Showing posts with label Spike Lee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spike Lee. Show all posts

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Spike Lee releases the script of his unmade Jackie Robinson film online

On Sunday Oscar winning director Spike Lee went online to present film and baseball fans with the script of his unmade Jackie Robinson film.

Lee described the film as a “dream project”. The plan back in 1996 was for the director to again team up with Denzel Washington for their take on the life and legacy of the Brooklyn Dodgers legend who shattered MLB’s color barrier.

Sadly, for fans of cinema and baseball Spike says that Denzel said he was too old to play Robinson and the project never happened.

Read the full script here: jackie-robinson-spike-lee-script

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Spike Lee, President of the Jury at the 73rd Festival de Cannes

The American director Spike Lee is to serve as President of the Jury at the next Festival de Cannes. He becomes the first Black person to lead the jury.

At 62, the filmmaker, who is also a screenwriter, actor, editor and producer, has made numerous films that have become cult objects, and he brought the questions and contentious issues of the times to contemporary cinema. But he’s never lost sight of the public, setting out to raise their awareness of his causes in film after film.

Surrounded by his Jury, which will be announced in mid-April, Spike Lee will award the Palme d'or at the close of the 73rd edition, which will take place from 12 to 23 May 2020.

Monday, June 24, 2019

Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’ Returning To Theaters For 30th Anniversary

Three decades later Universal Pictures is marking the 30th anniversary of Spike Lee’s incendiary and still-topical Do the Right Thing with a remastered 4K restoration that will hit theaters June 28.

In partnership with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and the Criterion Collection, the re-release will include one-week engagements as well as single-day showtimes June 30 at select AMC, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark, and Alamo Drafthouse theaters. There also will be 35mm screenings at select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin and Brookline, MA.

[SOURCE: DEADLINE]

Friday, January 25, 2019

‘BlacKkKlansman’ Returns to Theaters After Six Academy Award Nominations

“BlacKkKlansman,” Spike Lee’s crime drama about a black detective who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan, is heading back to theaters after picking up six Oscar nominations.

The film will be re-released in 168 theaters across the country this weekend. “BlacKkKlansman” will play in over 30 states, including New York, California, and Florida. Academy members will be allowed in showings free of charge with their membership card.

Focus Features initially released “BlacKkKlansman” in theaters in August, where it debuted with $10.8 million — the third-best opening weekend of Lee’s career. It went on to earn $48.5 million at the domestic box office and $40.8 million overseas.

“BlacKkKlansman” recounts the true story of black detective Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), who goes undercover to expose the Colorado Springs chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. After over 30 years of making movies, “BlacKkKlansman” finally landed Lee a best director nomination, making him only the sixth black filmmaker to receive a nod in that category. If he wins, he would be the first black director to do so. He is also the first black writer to be nominated in the screenplay category more than once.

[SOURCE: VARIETY]

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Spike Lee gets first Oscar nomination

Spike Lee the legendary director of films such as 'She's gotta Have It' and 'Do The Right Thing' has finally been nominated for a 'Best Director' nomination from the Academy Awards.

Lee's film BlackKklansman which is based on the true story of a Black man who led an investigation into the Ku Klux Klan is nominated for six Oscars, including Best Director for Lee and Best Picture.

In 2015 received Lee an honorary Oscar for his contributions to film making. It is his only Oscar.

List of the 6 Oscar nominations for Spike Lee's film BlackKklansman:

Best Director.

Best Picture.

Best Supporting Actor.

Best Adapted Screenplay.

Best Original Music Score.

Best Film Editing.

The Oscars air February 24, 2019, 8:00 PM EST on ABC.

Thursday, December 06, 2018

Black Panther, Blackkklansman, and If Beale Street Could Talk nominated for Golden Globe best picture award

By George L. Cook II AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Nominations for the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards were announced on Thursday morning show live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Three films with black directors and predominantly black cast were nominated in the Golden Globes Best Picture-Drama category. Those three films are Black Panther (directed by Ryan Coogler) , Blackkklansman (directed by Spike Lee), and If Beale Street Could Talk (directed by Barry Jenkins).

Blackkklansman received three other nominations. The film was also nominated for best director (Spike Lee) best actor (John David Washington) and best-supporting actor (Adam Driver).

If Beale Street Could Talk also had Regina King nominated in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture and Barry Jenkins for Best Screenplay-Motion Picture (“If Beale Street Could Talk”)

Marvel's Black Panther was nominated in the Best Original Score category (Ludwig Goransson), Best Original Song-Motion Picture for the Kendrick Lamar and SZA song "All the Stars."

Although Green Book was not directed by a black director its worth noting that Mahershala Ali was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting in Any Movie.

Saturday, August 11, 2018

See the movie, read the book Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime

Spike Lee's Black Klansman is being released this weekend. The movie tells the incredible story of Ron Stallworth, a black police officer that infiltrated the KKK in the 1970's. Stallworth has written a book about his investigation so that you can read the amazing story as told by the man himself, check it out. Links to the book are after the synopsis. George L. Cook III African American Reports

When detective Ron Stallworth, the first black detective in the history of the Colorado Springs Police Department, comes across a classified ad in the local paper asking for all those interested in joining the Ku Klux Klan to contact a P.O. box, Detective Stallworth does his job and responds with interest, using his real name while posing as a white man. He figures he’ll receive a few brochures in the mail, maybe even a magazine, and learn more about a growing terrorist threat in his community.

A few weeks later the office phone rings, and the caller asks Ron a question he thought he’d never have to answer, “Would you like to join our cause?” This is 1978, and the KKK is on the rise in the United States. Its Grand Wizard, David Duke, has made a name for himself, appearing on talk shows, and major magazine interviews preaching a “kinder” Klan that wants nothing more than to preserve a heritage, and to restore a nation to its former glory.

Ron answers the caller’s question that night with a yes, launching what is surely one of the most audacious, and incredible undercover investigations in history. Ron recruits his partner Chuck to play the "white" Ron Stallworth, while Stallworth himself conducts all subsequent phone conversations. During the months-long investigation, Stallworth sabotages cross burnings, exposes white supremacists in the military, and even befriends David Duke himself.

Black Klansman is an amazing true story that reads like a crime thriller, and a searing portrait of a divided America and the extraordinary heroes who dare to fight back.

Kindle------ Paperback --- Hardcover

Tuesday, August 08, 2017

Spike Lee holding rally for Colin Kaepernick at NFL headquarters

Spike Lee doesn’t like the way unemployed former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick continues to be shunned by the NFL and he’s doing something about it.

The noted film director and writer announced with a tweet Tuesday he is staging a rally to support his fellow social activist Kaepernick at NFL headquarters in New York on Aug. 23.








Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Spike Lee radio ad in support of Bernie Sanders

Director Spike Lee became the latest black celebrity enter the battle of presidential endorsements. This week the Bernie Sanders campaign released a radio ad called "Wake Up" featuring Lee. Listen to that ad below.

Tuesday, January 05, 2016

Tyler Perry On Critics Who Say His Movies Negatively Portray Black Community

Tyler Perry might be one of the most successful men in the entertainment industry, having built a movie and TV empire, but the producer, director and actor still faces his fair share of critics.

Perry, 46, has come under fire from people who believe that his films are damaging to the black community by exploiting black stereotypes in the characters he creates.

But Perry admits that he's surprised by the backlash.

Read more: Tyler Perry Responds to Critics Who Say His Movies Negatively Portray Black Community

Monday, November 30, 2015

SPIKE LEE, OTHERS CALL FOR NATIONAL ANTI-GUN VIOLENCE INITIATIVE

Film director Spike Lee, the director of ChiRaq a movie about gun violence in Chicago and the Reverend Al Sharpton are part of a major new national push to end gun violence. Lew cites the murder of a 9-year-old boy, TyShawn Lee in Chicago as an example of how severe the epidemic has become.

During the press conference Lee pointed out you can't be vocal after Laquann McDonald was shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer and silent after 9-year old Tyshawn Lee was killed.

"Tyshawn Lee is led to an alley and executed," he said. "It's not an either/or situation. It has to be both." Watch Spike Lee and others discuss this initiative below.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Should Spike Lee title his next movie about the violence in Chicago "Chiraq"

Director Spike Lee is making a new film for Amazon studios which has already become the focus for controversy for it's working title, "Chiraq". The movie will focus on the Chicago community of Englewood and the "black on black violence that occurs there. Some in Chicago including Mayor Emanuel are not happy about the title. Some believe that it negatively portrays the city and in some way endorses the violence while others believe that it describes the state of violence in the city right now. What do you think about the title? Should Spike Lee keep it or drop it out of respect for those in Chicago against the use of that title and that have to live with the violence everyday?

Friday, January 16, 2015

Spike Lee Comments On ‘Selma’ Oscar Snubs

During an interview with Marlow Stern at The Daily Beast film director Spike Lee commented on the Oscar snubs of Selma for best director. Read his colorful comments below:

“Join the club!” Lee chuckled, before getting serious. “But that doesn’t diminish the film. Nobody’s talking about motherfuckin’ Driving Miss Daisy. That film is not being taught in film schools all across the world like Do the Right Thing is. Nobody’s discussing Driving Miss Motherfuckin’ Daisy. So if I saw Ava today I’d say, ‘You know what? Fuck ’em. You made a very good film, so feel good about that and start working on the next one.”

“Anyone who thinks this year was gonna be like last year is retarded,” said Lee. “There were a lot of black folks up there with 12 Years a Slave, Steve [McQueen], Lupita [Nyong’o], Pharrell. It’s in cycles of every 10 years. Once every 10 years or so I get calls from journalists about how people are finally accepting black films. Before last year, it was the year [in 2002] with Halle Berry, Denzel [Washington], and Sidney Poitier. It’s a 10-year cycle. So I don’t start doing backflips when it happens.”

Read the full article here: Spike Lee Blasts ‘Selma’ Oscar Snubs: ‘You Know What? F*ck ’Em’