strega

STREGA Blasts Its Way To All-Region DVD On March 12

https://youtu.be/rsnuyqahRpM Actor and filmmaker Bueno is proudly taking the reigns and self-distributing his latest Tokusatsu action hit, Strega on DVD. Orders will go live next month on his website with a release date slated for March 12, and with plans also in the works for digital releases. Strega marks Bueno’s latest foray in independent Tokusatsu filmmaking, building his brand via Garage Hero with the inaugural hit, Gun Caliber (available in the U.S. from SRS Cinema), boasting a whimsical hodgepodge of gratuitous, envelope-pushing action and tongue-in-cheek humor the likes of which Deadpool fans would take a liking to. He follows suit in Strega as well, which sees Bueno starring once more and donning a slick new suit, and brandishing an arsenal as big as the NSFW warnings this film surely comes with. Japan’s government has enacted federal restrictions on superhero activity through special ID cards developed by tech conglomerate, Vector, for […]

IN GOOD COMPANY: A Word With Maverick Tokusatsu Filmmaker, STREGA Star/Director, Bueno

Lee B. Golden III

As you can see, director, Bueno, is no stranger to the release of finishing a daunting task like shoestring indie filmmaking. His efforts in 2014 with Gun Caliber and his latest sequel, Strega, are no exception as they’ve both proven significantly for Bueno in his hard-earned efforts to turn a new page for the suit-action genre. The latter, in which he stars alongside AV idol and actress Mai Miori, is coming soon this year, and I even had the opportunity to review Strega, as well as share photos from the Yubari screening. Bueno talks about the screening, the movie, his goals and much more in our first ever interview, and you are more than welcome to check out a review by clicking here for further reading. Greetings Bueno and thanks for taking the time to talk to us. As often as I follow independent films I can’t begin to imagine […]

Bueno’s STREGA Conquers Yubari XXVII

Lee B. Golden III

Bueno’s latest Tokusatsu romp, Strega, had its day at the 27th Yubari International Film Festival throughout last weekend. Actor and filmmaker Bueno was on hand for the festivities along with surprise guests that included Yuki Kuroda (Glaive of Kamen Rider Blade) and Miho Wakabayashi (Momoyo of Gun Caliber), with splatter movie maestro Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police, Kodoku: Meatball Machine) providing the introductory. “Viewers these days always bitch and whine about compliance this, compliance that…it’s bullshit.” said Nishimura, in part. “As creators, we’ve been waiting for someone to bring tokusatsu back to what it was. Back to the time of Kamen Rider Amazon and Showa Ultraman where all the badguys and monsters would get their heads torn off and ripped to shreds by the stars of the show.” He adds: “…And someone FINALLY decided to answer the call for something like that, but the thing is…he ain’t even Japanese.” which […]

Cocked, Locked And Ready To Rock, STREGA Does Not Need Your Permission To Be Awesome

Lee B. Golden III

While A-list Tokusatsu programming reigns supreme in its conventions, the last eight years have proven to be slightly more watershed in challenging the norm. Thus, with actor and independent filmmaker Bueno signaling a new beacon for fans keen on something different, the release of Gun Caliber in 2014 proved pivotal for the niche in doing just that – ultimately heeding the call for a new brand of suit-action heroics. The film itself definitely skewers aside the family-friendly formula, essentially delivering the maverick equivalent of a Deadpool movie that cranks-up the R-rated appeal several notches further and louder with no apologies. Since then, any hint to the matter that this may change would otherwise be ill-advised as Bueno, long far from the restrictions of the mainstream with the company of his own Tokyo-based creative collective, Garage Hero, has surfaced once again with Gun Caliber sequel, Strega. Newly suited and with a […]

These Facial Expressions In STREGA Are Everything

Lee B. Golden III

Director Bueno is poised to present his latest sequel, Strega, to the masses beginning this summer. Building on the success of his 2014 indie toku actioner, Gun Caliber, without fail, fans can expect a newer, sleeker costume with more weaponry and signature tokusatsu action to boot, and to that effect, the added mature subject matter akin to Bueno’s filmic touch. More to the point, I got to screen an early work-in-progress copy of the film ahead of its release and rest assured it’s definitely one of the most jarring, gonzo films you’ll ever see in terms of dialogue on matters of comedy aside from action. I initally intended to express my feelings at the moment in social media post, but Bueno decided to hand me a spate of some appealing exclusive images to choose from. The one you’re seeing in the lead photo is that of actress Sakurako Fujiwara who […]

FIVE-A-DAY COUNTDOWN: Strega, Contracts, The Paper Tigers, The Outlaw Johnny Black, and Johnny Z

Lee B. Golden III

Yesterday we reached past the halfway point of our goal in listing 100 movies to keep track of in 2019. As always, here is another list of five: Strega: After Gun Caliber, actor and filmmaker Bueno is ready to set forth his newest milestone achievement for a rollout this year following suit from his 2016 debut feature. Upgraded to a sleeker black-and-red toned outfit, the gun-toting, perverted suit hero is now faced with new evil, and he’s got a sexy sidekick for good measure in AV star, actress Miori Mai. Contracts: As much as I’ve iterated my support for independent action cinema, Canadian stunt performer and filmmaker has been one of the best, foremost examples invoking why. His latest feature debut is still brewing – formerly titled Contracts 3 – an assassin thriller in which he stars and directs, and I actually got to screen an earlier version of this […]

STREGA: Old Habits And Humpy Villains Die Hard In The Official Red-Band Trailer For Bueno’s Latest

Lee B. Golden III

Just shy of a decade since beginning his journey into history-making indie Tokusatsu with cult feature favorite, Gun Caliber, the tide is finally turning for actor, producer and filmmaker Bueno whose long-awaited follow-up, Strega, is now setting the pace with an official trailer as of last week. There’s no question though if you’re only just now learning about this film, its predecessor or the creative collective housed at Bueno’s YouTube indie banner, Garage Hero, be advised: Bueno’s style and vision goes straight for the OTT goods in mature and raunchy comedy, and hyper-violent action and gore – all in the way WAY less-commercial vein of programming permissible by the Toei crowd. Rest assured, Bueno has earned the approval of fans, as well as the ire of haters to boot, which is all well and fine with him. Japan’s government has enacted federal restrictions on superhero activity through special ID cards […]

STREGA: Bueno’s ‘Gun Caliber’ Sequel Wraps Principal Photography

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been nearly a decade into the filmmaking journey that brought fans the release of tokusatsu cult hit, Gun Caliber. Since then, maverick director Bueno has been hard at work maintaining content for the toku crowd through his independent film portal on YouTube, Garage Hero, while also developing, and just shy of three years ago, rolling cameras for the Gun Caliber sequel, Strega, which, for all intents and purposes will hopefully spur a 2019 release. Bueno stirred the pot quite a bit in 2014 with Gun Caliber, introducing the world of suit hero fandom to a noticeably more R-rated protagonist akin to the likes of Deadpool compared to other mainstream Japanese suit action heroes. The actor and film-multihyphenate starred in the title role as well, portraying Soma Kusanagi, a miserable Smartball Parlor employee who transforms into the titular gun-toting, dick-shooting, sex-crazed, alcoholic and often derilect superhero who “loves his bullets […]

STREGA: Bueno’s Sexy Purple Partner Packs A Punch In The Newest Teaser Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Garage Hero Filmmaker and tokusatsu maverick, Bueno, now brings us slightly closer to the halfway mark before the theatrical cut release of Strega, the sequel to his most recent feature suit action adventure, Gun Caliber. Production is on going with final action sequences gearing up for next month following strategic cutbacks to earlier intended wire stunts due to production constraints while Bueno currently aims to manifest a splashy, action-packed saga fitting for an era that even now seems to graciously welcomes R-rated Marvel film fandom. Strega is a direct sequel to our first film, Gun Caliber, and is set a few years after the events of that film. The Japanese government decides to even further regulate superheroes AND the overall populace using the Vector Card, a new ID system. Vector also happens to be a corporation that has been gradually extending its power behind the scenes. Our hero, Soma Kusanagi, is a foul-mouthed […]

FIVE-A-DAY ROUND-UP IX: Jun, A Prayer Before Dawn, The Haymaker, The Siege, Strega

Lee B. Golden III

Robert Samuels (HKSA) made his recent premiere at the Urban Action Showcase & Expo in New York City with the new movie, Jun. Thus, details for a wider release remain pending for the new thriller which centers on characters each with a task to perform in the wake of a young clone’s escape from a mysterious facility. Cheyenne Tang leads a cast that includes Teniece Divya Johnson, David Chen, John DeBlasio, Kage Yami, Patrick Logan Pace, Eric Moran and David Lavallee Jr. with Tresa Man, Stephanie Pham and Angela Jordan also starring. Currently completed following its extensive development and production is what lies ahead for actor and producer Paul Allica’s latest brainchild, The Siege. A feature-length rework of Robin Hood folklore, the project is well on deck for some results to reveal in 2018 from artistic director Stu Stanton, and action director and Jackie Chan stunt veteran Paul Andreovski. Feel […]

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Toku Filmmaker Bueno Sets Sights On 'Gun Caliber' Sequel, STREGA

Lee B. Golden III

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’)); Strega – Junction Teaser 01 Coming soon from Garage Hero!TWITTER: @garagepro7YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/garageprotv#Strega #GunCaliber2 Posted by Garage Hero on Friday, April 8, 2016 If there were ever an example to be made for R-rated tokusatsu, it would be the 2014 film, Gun Caliber, which sparked a significant following for independent filmmaker Bueno since screening among online audiences in the last few years. The film isn’t widely released as of yet, although its been allowed its fair share of availability from Bueno’s YouTube portal over at Garage Hero from time to time, and not without some discretion to boot as the film is NOT your average superhero movie. Nope, it’s got blood and gore, foul language, debauchery, bizzare villains and BEWBS, all laden with an adherance to […]