Spike Lee

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

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billybrown

Quote from: StefenSummer of sam i liked alot. Ive talked to people who hated it with a passion. It opened on my 17th birthday so it was the first R rated film I saw legally by myself.

That's very, ah, sweet.  :)  The cockles of my heart have been all warmed up with that lil coming of age tale.

ono

Teehee.  You said "cockles."

billybrown

It's the most bashfully delightful word known to man.

MacGuffin

Spike Lee decries black film 'ghetto'
From Associated Press

Spike Lee says he's seen progress in the way blacks are portrayed in film since his 1986 feature debut, "She's Gotta Have It," but there's plenty of work to be done.

"Black film is still in a ghetto," the director told a crowd of about 1,700 students at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. "There are broad comedies and hip-hop drug things and broad comedies. It's difficult as a director or actor to go outside of that."

He targeted "Barbershop," which contained jokes about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, and "The Legend of Bagger Vance" and "The Green Mile," which featured characters Lee called "super-duper magical mystical Negroes."

"They had magic powers that couldn't change their situations, but could only help the white stars of the movie," he said. "What's the point?"

The 46-year-old filmmaker, whose movies include "Do the Right Thing," "Malcolm X" and "25th Hour," was the final speaker Monday in the school's Distinguished Speaker Series.
"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

©brad

Quote from: MacGuffin...super-duper magical mystical Negroes...

haha, funniest title of the week and perhaps even the year.

modage

Quote from: MacGuffinSpike Lee decries black film 'ghetto'
haha, i have to agree with him there.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

modage

Quote from: MacGuffinSpike Lee decries black film 'ghetto'

for spike...

Due on April 13th is Booty Call: The Bootiest Edition. As we previously reported last month, this disc will come with a newly remastered anamorphic transfer, an audio commentary (director Jeff Pollack, writers Takashi Bufford and Bootsie, actors Jamie Foxx, Vivica Fox and Tommy Davidson), the "Smooth Operator" mini-documentary, an alternate ending ("Old Folk's Home") and trailers.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

SHAFTR

Quote from: MacGuffinthe final speaker Monday in the school's Distinguished Speaker Series.

My freshman year, he was supposed to come to the university I attend (Wisconsin) and backed out to start shooting a film (25th Hour).
"Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that i'll probably regret soon"

Ravi

Quote from: themodernage02
Quote from: MacGuffinSpike Lee decries black film 'ghetto'

for spike...

Due on April 13th is Booty Call: The Bootiest Edition. As we previously reported last month, this disc will come with a newly remastered anamorphic transfer, an audio commentary (director Jeff Pollack, writers Takashi Bufford and Bootsie, actors Jamie Foxx, Vivica Fox and Tommy Davidson), the "Smooth Operator" mini-documentary, an alternate ending ("Old Folk's Home") and trailers.

Meanwhile Crooklyn is a featureless DVD...

MacGuffin

Spike Lee has a new film and many opinions
His latest film is the comedy, ‘She Hate Me’



NEW YORK (AP) - Oscars? Spike Lee don’t need no stinkin’ Oscars.

Sure, the director votes for the Academy Awards. And the outspoken filmmaker would surely give an acceptance speech for the ages. But that doesn’t mean he’s waiting around for a golden statue to fall into his lap.

No, Lee is sticking to what he does best: making provocative films; running his ad agency, Spike DDB; and rooting for the Knicks.

Spike DDB has just released a three-minute movie to promote Microsoft’s new Wrist Net service, which beams information like headlines and sports scores directly into specially equipped watches. And Lee, 46, is finishing his new feature film, “She Hate Me,” about a man who starts a business impregnating lesbians.

AP: So you’re making this new movie, something with lesbians ...

Lee: No no no no no. It’s called ‘She Hate Me.’ It’s coming out this summer on Sony Classics, starring Anthony Mackie — he was the young brother battling Eminem at the end of “8 Mile” — Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Woody Harrelson, John Turturro, Brian Dennehy. Q-Tip’s in it. It’s about a young African-American who gets involved in some shady things and gets set up at his company and he’s fired. Because of his predicament he puts his morals and values aside and starts a business impregnating lesbians who want to have kids.

AP: Personally impregnating them?

Lee: It depends. Any way you want it. Artificial insemination or the real thing, $10,000 each. In a month he impregnates 19 women.

AP: How far into the movie before you get to that point?

Lee: That’s the first 10 minutes (big laughter). Nah, I’m joking. But really, it’s a comedy. What’s great about this film, this is an examination of what’s happening in this country that’s really demonstrated by the Super Bowl. I’m not just talking about Janet. You look at the commercials, the rest of the halftime show, it wasn’t just Janet, it was the whole thing. So this film really talks about the moral ethic of this country, and how money is God. It’s an examination of the moral and ethical decline of America, from the boardroom to the bedroom. We deal with Ken Lay and Enron, WorldCom, (former Tyco CEO Dennis) Kozlowski, Adelphia, all these crooks.

AP: You mentioned John Turturro is in it. You’ve “broken” a lot of actors in your movies.

Lee: I didn’t break John Turturro, but he’s one of my dear friends. I’ve done like 18 or 19 films, and he’s appeared in more of them than anyone. But I gave Rosie Perez her first role, Martin Lawrence’s first film, “Jungle Fever” was Halle Berry’s first film, Clockers was Mekhi Phifer’s first film ...

AP: Are these accidents or on purpose?

Lee: We always earmark two or three spots to give someone really talented a platform to shine, a jump-off.

AP: What was Halle like playing the crackhead in “Jungle Fever”?

Lee: I didn’t want to cast her. She looked too good! I said, “Halle, I can’t believe you as a two-dollar crack ho.” She said, “Spike, believe me.” She came to the set the first day, I ain’t recognize her.

AP: “Jungle Fever” was about interracial relationships. You ever date a white girl?

Lee: (Slowly shakes his head.) But it’s no big thing. The thing people misconstrued about “Jungle Fever” is that Spike Lee was saying all interracial marriages are awful. What we were showing was that the relationship between Wesley’s character and Annabella Sciorra’s character, it wasn’t built on a foundation. It was built on myths. She was with him because she heard about the prowess of the sexual black man. He bought into the myth that the white woman is the epitome of beauty.

AP: What’s your feeling about the Oscars these days? Do you vote?

Lee: I vote, but I take it with a grain of salt. Not just for African Americans, but just in general. You give an organization, some group, the power to validate your work of art — that can be paralyzing. ... “Malcolm X” was bigger than the Academy Awards. “Do the Right Thing” was bigger than the awards. We got two nominations for “Do the Right Thing.” I got a best original screenplay nomination. Danny Aiello got best supporting actor, and he lost to Denzel (Washington) in “Glory.” But you know what got best picture that year?

AP: Nope.

Lee: “Driving Miss Daisy.” “Do the Right Thing,” there are classes on that in universities all across the country. That film is still being watched. Every year it’s growing in stature. No one talks about “Driving Miss Daisy.” There’s nothing there.

AP: Any favorites for best actor this year?

Lee: Lemme ask a question. How many nominations did “Cold Mountain” get? ... When you ever seen a film that takes place during slavery with no slaves in it?

AP: People have been agitating about that.

Lee: Lemme ask you a question. When I was in third and fourth grade, there was a re-release of “Gone with the Wind,” and our teacher took us to see it. This was like ’67, ’68. Even at that young age, I knew those roles were stereotypical. Hattie McDaniel won the supporting actress Oscar, and another great African-American actress was in it, Butterfly McQueen. They were such great actresses, despite the straitjacket of those stereotypes, they were able to put some of their humanity into it. Now, both “Gone with the Wind” and “Cold Mountain” romanticize the South. But we’re going backward if “Gone with the Wind” is more progressive than “Cold Mountain.” “Gone with the Wind” was made in 1939. In 2004 we’re not even in it? We’re going backward. I don’t understand it.
"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

grand theft sparrow

Quote from: MacGuffinLee: ...The thing people misconstrued about "Jungle Fever" is that Spike Lee was saying all interracial marriages are awful. What we were showing was that the relationship between Wesley's character and Annabella Sciorra's character, it wasn't built on a foundation. It was built on myths. She was with him because she heard about the prowess of the sexual black man. He bought into the myth that the white woman is the epitome of beauty.


I hated JF when I first saw it in high school (only Spike joint I didn't like outright).  Gotta see it again.  I wish I had realized this years ago.

MacGuffin

Lee near deal for Ellroy pic
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Spike Lee is in negotiations to direct "The Night Watchman," an original screenplay by noir novelist James Ellroy. Alexandra Milchan will produce the Los Angeles cop thriller, which Bob Yari Prods. is in negotiations to finance. Milchan will produce outside of her deal with Regency Enterprises.

Set in Los Angeles in the early '90s, the project is described as being in the vein of Ellroy's "L.A. Confidential." An ensemble piece, the thriller/drama revolves around a cop who uncovers corruption and must resolve the problem in order to redeem himself. The film is aiming to shoot early next year.

The project, in an earlier incarnation back in the late '90s, had been set up at Regency with Bruce Berman producing and Warner Bros. Pictures distributing. At the time, David Fincher was in discussions to direct, and there was interest in Brad Pitt taking a starring role.
"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

grand theft sparrow

It has potential to be a nice companion piece to Clockers.  Lee directing an Ellroy script? GRITTY!

MacGuffin

Lee wins control of spikelee.com

GENEVA -- U.S. movie director Spike Lee has won control of the Internet domain name www.spikelee.com in a ruling released Friday by a United Nations body. An arbitrator from the World Intellectual Property Organization ordered the transfer of the domain name to the filmmaker, who had complained that it was being used illegally. The ruling said the registered owner of the name -- Mercedita Kyamko, of Angeles City, Philippines -- had no rights or interests in the name and was using it in bad faith.
"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

RegularKarate

that's funny because if you click on that link, it seems to redirect you to porn.