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The Director - Spike Lee

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Spike Lee was born Shelton Jackson Lee on March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia. At a very young age, he moved from pre-civil rights Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York. Lee came from artistic, education-grounded background; his father was a jazz musician, and his mother, a schoolteacher. He attended school in Morehouse College in Atlanta.

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I work kind of funny I put everything under the umbrella filmmakers I really don't try to put stuff in departments 559 produce I ride I direct and sometimes I act and the meaning the whole goes on the singer  filmmaker these are the questions when I have to ask how did we get this mind you're not in the do an African who happens to be in America you have to understand the different we didn't come over on the Nina Pinta in the end what you McCall it we didn't land Plymouth Rock Plymouth Rock landed on us stop looking over mail that came to me many years ago and I see a letter die from a young man named Spike Lee and I open the letter I have no clue before and he said my name is frankly I am George Lee  who is working with you and your wife down at the Village Vanguard as a musician backing you up in your performance I intend to be a filmmaker and one of these days I intend to work with you and your wife the nickname Spike was given to you stop my mother Western Spanish diving off a sophomore in college she said I was a tough baby in the nickname stuck on my real name Shelton Jackson Lee better known to the world as Spike Lee has established himself as one of Hollywood's most important and influential what filmmakers he has been quoted as saying I have been blessed with the opportunity to express the views of black people who otherwise don't have access to power and the I have to take advantage of that while I'm still bankable I went to movies growing up where we live in this neighborhood tell potatoes called Toledo it was on the neighbor theater on Court Street and every Saturday we go to the matinees not crazy and throw stuff at the screen and trying to thrown out but it never occurred to me that people actually make movies and that kind of stuff you just went to  the movie theater good time  born in Atlanta Georgia in 1957 and raised in Brooklyn New York Spike return South long enough to attend Morehouse College then back to Brooklyn to continue his education at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in Manhattan where he received his master of fine degree in Film Production in 1983 while still at NYU he made a student film titled Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop we cut heads it won the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences student award and became the first student work ever shown in Lincoln Center's new directors new films showcase v e system was a film called Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop week ahead is about a barber shop that also friend says I numbers join and I was Fortune up the win one of the student CAM Awards that year and being young and dumb and naive I thought that cut of this award and that all the studios could call me up and I will within a year be directing films and how Badcock Spike waited patiently for the big Studio offers to come pouring in but funding for his films was not forthcoming help on receiving Student Academy Awards spike said I thought now that I had this award the big studios would call me I waited by the phone until it got turned off that's what I'd I did I'd have to do it more independently over the years spikes accomplishments have included numerous television commercials among them Nike Air Jordans and we why is 501 jeans he has produced and directed over 35 music videos and written seven books yet his most important and influential were cream since his outspoken and controversial feature films in 1986 Spike independently raised $175,000 to produce first professional feature She's Gotta Have It the story of an African-American woman simultaneous sexual relationships with 3 different men role of Nola was played by Tracy Camilla Johns because I wish to clear my name what people think enough is enough and if in the end it help some other people out will then that's fine too who's the 1988 of the Chicago Sun-Times there was no doubt in my mind it's on one of the most things I've seen about modern middle-class black life in America the film featured such rising stars as Samuel L Jackson Laurence Fishburne Jasmine Guy Branford Marsalis and the venerable Ossie Davis a real man yet girl school days for me was my four years at African American Institution  genpact to a homecoming week and I wanted to look at some of the issues that keep African Americans from being a more unified people name the two co-stars of The House Bunny whose parents are a list actors the answer after this the two co-stars of The House Bunny whose parents are a list actors are Colin Hanks and Rumer Willis common is the son of Tom Hanks and rumor is the daughter Bruce Willis and Demi Moore now and will reproduce their kid could be the greatest movie star of all time  watching fantastic summer good 1989 Spike released do the right thing which was called by many as the most controversial film of the year and start yellow Ossie Davis Ruby Dee John Turturro and of course Spike Lee Award nominations were received from the Academy Awards Film Festival New York Film critics and the Golden Globe Awards  what ideals did I think came from several places number one does live in here in and seeing the racial animosity that attention so I got this idea you know this have one block in bedford-stuyvesant the hottest day of the summer have a group of different ethnic groups and which really reflects the city as a whole that's one thing that I so admire about spiky seems to have an uncanny ability to read the exit to the party play the fist this very little that gap between the act and and the role itself somehow he saw my mother and me I think tell you about drinking in front of mice to move ugly enough the evil eye doesn't work on me what have I done to you how to make a truck which, today look like I'm okay you won't get your friend. film a mile across six million dollars when I made some like parody  we're on a lot of the best 10  Williston has so much  success with the cab kneeling at 2 combinations up myself best original screenplay again I said before best supporting actor I think that there are many directors who are either attempting to conform to to you know the marketplace what the market will bear what the wants to see  and I believe we Spike who is very aware of the market  but he has made a decision I feel about the kinds of films that he wants to make the kinds of things he wants to say to his audience audiences and he is  heavily committed to that and I really admire that and in him and I think that some it sets them apart Mo Better Blues a film about a black musician was released in 1990 no doubt influenced by the fact that father was a musician the movie featured Denzel Washington who was forced by his parents to learn to play at an early age he then goes on to become a great jazz the film also featured Samuel L Jackson John Turturro Nicholas Turturro and Wesley Snipes did talk to me maybe doing something in do the right thing but I wasn't available then Denzel who was cast as Bleak in Mo Better Blues there was some little conflict and I didn't know if there's I was going to be available and not so he actually call me in Florida when I was in Florida my grandmother's house and I says I want you to play bleak house like what would happen to Denzel and I'm thinking this is a setup from you know got to be a trick kiss somewhere he's as well yeah that's a good let me call you back so then he calls me back about half an hour later and he said okay I want you to play shadow okay it makes more sense shadow  what's up Blake oh I'm good everything Ashna  last time I looked at clocks naked body  happy Monday morning anyway Klein see it anyway you know what I'm saying so if you trying to push up on us watch yourself okay everything's okay hang out anybody you know you really should listen to clock scene what is it that you can only hear your own music Mo bettah where this comes from being the son of a great job position in going up around the music and at the same and being a sports fan up I've always been interested in what happens to these guys for women that this one Gore Life In The End knee injury  four picture blows your arm out their life is over and the only 25 what do you do to rest of your life and so therefore we just plied that too musically Gillian has been taking trumpet lessons for his whole life is totally devoted to music and because of that accident him game meet up in Guinness his mouth messed up that he can no longer play the trumpet we need to talk about the money man you seem saying he's going to people out there get out my face yo Wesley Snipes returns as the star of spikes 1991 release jungle fever a story of interracial relationships drugs and crime also are you in the Fillmore Annabella Sciorra Ossie Davis Ruby Dee Samuel L Jackson John Turturro Anthony Quinn and Spike himself Samuel L Jackson receive the best supporting actor award for both the canne film festival and the New York Film critics and the national board of review of motion pictures nominated the film is one of the 10 best films of that year if you remember I played the part of the steering Minister father son's got away from him one of the sons went into drug addiction and became a bit of a monster and the father distraught  temporarily deranged I say I could say eventually wise of killing his own well this was not a minor  statement to be made about father-son relationship but take it away and particularly cause and the black community we have a special problem with father-son relationships so I wanted to make sure that Spike and nnn going after the father-son relationship was not exploiting that which was Millie sensational I think in the end of spikes choices were right but they were so important and so potential so potentially disturbing that I had as a friend than as an acting as a black man you know to raise a few questions this right we have to go to the mat on several occasions but we did it as Father and Son as friends before the production started when I came to the moment I was able to give freely to the mall because Mike and I had come to a common understanding of what it was about evil in your bed Devil's working never done the devil is always busy  check out this new step Nerf review myself father I stretch my hands to thee of all the things I've done I think probably one has been misinterpreted most of Jungle Fever people because I see the family I think the Spike Lee's against  do interracial relationships in the end in the film was saying that all this time was just looking at thing of Frank discussion discussion or look at two people coming together for what we feel little what could be the wrong reasons that how you build is is that a baseboard cuz you think that all black men I know 10 ft long penises are in super human sexual studs because it you believe deep down in your heart that the white women at epitome of beauty and me and those are the reason why those two got together Bensonhurst nice neighborhood weather uptown Bronx Harlem USA You Never Been to Harlem I never met anybody from well you know you should have green think you liked it to me that's a lot of nice people in town yeah I understood where he wanted to go with them with the project and I knew what he was trying to accomplish say this to him before you and I just felt like you needed to be more relationship aspects of it you know the seat tube Elite to get the audience to believe that these two people really really liked one another you know  judge by Sponge on Judge the spikes barometer love overwhelming love and I don't think the audience was convinced you know I ain't you I've never cheated on my wife before Mena map the big-screen story of Malcolm little who became Malcolm X was released by Spike in 1992 it was spikes at 10 celebrating the whole sweep of an American life that began in sorrow and bottomed out on the streets and in prison before it's hero Malcolm X reinvented himself the film received nominations and recognition from the Academy Awards the MTV Awards New York Film critics and Golden Globe awards The Talented cast headed by Denzel Washington in the title role along with Angela Bassett Al Freeman Jr Delroy Lindo and Theresa Randle also all my films a labor spot a lot was riding on Malcolm X and Denzel I knew that we repeatedly joke during that year we making the phone that you know we both had our tickets to leave the country to slubie with Slipknot on a the color dark the things didn't turn out well and the most part people you know if film how bad is not a crime but African-Americans were reminded Denzel and I every day  you just you walking down the street it don't mess up don't I'll mess up Malcolm X don't mess up Malcolm X when my mother was pregnant with me  body of Clans men on Horseback surrounded Island House in Omaha Nebraska they ran just guns in Charlotte for my father to come out  my mother went to the door where they could see your pregnant condition and told carnivals in Milwaukee preaching  Sally's hooded klansman said the good white Christians will not stand for his trouble making him to get out of town you'll get a window with their rifle for riding off into the night they rode off into the Moonlight on their horses as suddenly as they had come there are many times when they the crew we we would have to pinch ourselves cuz we thought we saw the reincarnate of Malcolm I mean knock the spare was definitely went to  Denzel Winnie Winnie Winnie shop is found Landis Avenue and if you watch if you see the film now I present to you brother Minister Mel and I pray that you and I will listen listen key and understand thank you assalamualaikum Lee's 1994 release of Brooklyn was written by Spike with his sister July Susannah and his brother sing Whaley although he insists it's not an autobiography it was inspired by his and his siblings early family memory the outstanding cast included Alfred Woodard Delroy Lindo Isaiah Washington and once again Spike rating I'll say it stanza part of Brooklyn is autobiographical  my sister's Rock came with me and said me and my said means Sankey had the story and want you to read SAS all right  and I was really surprised how good it was and then I saw you I want help me make it but just needs to be Rewritten flash down then we are they agreed to that but it was a it was the script was answer for her  for her need the death of Farley  let go of the past and love my mother is at 10 year old girl Troy who grows up in a male-dominated household  in Brooklyn during the early seventies show me compliments you cooking now did Mom say you may not Light Strike had a way of telling you to know  Spartan come to remove different times we sat around a big room for  I know awake maybe a couple weeks after that and my couches would have going through I see music give me the children and you have to rehearse a different way with children well the biggest challenge working with children actors enough to kill him sign up and grab them by the skinny necks and choking to death. what's the biggest challenge he made me laugh that was fake do it again there's nothing worse than a child actor  and so we really try to stay away from children who  4 actors who had agents in a stage mother's and stuff like that so we went to Public Schools a castle out a lot of people game on TV bounce off he is the one I love what's the next week you eat a minute so cute why was that so what to do spikes 1995 release of Clarence start Harvey Keitel John Turturro and Delroy Lindo originally said as a Martin Scorsese project homes to rent when Scorsese decided to direct the casino instead clock is a low wrong drug deal someone who's out good actually  Selma Goods and always like a soldier then they're out there on those benches on the streets 4 hours a day  can we go to job he punch a clock well you know they say that clock and dollar so that's how the term **** I feel you smart right Encinitas  pause plasma key $22,000 cuz it up 35 Talib bottles boss take 60% $17,000 profit leaving up $7,000 50% of which is mine how much for me can you call Honey keep it in the books I can catch play hooky but in your **** anybody  just cause I think had to feel concern about the at the Llama rate to African Americans at Young males were with killing each other at the same time we dealing with this phenomena of the hip hop gangster shoot-'em-up rat movie switch  was the scourge at the time all the studios you know I'm making films like that and I was hesitant at first to dude don't because I lose reasons I mean I don't want to be your number 20 on the list  Martin Scorsese which originates poles that have directed the film Richard Price is Right In The Script for him and the Narrows going to play Nautica tell Rohan Marley have to ask why change his mind beside you want to do Casino instead and so I was asked to come in and we stayed on as a executive Medusa  for what I want to do it with my Approach was really trying to tell the story through the Through The Eyes of strike the nineteen-year-old crack in the novel which a price alternator chapters between Rocco Klein and strike but the script that he was writing with the narrow the star all about Rocco Klein so we had to change that focused and really wanted to fittest for this film The Show  some Kathy Edgar still need a films I met before it was just too Bleak at aelita theater resided well just looks like  Harry after American kids in this country is not going is not going to be able to get past 18th birthday that's just and I don't believe that the Rocko before I get out man ask me this question  can you soak a whole bottle this most cops Rebels killing up with Brothers ain't no big thing blase blase  who made you care about me I'm brother Victor Al Adams Tyrone open YouTube play the see you again hot books you on charges of criminal solicitation and conspiracy to commit murder Helen on Drake beat you down again then pick up Rodney on the same Chargers and I'll make sure you to share the same cell do you understand me clearly  yeah I understand you clearly last Wednesday thanks give me on time that's all yes I was very pleased with the film of the same to my thought that the audience  my  premonition true  I'm going in that going to be a just been  hit over the head enough with those don't even know that was perceptive know what this thing was like a antithesis of those type of film they still proceeded as another one of those hip hop rap drug movies spikes 1996 production of girl six examines the life of an aspiring actress in New York who decides to take a job as a phone sex operator while awaiting her big acting break as the story unfolds girl six becomes engrossed in her work and starts to lose touch with reality Theresa Randle who had worked in earlier Spike Lee films played the title character  Girl 6 a lot of ways is returning what we do with the first time she's going to have it  I'm about powerment of women or the I suppose it and pound of women in and what women with Choice they're faced with and the decisions that they make in the ratifications of those of find stories about an actress near named  who Tulane who who struggle here in New York on my small and like most druggie actors that things are happening here they feel that let me go out to LA flash needs to finance it that trip you need to part me to car any money so in order to finance this sojourn out to La La the Hollywood Lionel Lancia she starts working at a phone sex operation Anna get so hooked up in it called turn it that she forgets  why she even took the job in the first place the job and I was supposed to get her the money to an associate comes that realization  fired before just before it's not too late Sturm and Drang deal alright I look what happened when I saw that I said to myself that's a stock with no director in Hollywood tell maybe you we go another Direction everything like that it's not working out it's not worth it for me okay I wish you were okay peace out okay there's no sex scenes in girl sex everything is all is all will talking on phone  so we're asking she's going to have it you it was visual  so that we I mean Smith at interesting to do something that we're just people talk you know any fantasies and a little white skirt Mashpee Town Hall I'm about to right now Steven I'm on your left about to move it up and down our dystonia my problem with critics is that they seem more involved who they think Spike Lee is they see more of all with persona what episode what episode does Spike Lee is in with the actual work was turn the screen and therefore because the fact that I am  I am actor I'm in my phone why do other stuff  that makes me turn outside of  the world of Cinema that is some of the tracks from the real nation of the work and then people get caught up  on the other stuff and don't really focus on on what they're paid to be doing which is looking at the work and so I mean I mean review and it talk about me and Reggie Miller you know and you know Nick game has nothing to do with no  voice what would that movie was about  the Million Man March on Washington what's the subject of spikes 1996 film get on the bus some critics called it spikes finest work made for less than three million dollars financed by such high-powered luminaries as Danny Glover Will Smith Johnnie Cochran and Wesley Snipes the film was not widely seen by Audio but reinforced spikes presence as it important to American filmmaker Charles Dutton headed a powerful cast which included Richard DeAndre Barnes Andre Braugher and Ossie Davis to reduce his Bill Borden and by Rosamond came up with the initial idea for this film and I contacted being white they knew the  might be difficult for them to do this from alone contacted the great casting director Ruben can have been looking up to make that segue into production into producing films and room called I told me about this film I agreed to do it and  it was by Bill the Columbia pictures are going to finance this famine at the time that bud was 2.4 million dollars and I I just felt that we going to try to keep it is it a March we should rubinacci with a raise a measly 2.4 million dollars then let Columbia some others to your finance and outright nest what we did so am I coming to the money we could be on our way to get you done to be like two trains in the play the Costco with black man headed to DC right now I want field Swope I think it's time for Frozen stand up and be responsible to get out of the bank and then we have to hook me up said you look out for a brother what was very challenging as directed to try to come with something  I need a photographist bus is confined space or not be monotonous not loyal audience to sleep so use different film stocks because of the small space I really Navaira decide that we shoot super 16 I like to see with two cameras and 235 cameras will not been able to fit in that bus turn the March at least we stood Paws brother when he needed us  that's got to mean something but we're here because God Almighty wanted us here and he don't care so much about what you already done God  ask what you going to do now I think is a very good feeling very we very at the same time we very did the Arts not respond like I thought they would and you know they're not that many people came to see the phone and I think that there was over there a large to perception that this is a documentary people thought this still not entertaining that they would be getting a history lesson that did not change no other response box office number not affect I feel about this film or what we accomplish by doing it your 1997 Spike release the critically acclaimed film for little girls the documentary how did one of the most despicable hate crimes during the height of the Civil Rights Movement the bombing of the 16th Street Church in Birmingham Alabama Leary team with Denzel Washington for He Got Game the story of the most sought after high school basketball Prospect in the nation dream of making it to the big ranks in pro basketball are overshadowed by his father played by Washington who is spending his life in prison for killing the boy's mother I'm proud of you son I mean I know he's a tough times for you now so I figure hey you know you might need some fatherly advice from who for me about what about number one where where you going to go to school at made a decision YouTube  for his next project Lee selected the nine 98 television release of freak actor comedian John leguizamo's one-man Stand Up Performance as himself his life growing up and his journey to try to be accepted by his father next came the controversial action of Summer of Sam are we telling of the events of the infamous New York City summer of 1977 although not exclusively stop the Son of Sam killings the film concluded with the character Vinny betraying his friend Richie who the other suspect is the Son of Sam killer Cheyenne in exactly two weeks job it's going to be a surprise  we want me to look at me holler at y'all in the original Kings of Lee captured in concert the hilarious antics of comedians Steve Harvey DL Hughley Cedric the Entertainer and Bernie Mac at least 2,000 production of bamboozle was a dark biting satire of the television industry focusing on an Ivy League educated black writer at a major Network show becomes an instant smash but with the success also comes repercussions for on home page my name is Pierre de La Croix  I am a television writer  AP purse  I'm one of people responsible for your idiot last time New York City they wanted to give me to speak at the Apollo Theater somebody call me on the phone with say he was going to have to cancel the rally at the Apollo because somebody going to sassenach it from the balcony I said listen if I'm ever foolish enough try to get up on stage and Apollo Theater you won't need no assassin and give me you just have the man come and hook me over the state in 2001 Lee directed a special TV broadcast of the story and intimate portrait of the late co-founder of the panther party for self-defense the film is based on the play by actor playwright Rodger G Smith who also stars in the movie listen to Lee released 25th hour starring Edward Norton Philip Seymour Hoffman Barry Pepper Rosario Dawson Anna Paquin and Brian Cox Norton play the character who is spending his last day of Freedom before he begin serving a seven-year jail term for drug dealing guys up there for harder than me  banana in a room some junkie doesn't want to pay me and Coast you behind me I'm pretty scary up there I'm a skinny white boy tell friends so what are you want fat butt **** are you here  I want you to be father of my child is 2004 Comedy release of she hate me Anthony Mackie played a fired biotech executive who turns to impregnating beIN Sport fee people play you've evaluated  I put in contacts only happened only haven't done one album one novel one move one play  that's crazy how you going to really intelligently evaluate someone who only done one thing you got you going to do smart people you only do that when you win an artist develops a body of work  so that's why that's how you get it away. at the end of the day what was your body of work so that's all that's always been a goal in to try to build a body of work

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The Director - Spike Lee

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