I’ll keep this short, since Paul W. S. Anderson’s Death Race (nee Death Race 3000) is quickly becoming one of my most reviled movies of the year, and it’s not even shot yet. I know that’s bad. You know that’s bad. But how can I help myself?

But look, when you take the very gorgeous and actually funny Simone Griffeth, better known as Frankenstein’s navigator in the original, and repalce her with a former model and actress from Fashion House, what reaction am I supposed to have?

In all fairness, I don’t know anything about Natalie Martinez, and I’m perfectly happy that Anderson is broadening out culturally to cast an attractive non-white actress instead of a willowy blonde all-American girl. (That Griffeth’s willowy blondness was exactly the point, given the original film’s story is a point I don’t have the strength to argue.)

Ian McShane and Joan Allen could still balance this out, possibly with the help of Jason Statham. Though I might go sour on Statham too, after I see War. Expect more on that in the next podcast.