Epic Default Productions

It’s amazing what you find when you search for links for your show notes for podcasts. It seems our friend Neo is the mastermind behind making a live action American version of Cowboy BeBop. In concept this shouldn’t be too bad (Yes, I know I’m treading on the “eating crow” line there), but there is something about this farce that will make it absolutely horrible.

Hit the jump to find out what

Tony and I had a discussion recently about the live action anime boom that is forthcoming. He was introduced to good anime (i.e. not Dragonball or Sailor Moon) with Ghost in the Shell. I was introduced through a wonderful little series called Cowboy BeBop. Specifically, an episode that has been lovingly quipped as “The Lobster Episode” (if you’ve seen the series, you know what I’m talking about).

The discussion we had is that people’s preferred taste in style, writing, music, etc. in anime is directly correlated with the first anime that they enjoyed. It’s sort of like your first love. It always skews your view on the rest of the world. Luckily, even though he and I have different views in what is the best, we can come to agree (in some sort) that both series should (and hopefully are) somewhere in every anime lover’s top ten.

So, with that knowledge behind these (Akira too), it’s inevitable that when Hollywood expresses interest in making their own take on it, there is going to be backlash. For me, the Cowboy BeBop saga has been a roller coaster ride of sorts. It started with the announcement of the movie. I was not too pleased with the idea, but was interested in what was going to come with it. Then I heard the producers and writers were the same people who did A Scanner Darkley, a movie which, in my opinion, is very underrated. The art style, and the attention to detail to the original story was very good compared to some other titles. Then I heard they brought on the original producers and writers of the series as consultants to the writers of the script and the directing of the scenes. So then, I was truly excited about it, I thought it was going to be a great tribute to the original series the likes of which we have never seen.

Cut to yesterday, where I stumbled upon an article that revealed who’s idea (and subsequently, who was starring as Spike) it was to do this.

You already know who I’m talking about by looking at that picture above provided by our own HotSake.

No…this can’t be…who…fuck no!

That was my reaction for the rest of the day, which is why you’re reading this today. Where as a simple “No!” would suffice, articles have to have some sort of substance, and quite honestly, the only substance I could come up with yesterday was a long string of rather creative obscenities.

Look, as far as action movies go, Reeves is okay. If he’s given a role where he just needs to stand, look dumb, do some martial arts stuff, and jump away from explosions in slow motion, he’s king. But when it comes to creating a character, actually showing emotion, and just plain acting, he’s horrible!

I wanted to go to this movie seeing a new story with Spike, Faye, Jet, Ein, and Edward. I wanted to see some bad ass twists and the like. Now I’m going to have to go with a bucket of popcorn and shut my brain off. Don’t get me wrong, for most movies that’s the way to see them (i.e. Transformers and Cloverfield), but this one shouldn’t be like that. It should make you think, it should make you love the characters, it should make you feel like you are right there with them experiencing everything the same way they are.

I’m not even sure my brain would be able to shut down to the point that I could ignore Reeves in that role. Spike is my all time favorite character, period. Movies, books, games, television, anything with a story. He is the quintessential bad ass. I would buy that for some reason he became black, just to see Sammy Jack play him. Think about it, that would be amazing.

Reeves is not the correct choice. They chose poorly, it’s going to jump the shark, and it’s going to nuke the fridge…ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Someone needs to stop this. I’ve never wished ill will on another human being in the world unless they absolutely deserved it. Reeves doesn’t at all, but I still want him to be a victim of a tragic farming accident or something before shooting begins. Anyone would be better than him. Shia LeBouf would be better than him. Anyone of the guys from Top Gear would be better. Hugh Laurie, without an american accent, looking like Gregory House would be better. Hell, Marlon Brando’s naked, bloated, rotting corpse would do a better job than Reeves would ever do.

This can’t happen. It’s the end of the world as we know it. He’s is going to ruin everything that this series stands for and it should not be allowed to happen.

Just….NO!