Spike Lee

Started by Ghostboy, June 26, 2003, 01:24:38 AM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Stefen

U-Turn is indeed underrated. I just watched it a couple months ago but didn't comment on it because I didn't want to bump the Oliver Stone thread and wake Gold Trumpet. He seemed to be sleeping so well. If his Oliver Stone radar went off the morning erection may have been too much for him.

How much did he have to do with Three Kings? How much of his original script was used?
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

john

I know Russell has said the similarities between Ridley's original script and his are pretty superficial and the connection is mostly contractual, but I've never read Ridley's version.

Maybe now is a good time to start:

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/three-kings_unproduced.html
Maybe every day is Saturday morning.

polkablues

Quote from: Stefen on September 23, 2009, 08:48:01 PM
How much did he have to do with Three Kings? How much of his original script was used?

My understanding is that David O. Russell wrote the screenplay based entirely on reading the synopsis of Ridley's story.  He never actually read the original draft and none of it was used in the movie.
My house, my rules, my coffee

pete

yeah Spike hasn't really "coasted" as much as the other great directors of our time - even his shitty films are cutting edge.  He needs to write for himself again though!
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

Stefen

What do you guys think the last GREAT film Spike Lee made was?

I'm gonna go with 25th Hour. She Hate Me was classic Spike but wasn't that great and Inside Man was fun but didn't feel like classic Spike.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

john

Yeah, I'd go with 25th Hour. Miracle at St. Anna is pretty unfairly maligned. It's scope is pretty large and it's an accomplished effort but it that extra cylinder that 25th Hour does. In fact, though I'm fairly certain PDL will reside as my favorite film of this decade, 25th Hour remains a pretty consistent second or third place pick.

When The Levees Broke is pretty fucking amazing as well, if we want to consider that. As certain as I am with Lee's innumerable talents,   Levees left me stunned. That's two pivotal moments in America that Lee is practically the defining voice in the media on. 25th is a knockout encapsulation of a post 9/11 New York, Levees is a definitive document of post-Katrina New Orleans.

On repeat viewing, Inside Man is a big boring. But that first viewing was a blast.
Maybe every day is Saturday morning.

Gold Trumpet

Quote from: Stefen on September 23, 2009, 08:48:01 PM
U-Turn is indeed underrated. I just watched it a couple months ago but didn't comment on it because I didn't want to bump the Oliver Stone thread and wake Gold Trumpet. He seemed to be sleeping so well. If his Oliver Stone radar went off the morning erection may have been too much for him.

Haha, I don't even like U-Turn.

Stefen

Do you hate ALL of U-Turn or just certain aspects? It seems to have something for everyone.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Pubrick

Quote from: Stefen on September 23, 2009, 11:33:06 PM
Do you hate ALL of U-Turn or just certain aspects? It seems to have something for everyone.

i heard GT liked to put his hands up and bend his knees.. but not so much bounce around in a circle, or get down with me.
under the paving stones.

Gold Trumpet

Quote from: Stefen on September 23, 2009, 11:33:06 PM
Do you hate ALL of U-Turn or just certain aspects? It seems to have something for everyone.

Well, I enjoyed parts of the story and filmmaking. The film I compare it to is Scorsese's After Hours and I think it's better than that, but both films leave something to be desired because they are meant to be imaginative free for all's for both filmmakers, but they still lack imaginative freedom in the technical and story department. Both films deal with stories that are almost about nothing, but both films are still filled with little genre and story conventions through out. Essentially both are remixes of a standard thriller.

Like I said, I can enjoy parts of U-Turn, but I don't really admire it. Even Stone's serious films (like Nixon and JFK) have more technical daring than U-Turn does. Even Natural Born Killers feels more like a true free for all than U-Turn does. All three films were made before U-Turn and both films built up expectations for me with Stone so the situation is like if the Beatles had made Rubber Soul after Abbey Road and all their other experimental works. I could still like Rubber Soul for what it was (in some ways), but I couldn't really enjoy the album too its fullest potential because the Beatles would no longer be a band that would make something like Rubber Soul.

I also don't hate U-Turn.

Alexandro

Both U Turn and After Hours are too much fun to be dismissed.

Spike's last great film was of course When the Levees Broke. 25th Hour is underrated by A LOT of people.

MacGuffin

Inside Man 2 Status Report
Spike Lee on his film development slate.
by Jim Vejvoda
 
IGN chatted with acclaimed director Spike Lee yesterday about the DVD release of his documentary Kobe Doin' Work, during which time we also asked the filmmaker about some long-gestating Joints on his development slate. Here's what he had to say about them:

IGN: What's up with Inside Man 2?

Spike Lee: Waiting on Universal Pictures. They have the script. They have the budget and we'll see if they wanna make it. Denzel's ready. Clive Owen's ready. I'm ready. Jodie's ready. Everyone's ready. It's like, "Coach, put us in!"

IGN: You've long wanted to do a film about Joe Louis [entitled Save Us, Joe Louis].

Spike Lee: I've been unable to get the financing. What's really sad about that is that I had made a promise to the late great Budd Schulberg that we'd get it done and Budd passed recently. He was 95. Budd being, of course, the screenwriter of On the Waterfront and the novelist of What Makes Sammy Run. Great, great, great, great writer.

IGN: Let's say that project eventually came together. Do you envision a star playing Joe Louis, or just any actor that's right for it?

Spike Lee: Well, to tell you the truth, I've not thought about it for awhile, especially since the death of Budd Schulberg. And sometimes it takes awhile for things to get together, so hopefully we'll get it done one day.

IGN: What's happening with that James Brown biopic?

Spike Lee: Financing. I had the all-time biopic trilogy: Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis and James Brown. And I've not been able to get them to fruition yet.

IGN: And you're working on a documentary about Michael Jordan as well, right?

Spike Lee: No, that has not happened yet so you can squash that.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

MacGuffin

Spike Lee Details: 'Inside Man 2' Seems Dead; Next Up Likely Is New Script, 'Brooklyn Loves MJ' (Michael Jackson)
Source: The Playlist

Roger Friedman is a freak, we all know that, but maybe he got freakier since The Hollywood Reporter let him go decided not to renew his contract (or was it just watching "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" without effects that really sent him over the brink)?

In an early April (but not April Fool's) piece that most of the blog world seemed to miss the sometimes dubious reporter with a distinctly good/bad track record (depending what day of the week you're on) claimed that "Spike Lee is right now finishing up shooting 'Inside Man 2' with Denzel Washington and Clive Owen."

Oh, really sister? Cause Lee himself told ESPN a few days later that, "We were going to do 'Inside Man 2' but it didn't workout." A good thing cause other wise Washington and Owen would have read the earlier report and had their feelings hurt.

However, Friedman does have something in his report that is true (and verified cause we thought it was a scoop for a moment there): Lee has a new joint (read: project) in the works called, "Brooklyn Loves MJ."

What we can't verify is the cast that Friedman says is huge and may contain Samuel L. Jackson, John Turturro, Julianne Moore, Rosie Perez, Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington. However, it does sound legit in the sense that these are all mostly actors (aside from Moore) that Lee has worked in the past and many of them several times.

But of course Friedman also said Leonardo DiCaprio was locked in to play Marty Scorsese's ol' blue eyes in "Sinatra," and as we all know that projects, probably like four Scorsese films away and may not even happen. Marty has to get approval from Tina Sinatra on all fronts which could prove to be tough; either way, no script is complete (he recently said, "It's very hard because here is a man who changed the entire image of the Italian-American And that's just one thing. Along with his political work, civil rights, the Mob...we can't go through the greatest hits of Sinatra's life. We tried this already. Just can't do it," sounding pretty pessimistic).

Update: The remainder of this story concerning details of the script for "Brooklyn Loves MJ" has been removed at the request of Zuber & Taillieu LLP.

-------------------------------------------------------

Spike Lee's Next Joint 'Loves Michael Jackson'?
Source: Cinematical

Spike Lee had his greatest box office success four years ago, with the heist thriller Inside Man, and ever since there had been plans for the filmmaker to do a sequel. However, during a recent live chat on ESPN.com (via The Playlist), Lee revealed that Inside Man 2 "didn't work out." No worries, though, as his next "joint" could very well be as lucrative, provided the world is still into the legacy of the King of Pop.

This potential next project is titled Brooklyn Loves Michael Jackson and according to Showbiz 411, Lee has already cast Samuel L. Jackson, John Turturro, Julianne Moore and Rosie Perez. Also, Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington are reportedly in talks to join the ensemble. There's word out that the script has a Do the Right Thing connection, but the listed actors don't appear to be reprising their roles from that 21-year-old classic, and this isn't being labeled a sequel.

The Playlist actually shared a pretty detailed synopsis for Brooklyn Loves Michael Jackson, but they were instructed by lawyers to remove the information, so I'll avoid discussing the plot (a quick search for the info will get you contraband spoilers if you must have them). All I will say is that the film's title is the same as an MJ birthday event Lee held last summer paying tribute the late performer. And it primarily deals with the gentrification of the titular borough. Brooklyn Loves Michael Jackson would not be Lee's first work to involve the King of Pop. He directed Jackson in two different music videos for the song "They Don't Care About Us" and he made a video for the posthumous single "This Is It" (for Lee's initial response to MJ's death, read this interview with Time and watch this interview with Katie Couric).

First, I'm glad Inside Man 2 appears to be dead, as the reasoning for a follow-up seemed geared to the superficial plot elements of the original. Yet Inside Man isn't so much about a bank robbery as it's about the racial climate of NYC and America following 9/11, as well as the theme of things not being what they appear. Lee is great at this kind of portrayal of cultural atmosphere -- the post-9/11 cloud also hangs over 25th Hour -- and tackling both the death of MJ and the overall transformation of Brooklyn in the last 20 years (as well as some discussion of race following the election of a black president, no doubt) seem perfectly suited for the filmmaker to use as the backdrop for another essential representation of his hometown.

Other possible futures for the filmmaker involve another go at the African American experience of WWII, following Miracle at St. Anna with an adaptation of Now the Hell Will Start, and another non-fiction look at the Hurricane Katrina disaster with a sequel to his documentary When the Levees Broke.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

MacGuffin

Spike Lee nears 'Deadline'
Director in negotiations for action-thriller
Source: Variety

Spike Lee is in negotiations to direct action-thriller "Nagasaki Deadline," with Warner Bros.-based Alcon Entertainment financing.

Alcon co-toppers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson are co-producing with Kira Davis of 8:38 Prods., and Jon Landau and Rae Sanchini. "Nagasaki" writers David and Peter Griffiths ("The Hunted," "Collateral Damage") will exec produce.

"Nagasaki" centers on an emotionally damaged FBI agent who must decipher historic events in order to avert a terrorist plot.

William Broyles Jr. ("Cast Away") re-wrote Griffiths' script, and the Griffiths completed a subsequent polish. Davis brought the project to Alcon.

Alcon's next feature release is urban comedy "Lottery Ticket," starring Bow Wow and Ice Cube and opening Aug. 20 through Warners. It just wrapped principal photography in New York on "Something Borrowed" starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin and John Krasinski.

Lee's recent gigs were "Miracle at St. Anna" and "Inside Man."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

modage

Saw Spike Lee outside my new office at 30th and Park in a car today.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.