More bad Gambit movie News

Anna Paquin not in Gambit Movie

** Side Brotha Note** before we begin from the Producer.  Um, my feelings for Anna Paquin are not pure. I like her... ALOT. I am not sure why because she is not classically attrative.  But there is something about Anna. I've seen many of her movies and the only thing I have not seen is Tru Blood because I don't fuck with horror or vampires.

In case you did not hear, Anna Paquin, who played Rogue in the first 3 Xmen movies and then was disappeared in Days of Future Past for some reason, tweeted out that she will not be appearing in the Channing Tatum lead Gambit movie- which begins( allegedly filming) in October 7, 2015.  This comes on the heels of director, Rupert Wyatt dropping out of the project about 3 weeks ago.  With filming set to begin, the film essentially only has its leading man and a skeleton script with no director at this point.

This movie has been ill conceived from the start it seems with Fox wanting to move ahead, even though every indication is that this will be a terrible movie.  Just to review the train wreck this project had endured before filming:

1. Casting Tatum as the lead.  Many and most found this to be an odd choice. His build and his ability to pull off the Cajun accent have all been questioned( let alone his lack of acting chops).  This seems to be a vanity/passion project for him but at what cost to his career and the character of Gambit.

2. Tatum almost left the project all together after he and Fox could not work out a deal about the money.  Tatum actually used his "fame" and power to make Fox make him a better financial deal on the project. Fox being Fox ( #FoxgonnaFox shout out to @patrick Lewis on Twitter) because they had no other options with the project, gave Tatum a fat back end deal that will pay Tatum alot of cash if the movie is successful.

3. There have been rumors about the script and what source material are they going to use.  News said this will be an origin story and deal with Gambit's history with the Thieves Guild.  Also, Lea Seydoux was cast as Bella Donna, leader of the Assassin Guild so it seems to be dealing with Gambit's history in New Orleans.  Other casting sheets seemed to confirm that as well.  A movie about the Thieves Guild and the Assasins Guild would be so boring but that seems to be the direction they are headed.

Gambit Casting Sheet

4. Gambit in or out of Age of Apocalypse?  No one really knows.  There have been rumors on both sides of this.  Since the character needs to be reintroduced, it would make sense to put him in a high profile movie before a solo movie but #FoxgonnaFox.

5. Director leaves the project.  Rupert Wyatt pulled out a month before principal filming so the rush is on to find another director.  Does this push the project back or does in finish the project completely? After the Fantastic Four Fiasco, I'm not sure how many directors are eager to go and work for Fox (#FoxgonnaFox). Plus if all the above issues are still in place, who wants to willingly enter into this chaos?  Plus the budget on the project skyrocketed to over $120 million and you know Fox needs/wants a blockbuster based on those numbers.

Big Hutch and the Producer have very strong feelings that this movie does not need to be made.  If it is made, it should be done after Gambit has been introduced into the Xmen to give his character some history and backstory before giving him his own movie.  If/when this movie is made and it fails, it could do serious damage to the X- Franchise in the future, as well as Gambit's character for future movies and projects.

Our recommendation: Scrap it Fox! Its not worth it! But we know you wont because #FoxgonnaFox!

The Producer

Podcast 11: Who can say "The Word"

This weeks podcast we discuss the week in movies.  We kill Adam Sandler and his terrible career.  We also review many of the new fall tv shows and discuss Black-ish this week that did an episode about the N Word.  We discuss how much we still say it and who can and cannot say it and why.  We also review our time at Dragon Con.

Grab a drink and listen with us.  Its a good time!
Podcast on Soundcloud

Podcast on ITunes

Who can say the N word

Blackish did a brilliant episode on the N word this week and there was a list of rules on who can say it. This is not a debate on who should or shouldn't or brothascomics viewpoint on "the word".  This is a visual representation of "The Rules".  By following these rules, it may save you from an ass kicking at some point in time in your life. Just kiddin( but not really)!

The Word: Black-ish on ABC

Black people: You can say the word but not in mixed company( meaning around white people).

White people are not allowed to say the word. This should go without explanation at this point. We know you want to say it but you should not say it..... ever. Even when your favorite rapper uses it.

Mexican's are not allowed to say it. Not sure as to why, but you are not allowed.

De mexicanos no se les permite decirlo. No estoy seguro de por qué, pero no se le permite.

Dominicans are allowed to say the word!
They seem a little too happy about it tho!

Ok, if you are Puerto Rican but look like this, no bueno. You cannot say the word. Not sure why, but sometimes relationship rules are complicated.

If you are Puerto Rican and are Rosie Perez or in the Terror Squad( Big Pun, Fat Joe, et all) you can say it! Again, relationship rules are complicated!

Bill Clinton should not say it but if he DID, black people wont be too mad at him!

Don Lemon cannot say it- not even when qouting another black person!

















These are the rules. I did not make them up but it best to follow them. I know it may be confusing to you,( it confuses us too) but we can all get along better if we follow the rules.

The Producer

Comic Book Review: Lando #5

I was so disappointed in issue number 4 and it reflected in my review.  The book had too many splash pages and hardly any dialogue and did very little to advance the story line.  I am happy to report that issue five does not suffer through the same disappointments.

To recap, Lando, our lovable playa/hustler has gotten himself in deep with a loanshark and he has been doing odd jobs to pay down that debt.  Of course there is no honor among thieves and when Lando thinks he has his debt paid, he is blackmailed into "one more job".  Lando, with his faithful male servant, Lobot, two assassin twins, and a curator of artifacts, named set off to steal a ship, the Imperialis.  Once they steal the ship, they are immediately tracked by the Empire and narrowly escape being captured.  Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Lando, the ship they stole belonged to Emperor Palpatine himself and he has every intention of getting it back.  Palpatine dispatches his personal bounty hunter, Chanath Cha to get the ship back by any means necessary.  Meanwhile on the ship, Lando and his crew, while exploring discover a hidden area guarded by the Emperors Imperial Guard and a massive battle takes place between the twins and the guards.  Once the guards are defeated, Lando and Sava  move into the treasure room and discover that the room is full of artifacts from the Sith.

Issue 5 picks outside the Imperialis as Chanath Cha has made his way to the ship and sneaks on board and begins his search for the thieves.  The ironic moment occurs when he need Chanath needs to get on the ship, the access code is 66( Emperor was dropping that code for the longest).

Back in the treasure room, Lando wants to know how much all this Sith stuff is worth.  He figures they take it, find a collector, and sell it for credits.  He asks Sava Korin how many credits could they get and Sava says they could  earn  credits to buy a moon, or two( Lando would call his Lando Land).

While Sava and Lando discuss credits and Jedi and Sith history( Lando is not a believer), one of the twins becmes fixated on the Sith artifacts and picks up a double bladed lightsaber.  It seems being in the room with the Dark Side of the Force and fighting the Emperors Imperial Guard has affected the twin and he goes Tatooine Cantina on the other twin with the lightsaber.  This freaks out Lando and Sava and they lock the twins in the treasure room with one another.

Lando, showing a sense of caring and loyalty that Sava has never seen before, wants to figure out a way to rescue the twins.  Sava, thinking Lando is the Lando she has known forever, is headed to an escape pod until an announcement comes over the speaker system on the ship stating that all escape pods have been disabled( by Channath Cha)

Back in the treasure room, we learn that the assassin twins are actually a couple and that one is male and one is female and they are married and they are looking to adopt a child with the money from this job but being in this room has opened new thoughts of the future as they are exposed to the Dark Side  of the Force in the room.

Lando and Sava debate on what to do. Sava knows the ship has been taken over by an outsider and still makes an attempt to escape before being captured off panel by Chanath.  She tries to say she stole ship alone but the Bounty Hunter is not buying it and Lando's attempt to rescue Sava goes as well as one might think. But once Chanath gets the drop on Lando, the bounty hunter makes a connection with our lovable, playa/hustler

Turns out Chanath is a lady and someone who Lando has had a previous relationship with( best part is that it takes a comic panel for Lando to realize who she is).  She drops knowledge on Lando and Sava that this is the Emperors ship and he wants it back and she has been charged with killing everyone on the ship.  The book ends, tho with both twins wielding lightsabers ready to kill Lando and anyone else on the ship.

That concludes issues 5.  The book got back on track this month.  Issue 4 worried me that there was a lack of conclusion to this story arc but this issue got the book back on track.  Its so funny that Lando's past of promiscuity rescued him certain death.  The book has had shipping issues already but the conclusion to this arc should end with issue 6 before a new creative team takes over the book.

The Producer

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Listen to Podcast on Soundcloud

Subscribe to podcast on ITunes

Days of Future Past Comic Review: Part 2

Issue 142 picks up right up at the end of issue 141.  The Xmen begin their battle with the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants with the hopes of saving Senator Kelly and changing the future that Kitty Pryde described to them( by the way, the year the Sentinels took over was 2013). Meanwhile in the future, the remaining Xmen are planning an attack on the Sentinel headquarters with the hopes of heading off a nuclear war!

The battle between the Xmen and the Brotherhood is fierce. This is Storms first battle as leader of the Xmen and she is doubting herself- Is she as good as a leader as Cyclops was?  For now she cannot figure that out, but she is doing her best to get the team through this battle.

Meanwhile in the future, the assault on the Sentinel facility at the Baxter Building continues.  The remaining team: Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, and Rachel( Summers) make their way to the building with a sense that this may be their last battle together.

In the future, the battle rages on.  The Xmen are losing and Storm is doing her best to keep the team together. The team begins to shift their strategy and when Wolverine wants to end Pyro's life permanently, it leads to this wonderful exchange between the new leader of the Xmen and its most volatile member.  Its weird he gives Cyclops props as a leader because he ran down Cyclops so much when he was the leader of the team. We also get the seeds that Mystique is Nightcrawlers mom which is not revealed until about 20 years later.

The book shifts back to the future for the final battle.  The team is detected almost immediately by the Sentinels and their attack is blunted from the start.  It leads to that great graphic of Wolverine being obliterated by the Sentinel and only leaving his adamantium skeleton on the ground.  This leads to Storm and Colossus leaping into action and we see Storm killed and how it affects Colossus and sends him into a rage that plays off panel but we read it through Rachel's thought box all the way through his death.

With the future Xmen all dead, its up to to the present day Xmen to save Senator Kelly.  The Brotherhood has been defeated but they still do not know where the senator is.  Mystique has shaped changed into his secretary and had the pre-cog Destiny look after the Senator to kill him.  Luckily, Kitty stops her before she can kill him and her future mind is transferred back to the unknown future. And the book ends with the question of did they really change the future.

That's how it ends.  A 2 issue classic that 30 plus years later is made into a movie.  There are many similarities between the book and the movie.  When Big Hutch and I heard they were adapting this story into a movie, we were very nervous that they were gonna screw up the canon of this story and ruin it for future generations.  But Singer and company did a great job.  I feel Days of Future Past is the best of the Xmen movies and it gives me hope that they wont screw up Age of Apocalypse( which is not even close to being held in the esteem that Days of Future Past is).

Hope you enjoyed the review.  You can get the trade paperback at your local comic book store if you want to read it in full.  Or if you got that kinda money, buy the originals and donate to brothascomics while you are at it!

The Producer

Winter Soldier Fires Shots

Sebastian Stan Takes Aim at Zack Snyder

Sebastian Stan, the actor who plays the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, took aim at Zack Snyder in an interview this past week.  To recap, Snyder, first took shots at the Marvel Cinematic Universe by, and I am paraphrasing here, that Batman and Superman are iconic characters and they are not the flavor of the week hero, like Ant-Man( he even took a shot at Blankman). Obviously, this got Marvel fanboys in an uproar and DC fanboys caping for Snyder for taking up for their brand.

Our Brothascomics take at the time( and still is) was that Snyder was trying to take on the champ and defeat him with jabs instead of going for the knockout.  If you gonna go at Marvel, GO AT THEM, don't lob little shots. If you not gonna go HAM at Marvel, then let Batman V Superman speak for itself and then go at Marvel after you made a successful DC movie.  Now Snyder has opened himself up for massive criticism from fans if Batman V Superman is not any good( we have been on the record as saying we think it will suck)!

Winter Soldier, in the interview, basically says what we been thinking all along.  Zack Snyder is essentially attempting to remake Christopher Nolan movies with Superman by making him dark and brooding with this tortured back story.  That is why Batman V Superman is a Batman movie, not a Man of Steel sequel( which is terrible).  DC has no faith in Superman, their so called Iconic hero. So little faith, they had to support him with their two other iconic heroes( Batman and Wonder Woman) to make this movie work.  Marvel has it movie faults for sure, but they made a movie about Ant Man, a character with tons of comic book history, but not one most non fans are familiar with.  Not only did they make the movie, it was good and successful.  DC has yet to prove they can make a good comic book movie in this new era of comic book movies, outside of the Nolan Batman movies( and we would argue with you that only 1/3 is actually good).

So standing, slow clap for Sebastian Stan.  You could definitely be a member of brothascomics after them shots!

The Producer

Days of Future Past: A comic review part 1

We live tweeted the Xmen the Animated series version of this classic storyline and we are huge fans of the movie adaptation.  This post will examine the comic that spawned them both.  What alot of comic book fans and casual movies fans don't realize is that this classic story came out of nowhere and at the time, no one reading it thought this was an instant classic.

To set it up, the Xmen are reeling from the death of Jean Grey/Phoenix and Cyclops, devastated by the death of his teammate and his lover, has left the team and now Storm is the leader of the Xmen.

137 on the left, 138 on the right

With the lack of a female character in the book, the creators, John Byrne and Chris Claremont introduce a new character to the team- Kitty Pryde aka Ariel, AKA Sprite, AKA annoying as fuck( to me at least).  Kitty represented a new addition to the team and her mutant ability to "phase" and her mensa like mind, her sudden and immediate attraction to Colossus, her fear of Wolverine, and her constant mothering by Storm are consistent themes that will run through Kitty's first 20 issues as an Xmen.  But leading up to Days of Future Past, there is no indication by the previous issues of what is coming.  139 introduced Kitty to the team and 140 is an Wolverine and Nightcrawler story with Alpha Flight fighting Wendigo. We do get Wolverine's first appearance in that sweet as brown uniform tho!

139 on the left, 140 on the right

And that leads us to Days of Future Past, part 1: Issue 141. A little backstory on this personally from brothascomics.  At the time these first came out, Big Hutch had a subscription from Marvel to the Xmen.  The books would come once a month and be placed in our mailbox at the house in a brown, wraparound and folded ever so slightly down the middle to fit in our mailbox so even if we had kept them in the best condition, they still would've been slightly damaged just from how Marvel shipped them back then.  Secondly, we did not know how to bag and board books at the time, so even tho we have the originals to this classic and other Xmen classics, they are so beat up.  The moral of this story kids, buy your books at your local comic book store, read it, bag/board it, and store it in a nice long box in a cool room inside your house.  And if the book looks to be trending up, get it CGC graded and packed and never touch/read it ever again until you are ready to sell it!

Almost perfect CGC grade, this book is worth $5000

Once again, this book comes out of nowhere based on what is happening with the Xmen.  The cover is outstanding and you immediately know that many of the Xmen are dead and you don't know how this happened and where this is coming from because last issue ended with Wendigo!  The book begins with a desolate looking future and a mature Katherine Pryde now as she is carrying a package in , what looks to be a prison jumpsuit, through a shady looking neighborhood that is NYC but desolate.  Kitty explains to us( in thought boxes which are employed by Chris Claremont by the thousands) that she is rendezvousing with Wolverine but she is startled and accosted by a group of thugs who look to do her harm before Logan arrives to save the day.  The collar around Kitty's neck does not allow for her to use her mutant powers.

With the villains dispatched and Wolverine given Kitty information for her to continue her trip, Kitty comes to the Mutant Concentration Camp.  The camp is run by Sentinels and Kitty must check in before she is allowed to continue into the camp. On her way through, she sees the graves of many former Xmen and other super powered humans who have died in this new world order. Kitty meets up with the other captured members of the Xmen.  A wheel chair bound Magneto, Storm, Colossus, Franklin Richards( who is a mutant BTW), and Rachel,( although not called Rachel Summers here, she is the daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey) a telepath, who is key to a plan the Xmen have to save the world from this future timeline.

The plan, very similar to the plan in the Days of Future Past movie, is to send the mind of an Xman back in time( Kitty) to prevent the assassination of a key government figure.  In the movie, it was Bolivar Trask, in the books, its Senator Robert Kelly.  The thought being if they can prevent the assassination, this bleak future timeline could be avoided. So Rachel sends Kitty's mind back and it merges with young Kitty while she is finishing a training session in the Danger Room. Of course "mom" Storm and boo Colossus freak out!

Once they determine Kitty is okay, the more mature Kitty tells them about the future she comes from.  She is so shocked and happy to see her friends alive again.  She has to convince them she is from the future and that they need to believe her.  She tells them if they do not stop the assassination of Senator Kelly, the Mutant Registration Act will pass and the Sentinels will eventually take over the world.

Meanwhile in the future, the Sentinels have sniffed out the Xmen and their little plan and move in to terminate.  Franklin Richards gets it first, once again proving he is useless.  The remaining Xmen take out the Sentinels and we get the famed "fast ball special" with Colossus tossing Wolverine at the Sentinel( wont work 2nd time-SPOILER ALERT)!

Meanwhile, back in the present, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, now led by Mystique, and counting amongst their members, Blob, Pyro, Avalanche, and the pre-cog Destiny, are in DC plotting their attack on Senator Kelly. Of course before anything can happen, the Xmen arrive on the scene which ends issue 141.

By the way, the artwork by Byrne and Austin in these books are beautiful. The details on each page and Byrne's ability to match art with plot is truly remarkable.  Their run on Xmen is truly breathtaking.

This ends part 1, be on the lookout for part 2- Issue 142!

The Producer

Ice Cube: Quanity over Quality

Femlae Perspective gave the recap on the remake of a Christmas Carol, called Humbug, starring Ice Cube as an urban retelling of this Christmas classic.
Bah Humbug

In the course of this article, it discusses the success of Straight out of Compton and all the projects Ice Cube has coming out over the next couple of years.  He has the sequel to Ride Along, with Kevin Hart, and he is working on a remake or update of Barbershop, with Barbershop 3.

As I have stated on our podcast, the fact that Ice Cube, a rapper, who outside of NWA produced 3 classic albums as one of the most gifted MC's in the 90's is now better known for his "acting" is a little bit disappointing for me. Anyone under the age of 30 has no idea how gifted a rapper he is/was.  Secondly, as an actor/director, its not like he is using his credentials to produce quality work.  Many of the films he has starred in may have made money, but can you actually say you enjoyed any of his movies?  Lets dive into his IMDB and we gonna take out Straight out of Compton, Boyz in the Hood, and Friday( although I would argue that Friday is a terrible movie. TERRIBLE).

The mid 90's/early 2000's
Cube works again with John Singleton and stars in Higher Learning, which I often enjoyed more than Boyz in the Hood.  I thought he was going to settle into that role of smart, angry black dude in movies but he goes another way. Cube is still rapping at this point, but most of the movies he  made were racial tension movies,  buddy black comedies and "the only black guy in the movie" movies

Post Boyz in the Hood racial tension role that he will play numerous times in the 90's.  I do not know anyone who actually saw this movie tho.

Another racial tension movie role.  This one is actually good tho. He was just playing Doughboy in college. Anybody wanna talk about how bad Trya Banks is in this movie? Such as casting couch choice!

Cube made a movie with Elizabeth Hurley? And he was from South Africa? Racial tension- CHECK!

Only black guy in the movie.... He does live tho.  What an awful movie, tho.

People argue about the merits of this movie. Is is exploitative? Is it a "message" movie? I'm still not sure to be honest with you! I know its not a good movie!

Cube takes this role in a critically successful movie. Racial tension- CHECK! But this movie ends the 90's for Cube and he begins the 2000's as the black buddy comedy guy!

The early 2000's are Cube making two sequels to Friday and 2 Barbershop movies, and all about the Benjamin's.  Are any of these movies any good?  I could maybe roll with the first Barbershop but the rest of them are all average, 2 chuckle movies.  They could be funnier but they are not. I always felt Cube went the safe route in all these movies. He did not stretch himself as an actor or attempt to make quality work of even work on his craft as an actor/director/producer.  Many of these movies were successful but the later 2000's, Cube takes another shift from black, buddy comedy to black buddy/family man movies.  He would mix in a few different movies here and there.... People forget that he inherited the XXX franchise when Vin Diesel gave it the gas face.

I think the failures of these two movies forced the change to the black buddy/family comedy shift.  It was even more shocking to his long time fans.  How did the guy who did No Vaseline, turn himself into street Bill Cosby? Was this the natural career progression of a former rapper getting close to 40? Or is this pandering towards an underserved audience( black, family movies).  Not sure but, once again, none of these movies are actually good yet he keeps churning them out and cashing checks!

Once again, there are some success here and then some terrible movies( some I never even heard of).  But Cube, like Tyler Perry, makes movies for low budgets and the movies don't need to be blockbusters to make their money back and a profit for the studio and for Cube.  This is how he keeps dealing out these movies.

As he moved into the 2010's, he shifts again from family man to guest supporting actor/ straight man for hot new comedian.  He scores big with Ride Along( which is an awful movie) and as the captain in the two 21 Jumpstreet movies( which are also awful but not because of Cube).  All the while he is cashing checks from Coors and making sequels to Ride Along and another 21 Jumpstreet and Barbershop 3 Its an interesting career, even if its not high quality work.  Cube is proof that quantity wins over quality in Hollywood!

The Producer