This Friday sees the release of Bernie Mac’s posthumous comedy Soul Men, where he teams up with Samuel L Jackson to play a soul duo that reunites for a reunion tour after many years and some bad blood.

Now, Sam Moore, half of the Grammy-winning duo Sam & Dave (the group who wrote the song “Soul Man”), has his panties in a twist over the film, suggesting that it is a “defamatory account” of a reunion he tried to set up with Dave Pratar in 1982. Which would just be an interesting story if he didn’t make these accusations in legal letters to The Weinsein Company, they are having a really bad couple of weeks…

From The Independent:

The film infringes trademark rights over the duo’s most famous song, “Soul Man”, Moore alleges. It also wrongly portrays them as constantly swearing, making liberal use of the “N-word” and indulging in casual sex with groupies, he complains.
“The film is sexist, racist, and embarrassing, and that’s not what Sam & Dave were about,” said Moore, who is seeking “significant” compensation, together with a disclaimer distancing him from the narrative.
“It’s so amateurish, so stupid, and I’m surprised that Samuel L Jackson is involved in this. But when you read the script, all you see is vulgarity. Every other word is the ‘N-word’ or ‘M-f’ and it’s just not right. They have bastardized my whole story.”

He can’t believe Samuel L Jackson is involved in this? The man makes dozens of movies a year, and we only see one or two of them. But one only needs to see a few Sam Jackson movies to know that man isn’t fazed by the “n-word” and has a whole underground following with his constant use of “M-f.”

What’s worse, Sam Moore doesn’t seem to have a sense of humor:

Moore is particularly upset by comedy sequences that he believes portray him in a buffoonish manner. One scene featured in the film’s trailer sees the protagonists receive oral sex from a middle-aged woman who first removes her false teeth.

Luckily, The Weinsein’s are their usual no-bullshit selves, responding through a lawyer: Months ago, we received Mr Moore’s claim and told him he had none…As he could readily see from the script we sent him, Soul Men is not, in any part or respect, based on Mr Moore’s life. It tells a different story about different people. If Mr Moore decides to file a lawsuit, he will lose.”