well go usa

NYAFF XX Review: Benny Chan’s RAGING FIRE, A White-Knuckle Cop Thriller With Posthumous Deference

The past two decades or so proved to be a pretty interesting era in Asian movies. Specifically, new blood entered the arena by the late nineties to carry onward the legacy and momentum of Hong Kong cinema following its latest crossovers of Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh, placing younger stars like actor Nicholas Tse firmly in the spotlight as the terrain shifted. The result has seen the trajectory expanded on significantly more prospective terms as, namely speaking, Yen’s pursuits saw him traveling the world for productions on both sides of the lens, while the likes of Tse and his Gen-X Cops helmer Benny Chan – director of Yen’s 1995 incarnation of Fist Of Fury – would eventually see the two collaborate several times over from 2004 through 2011. A director for more than twenty years, Chan’s films draw me to several conclusions about his work – […]

NYAFF XX Review: Ryoo Seung-Wan’s ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU, On Surviving A Political Warzone

Lee B. Golden III

I can’t speak for North Korea, but it’s always compelling cinema to watch from Southern directors, with stories featuring parties from both sides of the DMZ. Seeing and observing the mannerisms and dispositions of both parties as they’re forced together in situations that imperil them and implore finding a common ground should be a welcome challenge for almost any filmmaker to tackle. More to the point, director Ryoo Seung-wan facing this challenge head-on is a feat I’m keen on witnessing, as big in scope and scale as many of his productions have grown, from the heydays of Die Bad, Crying Fist and Arahan, to international thriller The Berlin File and explosive period epic, The Battleship Island. Ryoo’s escalation continues this month with Escape From Mogadishu, spotlighting a colossal moment in Somalian history as the African nation became ground zero for the two Koreas, with the South vying for membership in […]

Well Go USA’s RAGING FIRE Sets August North American Theatrical Release

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a rather Donnie Yen/Benny Chan/Raging Fire kinda day, hasn’t it? At long last the film has been granted an August 13 release in North American theaters from Well Go USA following the film’s acquisition in June. What’s more is a new trailer is now online which you can check out above. Shan (Donnie Yen) is a highly respected hardline cop with a long history of success on dangerous cases. However, his past unexpectedly comes back to haunt him when a sting operation is attacked by a mysterious group of criminals led by Ngo (Nicholas Tse), his former protégé, a talented former officer who had once respected and admired Shan. However, a terrible mistake three years prior landed him in prison, quickly turning the once rising star into a furious man with a grudge, and the will to destroy everyone who had wronged him—including his former mentor. The film […]

CRAZY FIST: Well Go USA Knuckles Up For Hi-YAH!, Blu-Ray, DVD & Digital Releases This August And September

Lee B. Golden III

It was in the months leading up to a Five-A-Day piece I did back in December 2017 when I shared a bit of what found online regarding a film I didn’t think would ever see the light of day. This pertains to Crazy Fist, a film I did manage to catch floating around in market news with All Rights Entertainment repping the project, all whilst having heard nothing about its movement or any acquisition whatsoever. The casting of Steve Yoo, who’s been a rising star of sorts featuring opposite Xing Yu in 2013’s The Wrath Of Vajra, Jackie Chan’s CZ12 and Little Big Soldier, and cameoing in Keanu Reeves’s Man Of Tai Chi, I felt would’ve been a motivator for this film to catch some momentum. Alas, seeing that Well Go USA Entertainment has snagged the rights to this heavy-hitting action thriller probably doesn’t surprise anybody considering their expertise in […]

HYDRA: Seize Your Blu-Ray Copy Of Kensuke Sonomura’s Debut Hit Action Thriller From Well Go USA [UPDATED]

Lee B. Golden III

UPDATE (7/23): Prior to posting this contest, I ordered three copies and was only sent one by the PR firm in charge, and given that it’s the release week for the film and the wait period for the other two, I moved ahead and launched the contest on Thursday. The other two copies finally arrived on Friday morning so.. there’s that! EARLIER (7/22): Kensuke Sonomura’s directorial debut, Hydra, was a magnanimous offering for all those involved, and definitely a fun ride for a first time effort from the stuntman-turned-filmmaker. The buzz generated on Twitter from the film’s streaming launch on Hi-YAH! is worth a look as well, putting actor Masanori Mimoto (Yakuza Apocalypse) in a very good position as we look forward to his next endeavor. Until then, fans looking forward to physical ownership can look toward wherever movies are sold to own a copy on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD as […]

Ryoo Seung-Wan’s ESCAPE FROM MOGADISHU Makes A Run For Well Go USA’s North American Release In August!

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a long while since I’ve seen me a Ryoo Seung-wan flick. Well Go USA all but looks to change that now with their newly-announced acquisition of Ryoo’s new political thriller, Escape From Mogadishu. Based on a true story: as civil war rages in Mogadishu, rival North and South Korean diplomats are left trapped. With no aid from either government, their only shot at survival may require uniting with bitter adversaries to escape. Deadline‘s Jill Goldsmith is reporting the film’s July 28 open in South Korea will precede its theatrical releases throughout North America on August 6. Escape From Mogadishu stars Kim Yoon-seok (The Chaser, The Yellow Sea), Huh Joon-ho (Kingdom, Illang: The Wolf Brigade), Zo In-sung (The Classic, The Great Battle), Koo Kyo-hwan (Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula, Netflix’s Kingdom: Ashin of the North), Jeong Man-sik (The Swordsman, Rampant) and Kim So-jin (The Spy Gone North, The King). “The film […]

Well Go USA’s THE FATAL RAID Lands On DVD, Blu-Ray And Digital This August

Lee B. Golden III

I never did get a proper chance to screen Jacky Lee’s The Fatal Raid a few years back when it first screened for NYAFF, but the film is undoubtedly in good hands with Well Go USA slating its Digital, Blu-Ray and DVD release on August 24. The film stars Jade Leung (Black Cat, Enemy Shadow), Patrick Tam (All’s Well End’s Well, Ip Man 3, Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy), Min-Chen Lin (Vampire Cleanup Department), Jeana Ho (iGirl), Michael Tong (Man of Tai Chi, God of War), and Kristy Yeung (Good Bye, My Princess; Detective Dee’s Hell Road). Two elite police teams head up a secret operation following a dangerous smuggling ring across the Macau border, but when their presence is discovered, the mission ends in a deadly firefight. Twenty years later, an escort mission brings the survivors back to the scene of the tragedy—and fosters a highly unwelcome reunion. Take stock of the images and key […]

RAGING FIRE Heats Up A North American Release With The Official U.S. Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

One thing is certain when it comes to late director Benny Chan in the wake of a phenomenal 35-year career in film and TV: He’s gone out on what looks to be an explosive, thrilling high note with his final film, Raging Fire. The film has since been acquired by Well Go USA to release theatrically in the U.S. before landing on the company’s niche streamer, Hi-YAH! later this year, according to a new report at Variety‘s Rebecca Davis who also shared the first official U.S. trailer which you can view above. Shan (Donnie Yen) is a highly respected hardline cop with a long history of success on dangerous cases. However, his past unexpectedly comes back to haunt him when a sting operation is attacked by a mysterious group of criminals led by Ngo (Nicholas Tse), his former protégé, a talented former officer who had once respected and admired Shan. […]

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THE PAPER TIGERS Review: Embracing Earnestness

Brandon Streussnig

Earnestness is underrated. Cynicism and brutality have their time and place, especially in martial arts films, but sometimes it’s refreshing to be reminded why the art form matters and what can happen when taken too far. Western action puts a heavy emphasis on jacked guys kicking ass and taking names, quipping about how cool they are or how crazy their situation is along the way. When it’s clicking, that can be a ton of fun, but it becomes tough to watch when the prerogative has been placed on that and not on the action itself. You forget that this stuff hurts. Investment becomes almost nonexistent because you’re just watching people do unbelievable things with very little effort. It becomes visual noise that washes over you with little impact. Action has largely forgotten that we need to care about our central figures. It’s not enough to say “Isn’t this cool??” Enter […]

HYDRA: Kensuke Sonomura’s Japanese Action Debut Hits Hi-YAH! July 2, On Digital, DVD and Blu-Ray July 20

Lee B. Golden III

Leave it to Well Go USA Entertainment and their in-house streaming service, Hi-YAH! to hail the coming of new names to the forefront of martial arts action and thrills. Paving the way for stunt professional-turned-filmmaker Kensuke Sonomura since taking his freshman feature actioner, Hydra, on the road back in 2019, Hi-YAH! is announcing a July 2 premiere for subscribers. The film marks a headlining stake for Japanese actor and action star Masanori Mimoto who has appeared in a number of U.S. releases such as Funimation’s Sushi Typhoon release, Alien Vs. Ninja and Samuel Goldwyn Films’s Yakuza Apocalypse, as well as Well Go USA’s Enter The Fat Dragon starring Donnie Yen. After retiring as an assassin, Takashi leads a quiet life as a chef at a sushi bar, where he secretly watches over the daughter of a former associate. His peace is short-lived: soon, he is recruited for a final job […]

SILAT WARRIORS: DEED OF DEATH Trailer Signals Malaysian Martial Arts Action And Thrills This Friday On Hi-YAH!

Lee B. Golden III

Out of all of last year’s choice festival selections, Areel Abu Bakar’s Geran has to be one of the proudest for those able to screen films. Highly celebrated by NYAFF, the award-winning action thriller now gets a fair shake with an official trailer for its stateside release as Silat Warriors: Deed Of Death. release this Friday on Hi-YAH!, before hitting Digital, Blu-ray and DVD from July 6 through Well Go USA. When a reckless young gambler’s wild lifestyle of illegal betting, drag racing, and brutal street fights pits him against a ruthless criminal enterprise, his luck finally runs out. The gang shows up at his father’s home to collect on the debt, forcing his family to fight in order to save their land—and his life. In addition to actors Namron (One Two Jaga, Dukun, Redha) and Fad Anuar (Dollah Superstar, TV’s “KL Gangster: Underworld”), first-time film director Areel Abu Bakar […]

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Your Next Viewing: A Night in the MORGUE Will Give You Chills

Christina Ortega

Sometimes when I am watching a film or TV show, I wonder where that booth was on Career Day. I don’t remember anyone talking to me about how to become a blood splatter technician à la Dexter, or an engineer like Jigsaw, or a morgue attendant. Ah, the paths not taken. Sorry, my unchosen career paths are not the point. The point of this article is to talk about Well Go USA Entertainment’s latest release MORGUE which, despite my opening, does not focus on a morgue attendant, but it does take place in one. The film opens with Diego Martinez arguing with his girlfriend and being teased because he says he does not have gas money to drive her friend home. Diego eventually takes a job as a security guard at, you guessed it, a morgue. Well, that should be easy, right? All he has to do is stay alert […]

CROSSING HANDS, AND HUGS: A Night Out Celebrating With The Director, Star And Producers Of THE PAPER TIGERS In NYC [UPDATED]

Lee B. Golden III

There’s no question the abysmal toll taken on theatrical exhibitors left behind by the Covid-19 pandemic. That espeicially included the prospects of any in-person events that folks might have been planning at the top of last year. With more than a year passing since then, and the progress brought on by the accelerations of vaccine output in the States thanks in large part to a new administration, it’s been rejuvenating somewhat to see moviegoers slowly getting to return to theaters, albeit under continual safety restrictions still in place in many areas. In the midst of it all, it’s especially been opportune for filmmaker Bao Tran as he and his team travel the country to attend select screenings and Q&A events to celebrate the long-awaited release of his feature film debut, The Paper Tigers, now out in theaters and on Digital from Well Go USA. Following recent stops in Bellevue, […]

UNDERCOVER PUNCH & GUN Review – Gunning For Nostalgia

Matthew Essary

There was a span of time from the early 1980s until the mid-1990s where Chinese action films from Hong Kong were produced with such regularity that it seemed like instant classics were constantly appearing in video shops. Films by performers like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Jet Li came in like a steady stream but the reality was not all of these films were great. The consistently high volume of output from the HK film industry in those glory days meant that for every actual classic that got released, there were dozens of other action films released that were less than memorable. Even these second or third-string titles though often had an enthusiasm and urgency to them that made up for their poor acting, cheap sets, and incoherent scripts. They also always had action that was head and shoulders above anything else being produced in the world at the time. […]

Reminder: Bao Tran’s THE PAPER TIGERS Debuts In Theaters Today From Well Go USA!

Lee B. Golden III

By all accounts, if you’re a martial arts fan then there’s really no excuse for not having heard of Bao Tran‘s feature debut, The Paper Tigers. Born from an idea nearly a decade ago leading to an action-packed proof-of-concept, and an extensive galvanizing effort to crowdfund a targeted campaign to the global film markets for better appeal just a few years ago, that idea now comes nourished with nearly back-to-back stellar reviews from critics and virtual festival audiences the world over, including two reviews here at FCSyndicate HQ from none other than myself, as well as Melbourne-based Vance Ang whose own recent coverage partly states the following: “…As a feel good action comedy, the movie concludes in a decidedly formulaic fashion neatly wrapping up the story. Though nothing teases a sequel, the strength of its characters and themes could no doubt present this avenue – as Bao Tran clearly deserves […]

THE GREAT WAR OF ARCHIMEDES: War And Politics By The Numbers In Well Go USA’s Cataclysmic Official U.S. Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

More than two years since Toho landed with its campaign for celebrated director Takashi Yamazaki’s latest period war drama, The Great War Of Archimedes, folks within Well Go USA’s distro lane can now take a gander at the explosive tale that awaits with a Digital, Blu-ray and DVD release slated for June 15. Yamazaki, best known for helming films such as Returner, The Eternal Zero, and Parasyte and Parasyte 2, directs from a script he adapted for the screen based Norifusa Mita’s 2015 Weekly Young Magazine publication. The film marks a reunion for the Planos, Texas firm as the film stars actor Suda Masaki who can be seen in Well Go USA’s 2018 release, Yuichi Fukuda’s Gintama. In The Great War Of Archimedes, the film is a fictionalized depiction of the behind-the-scenes struggles of building the Yamato, the largest battleship in the world, during WWII; Pre-WWII, the Japanese Navy commissioned the […]

UNDERCOVER PUNCH & GUN Trailer: Philip Ng And Andy On Unload Their Action Arsenal On Hi-YAH Next Month, Digital And Disc This Summer!

Lee B. Golden III

If a little more Phillip Ng is what you’ve been wanting these days, then pull up a chair and get a whiff of Well Go USA’s latest Hi-YAH! induction, Undercover Punch & Gun, from directors Lui Koon Nam and Frankie Tam. While an elite cop is working undercover to infiltrate a notorious drug ring, his plan is compromised when a rival agency with a grudge attacks during a trade, killing the gang’s leader. Their cover blown, both teams are forced to unite and take to the high seas in an attempt to overthrow the ruthless smuggler behind it all. This one’s taken quite a while to circulate, and for North American genre filmgoers, Hi-YAH! is a perfect landing spot for a title of this kind. The film arrives exclusively on Hi-YAH! from May 7, so you’re not a subscriber yet, I recommend changing that. The film also arrives on Digital, […]

SILAT WARRIORS: DEED OF DEATH Panel Interview, Release Announced By Well Go USA

Cathy LaFrance

The success of Geran, a 2019 Malaysian martial arts movie, should be an opening for action films from Southeast Asia, says film director Areel Abu Bakar. The award-winning, albeit first-time director was interviewed Friday, April 9 via Zoom from Malaysia along with one of the film’s actors, Megat Sharizal. The late-evening discussion was sponsored by Columbia University’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month organization and co-moderated by students from the university, which is based in New York City. Malaysia is 12 hours ahead of NYC — so it was already Saturday morning for the director, actor, translator, and what seemed to be a live audience there. Called Silat Warriors: Deed of Death for the international film market, the movie premiered virtually for American audiences in 2020 at the 19th New York Asian Film Festival, where it won the Daniel A. Craft Award for Excellence in Action Cinema. Director Abu Bakar, who […]

DELIVER US FROM EVIL: Well Go USA Delivers Hong Won-Chan’s Hit Korean Action Thriller On Blu-Ray, DVD And Digital In May

Lee B. Golden III

The latest round of Asian-centric action and crime thrills coming to Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital on May 25 from Well Go USA now hands us the official trailer for Deliver Us From Evil. The film reunites New World actors Hwang Jung-min (The Wailing; The Spy Gone North) and Lee Jung-jae (Tazza: One-Eyed Jack; The Face Reader; Along With the Gods franchise), and also stars Park Jeong-min (Svaha: The Sixth Finger), Park Soi a.k.a. Park Myung-hoon (Parasite) and Choi Moon a.k.a. Choi Hee-seo (Anarchist from Colony; Okja). After the shocking kidnapping of a little girl in Thailand, a mercenary with a murky past as a government black ops agent (Hwang) is forced to re-emerge from the shadows when he learns the incident is closely connected to him. With the help of expat Yui (Park), he flies to Thailand and begins tracking the girl’s whereabouts, moving ever closer to the notorious child trafficking ring responsible for her […]

MORGUE: Hugo Cardozo’s Hit Paraguayan Horror Thriller Haunts This May From Well Go USA

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA Entertainment is proudly releasing writer/director Hugo Cardozo’s feature debut, Morgue, on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD beginning May 11. The Paraguayan supernatural horror thriller – based on real life events – hails a milestone for Cardozo whose film has since been a local box office hit upon its release in 2019, and the inspiration behind a new revisal in development as of last January from Bird Box writer Eric Heisserer. After a harrowing accident, the perpetually down-on-his-luck Diego Martinez accepts a gig as a security guard at the local morgue. He thought he’d had a lucky break, but as the night wears on, eerie occurrences and the suddenly not-quite-lifeless body of the victim leave him to wonder: how much otherworldly rage does it take to wake the dead? Morgue stars Pablo Martínez, María del Mar Fernández, Willi Villalba, Abel Martínez, Dr. Aldo Von Knobloch, Raúl Rotela, and Francisco […]