Where Oh Where is Our Nina Simone? (The Biopic starring Zoe Saldana)

Nina Simone is an artist with a legacy that is rich with the nuances that existed when she came to fame.  Her distinctive look and sound are very much a part of who she was and what she stood for during those very turbulent times in the 60’s.  She is also very much known for her activism.  I am a fan of her music and her sound is rich with the soulful layering of her life experiences.  You can tell by listening to her music, that there is a lot of substance and context behind her lyrics.  With all this being said, when I saw the trailer for the upcoming biopic, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  First of all, Zoe Saldana is cast as Nina Simone.  Granted, Zoe Saldana is a pretty decent actress, however, she definitely is not the actress that I would immediately have thought of to represent such an iconic artist like Nina Simone. 

However, when I saw the recently release trailer, in which it appears that Zoe is wearing darker make-up (black face) in order to match Nina’s complexion, I was dumbfounded.  There are so many things wrong with this representation.  In hindsight, Zoe Saldana, should not have been selected for this role.  Not only does she not look anything like Nina, but having her parade around in what is essentially black face is disrespectful to who Nina was and what she represented.  As I pointed out, Nina’s look was very much a part of her legacy, the beauty of her natural features and hair, during a time when that was frowned upon because they didn’t think she could appeal to a diverse audience.   This caused much anguish in her creative process and also caused her to leave the United States and move to Europe, where she felt they would be more accepting of her look, due to racism that exists in the United States.  

There are many actresses that I can think of that could have embodied what Ms. Simone stood for and would not have had to resort to wearing darker make-up to do it.  These actresses, I believe, have a closer physicality to Nina Simone.  So why weren’t any of these actresses chosen?  Some that come to mind are:

Viola Davis (How To Get Away With Murder)

Lupita N’ygo (12 Years A Slave, Star Wars)

Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead)

India Arie (singer)

Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)

Lorraine Toussaint (Orange is the New Black, Rosewood)

Alfre Woodard

Audre McDonald (singer/actress)

Lauren Hill (singer/actress)

Rutina Wesley (True Blood)

Jill Scott (singer/actress) 

 

                                                                     

 

I believe that the artist from this list would have been able to knock this role out of the park, if given the opportunity.  The legacy of Nina Simone is important and should be portrayed to the best of one’s ability to accurately embody her essence.  I just don’t feel as if that was represented in the trailer.  When I saw the horrible make-up job, I was already turned off from this project and felt that it was disrespectful to her legacy.  This story is too captivating and important not to be seen because of some cheap, shoddy production. 

  

The casting to me is all wrong.  Perhaps it was due to name recognition.  This is when artistic integrity comes into play.  Once they approached Zoe about putting on darker make-up and a prosthetic nose, perhaps she should have stepped away from this project and thought that maybe she was not the best actress to portray Nina.  I have to think that she had some trepidation about tackling such an iconic figure and being able to do her justice and do it correctly.  She had to have known this was not going to fly.  This goes against the things that Nina Simone embodied and represented.  I don’t know how Zoe Saldana didn’t see or think about that when signing onto this project.

 

 

I have already been turned off by how Nina Simone is represented in this piece.  I know others have as well, which tells me that quite a few people will not be viewing it.  This is a shame because her story needs to be told, in the right way, not with this cheap, half-assed attempt.

I do like Zoe Saldana as an actress, however, I do believe that perhaps she should have stepped away from this project because of her artistic integrity.

There is a documentary available on netflix called "What Happened, Miss Simone?", that I will check out instead of this project.

 

The Female Perspective

 

Gambit still not in Production

Gambit moved, 2 new Fox release dates

Not that it was lost in the news that Fox announced two new movie dates for October  2017 and January 2018, was the fact that Gambit was moved off its October 2016 date and that the film is not yet in production.  The Gambit movie, set to star with Channing Tatum as Gambit, has been troubled from the beginning. There have been script rewrites, 2 directors have dropped out, and there is a sense of general uneasiness my many fanboys and fangirls about Tatum's ability to play our favorite Cajun mutant. Top that off with an alleged 125 million dollar budget and the overwhelming success of Deadpool this winter, it seems the Gambit movie is again in development hell.  Both new dates would work for the Gambit movie and my thought would be October 2017 to give the movie a less stressed production schedule.

We at @brothascomics( well at least 4/5th of us) have been on the record for many months now that we are not sure that the movie should even be made. We feel that the character is a bit 2 dimensional and he may not translate onto the big screen well.  If nothing else, introduce the character into an established Xmen movie before spinning him off into a solo movie.  Its a huge risk on Fox's part- to me even bigger than Deadpool- because most peoples impressions of Gambit are based on the 1992 Xmen cartoon!  And even tho that character was quite fun, its a marked difference from the comic version and you would assume a total 180 degree change from the movie version.

So where does Gambit go from here?  This seems like a passion project for Channing Tatum.  I do not think the movie gets made at all if he drops out of it.  Very similar to Ryan Reynolds with Deadpool, Tatum seems committed to making this movie happen- even with all the roadblocks and challenges the movie has already seen.  Besides the super rushed schedule it would have been under, these are my thoughts as to why the date was moved.

1. More script issues.  They have decided to tell an origin story and those can be tricky AND Gambit's origin is kinda kooky.  It seems the original script was gonna deal with the Thieves and Assassins Guild and his relationship with Bella Donna. Maybe Fox sees that as too similar to Deadpool and Vanessa.  Do they stick with that or go in another direction?  Possibly new director Doug Liman has a vision for the character that differs from previous script writers and they are taking their time to get it fixed so they are not writing script while they film which almost always turns out bad.

2. Budget. Deadpool just proved you can get bank for your buck at under $100 million production budget.  Gambit was projected at $125 million.  Do they go back and scale it back to a more reasonable budget? I wasn't sure this movie needed that big of a budget to begin with- especially if you're doing Thieves Guild stuff and without a major villain( at least yet to be revealed).

3, R Rating. Script rewrite also make take the movie in a different direction.  Gambit, in New Orleans... Mardi Gras scenes... could make for some sex,  nudity, and language changes for a character that actually could support those type of shenanigans. Plus #FoxgonnaFox and since Deadpool was R and was successful, they may attempt to copy that!

All in all, I am still skeptical this movie gets made. I  have already resolved myself to the fact that its going to be Channing Tatum. Who knows, he may surprise us all and pull it off. I think the bigger worry is if there is enough built in interest in the character to support this solo effort and what its actually going to look like when it makes it on screen.  What I do know is the problems surrounding this movie are real and if they move forward without fixing them, we could have another Green Lantern on our hands and nobody wants to relive that shit!

The Producer

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Brothascomics: Week in Review

We had a great week last week in terms of content and I wanted to let people find one place where they could catch up and post some information about what is upcoming.  Remember all podcast can be listened to on Soundcloud or on ITunes

Brothascomics on Soundcloud
Brothascomics on ITunes

Counselor Interview

We interviewed the creator and stars of the web series Counselor.  We had a chance to talk to writer/director Harold Jackson III and stars Chad Eric Smith and Curtiss Cook.  We talked about the series, and how it came about, and the writing, acting, and directing process.  Its probably one of our best interviews and each of these dudes talent shines.  Its also a very funny interview so you should listen to that podcast and be sure to watch the webseries on line.

Counselor Podcast


Counselor Webseries

Also @brothascomics podcast this past week talked about our favorite Black Sitcoms of all time( No Cosby)! We run down our top five and discuss is Chappelle Show is a sitcom.  Grab a drink and take a listen to podcast 26.

Podcast 26: Black Sitcoms



We also continued our review of OG Secret Wars( 1984) with issues 9-10.  Join The Producer, Sandman, and Brother Beavis as we review the book and continue to run down Cuckold Colossus and the terrible handling of James Rhodes as Iron Man.

OG Secret Wars Podcast pt 5

Lastly, if you are a Bengals fan, we also jumped back in with the Who Dey over 40 Podcast.  Big Hutch, The Producer, and Sandman talk upcoming free agency and the draft.  We also talk the lingering hangover from that Stealers loss.


Upcoming this week, we will have OG Podcast 6 as we conclude the series.  Brothascomics will  have Podcast 26 as we get ready for Batman V Superman! We are back on the #Xmen92 livetweet Saturday morning at 10:00 AM and we also will have the #BSG78 livetweet on Sunday at 6:00 PM!

Lost of information and content for you to join in on.  Be sure to follow us on Twitter and on
Facebook.

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The Producer

COUNSELOR Ep 1 "Ain't Sh*t Wrong With Me"

Check out this web series starring friend of the show Curtiss Cook.  This weekend we will interview the stars of the show and the creator/director. A great look at mental health and how often black people view and react to therapy and what can happen when the lines between patient and doctor get blurred. A fascinating and well acted series from start to finish!

The Producer

Fallout from Deadpool Effect

Because Hollywood lacks originality and follows trends and runs them into the ground, the success of Deadpool is already having ripple effects that Hollywood will regret a few years from now.  It’s always easy to jump to conclusions early and people often will look at an outlier and think it’s the trend when really it’s an anomaly.  Let’s look at some of the early trends coming out of Deadpools success.

#FoxgonnaFox 

Fox doing Old Man Logan

Fox cannot help themselves- they really can’t.  They have been hoping, searching, and praying for a non Xmen film to be successful. Fantastic Four was a big NOPE and even tho the Wolverine movies are profitable, neither one of them is good.  But with Deadpool, they figure the way to make a great Wolverine movie is to make it rated R.

The Wolverine movies were not good because the stories sucked, not because they were PG-13.  There is plenty of violence in both of those movies, as well.  Having Wolverine decapitate someone or say, "Fuck" or have some titties in the movie is not going to make the movie any better. This is such a Fox Studio move and so predictable as well.  On top of that, news is Fox is gonna make the last Wolverine movie the story of Old Man Logan.  This future story line from the comic stars a bunch of heroes that Fox does not own the rights to so they would need to craft an entire new story for the character.  Do any of you trust Fox with that?  Deadpool worked because it was Deadpool.  The writers stuck true to the character and the tone of the books.  That worked for THAT movie and THAT character.  It won’t work for all characters and Fox is going to learn a costly financial lesson by forcing that R rating on Wolverine.

DC Overreacts

Batman V Superman R rated home release

This was predictable too.  With Deadpool making so much money essentially being violent and a bunch of bad language, well DC want in on that too.  So news leaks this week that Superman V Batman will have an R rated home release version.  Werd?  Who was asking for this?  Um, it’s been established in the DC Cinematic that Batman does not kill.  Plus, we know all the shit DC caught from having Superman kill Zod in Man of Steel.  So what extra violence are we gonna see in this movie? Or maybe DC thinks we want to hear Batman and Superman say, "Fuck"!  Or maybe we are gonna see the Trinity get it on Biblical style. C'mon DC. Do not be victim to trends!  DC has staked their path of doing movies their way, but at what cost? Nobody is asking for or clamoring for an R rated version of Batman V Superman.  The timing of this reeks of desperation!  I feel DC knows it may have a stinker on its hands with BvS and they are doing what they can to hedge their bets to lower expectations.  Stating their is an R rated version to be released later creates an impression of a better, longer Directors Cut in case the PG version craps the bed.  If DC was gonna do an R rated comic book movie, it seems Suicide Squad would be more of a perfect fit with all the bad guys and the twisted, demented Joker.  But don't fool with Batman and Superman, DC.  Kids want to see the Trinity! Don't put end more senseless and pointless violence to justify the R rating.  

Hollywood Overreacts to Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds big payday after Deadpool

If you have listened to our podcast, you know @brothascomics has no real love loss for Ryan Reynolds.  It’s not like he is a bad actor or not a great looking dude. But his ability to pick or appear in quality movie projects is incredible.  This is a guy who Hollywood has been trying to make an A list actor for close to 20 years and it still has not worked.  Each time he has been giving the ball to be the "star", he has dropped it.  And he has failed across many genre of film: Comedy, action, drama, comic book movies... It's unprecedented that he has been given so many chances to fail over the years. Now, Deadpool is a hit and he is a sought after actor again.  Please make it stop!  Stop trying to make Fetch a thing!  Deadpool worked for Ryan Reynolds because he and the character are so similar.  Nobody wants to see Ryan Reynolds outside of that suit.  NOBODY! Similar to Robert Downey Jr and Hugh Jackman, they are married ( for better or worse) to their comic book alter ego and when they attempt to step out of that, the results tend to be box office poison.  Well Ryan Reynolds was already box office poison but now Deadpool made him hot again and Hollywood is jizzing all over themselves to give him lead roles in movies again.  People never learn and Hollywood is even slower to learn. 

Deadpool, to me, is a good, not great movie. But we are going to be seeing the fallout of this movie for the next few years.  I hope I am wrong about all of this, but sadly, I know I'm right!

Marvel: Civil War Issue 1

As we did with Legion Quest to get you ready for Xmen: Apocalypse, @brothascomics is going to walk you down issue by issue to Captain America: Civil War, looking at the comics that inspired the movie( well, at least the title).

Civil War: Issue 1

Story by : Mark Millar
Pencils by: Steve McNiven

The book opens in the control room of a tv studio and flashes to a neighborhood in Stamford, Connecticut.  The New Warriors are the stars of a hero reality show and the shows is capturing their every move- including any potential battles with super villains.  The Warriors have rolled up on a list of villains on the FBI's most wanted and Speedball, the leader of the team, wants to take them on- against the protest of some of his teammates.  But the New Warriors need positive press for their reality show and against better judgement attack the villains.

It all seems to be going well but the main bad guy of the group, Nitro has escaped and the New Warriors are in hot pursuit.  Nitro, a being who can make himslef explode, is caught by Namorita in front of a local elementary school.  Nitro is not about to be taken down by the cousin of Sub Mariner and explodes himself in front of the school and on live television for everyone to see.  He kills Namorita and between 800-900 other people including most of the children at the school.

The book then shifts to the aftermath and the clean-up as heroes have come to the scene.  Xmen, Avengers, Fantastic Four, and others are all there and each of them has an opinion on what happened, why it happened and what the future holds.  The seeds of discontent are planted early between Iron Man and Captain America with each believing change is coming on how society views and deals with its heroes.

The public's reaction is swift and extreme.  People and the government want the heroes to be accountable for the damage they cause and the lives that are loss protecting them from evil doers.  A funeral affects Tony Stark/Iron Man the most and the movement for super heroes to be registered begins.

This leads to a huge, super hero pow-wow at the Baxter Building-home to the Fantastic Four.  In that meeting, there are large discussions on how to move forward with no real consensus. Some heroes believe in registration, while others are adamantly against it.

Meanwhile, SHIELD is pursuing registration under the watch of Maria Hill and she looks to get Captain America on her side.  Cap is totally against registration and he lets Maria Hill know it and she informs Cap that if he is not working for her, then he is against SHIELD and the US government and moves to have Captain America arrested. Captain America escapes and flees the SHIELD Hellicarrier!

When news gets back to Iron Man that Cap has gone rogue, he decides its his responsibility to bring Cap in!

That's the end of issue 1. Looking back, this series is almost 10 years old and it still holds up well. Even tho they undo much of it over time, when it came out originally, the story was fresh and different and all the side books with the battles between heroes was fun to watch and read.  Captain America taking the side of individual freedom has played out in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and I am curious to how they weave this story around Winter Soldier to pit Iron Man VS Captain America.
Join us back in two weeks as we review issue 2 and get you all ready for the movie Captain America: Civil War!

The Producer