michael baumgarten

Review: PAYING MR. McGETTY Emboldens The Underdog With Martial Arts Celebrity And Comedy Camp

Coming into my first year as a writer and learning of certain names and faces, actor, martial artist and stuntman R. Marcos Taylor was one of the first to stand out to me. He’s sizeable, standing well over six feet with a muscular, mildly stocky build, but his skillset equals him to many of the talent stunt performers and screenfighters I’ve written about, and I can attest to this having seen several of his works in addition to stunt and training reels. Point in fact, he was one of the people I put on blast for some work on the Jonathan Liebesman-directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remake, having tagged a bunch of people on social media – me, wet behind the ears with fandom and just eager to help people out. About a year later I managed to snag a look at Tony Clomax’s shortfilm, Broken Angels, in which Taylor […]

PAYING MR. McGETTY Cashes In Its First Teaser

Lee B. Golden III

Last year’s momentous run of director Michael Baumgarten’s anti-bullying drama, The Martial Arts Kid, is now paving the way for Traditionz Films’s newest contribution to the film front with the new action comedy, Paying Mr. McGetty. Don “The Dragon” Wilson will be returning to the fray along with actor and stuntman R. Marcos Taylor now debuting in a lead role after briefly going toe-to-toe in Baumgarten’s previous film. Those of you none too familiar with Taylor can currently spot him in F. Gary Gray’s Straight Outta Compton in a winning performance as Suge Knight. Here, from a script by Baumgarten and co-scribe Adam Marsh, Taylor stars as Tyrell, a floundering music producer who wakes up one morning next to a mysterious woman and no recollection of the evening prior, along with a phone call from his girlfriend over an eviction notice, and mobsters looking for him at the behest of […]

Screener Review: THE MARTIAL ARTS KID (2015)

Lee B. Golden III

The martial arts genre can be a thrilling one when it comes to movies. However, spectacle aside, every now and then it helps to get grounded a little more in what the overall practice of it really means, and we’ve seen that narrative several times in the past through different tones. This time, we get martial arts stars Don “The Dragon” Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock as they spearhead this newest effort in director Michael Baumgarten’s new movie, The Martial Arts Kid. Actor Jansen Panetierre stars in the title role of Robbie, a new face in a small Florida town where he goes to live with his Uncle Glen and Aunt Cindy, played respectively by Wilson and Rothrock. Robbie’s prior stints with the law have forced his grandmother’s hand, leaving his fate in the hands of his extended family while he struggles to balance teenage life and his own inner turmmoil. […]

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Traditionz To Release THE MARTIAL ARTS KID In Select Theaters Next Month!

Lee B. Golden III

Finally on par for release following a successful Kickstarter campaign last year and several promotional appearances since then is director Michael Baumgarten’s new anti-bullying action drama, The Martial Arts Kid from Traditionz Entertainment. The film’s release will be aimed at establishing Traditionz as a staple of martial arts film production and distribution, here and now piloting with a cast and crew brimming with well-known names like Don “The Dragon” Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock, and T.J. Storm with actor Jansen Panetierre in the title role opposite Matthew Ziff. Produced by martial artists, producer James Wilson and company president and veteran Hollywood stuntwoman Cheryl Wheeler with a script by Adam Marsh, Panettiere leads the cast in the coming-story of a Robbie who moves in with his aunt and uncle in Florida following the death of his mother. Facing adversity in his new surroundings, his sibs begin to focus on teaching Robbie martial arts […]

Help Don "The Dragon" Wilson And Cynthia Rothrock Fund THE MARTIAL ARTS KID!

Lee B. Golden III

Following the recent launch of his new Traditionz clothing line, actor, world kickboxing champion and Martial Arts Hall Of Fame inductee Don “The Dragon” Wilson is teaming up with fellow actress, martial arts champion, action cinema superstar and 2014 International Sports Hall Of Fame inductee Cynthia Rothrock to produce the debut martial arts movie for Traditionz Movie 1 LLC titled, The Martial Arts Kid. As such, the new Kickstarter launched on Monday for the film’s funding campaign showcasing a team ready to take the next step in making this latest ambitious new martial arts family drama a reality, led by producer and director Michael Baumgarten. And based on the following premise, if you’re a fan of the genre, then The Martial Arts Kid may have plenty to offer for you with this familiar set up: SYNOPSIS: When troubled teen Robbie moves to Cocoa Beach, Florida from Detroit after his grandmother […]