Spike Lee- Like him? Hate him? Indifferent?

Administrator

11-15-05

He's a very talented director who also happens to be a bit of a racist.

Holden Pike

One Ornery Sumbitch

11-15-05

I think Spike has made one masterpiece, a handful of good films, a bunch of average ones and a few stinkers. As an artist I think he's pretty hit and miss, but ultimately he's also usually worth checking out.

As for his politics and things outside of his work, I don't really care one way or the other, and I'm able to separate the art from the artist enough to look at his movies for what they are.

But Do the Right Thing...that's just such a brilliant flick.

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Last edited by Holden Pike; 11-15-05 at 03:28 PM.

The Watcher

Eye in the Sky

11-15-05

His use of color in that movie was fantastic. I can't really watch the movie over and over again but the story isn't one that you want to continue to view. I liked Mo' Better Blues--that was his best film in my opinion--School Daze was ok for a semi-musical.

ObiWanShinobi

District B13

11-15-05

I've seen "Do the right thing" among other movies, and he gets a rep as either an influential director or racist.

Here is my take on "Do the right thing"

Spoilers ahead.

From what I deduce of the movie their was a picture of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.

Martin Luther King was peace for all, Malcom X was separation by any means neccessary.

The italian americans in that movie acted violent and separatist, much like Malcolm X. The koreans in that film acted peaceful and tolerant, much like Martin Luther King Jr.

I know that that probably isn't what Spike Lee intended, but I believe it mirrors personality. It was my take on the movie.

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Golgot

there's a frog in my snake oil

11-15-05

Originally Posted by Yoda

He's a very talented director who also happens to be a bit of a racist.

Eh? In his films? Off screen? Dish the dirt...

I thought Bamboozled was a pretty tasty take on a certain type of rascism-feeding foolishness. It'd seem intriguing if he could make that film and still be doing the skin-judgement thing too.

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The Taxi Driver

Yeah I'm fly

11-15-05

I have only seen Do the Right thing and Malcom X and I loved Do the Right Thing and liked Malcom X. I don't think i will be searching out his other films anytime soon

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Monkeypunch

I'm not old, you're just 12.

11-15-05

I honestly like Spike Lee. He has his share of brilliant films (do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Summer of Sam, and Bamboozled are my personal favourites), and he's a visionary director. He's definitely an aquired taste, and his very strong opinions on race lead people to believe he's a racist, which I don't think he is, or at least that doesn't come through in his films to me.

Martin Luther King was peace for all, Malcom X was separation by any means neccessary.

Malcolm X wasn't about seperatism through any means neccesary, he was about equal rights through any means neccessary. He wasn't asking for his place at the white man's table, he was taking it.

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mack

start with me

11-15-05

I like Spike. The only film he did that I really didnt like was Bamboozled. It just bothered me, but I think that's what he wanted, so it served his purposes, I assume.

Still, didnt he do The 25th Hour with Edward Norton? The scene I love in that movie, and it was pointed out to me - Spike has a signature filming sequence where the person stays in the same spot, and the background scrolls behind them. I had never really noticed it enough to pay attention before, but the sequence in 25th hour was a sexy little thing, and made me think I need to go watch the other ones to confirm this!

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Piddzilla

I am having a nervous breakdance

11-16-05

I was going to write my masters degree thesis on Spike Lee, but now I'm probably only going to use him or a few of his films as examples.

I think that even if Lee's films aren't always brilliant or good even, they're always interesting. As Monkeypunch said, he has a vision and he wants his films to affect more than the world of movies. If Spike Lee as a person is a racist I really can't say even if have read/heard/seen more things that prove the opposite. But that his films are racist are just pure nonsense.

I really like Do the Right Thing, She's Gotta Have It, Mo' Better Blues, Get On the Bus, Malcolm X, Bamboozled, Summer of Sam and some others. As Holden said, there are a few that are not brilliant but, again, they're mostly all worth seeing for various reasons.

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Tacitus

The People's Republic of Clogher

11-16-05

Originally Posted by Piddzilla

I really like Do the Right Thing, She's Gotta Have It, Mo' Better Blues, Get On the Bus, Malcolm X, Bamboozled, Summer of Sam and some others. As Holden said, there are a few that are not brilliant but, again, they're mostly all worth seeing for various reasons.

Totally agree - and I'd even put The 25th Hour in there.

Do The Right Thing was one of the films of the '80s for me.

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Caitlyn

MoFo Patrol

11-16-05

Spike Lee plans film on Katrina disaster

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

by Chase Squires

Filmmaker Spike Lee on Tuesday announced he is making a film for HBO about the post-Hurricane Katrina flooding in New Orleans, and said he wouldn't be shocked if conspiracy theories of intentional government involvement in the flooding proved true.

Lee's appearance on CNN, to promote his new co-authored memoir/biography, Spike Lee: That's My Story and I'm Sticking To It, followed a report on the rumors circulating among evacuees that the government somehow engineered the flooding of the largely black and poor Ninth Ward section of New Orleans.

CNN's report stressed that there is no evidence anyone caused the flooding on purpose. Brig. Gen. Robert Crear, who commands the Army Corps of Engineers, told CNN there was no truth to the rumors.

But after a handful of unidentified evacuees told CNN they believed something was afoot, anchor Daryn Kagan asked Lee if he thought there was potential for a movie in the tales.

Lee, 47, said he is already in development on a film with HBO called When the Levee Broke.

Asked about the possibility that the rumors of government involvement had any truth, Lee said it wouldn't surprise him.

"It's not too far-fetched ... I don't put anything past the United States government," Lee said. "I don't find it too far-fetched that they tried to displace all the black people out of New Orleans."

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The Watcher

Eye in the Sky

11-16-05

Cool-thanks for your input everyone-- I totally forgot about Summer of Sam and the 25th Hour.

earlsmoviepicks

Sorry Harmonica.......I got to stay here.

12-25-12

Just heard that he has a problem with Tarantino's new film, and has had a problem with the language in Jackie Brown. My take, talented filmmaker, annoying person.

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MadMan_731

Do you wanna party? Its party time!

12-25-12

Look I've liked every movie I've seen from Spike Lee, which I'll admit isn't a great deal but out of the few I've viewed most of them have been great (Malcolm X, Do The Right Thing, He Got Game). I'm not sure if I like him as a person, although I do admit I'm following his Twitter account currently, heh. I imagine that he's started this feud years ago to gather attention one way or another.

I'm a big QT fan so of course I'm going to see Django Unchained.

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Deadite

Badash Mofo

12-25-12

Lee is somewhat overrated. His filmography is decent on average with occasional really good films but plenty of mediocre ones too. He's tried too hard to be topical and his films often get marred by self-righteous preachiness. I've noted weirdly uneven performances from his casts too. He himself sucks as an actor and should stay behind the camera.

All that aside, he's made two unquestionably great films imo, Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X, and he'll always be remembered for those. Out of his lesser efforts, I think I enjoyed Summer Of Sam and Inside Man the most.

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wintertriangles

It's all painted cold

12-25-12

Originally Posted by Yoda

He's a very talented director who also happens to be a bit of a racist.

Yep.

He's basically an apologist who knows nothing about his history other than the sparknotes. He just spoke out against Django Unchained saying, even though he didn't see it, it's disrespectful to his ancestors because slavery was a holocaust not a western. For starters, I bet he has no idea black people have slaves in Africa, but he won't make a documentary about that because it's not part of his agenda.

Deadite

Badash Mofo

12-25-12

He probably said it to try to seem all controversial and relevant. It's pretty ridiculous to go after a highly stylized Tarantino spaghetti western for having a slavery element. Not every film has to be a blatant soapbox. That's the problem with Lee: He forgets he's a movie director first and pushes too hard to shove his messages down the viewers throat.

Powdered Water

Parm A Shaun

12-25-12

I don't care what he says.

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