8187 replies to this topic

[Ogawa]

While I disagree with that, I'm at least glad to see Spike Lee get some respect on this board. Too often people have a kneejerk reaction to his public statements and don't bother to consider his films.

[Elemeno P.T.]

Saw his latest on someone's list...wondering if I need to see it.

[caley]

Saw his latest on someone's list...wondering if I need to see it.

I loved it. Big, confrontational war movie, with elements of magic realism. Sure, it's cheesy. Sure, it has all the subtlety of a giant hammer with the word 'racism' hitting you square in the forehead. But, still, I loved it. It's on DVD next Tuesday.

[Elemeno P.T.]

Saw his latest on someone's list...wondering if I need to see it.

I loved it. Big, confrontational war movie, with elements of magic realism. Sure, it's cheesy. Sure, it has all the subtlety of a giant hammer with the word 'racism' hitting you square in the forehead. But, still, I loved it. It's on DVD next Tuesday.

Good to hear. I'll move it to the top of my Q to see before the deadline.

[Vivian Darkbloom]

You know, her kid does bear a striking resemblance to the late Mr. Farley, but damn if I wouldn't tap that wanna-be MILF in Elemeno's avatar. Edit: I need a drink, obvs...

[Tongue-Tied]

While I disagree with that, I'm at least glad to see Spike Lee get some respect on this board. Too often people have a kneejerk reaction to his public statements and don't bother to consider his films.

Do The Right Thing is amazing. Such a great film.

[AFTERSHOCK]

I just wanna say... this thread is now at 400 pages. It's not all that special, in the Grande Scheme of Things. But still... I just wanna say. Carry on.

[M_Rots]

While I disagree with that, I'm at least glad to see Spike Lee get some respect on this board. Too often people have a kneejerk reaction to his public statements and don't bother to consider his films.

I've lost almost all perspective when it comes to Spike. I was less than crazy about Jungle Fever (too melodramatic) and I think Inside Man is a little too convoluted for the genre, but otherwise, I find even those movies of his people tend to disregard (Summer of Sam, Clockers, Crooklyn) highly enjoyable. And Do the Right Thing sits high in my Top Ten Ever. #3, last time I tried to make such a list.

[Ogawa]

What do you think of 25th Hour?

[M_Rots]

What do you think of 25th Hour?

Better than the three I mentioned in parentheses. Maybe the best thing he's done since... I dunno, Malcom X? Surely not his best since DTRT, but damn, what an excellent movie. That monolgue Norton does telling everyone in NYC to go fuck themselves is poetry as far as I'm concerned.

[brobee]

a lot of the success for 25th hour can be attributed to david benioff, but then again, the same could be said about inside man and russell whateverthescreenwriter'snamewas, and that would be incorrect. 25th hour is structually great (benioff) but some of the post 9/11 elements fall flat. it's still a highly rewarding, moving, touching, beautiful, etc film that is too often overlooked (like many of lee's films). honestly, i think lee gets ignored or dismissed for two interconnected reasons. one, he's made very few films without some glaring flaws (other than his documentary work), and two, race. i think he mixes the two up, confusing the dismissal over the quality control for a race thing, which makes some people like him even less. but whatever. he's maybe the most fascinating american auteur still working.

[M_Rots]

a lot of the success for 25th hour can be attributed to david benioff, but then again, the same could be said about inside man and russell whateverthescreenwriter'snamewas, and that would be incorrect. 25th hour is structually great (benioff) but some of the post 9/11 elements fall flat. it's still a highly rewarding, moving, touching, beautiful, etc film that is too often overlooked (like many of lee's films).

honestly, i think lee gets ignored or dismissed for two interconnected reasons. one, he's made very few films without some glaring flaws (other than his documentary work), and two, race. i think he mixes the two up, confusing the dismissal over the quality control for a race thing, which makes some people like him even less. but whatever. he's maybe the most fascinating american auteur still working.

It just kills me that of all Spike's work, Inside Man is his only certifiable blockbuster. I wouldn't even call it an awful movie; it just has too many elements in play at once. I love Jodie Foster, and I enjoyed her performance, but damned if I can see a reason for her character's storyline. It ends up being a distraction.

It took me about three viewings to even get that part of 25th Hour was supposed to be a commentary on 9/11. Again, it's a distraction from the principal storyline.

Sometimes, race does factor into Spike's problems. The studio's refusal to give him the budget he needed for Malcom X is hard to read as much more than a colossal disconnect. Still, it ends up another great story for Spike, as Cosby and Oprah and a number of other black celebs stepped up, knowing the film was unlikely to make a profit, and gave him the rest of what he needed. Or so Spike tells it. A good story is often better than the truth.

[brobee]

a lot of the success for 25th hour can be attributed to david benioff, but then again, the same could be said about inside man and russell whateverthescreenwriter'snamewas, and that would be incorrect. 25th hour is structually great (benioff) but some of the post 9/11 elements fall flat. it's still a highly rewarding, moving, touching, beautiful, etc film that is too often overlooked (like many of lee's films).

honestly, i think lee gets ignored or dismissed for two interconnected reasons. one, he's made very few films without some glaring flaws (other than his documentary work), and two, race. i think he mixes the two up, confusing the dismissal over the quality control for a race thing, which makes some people like him even less. but whatever. he's maybe the most fascinating american auteur still working.

It just kills me that of all Spike's work, Inside Man is his only certifiable blockbuster. I wouldn't even call it an awful movie; it just has too many elements in play at once. I love Jodie Foster, and I enjoyed her performance, but damned if I can see a reason for her character's storyline. It ends up being a distraction.

It took me about three viewings to even get that part of 25th Hour was supposed to be a commentary on 9/11. Again, it's a distraction from the principal storyline.

Sometimes, race does factor into Spike's problems. The studio's refusal to give him the budget he needed for Malcom X is hard to read as much more than a colossal disconnect. Still, it ends up another great story for Spike, as Cosby and Oprah and a number of other black celebs stepped up, knowing the film was unlikely to make a profit, and gave him the rest of what he needed. Or so Spike tells it. A good story is often better than the truth.

also, at the expense of some of his projects, lee emphasizes race and politics when emotion or character might serve the work better. but that isn't a criticism, really. we need filmmakers like lee, who straddle the line between art, commerce and politics. too few do these days. i wish that he would sometimes aim to make the best movie, rather than the movie he most wants to make (i.e. edit judiciously), but i am always happy to see a new film from him. his oeuvre is too consistently interesting to judge him solely based on his indulgences.

[Tony]

'Inside Man' is one of Lee's best films. He should really stop writing and focus on direction.

[Ogawa]

I think both 25th Hour and Inside Man show Spike Lee operating at a greater level of maturity than with his previous films. The way he deals with race is a lot more interesting and complex in these pictures than in some of the earlier ones. Which is not to say that his earlier work isn't great. Do The Right Thing is probably still his very best film (next to 25th Hour, in my opinion) and is anything but subtle. But I like the direction he is going as a filmmaker. He's aging very well.

Of course, he also made She Hate Me, recently. Lots of ideas, little coherence.

[M_Rots]

Unlike either 25th Hour or DTRT, however, Inside Man is a structural mess. Given that he was working with Brian Grazer, not a producer known for subtlety, these problems may not be his fault entirely, but the movie telegraphs its conclusion in the first reel, then tries for artful misdirection with the wholly extraneous Jodie Foster/police corruption sideshow. It's an enjoyable film, but one which I have to pretty much switch off my brain to watch more than once.

[Tongue-Tied]

I picked this up for $5 out of a dvd bin. Best $5 ever? I have already seen the film once and I thought it was pretty good. But then it really started to hit me with moments from the film that lingered long after I had seen the movie. The washed up Avery at his home, roaches in the ashtray and drinking himself away as he tells off the boy scout, the death scene at the lake, the interview with Arthur Lee as he takes a break from his assembly line job and crosses his leg, the "basement" scene", the "look in the eye" scene and so forth. The movie was just damn memorable...and I had only seen it once. So when I picked this up again and watched it again tonight, I might be convinced.

Is this Fincher's best film? I have not seen Button, but this now tops out Fight Club for me. I would actually be very interested in an extended cut of this film, I feel like even at it's lengthy running time, there was still some good stuff left out for the sake of keeping the movie at a reasonable length. Fincher's spot-on direction, fantastic editing, haunting piano score, tremendous acting (Ruffalo and Downey give their best?), and a script that never strays away.

Damn good film, eh?

[M_Rots]

Is this Fincher's best film?

Damn good film, eh?

yes to both for me. This is Fincher's one film that doesn't rely on some sort of gimmick or twist; just plays it straight and tells the story. I wish he'd make more movies like Zodiac.

[held]

** Poster Posts ** Agrimorfee 567 Slackmo 377 AFTERSHOCK 368 caley 339 Tony 313 held 285 Pavement Ist Rad 272 mouthbreather 238 Ogawa 235 theremin 228 Magnus Malcolm 210 Artem 193 TJENZ 182 velocity 166 M_Rots 160 '______' 153 Bob Loblaw 142 bleach 134 brobee 128 fabulous muscles 126 Elemeno P.T. 126 By-Tor 107 cerebralcaustic 103 undo 100 Mitchell 98

[By-Tor]

I think Fincher set the bar with "7" - and it's all been pretty much at that same level ever since. He is one of the best in Hollywood, period. Easy prediction -- Ben Buttons wins the oscar. (and no-- I avent' seen it yet)