[Press-N-Play®] CZARFACE & Ghostface Killah - Mongolian Beef!!!

Yooooooo!! This new video for the Czarface and Ghostface Killah "Mongolian Beef" joint is everything, all that, and a bag of wasabi peas! A gorgeously garish visual smörgåsbord of old school Eastern and Western influences. I'm givin' it 5 stars, five mics, and–as the Chitown homies Siskel & Ebert used to say–"Two thumbs up! Way up!!"

Directed by: Shawn A. Johnson (Nektr) @oldsoulbrother1

Also, the full Czarface Meets Ghostface album just dropped on February 15th, so make sure to cop that $#%@ wherever good music is sold! And no bootlegs, y'all–buy that $#%@!!! Or...bootleg it AND buy it. I could definitely co-sign on that.

Was the title of the new 'Underworld: Blood Wars' film inspired by my fake Blade movie poster?!?

BLADE: BLOOD WAR I (Final Version) :: Click to enlarge

I'd found it somewhat curious back in October of this year when Kate Beckinsale of Underworld film franchise fame commented publicly that Marvel had another Blade film in the works. 

In the months since that statement was made, the story hasn't gained any measurable traction beyond the initial, tantalizing the sound bite. But the question that was very on heavy on my mind at the time was, how would Beckinsale even know?

The remark was made by the actor during a panel at the 2016 New York Comic-Con. An enthusiastic fan inquired about the eventual possibility of a crossover between Beckinsale's Selene character and Blade, Marvel's half-breed vampire slayer played by Wesley Snipes. Beckinsale replied in the negative, but revealed that such a crossover had indeed been considered. It was shot down by Marvel:

"No. We had that idea. No. They're busy. They're doing something with Blade."  

Whether or not Beckinsale's comment is accurate with regard to Marvel's fanged famed Daywalker, I cannot say. And its veracity isn't even the point. The point here is that yours truly posted the semi-final version of his Blade: Blood War I fake movie poster on this very humble blog in April of this year and at this very moment, TV and print ads for Underworld: Blood Wars are making the rounds. 

It was while trying to catch up on a few more episodes of Atlanta on FX last night (super behind, I know), that I saw the commercial for the latest Underworld entry. Admittedly, I've only seen maybe two films from this long running franchise, but both watches were enjoyed. And so, it was with measured interest that I watched the TV promo for the new film. But when the TV spot ended and I noticed "Blood Wars" as part of the film's title, Beckinsale's Blade related comment rushed to mind and I shouted excitedly, "Those Underworld fuckers bit my shit!!" 

Okay, I think that I should prolly be sharing my (largely speculative) credit. A recent Google search reveals that a rough, fan made video montage of the Underworld and Blade film properties called, as fate would have it, "Blood Wars," has been posted to Youtube since 2007. My decision, however, to use that phrase for my fake Blade film poster had a wholly organic origin. 

In the beginning of the project, I was heavily leaning towards using "Winter Wars," a nod to the classic Ghostface Killah song "Winter Warz," found on the Wu-tang general's debut solo joint, Ironman. But, soon after placing all of the red blood splatters that appear over a section of the white, winter inspired background, the trajectory of the title changed to what appears in the final. 

Also a factor in my title choice were echoes of a phrase once used by the notorious graffiti writer Cap, a controversial figure profiled in the book Subway Art and in the cult classic documentary Style Wars. In the film, Cap describes his destructive motivation to write or "bomb" his tag all over the more developed art of his rivals. Menacingly, Cap describes the competition for street notoriety as a "blood war," and the layered subtext offered by this graffiti connection cemented my title choice. 

However it was that the Underworld: Blood Wars title actually and factually came about, I will gleefully continue to tell myself that both my fake Blade mini poster and the Underworld/Blade fan film on YouTube were contributing factors in the film's naming. Something done in the way of a wink and nod toward the geeky tradition of fan made pop culture. It all makes for a pretty cool story that way. 

[Press-N-Play™] Ghostface Killah - Winter Warz

What If Marvel Studios Made Blaxploitation Movies?

By St. Paco

If you were ever a fan of Marvel Comics from, say, 1977 to now, then you've probably run your eyes through an issue or two (or twenty) of Marvel's long-running What If...? title. For those who aren't familiar with the book, the stories in What If...? explore themes that deviate from or alter completely the established norms of Marvel's literary canon. For instance, on the cover of What If...? #1, readers were asked to consider, "What if Spider-Man was a member of the Fantastic Four?" Then, over the course of eighteen pages the writer and artist explored that idea without it actually impacting 'real' comic book continuity.

It was with a similar concept in mind that I made a limited series of "Marvel Blaxploitation" mini movie posters. The process permitted me to do some serious "What if...?" imaginings of my own. The very first of these was, "What if there was a fourth Iron Man movie with Ghostface Killah in the title role?" For those of you who don't listen to much hip-hop, Ghostface Killah is a member of the rap group Wu-Tang Clan. In addition to his main kung-fu movie inspired stage name the rapper also uses the comic book inspired nicknames, Iron Man and Tony Starks (ol' shell head's billionaire alter ego). To illustrate how much of a fan the man is, his first solo album was even titled "Iron Man."

Click to enlarge

In the bestselling book, The Wu-Tang Manual, author and Clan founder, RZA, reports that everyone in the nine-member crew grew up collecting comics. But it was Wu-Tang member Method Man who had, says RZA, "the most extensive collection...boxes and boxes of comic books." Like Ghostface, Method Man (another stage name taken from kung-fu flicks) also uses the additional comic book inspired nicknames of Johnny Blaze and Ghost Rider. In the Marvel universe, for you who don't know, motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze is the true identity of the flame-headed Ghost Rider. And it should probably be said that Meth's well-known love of marijuana 'blazing' has as much to do with these other nicknames as does his love of comics.

"It's my testament to those burned, play my position in the game of life standing firm / On foreign lands, jump the gun out of the frying pan
into the fire, transform into the Ghost Rider"
– Method Man, "Triumph"

Due to my own diehard affinities for hip-hop and comics, and sincere appreciation of Wu-Tang, Method Man and Ghostface Killah were obvious choices for the first pieces in the “Marvel Blaxploitation” mini movie poster series. It was originally only planned as two-parter but after finishing the two, I felt the urge to keep brainstorming to see what else might come out of it. The blaxploitation movie concept seemed like a good concept for at least one more mini-poster, which would give me a triptych/trilogy. But it was actually good for two more.

Although it took a few days to come up with the theme for the third piece, I eventually decided on one that would put Blade on screen (so to speak) with Nick Fury. Much to Marvel's credit, the company was already firmly on the cutting-edge of zombie lovin' pop culture with their Marvel Zombies comics. I even give them credit as trendsetters, since well before the other now-popular vampire franchises had come about, Marvel had three Blade films in theaters.

Mindful of the fact that Blade was also Marvel's first successful film franchise, the third piece permitted me to see him--quite deservedly--linked to the existing film universe of characters for which he paved the way. I also think that seeing Wesley with Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson resurrects his character's image from the muck of those franchise killing "sidekicks" played by Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel in Blade Trinity, the last Blade film.

(That’s right. I said it.)

The last piece in the series is based on a fairly popular "what if" scenario that plays out often in the minds of many comic book fans: "Who would win the fight between Storm of the X-Men and Thor?" Because Thor is the 'god of thunder' and Storm's mutant super-power enables her to control the weather, this one's a natural match-up. Thor is generally thought to have the upper hand in the battle, though, the most frequent reason being because: "He's a god!" But this…basically non-argument has less significance than many seem to realize.

Like virtually every god of ancient lore, Thor isn't immortal. He can be injured and even killed. Thus, with his mortality squarely in mind, I designed my mini movie poster...and then began writing a fan fiction piece in which Storm, who was worshiped by the people of her native Kenya as a goddess, opens up a shocking can of 'whup ass' on the god of thunder. It's a story rooted in religious lore and science-fact that would've made the late Dwayne McDuffie (who tried to tell a similar tale during his run on Fantastic Four, before nay-saying editors shot it down) very proud.

[Twirls mustache]

In addition to being just pure fun, the long process of making this mini-poster series caused me think a lot about power. More specifically, it made me think a lot about about the power of money and the power of images in American popular culture--as well as in traditional human societies. On a smaller and perhaps oversimplified scale, this series also allowed me to ponder what it must feel like to have the power to green light multi-million dollar movie deals, choose scripts, hire actors, directors, composers, musicians, and marketing & design firms.

Frankly, for a film buff like myself (yes, in addition to my many other obsessions), meditations on what it might be like to have movie mogul power was a wee bit intoxicating. But it also depressed the hell outta' me, too, recognizing even more now how very insular Hollywood is and how few have access to that world. Despite the fact that I may never get a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, for a little while at least the simple process of making these faux film promos enabled me to feel as if I had behind-the-scenes access (and front row seats) to some of the best superhero movies never made.

Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge give you "Twelve Reasons to Die"

In this hard-knock life of ours, there are three things we can always count on: death, taxes, and Ghostface Killah. And on November 20th, this ever reliable member of the Wu-Tang clan is dropping his 10th solo album, Twelve Reasons to Die. Produced in collaboration with Adrian Younge, the maestro behind the Black Dynamite soundtrack, and executive produced by Wu Abbot the RZA, you can bet your candy store money that this album will be on some next level $#@%. As such, in the direction of the next logical level, Ghostface (aka Tony Starks, aka Iron Man) is also launching a related comic book project in December! With Christmas right around the corner, the Twelve Reasons to Die album and comic book sound like they'd make great stocking stuffers for the Wu-fan who has everything–like you, me and everyone we know.