My respect for Spike Lee

I really dig the way Spike Lee directs, he's got great flourishes and editing in his movies.

25th Hour and Inside Man are two faves of mine.

I don't think he hates white people or anything. He just doesn't accept warmed over platitudes regarding race. do the right Thing, to this day, is the single greatest film about race relations in this country, and part of that is that the racists in the film are cartoon villains. And he's clear that Mookie is just as prejudiced against the Italians as Pino is against the blacks in the neighborhood.

I mean, how likeable is Buggin' Out anyway? He picks the fight with Clifton. He tries to start a boycott of Sal's. He eggs Radio Raheem on, agitating him until the cops show up. He's just a live wire, attuned to even the slightest irritation. The film also touches the live wire of CLASS, which is even more of a no-no to talk about than race in this country. It's just a great, great film.

But what I like about Lee so much is he didn't get pigeon-holed as the "black director". He made some other race relation films like the sorely underrated Bamboozled, and films about the "black experience" like School Daze, He Got Game, and of course Do the Right Thing.

But he's made excellent genre pictures like Clockers and Inside Man. He made one of the best post-9/11 films in 25th Hour (technically about Ed Norton going to jail, but really about post-9/11 NYC).

Spike Lee can make a f'n movie. Even his failures are at least interesting. He's greatest virtue is that he doesn't ever play it safe. Lee goes for the jugular in all of his films.

The film Malcolm x is such a great example of what an overrated "talent" he is

Couldn't ask for a better subject matter. It was probably one of the most poorly edited movies I've ever seen. The casting was poor and the emotions were cheaply had. Malcolm x, piece of shite or hero, was a complex and interesting guy who was a big part of the civil rights movement.

How can you frick that up? But of course

Civil right...check
Black lead...check
Black director...check

OMG IT WAS SOOOOO AMAZING.

Guy made several movies that are stone classics or game-changers. (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, 25th Hour, Jungle Fever, She's Gotta Have It) Also a few movies that are entertaining as hell (Summer of Sam, The Original Kings of Comedy)
Plus, he helped create the indie movie business and paved the way for generations of black filmmakers.
On top of that, as a side gig to bring in cash, he made some iconic commercials
He gets a lifetime pass.

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I mean, how likeable is Buggin' Out anyway? He picks the fight with Clifton. He tries to start a boycott of Sal's. He eggs Radio Raheem on, agitating him until the cops show up. He's just a live wire, attuned to even the slightest irritation.

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Lets talk about how great of an actor Giancarlo Esposito really is. He played the Buggin' Out role really well. His role as Gus in BB shows his range.

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But he's made excellent genre pictures like Clockers and Inside Man. He made one of the best post-9/11 films in 25th Hour (technically about Ed Norton going to jail, but really about post-9/11 NYC).

Spike Lee can make a f'n movie. Even his failures are at least interesting. He's greatest virtue is that he doesn't ever play it safe. Lee goes for the jugular in all of his films.

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Dude is smart is frick. Out of all his movies, I think only about 4 didn't make a profit.

Racist POS

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don't think he hates white people or anything

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he does, but that's not why his movies suck.

Has no one ever seen Miracle at St Anna? That was the biggest piece of shite I have ever seen on film.

frick him just for that. He loses all other credibility.

Personally, I enjoyed his shoe commercials: