What if Studio's just told the Truth

With Ghost in The Shell opening this weekend and after the travesty of The Great Wall, and the luke warm reception of Iron Fist, I was thinking, what if movie and television studios just decided to tell the truth about how they feel about Asian Culture?  It would be a radical departure from the talking points they send the actors out with to promote the movie/television show and it MAY even lessen the negative momentum of the show or movie before it premieres.  Lets look at it case by case!

Ghost in the Shell

Now I am not a huge fan of manga or anime.  I have actually never seen the original Ghost in The Shell or Akira, or any of those movies. Its just not my thing.  What I do know about them is from my brother or from reading articles associated with them.  I also know that those movies are largely based on Japanese culture and when Hollywood comes a knocking for one of those properties, its going to look to whitewash or it or appropriate it.

Ghost in the Shell is both.  It whitewashes the main character Motoko with Scarlett Johansson and it appropriates Asian culture in the aesthetic of the movie.  Yet it fills out much of the roster with non Asian characters.  A double No-No.  This has been brewing since she was cast and people have been upset about it.  Now that the movie is coming out, Johansson has to get out in front and tell the people who love Ghost in The Shell to give it a chance and that she would NEVER take a role from a person of color. Um, BISH you just did that!

Sell that movie, BISH

What if, and I know this is some Earth 2 shit, what if the studio and all those involved were just honest.  A press release that acknowledges: 1.  Asian culture fascinates us almost on a fetish like level and we want in on that; 2. that we are looking to make the most money that we can off the property with giving any of it back to the people who inspired it; 3. We think we have a bankable white actress in Scarlett Johanssonwho white men and white women love; 4. We are scared to death of losing our phony baloney jobs by casting an Asian Actress here even tho it makes all the sense in the world.  PS. We really love money.

Would we all respect that? No. But it would be better than putting out the bullshit they try to have the actors sell.

With Iron Fist, actor Finn Jones got all in his feelings when confronted about the White Savior trope that is Iron Fist.  He got so twitter mad he wound up taking his ball and going home by closing his account- Right before the series debuted on NetFlix.  Instead of putting him in that position or worse yet, Jessica Henwick, the actress who  played Collen Wing out there to defend this shit! A press release that acknowledges the issue may have helped: 1. Iron Fist was based on Kung Fu tv show with a white actor David Carradine; 2. We thought since he has always been white, no one would be upset by him staying white; 3. We all wish we knew Kung Fu and believe that white men can be the master of anything they put their mind to- even culture that has no relation to them; 4. We only view Asians as villains or caricatures;   5. We were afraid if we cast Lewis Tan as the lead, butt hurt white fan boys would not support the show and we would lose our phony baloney jobs.  PS. We really love money

Again, probably not satisfying, but better than what they put out there before the show premiered.  See Hollywood is stuck on the idea that they NEED a white person to sell their movie.  They may haggle a little on if its a white man or white woman, but to sell the movie to "Midwestern Americans" ie white people, they stuff a white person in there to make white people feel good about themselves.  And they have the nerve to call us snowflakes.

Case in point: The Great Wall, starring Matt Damon. The tried early to get in front of the white savior trope by saying they had "China's number one director". And they even filled out the supporting cast with Asian Actors/Actresses.  However, the marketing for the movie focused solely on Matt Damon and his awful ponytail.  Hell, they shoulda sold us on the Dragon( spoiler alert).  Before the movie premiered, they should've crafted a nice press release acknowledging the bullshit: 1. We are infatuated with Chinese mysticism and think most of your stories about China are steeped in that; 2. To make this movie huge, we need a white actor to put on the poster so white people will come and see it; 3. We'll even cast an Asian women hoping that will shut down talk of racism and sexism; 4. We really love Dragons; 5. We're scared to cast an Asian lead here because white people may not support the movie and we will lose our phony baloney jobs. PS We really love money!

Time and time again, people of color are sold short on our ability to support quality entertainment( movies, tv, music).  That is coupled with white being the default for success and the standard for excellence.  And its topped with the obvious racism of making movies with the express hope that white people will support it or not support it.  Its insulting and its been proven time and again that diversity in film and tv works( if the work is quality).

So if you don't want to put Asian or Black people in movies and TV shows... don't.  But lie about your motives behind it!

PS We also really love  money

The Producer

Jay and Silent Bob Again?

I had been struggling to come to terms with the news that Kevin Smith dropped a couple of weeks ago that he is in the process of writing another Jay and Silent Bob movie.  Another one!  As one of my Twitter followers said... "Didn't Jay and Silent Bob say enough"?

Jay and Bob to Return

In the article, Kevin Smith stated that one of the participants of Clerks is not going to participate so that killed the idea of doing Clerks 3( another bad idea).  I think we all can guess that actor,Jeff Anderson, who plays Randall in Clerks is the non participant.  He and Kevin Smith have had a rocky relationship since Clerks and it probably fell out again and you cannot do Clerks anything without Randall.

So instead of working through that or creating new characters, or something else, Kevin Smith falls back to Jay and Silent Bob.  Now look, his non View Askew stuff has been more misses than hits.  I liked Jersey Girl probably more than most people, but his most recent offerings have been way off the radar for me and most of the mainstream population.  I mean movies about people turning into a seal, Nazi hotdogs, and cheap knock off horror movies ain't gonna break any box office records.

But those are his movies.  His non-movie related stuff has been doing well. I do not watch Comic Book Men but I know alot of people that do.  His work on directing episodes of the Flash and SuperGirl have gained raved reviews.  And when he can stick to a schedule, his comic book writing has generally been on point.

So why keep coming back to Jay and Bob? I know they are familiar and family, but the characters are relics of a time gone by.  Stoners and dudes who sale drugs( well white dudes) is not cutting edge anymore.  You can buy pot legally in many states now and getting pot illegally ain't really that hard.  Plus by age, Jay is in his 40's- Are we really gonna pretend that a 40 year old spewing obscenities and vulgarities and humping the ground isn't more sad than funny at this point?

The characters of Clerks should continue to live in comic book form and maybe a reboot of the criminally  underrated cartoon series.  But more live action Jay and Bob.... No thanks!

The Producer

We feel you Gambino

The first set photo's from the totally unnecessary Han Solo movie leaked today. In the photo, you can see the main characters of the movie in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.  I honestly don't even know which white dude is actually playing Han Solo.  You also see Chewbacca because of course! You also notice there are some white women in the picture and Woody from Cheers.  What you do not see is any Black Women but that is an article for another time.  What you also notice is Donald Glover, who is playing Lando in this movie.  I have dubbed the face Glover has as emotionally uncomfortable.  I mean it could be the way he is stretched out for the picture is awkward.  Dude is also crazy busy, maybe he was just tired from ruling television and music in 2016. Maybe this photo shoot was taking forever due to technical difficulties. Maybe Chewie's fur is rubbing him the wrong way!  Possibly, like me, he just hates having his picture taken.  Any and all of these are real possibilities.  However, there is another possibility that must be considered.  Possibly he was uncomfortable being the only Black person there.

You see most of us Blerds grew up recognizing this uncomfortableness. Before the days of Twitter and Facebook, if you were Black with Nerdy habits, there were often places you would go to that put your Blackness on display for white folks to see and often criticize.  The comic book store was often that place for me.  The store was on the "other side" of town and to get there, I needed to take a bus and walk a few blocks to get there.  Upon entering, it was if I was Tupac because All Eyez was on Me. Those looks of, "Why is he here? Or Is he going to steal something". Or Do they read comics"? It made me feel uncomfortable in my nerdom. Comic Book Conventions can often feel the same way. Whether you Cosplay or not, often times white eyes are on you and there may or may not be any other Black folks or POC for you to hang with and its a weird feeling.  A feeling that most white people NEVER have to deal with because they are most often the majority in these situations. And even when they are not, Black people are more open to giving respect to the only white dude in the club or the only white dude at the basketball court( if he can play). That feeling of mutual respect is often not reciprocated when you are the only Black person in a place white people don't think you belong. This is not a comfortable feeling and can often change how Black people react in social situations in how we walk, talk, and exist.

But its not just in Blerd life Black folks feel this way.  How about when you are the only Black person as your job.  Office spaces can be weird without the racial tension, but when you are the only Black person there, white people are quick to make sure you know it( like you didn't already know). But their sly ass jokes and privileged attitudes can make the work environment toxic( NO you can't touch my hair!). Or being the only Black person at a restaurant.  Black people know this feeling- the feeling of having people watching your every move and emotion- hoping they catch you in their version of Blackness( SEE! I knew he would order the chicken!)

I look at Gambino in that picture and he has that look to me.  That, man there are no Black people here besides me and now I have to be on guard about the things I say and do.  Been there, done that!

So I feel you Gambino!  I played tennis in high school and at a predominantly white college and was very often the only Black Dude in places.  I know that look and lived it for years!  Hopefully you can bring some of your boys on set with you to try to even things out.  Just tell them they are your cousin since their President thinks we all related anyway!

The Producer

White feminism on steroids

The good people over at I-D vice got an article from Marie Clare where Scarlette Johansson finally spoke out about her leading role in the Ghost in a Shell adaptation.  Her point in the article below was basically that she took the role for feminist purposes.  Look, men should not be speaking on too many issues regarding women.  Its not our place to talk. Its our place to listen.  However, this is some bullshit from her.  This is the epitome of white feminism.  White feminism leaves out women of color as well as Gay/Lesbian women as well.  Often times, white feminist want this sisterhood with women but then fail to back Black women up on issues that matter to them.  

I was never going to see this movie anyway. But this article pretty much cemented that thought!

The Producer

http://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/scarlett-johansson-discusses-the-whitewashing-in-ghost-in-the-shell?utm_source=idtwitter

Last year Scarlett Johansson was caught up in a conversation about whitewashing following her casting in Ghost in the Shell, the film adaptation of Masamune Shirow's classic Japanese anime. Johansson was brought on to play Major Motoko Kusanagi, despite the fact that she is not Japanese.

At the time, Johansson kept quiet about this controversy. Director Rupert Sanders defended the choice saying, "I think whenever you cast someone, someone's going to be critical of it. To me, I stand by my decision... She's the best actress of her generation, and I was flattered and honored that she would be in this film." He later referred to her "cyberpunk aesthetic" as being central to the decision.

READ: Why is hollywood whitewashing lead asian roles?

But now, in a conversation with Marie Claire, the actress has weighed in. "I certainly would never presume to play another race of a person. Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing a character that was offensive."

She explained that she approached the role with a focus on gender, not race. Adding, "having a franchise with a female protagonist driving it is such a rare opportunity. Certainly, I feel the enormous pressure of that — the weight of such a big property on my shoulders."

Later in the chat she touched on Hollywood's wage gap problem, and her decision to speak out about the issue last year. While it's great to see someone with such a high profile shedding light on gender inequality, it's a bit of a bummer that she failed to see how those issues are compounded by giving diverse roles to white actors. 

MegaCon Tampa Bay Review

A few weeks ago, the kids and I packed into the mini van and headed two hours across the Florida Peninsula to Mega Con Tampa Bay.  The folks at Mega Con were kind enough to grant us a press pass, so we wanted to drop this review of the con for our readers

Con Size
Mega Con Tampa Bay is a large con. Over the weekend, they did about 30,000 fans and guests. Hosted at the Tampa Bay Convention Center, right on the water, its a beautiful location and a great space to host a con.  There was plenty of walking space inside the venue and beautiful views outside if you needed to take a break.  Food trucks were lined outside the convention center offering a variety of foods to try if you wanted to avoid the fried food offerings inside.

The Badge Process

If you have read our reviews before, you know the one thing that can sink the boat of a con goer is the badge process.  Often times, the process is so lengthy and tedious, it takes away any excitement you may have had attending the con.  We were fortunate to have Press passes and that process was super smooth.  I am happy to report tho, fan badge process was smooth as well.  Lines were not too long and the wait was short.  MegaCon Tampa Bay did a great job of getting the word out to pick up badges early and fans listened.  There was some hold up for "weapon" checks for cosplayers, but nothing significant.  A great badge process overall!

The Guest List

The Guest List for MegaCon Tampa Bay was awesome. I mean really awesome.  You could have your pick in the world of tv, sci-fi/ movies.. there was someone there you probably have seen before.  From Fonzie, to Levar Burton, to David Tennant, to Neville Longbottom.... An absolute great guest list and from the looks of the autograph lines and photo ops, fans thought so too. I was able to meet "Stewart" from the Big Bang Theory and he seemed like a really nice guy!

On top of the celebrity guest lists, the comic book guest list was also outstanding.  Even tho I am not a fan, Rob Liefeld had a long line at his table all day for his fans.

The Cosplay

The Cosplay was outstanding! People really went all out.  I am not a huge fan of Harley Quinn the character, but she has inspired some great cosplay.  Check out my Flickr page for Cosplayers at the event!

see the guy looking

CosPlay Mega Con Tampa Bay

Vendors

Vendors were all over the convention floor.  If there was something you really wanted, you could find it at Mega Con Tampa Bay.  The issue, as with every con, is the prices.  Vendors often ramp up the prices and people often get gouged for items they might be able to find cheaper someplace else.  Not all vendors, tho as my kids were able to get a many Lego figures for a great deal from a vendor on the floor.

Family Friendly

For such a large con, Mega Con Tampa Bay was very kid friendly. My kids are 11 and 10 and at no point did I feel the environment was unsafe.  Cosplayers were respectful in their dress out in public and activities that were 18 and above were placed in areas that were far away from the main floor.

Overall

This was a great con. I mean really great!  I was able to pick up a 2nd Press Pass and meet with Brothascomics contributor Sandman at the event.  We had a great time on the floor with the vendors, looking for hidden treasures with toys, and geeking out over some of our favorite characters.  If you live in any portion of Florida or in Atlanta, Georgia and all cities south of Atlanta, this is a great con for you to attend.  The con size will not overwhelm you and they really picked a great venue to host the event.

The Producer

Rogue 1: Spoiler Review

If you have been a reader of this blog and/or listen to our podcast, you will know that I have been very skeptical going into these new Star Wars movies.  I held my hype level down for many months before the Force Awakens believing that it was going to be very hard for Disney to convince legions of Star Wars fans to care about these new characters they were dropping into our lives and laps.
I was wrong.... so wrong about the Force Awakens.  The movie, although much of it a beat for beat repeat of a New Hope is so well done, so well acted, and rides the line so well between reminiscing with the old characters and blending in the new.

So when Rogue 1 was announced, you would think my trust in the Mouse with Star Wars property would be restored and I'd go blindly to the stores buying toys and getting my tickets months in advance for a screening.  You'd be wrong.  If anything, I was more skeptical.  A Star Wars movie literally with no characters- beyond Vader- that we have ever heard of; starring in a movie without any Skywalkers.  My thought was this is Disney being greedy looking for a money grab to tell a story that nobody wanted to hear.

Once again, I was oh so very wrong and oh so happy to be wrong!  Rogue One is a great Star Wars movie. Going in I was wary of this story of the rag tag group of rebels who need to get the Death Star plans into the hands of Princess Leia. Director, Gareth Edwards,   tells a fascinating tell that unravels over the course of the movie into an emotional, yet action packed story that will have even non Star Wars fans on the edge of their seat.

There are three stars of the movie. The first is the diverse cast.  Look, we all love Star Wars but it has not been a bastion of diversity in that galaxy far, far away. In this movie, we get a female lead, a Latin male co lead, Asian co-stars, as well as an African-American character is Saw Gerrera  whose intentions may not be all that admirable when you really look at it.  Star Wars should always look like this.  ALWAYS.  Never at a time in the year 2016, should a movie not reflect the ticket buying public.  Enough with the token characters such as Lando, Mace, and James Earl Jones' voice.  We love those characters for sure, but they have never properly been giving the shine they deserve in the Star Wars universe.

The 2nd major star of the movie is Ben Mendelson as director Krennic. His singular focus on wanting to get the Death Star made- no matter what the cost is not only scary, but inspiring in a way I was not prepared for.  We were all expecting Vader to have this overarching hand in the building of the Death Star, but Director Krennic and his manipulating Jyn's  father into the building the thing was a great B plot to the movie that played out so well!

The 3rd star of the movie is the various call backs or forwards to a New Hope.  From the pilots of the X-Wing battle, to the base on Yavin, to the CGI faces of Leia and Govenor Tarken.  So many little Star Wars Easter Eggs.  And the Vader we get to see as he is taking over Leia's ship is the Vader we heard so much about and were so scared of as little kids.

I hope people understand how hard this movie was to pull off.  Going in, knowing that none of these "rebels" appear in the original trilogy, you know they are all going to die. But how they die and the story that leads to it is so well executed, you forget that these heroes are on a doomed mission.

Overall, I rank Rogue one in my Top 3 of the all the Star Wars movies.  I have Empire at 1, New Hope at 2; and Rogue 1 at 3. Just a great movie overall and restored my faith in trusting the Mouse with Star Wars.  Bring on Episode 8!

The Producer

What Could've Been: Batman V Superman

StoryBoards Ultimate Edition

Another day, another news article about something that maybe, coulda, shoulda, might've happened in Batman V Superman.

This week, its a storyboard on the desert scene from the beginning of the movie when Superman came to rescue Lois.  It does not show much of anything and I doubt that it would've changed my or many other viewers perception of the movie.

It does show/tell me one major thing, tho.  Now, look. I am the writer of a non-successful blog/podcast.  I have never written, produced, directed, cast anything or anybody for a major motion picture. So the people at DC and Warner Brothers clearly know more than me when it comes to filmaking.

That being said, I am an expert at film watching. I have watched thousands of movies and have a pretty good knowledge base on what makes a good movies and what makes a shitty movie.  Batman V Superman is not a shitty movie. I believe that strongly.  Its not a good movie either, but somewhere in that mess of a movie, there is a good movie that needed better editing.  So if I believe there is a good movie in there, why doesn't DC/Warner Brothers?

You see if they believed Batman V Superman was a good movie as it is, we would not have all the additional stuff they wants to ADD to the movie.  Between the extended/R rated cut, non-Batgirl, cut scenes, directors commentary, and now additional storyboards, all DC has been doing is trying to convince themselves( and us) that the movie was good. If they truly believed in the movie as it is, they would stand on it and defend it for the art that it is.  They have not done that!  Since they movies came out, they had been pimping the R rated cut and the extended cut.  I know those are part of the business model and helps sell DVD's but you don't see Marvel doing this do you?  Even Marvels' less successful movies don't do this as a way to try and convince us that the movie was better than what the critics said.

And here is the biggest issue with this, at least for me.  This erodes my confidence of when the movie actually comes out in theaters.  Why would I drop that $60 to take my family to the movie, if in 6 months, you are going to put out a "better" version on DVD with shit that was not in the theatrical cut? Better for me to wait, save the money, and watch it on my big screen at my house.

Sadly I am sure this is not the last we have heard of something in Batman V Superman that was going to happen.  DC can't help itself in that regard.  It keeps people talking and blogging about a movie that is not that great. I guess some press is better than no press!

The Producer