BlackkKlansman (new Spike Lee film)

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by townsend, May 14, 2018.

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  1. Raylinds

    Raylinds Resident Lake Surfer

    My wife and I enjoyed this film, but it is not in the same ballpark as Green Book, which was just brilliant. Movie of the year for me so far.
     
  2. dougotte

    dougotte Petty, Annoying Dilettante

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I haven't seen BK yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Spike Lee's films are sometimes unsuccessful artistically, but it's worthing checking out what he attempted.
     
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  3. dance_hall_keeper

    dance_hall_keeper Forum Resident

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  4. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    Well worth watching this clip. It also features the real Ron Stallworth.

    I disagree with Spike though. He says he was forced out of a Catholic Boy Scout troop because he wasn't white. I'm white and I was forced out of a Catholic Boy Scout troop because I wasn't Catholic as well.

    Dodged a bullet there because that particular church turned out to be one of the most notorious ones for hiding predator priests.
     
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  5. eflatminor

    eflatminor Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nevada
    I don't know, Mr Lee seems a bit of a racist to me and that's something I cannot abide. I remember him stating "I give interracial couples a look. Daggers. They get uncomfortable when they see me on the street." Well isn't that tolerant? Personally, I think anyone should be free to be with whomever they like. I can't image criticizing someone because they happen to fall in love with someone that doesn't look like them.
     
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  6. Jack Lord

    Jack Lord Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
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  7. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    Are you saying that he's the Black Kevin Smith?

    I did like the section in that interview where he's miffed that he's going up against Green Book, a reverse Driving Miss Daisy, the film that Do The Right Thing lost to.
     
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  8. Jack Lord

    Jack Lord Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC

    I am opining that he should procure a better wardrobe. His skin color is moot.

    While I think Smith looks like a goofball as well, his work does not seem to aspire to seriousness as does Lee's. Not to mention Lee's .... um .... public pronouncements.

    As for Green Book, Lee tends to be miffed about anything and everything at any given time.
     
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  9. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    That is the only thing that annoys me about Spike Lee. I totally understand where he's coming from on most issues, but he is just as biased or racist as any White person. And, I think he knows it. But, let's keep it in perspective: there is a long list of movie directors, both Black and White who hold racist attitudes. Let's not single out Lee.

    We cannot be truly free and equal until we can love and be with the partner we want and not have to deal with bigotry and racism from ignorant and fearful people.
     
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  10. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    I'm just comparing two directors, both of whom seem to have not updated their wardrobes since their teens.

    He does seem to be a generally peevish person. But I do have to respect his ability to keep making movies, even if some of them are dramatically underfunded and had the potential to be much better films (Chi-Raq.)
     
  11. Larry Mc

    Larry Mc Forum Dude

    I didn't see that, the guy didn't come on until Spike finished up talking about his movie past, I never heard anything about Liam.
    Wan't that something he, Liam said like 40+ years ago. I don't want to be provocative but in my heart of hearts I don't think Liam
    is a racist. :)
     
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  12. Jack Lord

    Jack Lord Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Indeed. I like a good many of his films (a couple of old schoolmates of mine have been in a few of them).

    And although it is ultimately unimportant, I think he is one of the most bizarre looking human beings out there- a bug-eyed midget dressed like a cartoon character. Normally this wouldn't register. But his endless compulsion to be a social commentary school marm and New York mogul brings it front and center.
     
  13. Larry Mc

    Larry Mc Forum Dude

    Grant, I don't want to have one of our legendary arguments but I have met some racists that are Judges, Doctors, and so on. Please don't end my story that for me. To think that it's that cut and dried is a little naive in my view.
    When I was a kid I grew up with Black folks, some thought certain racist couldn't dance, play sports, or had poor love making essentials............ You get my point? My review says over and over, "TO ME", so please do your review
    and leave mine alone. To make general statements about different races of people is dumb, no matter who it is, but it happens all the time
     
  14. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    I agree. It was wordage, a expression in the heat of the moment. 40 years later taken out of context in social media.
     
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  15. Larry Mc

    Larry Mc Forum Dude

    Sorry, A senior moment. I was trying to remember to get out Malcolm X DVD for my wife, she wanted to watch it... :)
     
  16. Larry Mc

    Larry Mc Forum Dude

    That's great that you posted that, maybe some folks here who want to see it for themselves... :)
    He mentioned "Green Book" and I got the impression he wouldn't be to happy about it if they won.
    I've enjoyed some of his movies but sometimes his rhetoric gets old after 30 years. That's my
    problem. I don't let what they say make a movie bad or good for me, that ruins the movie. I'm
    talking about this too much, I didn't like the movie... that's it. I'll have to sleep on it for a while
    but I needed the characters fleshed out. :)
     
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  17. Jack White

    Jack White Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    Lee's mother was the dominant parent at home when Lee was young. He was very close to her. She died of cancer when Spike was 19. Soon afterwards his father's girlfriend, a white woman, moved in. They later got married. I don't know if his views on inter-racial couples are generally based on his views of race or on some deep and fundamental sense of hurt and betrayal over his mother's death and his father's second wife.
     
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  18. Jack White

    Jack White Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    I saw that Sunday Morning piece and one or two other interviews he's given recently (Christine Amanpour's PBS show also comes to mind). I'm assuming this is part of his campaign for the Oscars. (I should add that I personally don't care about the Oscars.) His message in the interviews I've seen seems to be that it's been thirty years since 'Do the Right Thing' and he's never won best picture or best director. That's racist. He should win this time. I don't find that argument convincing.
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2019
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  19. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    No - Smith is the White Spike Lee...

    Damn, when I saw "Green Book", I thought exactly that is was a 21st century "Daisy". Both are perfectly pleasant films with fine messages but neither is what I'd call a great film.

    They're enjoyable entertainment but that's about it.

    And at the risk of entering broken record territory, "DTRT" didn't lose to "Daisy" - or anything else, because it wasn't even frickin' nominated!
     
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  20. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Getting off-topic, but when did that ever stop me? :D

    IMO, if "Jersey Girl" hadn't been such a bomb, I think Smith would've moved toward more dramatic/"serious" films. He'd already nudged that way with "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma".

    IIRC, "J&SB Strike Back" was supposed to be his farewell to goofball Kevin, and "Jersey" showed his move toward something more dramatic.

    When it tanked, Smith immediately retreated to the safety of the "View Askewniverse" with "Clerks II", and that was that...
     
  21. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    Dammit, I LIKED Jersey Girl. I think it bombed because the public had tired of Jennifer Lopez - who is barely in the film. The "Jersey girl" of the title was the daughter. I think a lot of people would like it if they ever saw it.
     
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  22. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    This guy saw it and thought it was pretty mediocre:

    Jersey Girl (2004)
     
  23. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    Yeah, that guy is frequently wrong about movies.

    The school production of a song from Sweeny Todd totally makes that film.
     
  24. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    What he lacks in talent he makes up for with sheer animal magnetism and charm...
     
  25. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    Don't forget humility. More humility than any other man on earth.
     
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