspiring actress since the age of thirteen, and has been involved in film since the age of eighteen. In June, she was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, a fatal disease which is said to be rarely detected, and often in its third stage when it is. A more precise description of it can be found HERE. Since then, Ms. Williams has been fortunate to catch the disease at such an earlier stage and is taking pre-emptive measures to counteract her condition until she […]

One Man’s Homecoming Turns Into A Brutal Fight For The Truth In The New Teaser For MISTAKEN

Lee B. Golden III

Independent filmmaker, martial artist and actor Franklin Correa is back with a new teaser for his next film, Mistaken. Much like the previously released Flash Drive, Correa‘s filmic focus remains consistent with emphasis on suspense and mystery, in addition to his own brand of ninjutsu-style urban martial arts action Filmmaking and choreography. Aiming for a hopeful release sometime in November, Mistaken stars Correa who also wrote, produced and directed the film. Co-producers and actors Emilio Pantero and Herve Fontaine, and actors Lester Greene, Crystal T. Williams, former UFC fighter Pete “The Dragon” Bell, Dominick Wright, Geneva Ortiz, Jay Magicus, Dan Mceaddy, Melissa Blaha, James Konzyck, Johnny DeJesus and Andy Nunez round out the cast. A full trailer will be online in a few weeks at the official Facebook page where you can learn more about the film. SYNOPSIS: Five years after leaving New Jersey, JoJo (Franklin Correa) returns home to surprise […]

FILM OF THE WEEK (5/20/13): FLASH DRIVE (2012)

Lee B. Golden III

SYNOPSIS: “Ashley Romano (Janet Miranda) a investigative reporter for the local news station, has been working on a story about an urban legend called “EL JARVE DE ESCOBAR”, The Keys of Escobar, for some time now looking to get her big break to become an anchor woman which is her goal. When her friend and a local urban informant, Brian Markowitz (Gerard Adimando), comes across the legendary urban legend which turns out to be true, he calls to let her know and gives her the flash drive which contains information on everyone who worked for Pablo Escobar during his reign due to him not trusting no one and also bank account numbers in Panama with fifty million dollars as start money just in case the government seized all his assets. After his death, rumors spread on this story and people started killing one another to retrieve it until it turned […]