tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post3667339377096261575..comments2024-03-27T15:16:57.305-05:00Comments on F This Movie!: Director Essentials: Spike LeePatrick Bromleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-17359781473874472352012-04-13T13:00:35.962-05:002012-04-13T13:00:35.962-05:00REALLY?!?! :-)<b><i>REALLY?!?!</i></b> :-)J.M. Vargashttp://www.dvdverdict.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-32466163994938412882012-04-13T12:23:23.968-05:002012-04-13T12:23:23.968-05:00Html tags work for italics and bold.Html tags work for italics and bold.Mark Ahnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-61147772335938353262012-04-13T11:24:53.190-05:002012-04-13T11:24:53.190-05:00I won't say She Hate Me is great, it's def...I won't say She Hate Me is great, it's definitely a mess and the satire is too broad but, like you said, it's better than what most critics said. <br /><br />I need to give Girl 6 another whirl, all I remember about it ist= the Cleopatra Jones segment - which probably goes to show that it's not amongst Spike's best. I remember laughing with it and having fun though.<br /> <br />I might have been a bit harsh with He Got Game, it's a nice character study but IMO it doesn't stand out in Spike's body of work and the part where some guy spells out the movie's message about money, drugs and hoes irritated me. <br /><br />Thanks for shining a light on one of America's most underrated filmmakers! <br /><br />How do you do italics in these posts?Gabriel Girardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11507895023093466954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-26192448636710144692012-04-13T10:27:05.694-05:002012-04-13T10:27:05.694-05:00Thanks, Gabriel. I'm not the biggest Jungle Fe...Thanks, Gabriel. I'm not the biggest <i>Jungle Fever</i> fan, but I do think it's noteworthy in Lee's canon for trying to make some of the things he addressed in <i>Do the Right Thing</i> more commercial. I haven't seen it in YEARS.<br /><br />Agreed on <i>She Hate Me</i>, which is better than its biggest critics admit but which is still a HUGE mess. Just because it's satire doesn't mean it's a good satire; I do like it better than <i>Girl 6</i>, though. And I don't really think <i>He Got Game</i> is just another sport movie, but it sounds like we're mostly on the same page. Cool cool.Patrick Bromleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-10473773217098859692012-04-13T09:39:27.624-05:002012-04-13T09:39:27.624-05:00I agree with most of what you said. But I've g...I agree with most of what you said. But I've got to defend both Girl 6 and She Hate Me. The former is unpretentious and just Lee having fun. The latter is an interesting mess that is a satire of the way porn films portray black men and of the myth surrounding their fertility. This is Lee we're talking about, do you really think we're supposed to take this guy pleasuring all those lesbians at face value? It's obviously satire. The gangster angle could have been left out of the movie though. Spike Lee is one of my favorite directors, most of his movies are interesting and full of visual flair. @Vargas I couldn't care less what his public personality is. Or anyone else's for that matter.<br /><br />The only ones I don't really care for are : Jungle Fever because you can't relate to the main characters. He Got Game because it's just another sport movie, albeit with a good Denzel performance. Get On The Bus which didn't seem to have any point. <br /><br />A suggestion for the next F Directors : Oliver Stone.Gabriel Girardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11507895023093466954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-54417017268048046932012-04-12T15:07:41.850-05:002012-04-12T15:07:41.850-05:00^^^ You could cheat a little and count "Alien...^^^ You could cheat a little and count "Aliens: Director's Cut" and "Titanic 3D" as separate releases from theatrical "Aliens" and 2D "Titanic." Heck, throw in "Ghosts of the Abyss" and the pilot for "Dark Angel" and you're up to nine, which is almost ten. Te-hee! :-)J.M. Vargashttp://www.dvdverdict.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-72843579607805750692012-04-12T14:34:34.246-05:002012-04-12T14:34:34.246-05:00I've thought about doing James Cameron before,...I've thought about doing James Cameron before, but he almost doesn't have enough movies -- or, more accurately, pretty much every movie would make the list (because of numbers), and that's not as interesting as when you have to pick and choose. Maybe I'll think of a way to do it; cut it down to 5 or something.Patrick Bromleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-66152342772515680672012-04-12T14:33:09.074-05:002012-04-12T14:33:09.074-05:00Thanks, Shannon. Good suggestions.Thanks, Shannon. Good suggestions.Patrick Bromleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-82543514620633295342012-04-12T12:40:34.296-05:002012-04-12T12:40:34.296-05:00Shannon B., in the time it took you to write that ...Shannon B., in the time it took you to write that post Miike already wrote, shot, edited and released another movie. How does he do it??!! :-DJ.M. Vargashttp://www.dvdverdict.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-90628403135022027282012-04-12T12:19:46.175-05:002012-04-12T12:19:46.175-05:00Interesting article as usual. Some suggestions for...Interesting article as usual. Some suggestions for future F! Directors:<br /><br />1. Peter Jackson-Very varied filmography to say the least.<br /><br />2. Danny Boyle-See Above.<br /><br />3. Jane Campion<br /><br />4. Jonathan Demme or the underrated Ted Demme<br /><br />5. Takashi Miike(even though there wouldn't be enough years in your's or anyone's life to go through every one of his films, ha ha)Shannon B.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-86239802587551546062012-04-12T11:52:03.560-05:002012-04-12T11:52:03.560-05:00Holy shit, until you wrote about it I never though...Holy shit, until you wrote about it I never thought of the term 'jungle fever' as racist, at all... but it kind-of is, really racist! I guess it gets a pass as harmless (as does similar slang for interracial dating like 'yellow fever') by virtue that it's attached to something positive: an attraction between lovers that have looked past their different ethnicities and seen the other person for whom they truly are. When "Jungle Fever" came out in '91 this wasn't as talked about or as out in the open/culture as it is now (though in my college experience around that same time it wasn't a big deal then for mixed-race couples to date), so good for Spike.<br /><br />I really don't care much for Lee's movies because I don't like the guy (never met him, just from reading/watching Spike in the media and on DVD bonus features). He's arrogant and full of himself while always blaming others (never himself) when his movies don't turn out to be hits or critical darlings. While I've been able to appreciate his better movies because they're really good ("Malcolm X," "Inside Job," "Bamboozled," etc.) I've done so despite Spike Lee's involvement, not because of it. Guess this is why I like "Inside Man" of all his movies the most, it's the least-Spike Lee work he's ever done. It can't be a coincidence that it's also his biggest money-maker to date.<br /><br />I actually like "He Got Game" better than "Summer of Sam" (which is a mess) except for Spike's constant use of Aaron Copland music in the former's soundtrack (I fucking hate Aaron Copland music!). "Crookly's" home video release was weird because it came out on VHS with the 1:85:1 frame 'squeezed' to fit the entire picture frame into the 4:3 pan-and-scan 'square' (instead of panning back-and-forth and cutting some of the image as most movies did back then for their 4:3 TV life). First time I saw "Crooklyn" everybody looked unnaturally tall and oval-faced, which almost (but not quite) took me out of the movie.<br /><br />Looking forward to the "Do The Right Thing" podcast since this is a popular movie I just can't bring myself to like despite the importance of its message. I hate the talking-toward-the-camera and tiled angles Spike chooses to use, it's hard for me to get the message of the movie when I can't even enjoy looking at it. Hopefully a convincing argument will be made that might spur in me the need to see it in a different light. It worked with "Action Jackson." ;-P<br /><br />And since 'F Directors' is back in business, may I suggest you guys do one on a certain James Francis Cameron (preferably while "Titanic 3D" is still in theaters)? His resume is rather thin compared to other directors, but each of his post-"Terminator" flicks represent quantum leaps (of sorts) in both special effects advancements and Cameron's ego swelling to Easter Island statue-size. Would be a fun column to read.J.M. Vargashttp://www.dvdverdict.comnoreply@blogger.com