well go usa

The Brink

THE BRINK: Well Go USA Touts Exclusive Hi-YAH! Stream For New Max Zhang Action Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is proudly ramping up its power-packed HiYAH! channel with the long-awaited release of director Jonathon Li’s crime thriller, The Brink. The Texas-based firm is still rolling the film out on Blu-Ray beginning August 20 while folks keen on a more spectacular all-you-can-eat buffet of action cinema of the Asian variety will proudly be the first among North America’s streaming demo to watch. A renegade cop is on a mission to bring a shady smuggler to justice by any means necessary. When his investigation leads to a Triad mob boss and global smuggling ring, his manhunt quickly turns from local misconduct into a violent international incident. A relentless barrage of high flying action and explosive fight sequences, in this breakneck thriller, once the fists start flying, they never stop – not even underwater. The film stars Max Zhang who’s been leaving a mark of late with releases at […]

NYAFF Review: Kim Tae-Gyun’s DARK FIGURE OF CRIME Tells A Lean, Long Tale Pitting Good Against Unyielding Evil

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Kim Yun-Seok is having a banner year with his directing debut, Another Child, a worthy cosign as one of two milestones for the screen star in the wake of his latest film, Dark Figure Of Crime which opened in October, and screened at NYAFF last weekend. Ripped from the headlines for Kim Tae-Gyun’s sophomore outing, Dark Figure Of Crime, opens with a meet-up at a restaurant between detective Kim Hyung-min (Kim Yun-Seok), his informant Jung-Bong (Kim Young-Woong), and confessed killer Kang Tae-oh (Ju Ji-Hoon) goes awry. Before long, a seperate unit nabs him for the murder of his girlfriend, sparking a grim reunion when Kang gives Kim a potentially prospective phone call confessing to the death and dismemberment of six more bodies. The two commence an arrangement, of sorts, that enables Kim to pursue a cold case roster in exchange for handing Kang perks behind bars. At least one […]

The Swindlers (Well Go USA)

THE SWINDLERS Score Big On Blu-Ray And Digital July 30

Lee B. Golden III

If it feels like it’s been the longest time since you last heard word on Jang Chang-Won’s feature debut, The Swindlers, then you’re not dreaming. The hit caper dramedy which stars Yoo Ji-tae, Hyun Bin, Bae Seong-woo, Park Sung-woong and Nana is finally on track for a digital and Blu-Ray release on July 30 from Well Go USA (my review here)! High stakes and fast talk are the game in this crime caper that brings together an all-star cast as unlikely allies from different sides of the law. Each member of the team has their own motives, but they’ll have to work together to achieve their common goal – trapping the world’s most legendary con man.

Park Seo-Joon in THE DIVINE FURY

Supernatural Action Thriller THE DIVINE FURY Rages On North American Screens August 16!

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is officially two-for-two with their second announcement of the week with the acquisition of supranational action thriller, The Divine Fury. Kim Joo-Hwan directs the film reuniting with Midnight Runners actor Park Seo-Joon for an August 16 release in the U.S.! After losing his father at a young age in a terrible accident, Yong-hu abandons his Christian faith and chooses to only believe in himself. Now as an adult, Yong-hu is a champion fighter and has everything he has ever wanted, that is until mysterious wounds appear in the palms of his hands. He solicits help from a local priest Father Ahn (Ahn), hoping the priest can help relieve him of the painful markings only to find himself in the middle of a dangerous fight against otherworldly evil forces seeking to wreak havoc on the human world. Joining Park are actors Ahn Sung-Ki and Woo Do-Hwan with martial […]

Bernard Rose’s SAMURAI MARATHON Makes A Run In 2020 For Well Go USA

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is officially warming up and stretching its muscles to release Bernard Rose’s latest period outing, Samurai Marathon. The film just premiered at the New York Asian Film Festival with the company now announcing its acquisition for a 2020 release (read our review). Directed by Rose and scored by Philip Glass, the film is based on a true story about the first-ever marathon run in all of Japan. Set at the end of Edo period, Jinnai (Rurouni Kenshin franchise star Takeru Satoh), a secret ninja residing in Annaka village where he’s been assigned to survey activity. Having acted hastily before the village Lord’s announcement of an intense race to further reinforce pride and discipline in Japan, he’s forced to defy his ninja oath and help stave off the assassins mistakenly out to kill the village Lord for defying Japanese rule. via THR: “Samurai Marathon is such an engrossing, […]

BETTER DAYS Review: A Transformative Ode To The Young And Disillusioned

Derek Tsang’s BETTER DAYS, Delayed In China, Now Delayed In North America

Lee B. Golden III

China film bureaucracy has gained a foothold once again with the delay of Derek Tsang’s new movie, Better Days, now extended to Well Go USA Entertainment’s domain in the states. The film’s overseas delay was initially reported on Monday following an official statement via Weibo. “After considering the level of completion of ‘Better Days’ and our market pre-assessments, and following consultations between the production and distribution parties, the film will not be released on June 27.” says the Weibo account per Monday’s report at Variety. “A new release date will be announced at a later time.” The news also marks the latest stumble for the beleagured coming-of-age drama which was pulled from the Berlin line-up at the last minute earlier this year. Other films have also suffered similar stagnant results in the festival circuit thanks principally to Chinese censors, included Zhang Yimou’s One Second, Guan Hu’s The Eight Hundred and […]

FURIE

FURIE: Take Home The Action And Vengeance Later This Month On Blu-Ray And DVD

Lee B. Golden III

It’s not often that Vietnamese martial arts action on film makes its way to our shores. Actress and cinematic powerhouse Veronica Ngo has left a great impression on her fans doing just that for the better part of the last twelve or so years to date having initially taken off with hits like The Rebel and Clash with Johnny Tri Nguyen among others. The Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Bright co-star’s latest strides have earned her a prime position in various entertainment aspects while maintaining her screen presence at home and abroad. That progress continued with Furie earlier this year which since made its way to Netflix outside of North America, and that’s where Well Go USA comes in, firmly officiating its debut on digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD beginning June 25. After putting her criminal past behind her, Hai Phuong’s (Ngo) daughter is kidnapped and Hai will […]

FIRST LOVE: Takashi Miike’s Cannes Hit Action Thriller Picked Up By Well Go USA For Late 2019

Lee B. Golden III

Takashi Miike’s newest Cannes darling, First Love, is coming to North America, and Well Go USA is all but on-top of things with its acquisition reported on Wednesday from THR. The film had its Directors’ Fortnight run in France and stars Masataka Kubota (Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul: S), and actress Sakurako Konishi with Nao Omori (Ichi The Killer), Shota Sometani (Legend Of The Demon Cat), actress and singer Becky (Eight Ranger, Eight Ranger 2), and actors Jun Murakami (Aircraft Carrier Ibuki), Sansei Shiomi (Beyond Outrage, Outrage Coda) and Seiyo Uchino (13 Assassins). First Love marks the fourth collaboration between Academy Award® winning producer Jeremy Thomas (THE LAST EMPEROR) and Takashi Miike (BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL, HARA-KIRI and 13 ASSASSINS). Set over one night in Tokyo, we follow Leo (Kubota), a young boxer down on his luck as he meets his ‘first love’ Monica (Konishi), a call girl and an addict […]

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BETTER DAYS: Jackson Yee And Zhou Dongyu Are Protectors On The Run In The Official U.S. Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Soul Mate helmer Derek Tsang’s rousing coming-of-age drama, Better Days, may have hit a few stumbles during its film festival circulation. Rest assured, that hasn’t hindered plans for its stateside rollout now slated for June 28, coinciding with its China release that weekend. The official trailer is now out and about courtesy of Well Go USA who snagged the film during Cannes on May 15, with TFboys’ own Jackson Yee and actress Zhou Dongyu lending a riveting sample of their performances this week. Check out the trailer above and a poster gallery below. When it is time for the Chinese gaokao, a two-day national college entrance exam, the entire country comes to a standstill. For nearly ten million high school students, this exam not only determines where and if they get to study but the fates of their entire families as well. Like so many others, Nian has been single-mindedly […]

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Review: In Lee Won-Tae’s THE GANGSTER, THE COP, THE DEVIL, Don Lee Gives ‘Em Hell!

Lee B. Golden III

South Korean actor Don Lee (a.k.a. Ma Dong-Seok) is back with first billing alongside Kim Moo-Yul and Kim Sung-Kyu in a crime tale intriguingly based on a true story with Lee Won-Tae’s The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil. The film premiered at Cannes and is now off to the races for its remaining festival circuitry, and with deserving ceremony given the talent that headlines this latest work from the filmmaker who debuted in 2017 with Cho Jin-Woong starrer, Man Of Will. Lee’s fellow co-star from Kang Yoon-Sung’s The Outlaws, actor Kim Sung-Kyu, bookends the movie title as the menacing serial killer whose gruesome, indiscriminate pile of bodies are plaguing the city. Lee stars as Jang Dong-Soo, a crimeboss mitigating his teetering underworld business dealings with other bosses whilst staving off the whimiscal and unwelcome escapades of Jung Tae-Seok, a relentless detective with a penchant for harassing gangsters for fun. Corruption […]

THE GANGSTER, THE COP, THE DEVIL

THE GANGSTER, THE COP, THE DEVIL: Well Go USA Launches The Official Trailer For South Korean Crime Thriller Opening June 7

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA officially acquired Lee Won-Tae’s new crime drama, The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, and is officially poised to release the film in the U.S. on June 7. The Texas-based distro firm made the announcement on Thursday (news via THR) conjoining an official trailer which you can view above. Fierce gang boss Jang Dong-su (Don Lee) is violently attacked after a fender bender on a rainy night. After fighting back, he barely escapes, however his reputation as a feared leader is damaged beyond repair. The only way to restore his image is to find his attacker and exact revenge. Jang teams up with Detective Jung Tae-seok (Kim Moo-yul) to find the assailant, but soon discovers the attacker is actually a serial killer. With no support from the police department, Detective Jung is forced to use gang boss Jang’s resources in order to track down the killer. The two […]

CHASING THE DRAGON 2: WILD WILD BUNCH Continues The Journeying Crime Saga In North America On June 7

CHASING THE DRAGON 2: WILD WILD BUNCH Continues The Journeying Crime Saga In North America On June 7

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is on hand at Cannes looking at this year’s mild raft of offerings. In the meantime, the banner managed to snag spiritual crime sequel, Chasing The Dragon 2: Wild Wild Bunch, and add it to its robust collection of Asian film titles for a select theatrical and digital release on June 7. Based on real-life crimes that terrorized Hong Kong in the 1990s, Logan (Tony Leung) is the head of leading a notorious human trafficking gang, abducting the children of Hong Kong’s elite. Police forces decide to send in Sky (Louis Koo), a Hong Kong undercover agent whose mission is to infiltrate and save the hostages, all while bringing the gang and their leader to justice in this action-packed thriller. Jason Kwan and Jing Wong direct with a cast that also includes Gordon Lam, and actress Sabrina Qiu, with Sherman Ye and Simon Yam.

BIG BROTHER

BIG BROTHER Giveaway: Win A Free Copy Of Well Go USA’s New Donnie Yen Action Drama

Lee B. Golden III

Fellow film cohort Cesar Alejandro Jr. over at Filmsmash is teaming up with Film Combat Syndicate, and inviting readers to compete for a free copy of Well Go USA’s forthcoming Blu-Ray release, director Kam Ka Wai’s Big Brother, starring Donnie Yen. The film, a coming of age action drama starring Donnie Yen as a newly hired teacher faced with a beleaguered school, students embroiled in personal troubles, and an unyielding gangster who shares his past, is currently available on VoD as of last month and will roll out on Blu-ray & DVD May 21. Martial arts legend Donnie Yen stars as a former soldier recruited for his toughest mission yet – teaching a class of teen delinquents. As he kicks his way into their school and home lives, it becomes clear that his unconventional teaching style might be just what they need. The contest expires on Sunday, May 19, at11:59 […]

Review: Neo-Western Crime Drama, SAVAGE, Paints By Numbers With Ample Chills And Suspense

Lee B. Golden III

If rural crime pics are your thing, you can expect plenty of this in writer and director Cui Siwei’s debut outing, Savage, produced by former John Woo cohort Terence Chang. Scenic mountainous views and wintry landscapes are the backdrop for key performances from a cast led by Chang Chen, and an otherwise taut and stylish feature endeavor. Toggling between two seperate moments, the film depicts the story of Wang, a cop contemplating life in a near-desolate town near Mt. Baekdu where life has ultimately slowed down. He otherwise shares a friendly rivalry with partner Han (Li Guangjie) over love interest, Dr. Sun (Ni Ni), who is set to transfer to Beijing. At the same time, a harrowing heist is underway highatop a snowy mountainous road, enacted by a trio of robbers led by Damao (Liao Fan), his kid brother, Ermao (Zhang Yicong), and sly sharpshooter, Zhou (Hu Jun). Wang is […]

SHADOW

Review: Zhang Yimou’s SHADOW Brims With A Climatic Equilibrium Of Bi-Colorful Wuxia Mastery

Lee B. Golden III

May 3 is gonna be a pretty stacked start of the weekend for regular moviegoers, and director Zhang Yimou’s latest success story, Shadow, will surely add to the pile. It’s certainly a redeeming effort following the director’s clumsy, albeit sizeable creature epic, The Great Wall, although you can certainly defer to its greater promise given all the current reviews that have run viral since its film festival run last year. If you’re like me and have been gripped by Zhang’s artillery of storytelling and visionary caliber in grand feats like Hero, House Of Flying Daggers and Curse Of The Golden Flower, you believe that Shadow far from disappoints. Penned by Zhang and co-writer Wei Li, Shadow is based on the ancient folkloric “Three Kingdoms” saga, prefaced with the story defeat of Pei kingdom at the hands of Yan. After losing Jing territory to the kingdom of Yan, Peiliang (Ryan Zheng), […]

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T-34: Well Go USA Shells-Out The Official U.S. Trailer For Alexey Sidorov’s WW2 Tank Thriller

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been well over two years as long-awaited as it was for director Alexey Sidorov’s explosive tank epic, T-34. Now en route to a U.S. DVD/Blu-Ray combo release on June 11 from Well Go USA, the company took to its U.S. trailer last week. 1941. Second lieutenant Ivushkin who just graduated from tank academy and was sent to the war zone, is charged with a suicidal mission – with one T-34 tank and a small crew he must stop a dozen of top-notch German tanks from attacking a nearby city. Miraculously, he succeeds but gets captured. In 1944, a courageous group of Russian soldiers led by second lieutenant Ivushkin managed to escape from German captivity in a half-destroyed legendary T-34 tank. Those were the times of unforgettable bravery, fierce fighting, unbreakable love, and legendary miracles. T-34 stars Alexander Petrov, Viktor Dobronravov, Vinzenz Kiefer, Irina Starshenbaum and Pyotr Skvortsov.

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SHADOW: Watch The Exquisite New Trailer For Zhang Yimou’s Extravagant New Wuxia Epic

Lee B. Golden III

Zhang Yimou’s latest epic tale of sultry watercolor swordplay drama now lands stateside with an official U.S. trailer for Shadow. It matters that this latest feat from the man who brought us some of the best turn of the century work ever in projects like Hero and House Of Flying Daggers has earned this new feature gem nearly a dozen awards to its credit which should make Shadow more than worthy of your support upon its May 3 release. With SHADOW, director Zhang Yimou (HERO, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS) once again pushes the boundaries of wuxia action to create a film like no other, masterfully painting a canvas of inky blacks and greys punctuated with bursts of color from the blood of the defeated. In a kingdom ruled by a young and unpredictable king, the military commander has a secret weapon: a “shadow”, a look-alike who can fool both his […]

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MASTER Z: IP MAN LEGACY Review: The ‘Ip Man’ Saga Paves The Way For A New Hero

Lee B. Golden III

Director Yuen Woo-ping takes the mantle for actor and martial artist Max Zhang’s latest solo feat, Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy, a fresh and livening underdog tale spun-off from the current Ip Man trilogy long prior to the fourth film’s release this summer. Zhang has made some great strides in the last few years, including at least a few Hollywood credits to his belt – this, after proving formidably as a major seller to fans of the genre long since stunt-doubling Zhang Ziyi on the set of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Fans of the Ip Man franchise won’t feel too left out as Yuen’s spin-off assures with the occssional flashback here and there to cosign the new venture that otherwise expands the commercial Ip Man cinematic universe. Hong Kong is where our story is set, still under British rule, and a system of government that’s become inherently corrupt. Following […]

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Jesse V. Johnson’s TRIPLE THREAT Multiplies With Its Starry Action Cinema Line-Up

Lee B. Golden III

There’s no real shortage of action movies in the industry. The rarity, however, lies in seeing so many talented household names under one banner (save for The Expendables franchise of late) in a film like Jesse V. Johnson’s newest ensemble gathering, Triple Threat. The film presents a familiar, albeit intriguing, classic betrayal/revenge story that dares to do what Hollywood thusfar won’t do; Granted, piting together the likes of martial arts action cinema favorites like Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen, Iko Uwais, Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, and Jeeja Yanin doesn’t deem as lucrative in a market saturated by superhero movies coming out of its orifices. Still, you can’t deny that a marquee like this isn’t mouthwatering, if only for the fact that once upon a time, a film like this would have seen a nationwide release as big as James Cameron’s True Lies or John McTiernan’s The Predator. A one-night only […]

MASTER Z: IP MAN LEGACY Commences An Epic Duel Of Masters In The Official U.S. Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

It’s high-time for everyone stateside who hasn’t yet torrented a copy of Ip Man 3 spin-off, Well Go USA’s Master Z: Ip Man Legacy ahead of its U.S. release on April 12. Enter a cadre of some of the biggest names in kung fu cinema of late with none other than Max Zhang making his next stride with the role of disgraced wing chun master Cheung Tin-Chi following his consequential battle with Donnie Yen’s title character in the previous film. Legendary action director Yuen Wo Ping draws on a stellar cast (Michelle Yeoh, Dave Bautista, Tony Jaa, and Max Zhang) to create a hard-hitting martial arts blast worthy of its place in the celebrated IP MAN universe. Following his defeat by Master Ip, Cheung Tin Chi (Zhang), tries to make a life with his young son in Hong Kong, waiting tables at a bar that caters to expats. But it’s […]