sunny pang

BLOOD RUSH: Ranjeet S. Marwa’s New Indonesian Action Thriller Launches On Indiegogo [EXCLUSIVE]

Indonesian action cinema will undoubtedly endure now that it’s found new life since 2009. Thus, with a new decade underway, a new era now gives rise to new, hopeful and emerging film talent as Blood Rush officially launches on Indiegogo. Ranjeet S. Marwa penned the script and will direct Blood Rush, starring Zack Lee (The Raid 2, Headshot, The Night Comes For Us) in the role of Max, a widower who has since dedicated his life to a secretive cult after witnessing the death of his wife. When his new “family” later decides they don’t want him to rest, Max’s greatest, most brutal fight is yet to come. Updates in the past few weeks have slowly been ramping up the project since Marwa, whose film credits extend to wearing multiple hats on a variety of projects in the last ten years, announced crowdfunding plans last month. And it’s as serious […]

BLOOD RUSH: ‘The Night Comes For Us’, ‘Headshot’, ‘John Wick 3’ Stars Reunite For Upcoming Indonesian Action Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Director Ranjeet S. Marwa is ready to take the mantle to keep Indonesian action cinema relevant with Blood Rush. As City On Fire recently brought to light, he’s brought on Headshot cohorts Zack Lee and Singaporean actor Sunny Pang, and action sensation Yayan Ruhian to lead his cast. Marwa will direct from his own script starring Lee in the role of Max, a widower who, after witnessing the death of his wife and child sets out to rebuild himself in a secretive cult underworld. The sect he’s since dedicated his life to decides they don’t want him to rest, and he’ll soon be forced to take stand against his former “family”, as well as himself. “If you loved THE RAID, if you loved JOHN WICK then you’ll LOVE our next film titled BLOOD RUSH.” said Marwa in a statment on social media on Tuesday. “Our film stars all of those […]

Toggle Original Series THE DRIVER Trailer Teases A Screaming Mad Sunny Pang And Fistfuls Of Vengeance

Lee B. Golden III

The fact that actor Sunny Pang (Headshot, The Night Comes For Us) is out there, giving the world hell as one of the baddest cinematic baddies who ever lived is something that truly warms my cockles. That he’s one of the coolest dudes I’ve known in real life is an absolute plus, on top of being a fan of his work, which brings me to the time I’ve spent since last year wondering just what the heck The Driver is. Welp, now we have an answer with Golden Bell Award-winning actor Kaiser Chuang (Who Killed Cock Robin) leading the cast for the new series. Clocked in at around 11 one-hour episodes, The Driver centers on Jianyi, a former mob enforcer whose decision to leave the criminal life behind results in an already sealed fate. After avenging his family’s murder, he relocates to Singapore to find redemption, taking jobs as a […]

FIGHT BY NIGHT: Catching Up With ‘Kill-Fist’ And ‘Fly-By Night’ Star Sunny Pang

Lee B. Golden III

My weekend has been rather tasking but I’m happy to present my latest interview catching up with Headshot, The Night Comes For Us co-star, Singaporean actor Sunny Pang to start things off. He’s been busy filming a new show and circling other projects while he’s now got two films lying-in-wait: searing heist thriller, Fly By Night, and urban martial arts tourno drama, Kill-Fist. In this our second interview, Sunny and I talk a bit about both and then some, though primarily it’s more to do with Kill-Fist seeing as it just screened in Cambodia. The film’s director, James Lee of Doghouse 73 Pictures, is currently crafting a brand new trailer which we will proudly present in the coming weeks once all is officiated and legit. This movie’s got some layers to it! First off, your character is a badass – and yet at first glance, Zhang is just this unassuming […]

KILL-FIST: James Lee’s New Martial Arts Thriller Is A Lesson In Pain And Punishment

Lee B. Golden III

I haven’t seen too much of what filmmaker James Lee has done to have a consumate opinion about his work. However, of what I have seen, I can earnestly speak on with praise. Long before he came on my radar with a webseries proof titled Second Life, he did more than his fair share of cinema over the years along with his 2012 hit action comedy, The Collector. Sunny Pang stars in the film – his second pairing with Lee after 2009’s Call Me If You Need Me, and both have seen their respective career trajectories take different paths since then with Lee eventually launching his own independent film banner in his native Malaysia, Doghouse 73 Pictures; Lee tends to numerous shorts and proofs under the banner, the first of which I took note being Second Life in 2014. Over in Singapore, Pang’s kept himself amply busy as a married […]

KILL-FIST: Sunny Pang Action Thriller To Go Toe-To-Toe At 9th Cambodia International Film Festival

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a long time since we last heard from Malaysian filmmaker James Lee who first came on our radar with an array of amazing short films. His career is undoubtedly inclusive with some terrific feature work, some of which include 2009’s Call Me If You Need Me and 2012 action comedy, The Collector – both featuring Singaporean import Sunny Pang. The two have since gotten together once more just last year on Kill-Fist, Pang’s own latest in a stint of qualifiable action roles since starring in Mo’ Bros’ thriller, Headshot, and Timo Tjajanto’s feature debut, The Night Comes For Us with Joe Taslim. Among the international line-up, folks attending this year’s 9th Cambodian International Film Festival will be the first to see what the film has in store. Zhang is a middle aged man struggling with a dead end job as an insurance salesperson, on the verge of divorce […]

FLY BY NIGHT Lands Online With Two New Posters

Lee B. Golden III

Planet Films is high on momentum for the next month and change with the upcoming release of Zahir Omar’s directorial debut, Fly By Night. He’s got himself a few new posters making the rounds courtesy of Planet Films, host to laurels from its Busan XXIII debut and Macao premiere late last year, and to its credit, the Asian Cinema Fund stamp of approval as its 2018 beneficiary from July (scroll down to view). The film also held its ground at the Jogja-NETPAC Film Festival in Indonesia, as well as this year’s events in Santa Barbara and at the NYAFF’s inaugural Winter Showcase in New York City. Sunny Pang (Headshot, The Night Comes For Us) leads the suspenseful Kuala Lumpur-set heist thriller about a taxi company secretly targeting rich passengers to extort, only to find themselves thrown by external circumstances and forced to escalate their criminal activities to pay off their […]

FLY BY NIGHT: Don’t Miss The Official Trailer For Zahir Omar’s Celebrated Malaysian Crime Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

The clock is officially ticking with a Malaysia release now set for April 11 with Zahir Omar’s new crime thriller, Fly By Night. Reviews are already floating out and about and I can proudly add my own to the stack in insisting the film provenly delivers. Unfolding the life of a taxi driver that uses his services as a front for extortion rackets and other criminal activities. When his hot-headed younger brother’s impulsive behaviour lead the cops and triad to their doorstep. As the eldest, he stops at nothing to protect them all. The film was four years in the making and has since screened at Busan, at Jogja-NETPAC in Indonesia, MIFF at Macao, and stateside in California and recently at the inaugura NYAFF winter showcase in New York City. A U.S. release will be much farther down the line as far as the whole business of film goes, but […]

Through Parables On Manhood And Mischief, Zahir Omar’s FLY BY NIGHT Gets Its Wings

Lee B. Golden III

Debut director Zahir Omar’s new movie hits the ground running in Fly By Night, host to a provocative tale about a gang of thieves, a relentless detective with a not-so-squeaky-clean past, and essentially, a woman scorned. It’s a story of honor among some pretty seedy and selfish people, few of whom bear lighter shades of grey than the rest. Packaged with a robust music score directed by Zane Adam, Fly By Night takes off with a stylish introductory into the neon-lit residential streets of Kuala Lumpur. We meet Tailo (Sunny Pang), the meticulous ringleader of an extortion racket he runs through his cab service that only targets high-end victims. Joined by close friend and ex-con Ah Soon (Eric Chen), they convene with Gwai Lo (Jack Tan) and Tailo’s younger brother, Sailo (Fabian Loo) to organize and extort an unsuspecting “Dato” (Ideil Putra) whose wife handles all his money. Dogged KL […]

THE NIGHT COMES FOR US Teases A Killer Fated To Kill One Last Time In The Official Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

If you’re like me, the past four years have probably proven to be one of the biggest waiting games you’ve ever played. It’s certainly been longer for acclaimed Mo’ Bro filmmaker, director Timo Tjahjanto since arduously birthing his concepts for The Night Comes For Us with the goal of bringing back The Raid actor Joe Taslim. There’s nothing else, really, to the matter apart from what else has already been said with respect to its stagnation in 2014. All we really know after all the waiting, depression and renewed hope is that I think we’re on the same page in expressing our collective euphoria since the first teaser clip arose ahead of the film’s premiere at Sitges. As such, we now have an official trailer that meets our needs from a preliminary standpoint. That we also saw an official poster with a release date also felt more than fruitful, but […]

FLY BY NIGHT: Zahir Omar’s Crime Debut Deals In Law And Losses In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

In the weeks leading up to his world premiere at Busan, the official trailer for Zahir Omar’s Fly By Night arrived in riveting form. It’s an especially notable return fans following local Singaporean actor and action star Sunny Pang (Headshot) for his latest of a few Malaysian stint, here joined by Bronte Palare, Jack Tan, Ruby Yap and Frederick Lee – all lined up for Busan. Jeong Minah disseminates further: In Malaysia, where horror and comedy are the dominant film genres, this is a relatively non-mainstream crime thriller: Zahir Omar’s energetic debut feature depicts the dark criminal world of Kuala Lumpur. Four taxi drivers of various ages commit various small and large crimes against their passengers in order to pay off their debts. As their greed grows, the crimes become bolder. They become more and more violent when their criminal activities come in contact with an upper-class couple in the […]

THE NIGHT COMES FOR US, And With It, A New Look At Taslim, Uwais And Pang!

Lee B. Golden III

Writer and director Timo Tjahnanto’s new solo outing, THE NIGHT COMES FOR US, is looking as fantastic as one hope for its pending Fantastic Fest 2018 premiere!

FIRST LOOK: Meet The Kung Fu Killers In James Lee’s KILL-FIST

Lee B. Golden III

EXCLUSIVE: Independent filmmaker James Lee is well on the way with the new martial arts redemtpion thriller, Kill-Fist. Hailing a reunion for the director and his lead actor, Singaporean action favorite, recurring Code Of Law star Sunny Pang, the film further etches a mutual creative partnership for the two who’ve known each other for more than a decade in cinema. “It was fun and great to work with him again after The Collector and Call If You Need Me.” says Lee who cites that as both were different films that served the purpose Kill-Fist aims to do once more in challenging Pang as an actor. “Indeed he had to do some preparations for the character tragic Zhang. Kill-Fist is kind of a refresher for both of us, we hope we can move to bigger projects after this.” Pang, who serves up more brutal screentime in Gavin Lim’s own upcoming film, Diamond […]

DIAMOND DOGS: Sunny Pang Taps Into His Primal Instincts In The First Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

More than a decade after earning Best Director acclaim for 2005 shortfilm, Subtitle, director Gavin Lim has since begun paving the way with his feature debut upon returning to the Singapore International Film Festival later this month. His new feature debut, Diamond Dogs, has hit the web with a splashy and violent new look at the upcoming small-budgeted action thriller headlined by none other than Singaporean action star Sunny Pang who has already won in-roads with global audiences for his imposing gravitas opposite Iko Uwais in Mo’ Bros action thriller, Headshot. A stage three cancer diagnosis leaves deaf and mute Johnny with little to lose when he is lured into a deadly underground social experiment. Funded by the uber rich, it pits fighters against one another in a test of animalistic aggression and adrenaline. Johnny’s fight to the top is brutal, fueled by the sole desire to exact revenge on […]

THE NIGHT COMES FOR US Wraps Principal Photography

Lee B. Golden III

Princpal photography wrapped on Tuesday for the filming leg of writer and director Timo Tjahjanto’s solo directorial debut, The Night Comes For Us. Production on the pic took a near-seven year evolution and finally went underway last December with scenes filmed in and around Jakarta, Indonesia for its seventy-six day shoot following its resurrection last August. The film sees the return of actor Joe Taslim (Furious 6, Star Trek: Beyond) for his debut lead role as Ito, a gangland enforcer arriving from his stint at abroad and home to his crime family in Jakarta only to find himself caught in a web of turmoil, treachery and violent upheaval. Reuniting with Taslim is action star Iko Uwais following their appearance together in Gareth Evans’s The Raid (2011), while casting familars from Tjahjanto’s resume include the additions of Julie Estelle, Epy Kusandar, Sunny Pang, Zack Lee, Hannah Al Rashid and Shareefa Daanish […]

Review: HEADSHOT Aims High, Nails It With Ballistic Action And Blunt Force

Lee B. Golden III

Sometimes I look back on Iko Uwais’s career, and reflect on what life would be like without his prospects, and I think life would be a bit more boring without films such as Merantau and The Raid movies. In that sense, I think there’s something providential here and especially since we now live in a time when action movies really could use a kick in the nuts, and there’s no question that Uwais has been a leading force in that movement in the last eight years. For this, whenever most of of us who were born in the 80’s or 90’s think of the martial arts genre, we don’t just think of the usual enterprises in the U.S. and U.K., or throughout Asia such as, Hong Kong or Korea and the like. Nope, our view has stretched beyond that measure with many places brewing with talent and a surge in […]

There’s So Much New Footage In The U.S. Trailer For HEADSHOT…You’ve Been Warned!

Lee B. Golden III

With March 3 already set for the release of X-Men spin-off Wolverine finale, Logan, hardcore R-rated moviegoing types are now more than welcome to set the date for a double feature if they so choose, specifically for those who’ve been pining for the release of Iko Uwais headliner, Headshot from Vertical Entertainment and XYZ Films. To be frank though, their latest trailer is out and I myself have all but avoided seeing any more new footage until now, and I feel like I’ve utterly failed and spoiled myself to no end. I might just go and down a whole two liter bottle of Pepsi and fuck my kidneys up to finish myself off because this is awful… not the movie judging by Alex Chung’s awesome review among others, of course, but me breaking my own abstinence here… Ugh. SYNOPSIS: HEADSHOT centers on a mysterious young man who, after months in a […]

The Final Trailer For HEADSHOT Relishes In Brooding And Brutality

Lee B. Golden III

I’m already sold on the new Mo Bros thriller, Headshot, going into the new year. Nonetheless, the film is out now in Indonesia, accompanied by a third, final trailer to help pull in the masses. I love the marketing push for this kind of film and I certainly hope we will see more martial arts films step up to the plate in the same fashion. Iko Uwais stars as a wounded amnesiac forced to reckon with his past when the life of the nurse who kept him in her care hangs in the balance. Also starring are the beautiful and talented Chelsea Islan and Julie Estelle, and Singaporean action star, actor Sunny Pang. Release dates for other territories remain pending.

HEADSHOT Ignites Online With Thrilling Behind-The-Scenes Footage

Lee B. Golden III

Read our latest interview Singaporean action star Sunny Pang and you’ll learn quite a bit about his career, family life and goals through next year, including the currently completed Diamond Dogs, and the long-awaited production of The Night Comes For Us which starts rolling cameras in December. In the meantime, perhaps some of the best news you’ll see in press as of late will pertain to the upcoming release of the new ‘Mo Brothers movie, Headshot, releasing on December 8 in Indonesia followed by a wider release in 2017. Starring opposite Pang is actor and martial artist Iko Uwais who succeeds his stardom following his acclaim in Gareth Huw Evans’s Merantau, The Raid and The Raid 2. Uwais plays Ishmael, fondly named by the nurse caring for him when he discovered with a serious head wound and severe memory loss, only to trigger a series of events that put her […]

RONIN AT LARGE: An Interview With Sunny Pang

Lee B. Golden III

Photo: Arnold Wells The latest Fall film festival premieres of the new ‘Mo Brothers amnesiac revenge thriller, Headshot, has already drawn waves of approval from most critics and fans able to attend film events in Texas, as well as in Busan and Sitges to name a few. The film also landed in Toronto before long where select cast members also intended the film’s Midnight Madness opener, including the film’s co-star, Sunny Pang who became known to me as early as 2012 by way of director James Lee’s action comedy, The Collector. Thankfully, friend and one of Canada’s best stuntmen, Alex Chung took to this year’s Toronto International Film Fest to screen Headshot for a review on our site. I also recommended it as a chance for him to meet Pang and the cast and unfortunately their meeting was too brief in the midst of the electricity in the room for them […]