99 replies to this topic

[Magnus Malcolm]

Seriously. I learned to respect the man after 25th Hour, but have lost it, yet again. If you don't already know, Lee bitched about Clint Eastwood not having any African stars in Flags of Our Fathers or Letters from Iwo Jima. And then Clint responded, saying, "The story is Flags of our Fathers, the famous flag-raising picture, and they (black soldiers) didn't do that. If I go ahead and put an African-American actor in there, people go: `This guy's lost his mind'. I mean, it's not accurate." I also think ann African-American would have been a little odd playing one of the Japanese soldiers in LFIJ. Eastwood also, to my amusement, said Lee should "shut his face." Anyways, Lee responded to Eastwood's comments pissing and moaning yet again. "First of all, the man is not my father and we're not on a plantation either... I didn't personally attack him, and a comment like `a guy like that should shut his face...' come on Clint, come on. He sounds like an angry old man. .... If he wishes, I could assemble African-American men who fought at Iwo Jima and I'd like him to tell these guys that what they did was insignificant and they did not exist." I my mind, Lee is a fucking idiot. Lee would try to incite a racial issue out of anything. Everything is a conspiracy against black individuals. And what a fool to say 'I'm not on a plantation' when Clint Eastwood called him out. That random response to ANY situation is very, very tired, and Lee uses it at every chance. Get over yourself, Spike, shut up, and make another good movie, because Inside Man lacked more than a lot. Anyway, sorry if no one cares about this and I'm wasting space.

[Slackmo]

I thought there were no African-Americans in Clint's movies because African-Americans had too much respect to appear in Clint's shitty afterschool specials.

[yancy]

[theminimumcircus]

RIP BALDY

[Pavement Ist Rad]

I think Clockers is a pretty great movie.

[Bleep Blop]

Fave Spike Lee joint? Do the Right Thing is probably his best, but I really like



And MC Serch's performance as 1/16th Black? Magnificent!!

[Efrim]

Sounds like a pretty absurd issue to me. I'll never lack respect for Spike Lee entirely though, thanks to Do the Right Thing.

[Pavement Ist Rad]

So can an informed film enthusiast tell me if Spike Lee has done anything awesome besides Clockers and 25th Hour? I know of its greatness, yet I still haven't seen Do The Right Thing (I know, fuck me, right?), I know that Bamboozled has quite the polarized viewership, and the parts I saw of Mo' Better Blues suggest that the movie hardly reaches past the level of "kind of okay."

Help a "brother" out, LOL.

[The Gooch]

I'd probably list Lee's films like this: Must See: Do The Right Thing, 25th Hour, Malcolm X, He Got Game, When The Levees Broke Very Good second tier: She's Gotta Have It, Get On The Bus, 4 Little Girls, Summer Of Sam, Inside Man, Clockers Rest are just average.

[Magnus Malcolm]

I'd probably list Lee's films like this:

Must See: Do The Right Thing, 25th Hour, Malcolm X, He Got Game, When The Levees Broke

Very Good second tier: She's Gotta Have It, Get On The Bus, 4 Little Girls, Summer Of Sam, Inside Man, Clockers

Rest are just average.

I mostly agree with this assertion, at least on the Must Sees, some of the second tier ones didn't do anything for me. However, I'd actually rank 25th Hour as his best, but I know I'm the minority in that opinion.

I'm surprised at the Eastwood hating. I don't actually love his films, but I think he has some decent ones.

[simulated stereo]

I'd probably list Lee's films like this:

Must See: Do The Right Thing, 25th Hour, Malcolm X, He Got Game, When The Levees Broke

Very Good second tier: She's Gotta Have It, Get On The Bus, 4 Little Girls, Summer Of Sam, Inside Man, Clockers

Rest are just average.

I mostly agree with this assertion, at least on the Must Sees, some of the second tier ones didn't do anything for me. However, I'd actually rank 25th Hour as his best, but I know I'm the minority in that opinion.

I'm surprised at the Eastwood hating. I don't actually love his films, but I think he has some decent ones.

25th Hour is his best.

Don't get the Eastwood hate either. Unforgiven, High Plains Drifter. Play Misty for Me, The Gauntlet, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Eiger Sanction...All great.

[without_opinion]

um...When the Levees Broke, anyone? thats required viewing

[Finn McCool]

I know I'm the minority

Interesting choice of words for a plantation owner!

Was that meta? Did I just do 'meta' there? No? Somebody?

[yancy]

Okay, okay. I know it's been a big weekend for you. But you can stop using that word now. It makes the rest of us nauseous.

[Slackmo]

Eastwood's made some great movies, especially his run from the late 80s through the early 90s that included Bird, White Hunter Black Heart, Unforgiven and the oft-neglected-but-remarkably-great A Perfect World. In fact, it's the promise and skill shown in that run that makes everything since so horribly disappointing.

[theremin]

I'd probably list Lee's films like this:

Must See: Do The Right Thing, 25th Hour, Malcolm X, He Got Game, When The Levees Broke

Very Good second tier: She's Gotta Have It, Get On The Bus, 4 Little Girls, Summer Of Sam, Inside Man, Clockers

Rest are just average.

I think must-sees are DTRT, 25th hour and the Levees. 30-45 minutes of editing would make Malcolm X a must-see. Still recommended tho.

I'd bump He Got Game to 2nd tier along with inside man, get on the bus and clockers.

Fuck me, I still haven't seen 4 little girls.

[no magnets]

yeah, he is pretty much a jerk. he spoke at my college once, phoned in the speech, whined about not being able to watch the knicks game that night, despised the Q&A (like when one of my friends asked him how it felt to have girl 6 on his resume), and walked out. i don't think i've seen one of his movies since.

[Slackmo]

Do the Right Thing is the make-whatever-the-hell-else-you-like-for-life pass.

25th Hour and 4 Little Girls are both tremendous movies.

Agree with Theremin that Malcolm X was overlong, but that it's worthwhile. Clockers, Inside Man, Crooklyn, Girl 6, School Daze, He Got Game, and Mo Better Blues are all worth the time of day and are way more interesting than the average bear. I also admired but can't recommend Summer of Sam, She's Gotta Have It and Jungle Fever.

Still have to see Levees, Get on the Bus, Bamboozled, and[/i] She Hate Me[/i].

[bleach]

holy shit paves you have to see do the right thing before the wkend is over.

[theremin]

pretty sure I can straight out NOT recommend Summer Of Sam, Bamboozled and She Hate Me. Unless you're like...a total cinephile (in which case, you've probably already seen them anyway.)