QLS Classic: Spike Lee (Part 1)

Published Oct 26, 2020, 4:01 AM

In part 1 of 2, director, producer, writer and actor Spike Lee talks about growing up in pre-gentrified Brooklyn, his first Super 8 camera and why his films are more relevant today than ever.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Of Course Love Supreme is a production of I Heart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to QLs Classic Episode forty seven with the Great Spike Lee August two thousand seventeen. UH side note, our guest today deserves credit at least for inspiring the Suprema roll call theme song on our beloved show. Besides that, Spike Lee is a provocateur, a visionary of storytelling, great hustling, eccentric soul. This episode came slightly before his Oscar victory for Black Klansmen in two thousand nineteen. But don't worry. We get it all out, all of his journeys, all of our favorite movies. We get to ask him everything right here on QLs Classic with the Great Spike Lee. It's gonna be really awkward. Oh my god, supremo role called subprimams laughing, Suprema su prima roll call, Suprema southing suremo role. So I'm just gonna sit here, yeah and have the call. Yeah, I'm prea spike don't suit me. Yeah, we're stealing his song roll call, sub Frema roll call, sub Fremau some sub Frema roll call. My name is Fante, Yeah, dropping these flows, yeah, because I smacking my heart Frema road Camma some Suprema rock. My name is Sugar, yeah, the inside man. Yeah, I've been with the roots. Yeah since the bamboozl Fan Sma roll call, just some sub Frema roll call. My three once was yeah boss Bill's teen hero. Yeah, but directing skills, yeah, I had almost heero roremaremo role. I want to let you know I'm not just for show. Yeah, will you let me go? Oh God, give explain that after the reason roll call. My name is Spike, yeah, with a nickname. My mother said, yeah, I was out of this world roll so Frema Frema roll fremo role um. Yeah. One person. I'm not just sure what days because her timing because she's you know, okay, now I hear the song. Everybody out there. I recognized the song either did you recognize before I even introduce you, Spike Lee? Uh, he just did. What is the history behind uh your road call? Like that? Heard that at more House? Oh so that's how didn't make that up? Isn't it like a three day? So we just righting, just going to school. More House they had a rod call and we just incorporate into a school days and do it again. Did it again when he got game? So that was in school days. It wasn't because I first heard and get on the bus on school days too. Yeah, I gotta watch it the gam mites really when I first get in and when the first come on and they walked down up. Yeah, the ga Mites. Oh, I gotta watch it again. Ok wow, well three times. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, this is another episode of quest Lip Supreme. Uh introducing the fam This is uh damn I really wish uh Fontigelo. Uh who who was the the the bus driver of get on the bus? And Uh to my right, we have a sugar Steve who was one of the thugs um in in Summer of sam that's what's up y? Yeah? Yeah, what's your last what's your last name? No, at the end of the vowel, I was around back then, but there I didn't do it. I actually actually I have a similar last name to the guy who did do it. Okay, damn uh yeah, and uh boss builds in my left eagle sandwich. Oh, he was one of the cornermen and do the right thing. I was going to ask to be Bob Regular from Girls six Bob Regular. No, okay anyway. Uh, and we have Fresh from Crookland. Ok yeah, she was a girl making out with Frante was also in Crookland. Y'all were making out with each other in the in the until the beginning. I keep no Taki Joe Cuba. Yes, finally, Uh, It's it's taken some time, but I will say that, at least for me personally, and maybe I speak for most of the inhabitants of this room, that we we have the director of our particular generation with us right now. Thank you very much, Mr Spike Sheldon Lee New Yorker kilm Our tour, political activists and and and great human being. How how are you so? I'm good, I'm glad to be here. And we're an Electric Lady studio, so this is very historical. Yes we I'm sorry I've not been given Electric Lady their props. We're live in studio a where many a classic has been born. A lot of great spirits in here were all right now. You can feel it walking the door. You could feel the spirits. Well, Spike, I know when when Spike agreed to do this He was like, so it's like like forty five minutes. I was like no. He was like, all right, so now right. I was like no, Spike ninety I tried to hint. I was like, well, in the Jimmy jamm episode it was seven hours. Was like, namuck, So I'm good. We have to let me go. Oh ship, you don't mean that. You don't mean that. Let me lean back. So I'm gonna because we're we we have so much questions about your work body of work. Yes for thirty years. Yeah, um, you were born where in Atlanta, Georgia? In Atlanta, Georgia, right, really? I thought you were born in New York. No, uh, I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and my parents moved to Brooklyn. We moved to Krown Heights when I was like two years old. Moved from Crown Heights during the First Black Family. Cobble Hill. Wow, that's where all my time American thing comes back back then the cobble Hills of Stone Italian American. And then my mother says, time of paint and rents. We bought a brown Stone and four green for forty five thou dollars. How is that possible? What was that like pre gentification. In fact, the realtors wouldn't even list for Green, it would say downtown Vicinity. So it's really been a trip that you grow up in four Green, predominant black and Puerto Rican school's no good garbage, never picked up, cops on around, and those things aren't like that anymore with the change, and they're not just cleaned up. Public schools are great on the cops or around. I was trying to explain to my New York daddy what Dumble was today. He was like, what I don't know, do under Manhattan Bridge that son for For the films that you've shot in Brooklyn neighborhoods, how different are they now? Like they Do the Right Thing block? Like what is that now? Is that like attainable? It was gentified? So no more black families, no more brown, but gentified. I mean Do the Right Thing, which was shot in Bedstide dood Died Bethistuveson. But the great thing about that New York City that block we shot on, we shot do on Thing at one block. The summer, that block has been renamed do the Right Thing Way as the first time a movie, a song we've ever been just named the name after that, so we take queer. And that's also where we have our Michael Jackson block parties too, on the same block. So is that the black wherever is it the office? And it's the office is further down downtown. You know my office in Fort Green? Okay? So okay, that's not yet. And the place where you when I visited your first store, like back in, is that still up. That's called Chez paul Lett. Okay, But that's the new name of the block or the new name. It's a restaurant. But my office is on South Ox South Elliott. Where the restaurant is is where the original Spice Joint was, Okay, and I own that building too. And so when we did Jungle Fever, that's where Halle Berry. We're gonna put a plaque there where she stayed. Wow. Wait, that's the scene where there's no scene, And that's that's just where she while she while she was shooting the film. Oh damn, Okay, that's not what scene was up. Let's Caliberry's first film too, Jungle Fever, And did she really not shower for all those days? And the story wait wait wait wait, let's get to that. We could do it now? She Uh, Robbie Reid cast that film, and so she brought it. Halle Berry came in five times m hm, and the role is viving the two lot crack hope. And the first four times she was us to fun. Finally something must have told her, you can't kind of look like this. So she I think she didn't bathe for a week and I didn't recognize when she stepped in the room and that's how she got the park. Wow, I just did not see her. Finally, she was the opposite. I did not see it as as being a two dollar crack hole. She had an awesome she didn't she? So why I mean at a time where um were the seventies and the word mobility and you know a lot of our uh you know the way that black people expressed themselves creatively, usually through sports or singing. Right, why did you choose visuals? Why did you choose I mean, was it that you had a childhoo experience where you saw like Gordon Park Works And wasn't it When people ask that question a lot and I just say, a film chose me. I grew up in a very artistic background. My mother taught us great High School Brooklyn Heights called St. Anne's. She taught black literature. My father is a great jazz musician, composibility, and I just grew up in the very artistic household. My mother had the vision, not that she we're gonna be artists, but she exposed us, just not just me, but all my siblings to the arts. So she was dragging me the Broadway plays museums while I was you know, and I didn't want to go. We went kicking and screaming. Every single time we came home. We we would think it because that was that was fun. Well, you're going to going to play It's like my mother's one. It introduced me to Martin Squorsesey. She took me to see mean streets. My father hated movies, I mean love sports. So my love of sports comes to my father, my love movies comes to my mother. I was my mother's movie date. I was gonna ask, how how is one film buff before the age of the remote control the rewind button. Uh yeah, And just because they had you know, we I forgot the word from what we had did as that showed old films. So even back in the seventies, they would still show oh yeah, yeah, I mean it was. But was it film? You are like now, in the weekends, I know eleven or twelve movie theaters in New York that will show I mean, it's not something hotter, so it had the st mark. I'm forgetting the theaters, but they were certain theaters. That's all they showed was old films. And that's the only where. I mean, this is room before DHS. So I mean unless you stayed that, you know, watched with the commercials on challenge che Levin. He went to these retrospective theaters, but was there film are on the level of like, now, you know, I'll buy all the Criterion collections stuff and watch the you know, like what was that for you? Like what was the director's commentary for you? I mean it really seduced you into But it wasn't like that. I mean I went to films, but I was not a film buff. I didn't want to be a filmmaker. I wanted to play a second second base for New York Mets. But genetics conspired against that second baseman. I didn't have a stone up for short stop, but I only played softball. But but here here's the story though, And I said to many times. Maybe audience hasn't heard it. I went to Morehouse because I had to go to Morehouse. My father and grandfather went to more House, and my mother and grandma went the Spellman across the street, some educated Negroes. My father, my father was a fresh and Morehouse. Dr King was a senior Morehouse and Dr King's son Mark the thirty and our classmates were in the class seventy nine and Morehouse also with J. Johnson has to be ahead of home security, which we all class surdy nine and Morehouse. So my first two years in Morehouse, I was a D plus C minors student. It was because I was a smart I just was not motivated. And right before it's time to go back to New York, back to Brooklyn, at the end of myself with me, my advisor told me that had to choose a major. I said why, and she said, because you've exhausted all the electives. So I can't. This is now, this is this key, this is this historical because it's twenty years now, It's like it's a very important summer twenty years ago, summer seventy seven. So I came back to New York and New York City was broke. You couldn't get a job. Usually, you know, you get a job in a summer. Your newest New York City was broke. And it's a famous daily news front page. It said Ford, this city drop dead, Ford being president Ford. So I had nothing to do all summer, and I don't want to, you know, sitting in stupid and place dratmatic baseball, you know. And so I have a very good friend. The name is Vietta John says. She was always smart. The top three height, the top three public high schools New York City or Stuyveson, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech. And so you could take a test depend on your grade. The Terriostven's first ron Science, then Brooklyn Tech. Brooklyn Tech is on the same block where where of course street direct course street from Spikes Joint, on a block from my office. Now for you, because on the mule anybody went, don't be at this house. She's always smart and went to Stuyverson, went to Prince's undergrad Harvard Med's school. She always we always, she always knew she was gonna be a doctor. So so one day, and looking back on this, I understand it was not luck it was a spirit. The spirit told me to go see yet of that day because I wasn't doing a damn ship to do. That goes to be at a She lived on her lived on Ashton Place where University Towers is right across the street from l I U where the field is. And so we're sitting in a living room. It is the box in the corner. I say, what is that box? He said, that's Super eight camera. You can have it. WHOA. And then I say, what's another box? She says, stupid, that's the box. That's the that's the cartridge for the Super eight film for the camera. She says, you don't. I don't need this. I'm gonna be I'm you know, um, I'm gonna be a doctor. This is his sister. She's she's a doctor in Chicago. Now, so now I had something to do. So the entire summer nineteen seventy seven, so I didn't have a job. I ran around New York City with the Super eight camera. It was also one of the hottest summers on record. That's why there was a blackout. When Kan hasn't funked up, Black folks Puertoricus lost their mind. Gluten like mother, I was feeling it, filmed it on, filmed it on on Fulter Street in Brooklyn. Also, seventy seven was the first summer disco, so all the DJs were hooking up there. The wheels are still and to the turn to the in the terrible speakers, the street lamps, so I was still on the block parties, the dances a hustle. Also the film from the documentary, Yeah, yeah, that's where the footage comes from. So then we had this maniac called psycho David Berkowitz. Steve. Here's the thing that people forget about that summer. Black and Puerto Rican people were not scared of David Berkowitz because this is this is before Gentification, and the motherfucker David Burke was to come into Harlem, to come to South Bronx, to come the best side door die, he would have been killed. And it's not I'm not making fun of us because people lost loved ones. But the fact remains Black people Porterbrincos not. We weren't worried about Son of Sam. So I had this footage, came back to school in the fall and declared my major as communications. But Marston had that major, took the class from Majors across the street to Clark College Masterfications, Film, TV, radio, print journalism. I forget what other thing is. And there's a teacher there. He's still teaching that. His name is Professor Herbert Eichelberger. Yes, Dr Eichelberg. I went to Clark you the Clark Radio TV film. Dr Eichelberger was are you see are you senter? So he doctor her Bike was still teaching there. He's the one they encouraged me to be a filmmaker. He's went. When I talking about this foote I had. I took the footage back to the Atlanta That's what morals says, but I didn't know what I was gonna do with it. He encouraged me to make a documentary. That document turned out to be Last Hustle in Brooklyn. And there are many times so her Dr Eichelberger called Dr e. He had the key to the film lab and two or three times a week he would stay three four hours so I could work on the film. He wasn't getting paid over time either, right, And maybe you guys were experiences. In my experience, I've talked a lot of people, and anybody talks about that one teacher they had that saw something in you. Do you even see it? Hurt? Eichelberg was when he says, he said, you know what, I started to think about the h all this stuff. Then it came back in your full circle. My mother's started was taking me the movies. I remember my mother taking me. It's his son and see motherfucking by Bye Bertie and the opening No people noticed the opening credit sequence or do the right thing comes from Bye Bye Bie, Margaret that's where she came from. Rosie Panz comes from, and Margaret as Athough and Margaret she does, that's where it came from. So all these things that happened started to spring up again. But my mother, God blessed her soul. If you saw crookly know, you know my mother died while it was the stopol Morehouse. All these things she planted, you know, bore fruit many many years later. But I did not want to be a filmmaker. That just didn't happen, you know, Speaking of circles, I just want to mention real quick, in a strange circle. By the time I went to Clark, I believe what Bill Nunn was a teacher at Clark Atlanta. I just wanted to when he rest rest in peace. So Bill Nunn and Sam Jackson morehouse men. But they had graduated before me, but they were still in Atlanta doing local theater and that's where I met them. They are a couple of years ahead of me. So can I ask what is I mean now? In my mind? Like Atlanta culture became cool mid the late eighties, especially with music migration and people coming down there. But what was Atlanta like? Like? Were you rolling your eyes up in there? Like was anything cooler than New York? Like New York? And I can speak with authority if you were if you were from New York and you went down south. All of these motherfucker's were Bamas Florio has Bamas, and we were very arrogant. I understand now they hated us so that we get people from New York that confrontation, seeing that the KMFC in school days was like a real that was typical of well, that really was a New York thing. That's more like college students, the local yokels versus the real too. Here's the thing though, because it's called they called the butter milk the buttermilk bottom. So like even us seasonal hood yales in southern cow is in the hood yales in the hood. So you had these oasis in Columbia before they brought up all motherfucking Harlem not so hot either. These real estate motherfuckers they're trying, you know, they're trying to change the name of Malcolm X Boulevard to read Avenue. What Google happened to d C Already our Malcolm X turned to Meridian Hill. They changed the name. It's Meridian Hill Malcolm X Park. Nope, actually, are are the I lived on Avenue? Pal Yeah? Are our Malcolm X Park just changed to we We are now called h Walnut Oak Lane. I'm not even west really now it's it's they changed the name Walnut Lane. That sh ain't happen. And I'm sorry, Harlem. They want to change it back to read Avenue. Funk that it's like anything possible and gentification land. That's crazy. I'm sorry, but that that's crazy. But that's that's that's really the origin how I became a filmmaker. Wow, So the camera just basically just fell right in your lap. But that was you still have that camera? Where's that camera? I don't know, But here's the thing, though, do you have to pay for it? There's a new museum in Philly, but he has the thing. No, did you say if I don't think I think that was ordained because I don't think there's a mistake. That day I just decided to go see Vienna, and that day the Super eight camera was just sitting there in the corner, and that career and handed you your career, my life, you know what? Side note on a on a parallel tip now that I'm thinking about it. Spike Lee is also responsible for the roots because our story is very similar. Where after my audition at the New School and at Juilliard and Terrek came up with me to New York for the weekend. On our my training ride home back on on on Septa from Jersey to back to Philly, a girl walked up and thought that I was Chocolate the bucket drummer and that levise commercials you did. She thought I was chocolate. But it's only because but it's only because I I did Boys Demands Motown Philly video and our hair was sort of similar, so maybe I knew she meant, are you the drummer in the Motown Philly video? But She's like, oh, you're in that Spike lead commercial, right, and so we were like laughing like yo, man, like because that's that summer, Like fame just started a little taste of it, like people started recognizing you know, so me and t like oh this, this is kind of cool. But it was the next day when we were watching Soul Train and the commercial came on and it just hit us like eureka, Like we look at each other like, yo, wait, why do we do that? Let's do that in Philly And instantly we got the buckets and like the roots as you know, it was born that way. But when Coal when You're Levi's commercial came on, it was like, yeah, we need to do that. And then we four hours later we're on South Street busking and then now I'm sitting here with Spike Lee and allergically. Let me get this and is that you know a lot of people, you know, they tell you whether they like get film or not. But the biggest complex ever get it's when people of all generations say they went to a black school or they went to college because of school. I mean when people say that there's nothing better. When they said because of that film, motherfucker, are we even think about going to school? I didn't even know there there were things of black colleges and I didn't know the culture was that rich. Like seeing that then I was like, oh, like it kind of set off a different world. Who knew? Yeah, that was a mistake. That have the people that were in the same cast and director. That's right, because it was a different world first. That's how we knew it was ron and came out first. That's what I meant. I think it's the thing though, you know, and I can't. I can't fault Bill Cosby. I should have been on it. I should have. I just had a different ideal about you know, stupid me Miles TV. I'm not gonna do TV. And he saw the ideal and he swooped in on it. Wow, before we started your film career, how did you? How did you gather the months that will be You're in a circle, like, how did you meet Ernest Dickerson? How did you who? Who's your starting five? Like? Do you have the same light people? The same who's the starting lineup? Well? After Morehouse, I still knew I did not have enough skills as to be a director. Filmmaking the grammar the same way you put together a paragraph whatever. This is the thing called film grammar. So I applied. I did my research, applied to the top three film schools the United States America, a f I American Film Institute USC, Silinka, all the Trojans, and n y U. To get an a f I USC, you had to get an astronomical score in the g r E. I took the jury and I did not get the astronomical score. They were more forward thinking, progressive people thinking people in n YU. The grad films could think that what you know, they understood the standized testing could be biased. He has not to do being a filmmaker, so I didn't have to take a test. Applied always do submit have undergrad degree and submit your create portfolio. I got in also Ernest Dickinson got it. We were in the same class. We both from Black School's earning with Ernest with the Howard I grew up in New Jersey, so right away we hit it to Ernest. Ernest shot all my in Y you in Y you Grab films three years so he shot my second year film, my thesis film, Joel's Best Side Barbershop, which won the student Commy Award and and because that film this is key. Ernest shot Joel's best side barbershop and that's that's that film got him John Sales film Brother Another Planet. So so what was great because we always could work together. But it's great that Ernest had already shot a feature before we did. She's gotta have it, so he has more experience and knowledge. So Ernest the DP. My editors Barry Brown, Barry getting my first job he had. He he was owner of Independent Distribution, first Rount Features at that graduate n y U where I was just cleaning films and stuff like that. He cut it my father, Billy's composer wyn Thomas from Philly production designer Rufe Carter, the great Rufe Carter went went went to Hampton. Rufe Carter, Robbie Reid and Ray Dowell all were classmates, the same class in Hampton Man I did not know that, huh network, So that that was for many years. That was the like. That was it. So Ernest shot features for me. She could have its school days, do the right thing well better. Jungle Thief and Malcolm X was the last film real quick and Ernest came in to be a director I was gonna say he came into the director, but his cinematography was so tight that eventually he would become a director by being a DP. And so after Malcolm X, his first director of film was Juice. So I was right. Now, Ernest is the top one of the top episodic TV directors everywhere everywhere who decides the nine of it. Like I would assume that you know the presidents, the director and the vice president is a cinematographer and you you got to be married to each other. So I mean, how come you guys don't have a thing like Okay, we'll do this project and then I'll do cinematography and you do directing, or that it was not a cinematographer. What's the difference between Yeah, what is DPS to photographed the movie? The deepens in to the same thing. Yeah, right, but but but there's different, just totally two different. Someday are DP directors, but usually it's two different skills sets, and Earnest visual sense was so far advanced the mind that you know, when there was a question, you know, I'd say, we're talking about Spike Lee shot. The idea of the Spike Lee shot, you double dollar shot, well, not even that I'm talking about first before the dollar shot. I'm thinking of a lot of your frames were diagonal. That was the only in in do the right thing. You had some abstract looking stuff. And it wasn't those first He's gotta have it. There was some abstract looking Oh I never thought of looking at someone. I definitely remember the first time you cameras on the floor, more looking up, like making people taller, just things I've never seen before. Well like who decides whose idea is that it depends? I mean we usually back in early was Ernest ideal because his his visual sense so much evance in mind Ernest after graduated, Ernest was an architecture major at Howard and then he'd come in while you right away he was a medical photographer at the hospital. So I mean his visual sense was was that's why everybody wanted Ernest to shoot their films and why you grab films. So what's he the double dolly or was that you? We both there was a scene of more better blues where we had First of all, we did not invent that shot. We just did you first see it or was like okay, we gotta do that, and we did it. But it wasn't too later we discovered we saw this, people have been doing it. I think it was first when you were avoiding the thugs and move better. Yeah, that was See what was wrong about that? When you when we were on a double dollar you really shouldn't move, but I was trying to. I didn't We didn't know that trying to move like a walking But I had a real dumb question, is there as I'm sorry, I gotta is there a single dollar shot? Because you're saying if you're saying it's you're on one and then the cameras on one or no, it's just a it's a it's one dollar, but the actress sitting on a diet, so therefore we call the double dollars. So you're sitting on a store apple box. But here's the thing. Though Ernest and I would do it, but finally had we had we had a conversation. He said, you know what, we're out of film school, so we gotta we got to use this. So this shot means something. So example where it means something is when the best use probably is he's going to the bottom and ball room. And the reason why I did that doing research for the film, I think very I became very close with Dr Bai Sha Bass Malcolm's will, the late Great Dr Bai Sha Bass, and she told me she felt that Malcolm knew he was gonna be assassinated. We went to my boat that he wanted to be a martyr. When she told me that, I said, well, how we can convey that? And then we said we'll do that. The Double Dolly shot. Another example betwenty fifth, after the late Great Philippine moh Hoffman kisses and what's her last and kisses kisses the student and it was his bathroom and then it's like, oh, ship would I do? And that's when he's coming out the song Brock. I was gonna ask about that scene because that song is just too perfect for that. That whole scene was too perfect. Oh what's a about? An example Denzil again an inside man where we see what we think is all think of one of the hostages by Claive Owen's character, but turns out it's fake. But Dent's nowhere, so we want to so right then and there, and he feels that he's responsible for his hospital shot in the head because he roughed up Clive Owen's character. So that's when we have him doing that too. Do you use it a few times? Yeah, a conversation down the street, me and me and me and Wesley. That's when I admit that I I spilled the beans. Right, Oh yeah too too right right? I told my wife, so, um, befo, she's got to have it? Did you? I mean, what's how did you learn how to write a screenplay? Well? By reading screenplays? I mean we had it. And when it's a great film schooling, so that teach us who would we would show the film? They will show you the film, they will give you the screenplay. So it's a great learning experience to read something and see how that's directed translate. So that's that's how I shot she's having twelve days? Really is your life first to the four in the summer to six day weeks? Y? Wow, Like I'm trying to do the math in the visual semi. Sorry, we're making this a very little interview. And you shot one time we had to we having more money. Well, I was gonna say, did you Holly wud shuffle it? Did you just here's my card? How do you have a credit card? You have credit? We are we put that film. We really didn't. We approached in the four stages. First stage was shoot it. Second, this is film now we shot Super sixteen. The second stage would get the film out the lab. The third stage was crucial, was met half enough money to eat? Why was it? Because I edited film? And uh, that was very crucial because I was hanging out with the chef. You want the chef is che chef Bard, So don't front video that was pre pre romin. So I called one of my dad's business partners, like when you first started coming on the scene, because there was buzz at the same time, almost simon sanously about you and Whoope's rise in New York with her one woman and showing you're doing film, and I remember when I first ever heard of who you were. They were trying to describe the fact did you have to hustle T shirts or socks or something that, Oh, I know you're talking about. What was the story behind that? Well that In the trailer for the film, it begins with me saying tube socks, tube socks, you goo Google google it when I was selling. When I'm not selling tube socks, I'm a director, so maybe they okay, I'm thinking maybe they was like, yeah, he fronted it selling T shirts and two socks. Okay, I see, um, so before we get to school days and well, yeah, she's got to have it. How did you cast those people? Like what was that process? Like? We I put an ad in backstage and people standing head shots and it was just off the head shots that you you call them in and the fine was Tracy Camility and that was her in New Jack City or is that an urban legend? Okay? And that was the projected were projecting scarface on the right and you brought her back in when we jumping with you brought her back in. Yeah. And also she has a cameo in your Netflix version and she's got no Yeah it was on Instagram anyway. Yeah it's true. Okay, great, wait, I call him Flash from Five Parties. But Melvin, I knew you would you want to say, Melvin, listen, do you know this name? I was about to say, I've seen him once and I think he was doing an adaptation of both characters like a one Grand place and yeah, yes serious, this was like fifteen years ago. He put both character together as a woman show. It's it's it's like a retrospective of my history and cinema flash. It's slowly at the top instence in two weeks. So yeah, that's when I realized, like, oh, you live in Philly. Like it was like the summer of ninety four or something like, right when the Fruits Versus got started, and he's like, yeah, I'm doing a one man show about you know, my career and experiences of you know that that sort of thing. So um was not long running. The first grand opening, grand closing. All right, school days, so many questions can I get started on school days? First? The first question of school days predate school days by well. So after she's got to have it, um mars, Oh I forgot the videos too. Yeah yeah, um. When you were, I guess, finishing up, she's got to have it. You were getting started on another movie called The Messenger. No, no, hold on, hold on that was legend. No, I got it backwards backwards, Okay. After I finished in Yu in the summer in May of eighty two, I tried to do a feature film called Messenger. We had it was starring Lawrence Fishburne, Jean cars Posito. I got involved with the friend of the family who said he's gonna finance the film, and uh, I got all my classmates, We're gonna shoot this the summer, just shoot this summer of eighty four. And the money never came. So I had to pull the plug. And my name was mud rightfully, so so I had to lay low, and I just said to myself, you know, I had three years of of being graduate film and yu, so I just be able to do a film with two or three people speaking, and that turned in that She's gonna have. But it was a complete disaster. Did you ever try to revisit that project later on the slay? It's not really for public consumption, and I just try to, like as an ex exercise it extacy. It got it, got it. But but here's the thing, though, there's a here's the thing I said to the other the other day in London, I was gave his speech there. There have been so many times in my life where I have one ft on the ground and that one foot that Spazi Air Jordan's is on the corner, is on the ground, but the grounds on the cliff, and that next the other foot is about to take that step. And as I've been I've I've been blessed because so many times, if I have taken another step, they had been curtains, and if I have gotten the money for made that film, I would not be here because I was not. I had people jumping off cars, off roofs. I mean, just crazy ship. There's no way I could have done it not have been the end of me. So it's just it's blessed a lot of times. Though we think about this a lot of times. Some ship happens and you're like, a ship, this is funked up. But in retrospect you said, you know what, I'm glad that this is how I think you can resurrect it. Similar to Uh, Mario doing bass, make a movie about this movie. I think that's the movie, right, she gotta have it was at the beginning of the Nike relationships. Somebody wanted me to ask you that. Yes and how famous story. Two gentlemens who worked for Whydeney Kennedy still Nike's agency, Jim Davenport, will Bill Widen Uh. They in Portland, they saw the film. They got the ideal to pair Michael Jordan my characters. Mars called me up, Sad, want to do this. We're shooting thirty five million black and White. You play Mars, you could direct. There's one thing, Michael Jordan's doesn't know who the funk you are. I've never heard of a film. And he's just on a big deal with with the Nike and he said, so he has director's approval, and so Mike could have gone with Bob Graaldy, those big time commercial directors, Joe Picker. I mean, these guys are great. And it wasn't until the All Star Game in Toronto, which is two years ago. I finally got enough. Curse asked Mike. I said, money, why did you choose me? Said? You know what he say said because you were wearing the sneakers. That's where it started. So you had to meet him first. And I mean, I mean he made the decision, he was gonna do it before I met him. But they yeah, but that's why he made that. That's why he'sad to go with me and not Joe Picker. He was locking him. You would be doing it if you wasn't meeting with them. Crazy. You know what, it probably was Mars to take off as George was making little to Nola. That's I was about to say, Yeah, you were rocking the threes by then, Yeah, damn no, those Jordan Ones. Yeah, yeah, do the right thing. You're right, trees were bugging out. I was gonna say, how did you How did you arrange for the Threes to make their debut in that film? Like I bought them? Wait they were out by then or just yeah they were off the sweite shot Do the Right Things Summer eighty eight. Okay, okay, okay, that makes sense. Where you keep them slight? What all your shoes all the nights? All Jordan's in the vault with the Oscar signed, Game War signed, So you I know that you mean by this point after the movie you also started making music videos. Um, you shot? Why did you shoot a video to White Lines when it wasn't a single? Ernst? Ernst and I were in film school, okay, and why you videos are coming out? So we wanted we did that White Lines did? It was on s spec It Siee Robinson commissioned you guys to do it. We did on Spec and God Rest Her Soul and Joe's Joe Robins. But they were crooks. We do this video for White Lines starring Laurence Fishburne. Give it to them. They say, we don't want it, and then ten years later they put a compilation of videos and do you even see the splice marks? It wasn't even finished. They put it on the compilation for sure record videos once they realized who cloks? What was it like shooting Miles? Oh here's the thing? What for I haven't seen that? So here's the thing. The Miles b Joan. Miles knew my father, so he'd cursed me out. He gave me everybody else. He called you the motherfucking a second. But we were coolin I know you your pa, you know your father's cool, so I'll leave you alone. But it was just great. No, I've been very lucky. Miles Prince Michael Phillis Hyman from from School Days, School Days? Can we go back to Miles real quick? So when you saw Miles ahead, um okay, well okay, so were you ever inspired to Can there ever be another Miles David's movie after there has been one? And ship there that wasn't really a Miles Davis. Here's the thing though, Look, I respect for Don Cheetle, and I just think that there's a thing called taking liberties right, but to event I mean he he practically said himself. He had to right right that story get fund and to get finance, and so the what's my man's name? The writer, what's the actor's name? That, and the whole thing about his his mass is being stolen that that never happened. M hmm, it never happened. I will say, though, and then he could. I just said real quick. That's why it pains because I worked on Jackie Robinson three years. I worked on James Brown for two years. I wanted to do Alite, But you can't do another film about Jackie Robinson. You can't do nothing film about James because the rights are gone that the States sold the rights later they locked up, so you can't come behind him double jeopardy like film double Jeopardy. I mean, there's multiple incredible hawks. There was the greatest. See. The thing is, though, I think you got very lucky. You got extremely lucky with Malcolm X for Startist. He had a short life, so you know him him cutting his life, his life being cut in his thirties gives you just enough space to wiggle and really tell a meaty story, a three hour story. But it's almost like it and your and your vision of James Brown, could you get from Augusta, Georgia all the way. Could you even get to nineventy four without really cutting corners? Because the thing is, okay, the Moles thing with Don might have been a little spotty, but at least like the fact that they just chose one story. I'd rather see a well put together story in the day of the life. Look, okay, you're gonna tell a three month story about him recovering. But but what you're talking about, dough Quest, is that that's direct this vision. Because, for example, the reason why I didn't get Jackie Robinson made because I wanted to tell this whole story and they just wanted the powers to be the gate que just wanted I just wanna do it on night he broke the you know, the color line. And I just think that the say that this one life, I mean this one year. How did he get there? You know? And how do we know do what we're gonna SHOWTI they testified against Paul Robinson, you know that that he was a Republican. Damn we missed me. You you leave all that stuff out. But again it say, it comes down to the director's vision, you know, so who you gotta hurry hip and swooped down on before somebody else right now that I was ready from Wesley to kill it. Damn, I really wanted. I wanted Denzela. Dude, it was an age where he could have played Jackie. Yeah. It also I like to say something again, this is all respect. However, how can brother man go from Jackie Robinson James Brown. I've ever seen a picture through from Marshall that was now now jack Boseman is playing Marshall. What Google? It's like Google, it's coming out when I learned from Nina, right, don't you even so? My brondo man think it is Jackie Robinson, James Brown, not Thurgood Marshall. M hmm, play man Deela next? If anything, I would see what's his name from Empire Philly? Uh Mari, No, no Empire if you would ye, no, yeah, you know he was third good. Marshall didn't have a co Hudson Yo, it was yeah, that was main Della. It was yeah, Terence Howard and Jennifer Hudson. They had they were winning in Nelson Mandela. We're gonna take care of a part to add main. That's the question. How can that move five man dollars? Jackie was this a joke? No, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer does she have an accent? Yes, yeah, if you want to call it that. And then Terence Howard was main della, main della. I don't played this. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That's a real question. How do you have five man dealars and one Jackie Robinson or one James Brown a state wise spike? How does that work? Comes? The state has the power. Like, here's the thing, though, you cannot do a film, a biopic about Jimi Hendrix and drugs being it. You're not gonna You're not gonna get the music. Yeah, you're not gonna. The state will not give you the rights to Jimmy Hendricks music. If you have drugs in the film, I'm not gonna get it. So they just don't want to James movie done right, it was one done though music in it? Yes, that's so. With Let's go to school, okay, I say, um? With Prince recent death, is that something that you thought about or you don't? Killy Holland for me documentary, Yes, I cannot. I cannot do a feature film about Michael Jackson. Can I cannot do a film about Prince especially it's just too First of all, it's it's too soon. And then who are you going to cast? Who do you think? I think Andre Holland would kill it. He was in. He was in that showed the nick he was also first first movie was Miracle Saint Ana. He was. That's right, he was. He's serious. Yeah, and I think Andrea Body and he got some super coolers. Oh hell yeah. We'll talk about complexion though. Sorry, maybe kind of this old school. I think that we just can't discount our pigmentation. But Michael Max now close close, they were close. All right. I'm putting this out there, Spike, Yes, I'm putting this out there. Um. I believe in my heart and hearts. And I told this to First time I told this to her, she laughed. Second time I told her, she's like, Okay, Now I think she hears me. I believe there's an oscar waiting for you and for Leslie Jones. If you guys, do I Nina Simone proper? I believe she is Nina Simone. I see it. I told I think she could pull she got that Nina Simone talk about putting on the spot, Okay, but I think she could do it. That's it. You don't You don't have to say nothing. I'm putting it out there, Spike, I believe that Leslie Jones in the position she is in Hollywood right now, if the right screen prey and the right film you you behind it. I believe you too can write each other to Oscar. I think I think you two can write each other to Oscar Glory and get the proper Nina Simone story. Let allow it now. I'm stuck on as a state daughters, but her doesn't run a state. They just made Spike do a movie. He even thinking, but the state. They'll come on out. They didn't like what's her name? Well? Who did? Yeah? That's he is not connected like the Caretaker had you know, that was his story. He sold his story. That happened to have Nina Simon. Actually, after that documentary, it's like, come on, I'm sorry, Yeah, back back to Prince really quick. Has the estate been in contact with you? I guess they're looking for for somebody to do the documentary. They have the footage three First Avenue Concert where they filmed or where they recorded in perfect Rain already told them, okay, well, the audience hasn't heard this story. So no, no, I'm just talking to you as a friend, like I begged them to go to Spike. Yeah, so the not heard from the State. Yeah, they're looking for somebody to do a documentary around this footage that they have of this concert where they half of Purple Rain was recorded. So I think that would be perfect for you after the Michael Jackson docks. Yes, I would love to see it through you guys. So just putting that out there too. And I want to thank you for being very helpful with the with off the Wall and bad Talk. Man, you're one of my favorite storytelling us. It's that but you got you got stories to man. Alright, Spike, I have some old footage for my bar mitsfied like didn't edit some kind of some of my family give the Spilburg. We got another music video to talk about what Anita Baker which one world beginning in the world because you're selling socks also and at the end of that video as well, Yeah, we shot at the world famous Apollo soon being called the Beacon. Really right, now, what episode? So Mike school Days, Yes days was my four years at Morehouse jam packed into a homecoming weekend. Yes, it was. Now Okay, I've probably watched all of your directed commentaries at least ten times each and because Spanish especially well even even the Criterion do the right thing, like they're so to me, that's better than college and you know you can learn. I I listened to directors comments. I mean you learn. Just yes for me real quick. One of the most important things I ever learned Curis Saw, the great Japanese Stilma. Curis Saw was in New York promoting ron and as journalists think it's the New York Times Journals asked him, Mr, course, you consider one of the greatest filmmakers ever a master cinema at your age like eight five a six, don't quote me, He said, what else can you learn cinema? And course I was said, there's still a universe, a center for me to learn. When I read that ship, I said, the minute you should not stop learning toil you're dead. That's why I learned. And also Rashamone, it's really the foundation where she could have it came from this film. In that film Roshamone, there's a rape in the murder and several people witness it tell their story and left up to the audience to decide who's telling the truths, Well, she's gonna have You had these three men who are who sleep on no and they're telling the audience you know what they think about heart, So that's where they came from. Are your n y U classes similar to this where you break down your filmography and you tell the mostly mostly other films. So I don't want to be just teaking about myself though, Okay, Okay, now, okay, I gotta schooldays cast. I just gotta jump to the sceat now. When you were given the director's commentary on the infamous, I want to be versus Jiggaboo, the Fight, the Greek Show. I mean I was watching it frame by frame, And why did you get the cameras running? Because that's it was good tell everybody what happened. Okay, so basically the story. Okay, So why did you decide to separate them? Were it really finances or did you have a mastermind that just okay, this mastermind, I'm starting School Days. School Days was the first film. A lot of people, right, and we can be shooting on location, and I really want to keep the friction between the two groups, the wannabes and the Jiggaboos because the young the first film, I don't want to come too chummy, So I made sure that the Wannabes got a better hotel and the jigibe has got the less hotel. So right then and there, that's where friction they They didn't know that they found out the thing. So so the culmination of that friction happened during the Greek show, the Steps show. As the fellows are coming on stage, Bread marks the great great brand from ourselves, grabs t shirt, camels head and pushes to his crotch. Oh that's what that's what she's doing. It insane when she so when the Gamma saw that, didn't was on. So it was not suposed to be a fight, I said, Ernest, do not turn that mother point, keep rolling, keep rolling at world point? How long did that fight? That real last fight last until until we ran out of secure? You didn't stop it? You were scared that they were like, I'm going fucking home. Did you save it for last or we We did not call off the We did not cut off the camera to the film run out of the magazine, So there was more where in the shooting schedule was that seem like in the middle of that, there was definite bad blood between the two groups. SA At what point did you reveal like, ha, ha, okay, this is what I really did. Guys before they I mean they got regularly, but I didn't make a confession though. Did they buy it once they found out or they just felt like, oh, you being a cheap motherfucker and you like Jasmine guy and nah, they just it really, I mean your dark skin, I mean you grew up. I mean you grew up with ship before you got before you got cast in the film anyway, you know, so we just want to play in this whole colouration thing. Did you write the chance your eyes a blue but you ain't white? I think that was teasing Jasmine that that did that, and the gamble that was I was a fellas that was rand from our syles. I think, say what to the side and was like, Yo, this is what we're gonna do. They worked on all those steps. They did that stuff themselves. Can't you some of them words? Did you come under budget or over budget? I mean we're under budget on that one. We're dealing with Columbia. It was Columbia Pictures, So dealing with a real uh, what do you a real studio? What was there? Because I definitely remember, like all Evany and Jet, there was like you know, the campus that was more House. As I went the Morehouse and at the two weeks, I'm a third deration more Morehouse man. At the two weeks we kicked off campus. But Clark gave you love, Clark gave his love and Morris Brown spell would never let us come on camp. Of course not. I'm surprised you're not, as you're not Morris Brown which which closed in we shot there too. But here's there's the president Morehouse name was Howard Gloucester and at the I met with them at the kicks off campus and he was mad at me and he said, why did you cast that man as a president mission college Joe Senica And he said, because it looks like a sambo. And he got the situation. They got him more so everything that we were depicting the film we were making it that he called Joe Seneca a sambo. That was a great actor. You're laughing too hard. I don't know what a samble the African American history and culture, but you can't you can't always laugh at that word. Depending on who you're with, whatever, I want a right, keep it moving? Alright? How did they get help? There's a really good story online about uh Marcus talking about the struggle that it was to make the butt. Oh yeah, of which I guess well, because the thing was it was like the oral history of of of the butt. Yeah, that was a good article, and I guess the EU guys were sort of like, well, you know, we're grateful for the single, but you know that wasn't real DC, Go Go, and we wanted to show you know what, and Markum was just like, well, you guys just do twenty minute jams with really no structure and you're based on other people's material. Yes, She's Jez, She's falling, known as Chocola City now Vanilla Swirld. It's London. It has to be said that, you know, at least from a good four or five year films, like very iconic story, so true story. The premiere of She's Having DC and at the part the U and d C excuse me go and EU was the band. Wow, I never heard Go Go in my life really, And when I went there was I said, oh ship and I was still I was writing and She's gonna. I was writing School Days at the time. I said, Yo, we gotta put we gotta put Eu in the movie. And so I knew Marcus through Raymond Jones, the late great Raymond Jones, and so crazy thing. I'm a big I mean the color scene and she's gonna have as a Homers Wizard of Oz. So I said, we gotta put this part. And then I go see a Sign of Times. You're but Night at the time came out this same time day, You're right because I opted to see Sign of the Times before my friend want to go to School Days. I went to Sign of the Times and we told each other about the field. Damn, that's crazy. How did you think he must like the balls too? Yeah, I mean he's been doing it. He did it twice though. Yeah, he's doing my chance. I can't remember. I mean, it's going to be a beautiful night. Uh that and uh, I mean he all throughout eighties six he was That was his car response thing like in concert a lot. So he just capt it's going to be a beautiful night. Yeah too. But questions, but um number one, how long was that video shoot? Was it like one day? We shot at Brooklyn Tech and did you know at the time, because me and my girlfriend were literally just watching this video a couple of weeks ago. We were like, yeah, we didn't even realize that they were holding up the red, black and green flag and the most A lot of young people don't even know. I have been at that dance. But you're telling what the title should be. Yes, I said, I want the storm. He called the Butt and we got a dance. My mother's great. I told Marcus the name of the song gonna be the Butt, and we got to dance and he did the rest. Wow more I would have taken production credit, you know everyone else did and they didn't even write overduce. So you play that part Today'll still get down, Still works, Still works. Have a School Days question? Yes, so I understand that there was a little tension between you and Titia Campbell's mother. Oh yeah, did that ever get resolved since or no? During the filming of the School Days? Okay, oh yeah, yeah, it was the song won't be Along Tonight? We thought should be the hit with the it was called, but she had to be Teacher Cambell. He said, should be the race, and she said it should be teaching Campbell and the rays. So that was her brief. I thought she's met her daughter. Had to lick somebody's part. She at that. I swear to God, if Teacher camp walk through now she was cursed every time. She was like, hey, you spiking. Even today I came out, Okay, how you know that? I will say that. I mean, second, I'm through purporing away your love scenes in your field. That's the raising why Teacher to Campbell she wouldn't do a sex scene, so that was the sexy she was gonna get. So I had to come on. I had to think of something freaky. So I said, when you gotta increasing this head. She would not do a love scene. I want to do it, So I said, all right, and you gotta lick the part in Big Bro on my teeth. Yeah, and that made it worse. I will tell you though, that's like, yeah, that's upside down. Spider Man kiss for black people, the knickcap again that Rachel's sexty scene was also nice. With mother on my team, it was beautiful and just remember it in my head. Oh yeah yeah, Steve one, uh my man, keep John keep so only can be me? Oh that song right there, you know Stevies saying my winning my wife come out really about that ripping to the sky. Wow, we're still married to Riverside Church. Alright, we had another moment. You have another vote. Now you keep John back on do the right thing? Why don't we try joint? I love that record. All right, let's let's move. Maybe we'll get the six movies. Let's you also note that the first time Ozzie Davis was introduced into okay, I just because Dennis, I'm getting because the crew start, Yes, we'll have a lot of regret, regret question why didn't we ask, Okay, do the right thing? Um? That's the perfect First of all, thank you Spike, because Okay, Okay hate being that guy that can predict his own questions. We had the Crystal Ball and that felt We talked about global warming. I mean I was gonna say I showed Yeah, I showed that. I showed that movie to my son, my eleving role. This was like literally like a month though, because because when that came out, I was I think I'm the same age. I was like ten, so he's eleven. I was like, I'm gonna show you this movie. That movie and the thing I've always liked about all your stuff. I saw him as a kid, and it's like it's one thing, but seeing it as an adult has a completely different meaning. And I would say, to do the right thing is one movie where it is almost more relevant now than it was when it came out. And I mean even like and this and the thing that I thought was so brilliant about it even watching it, you know now it's like it is ah because I've watched it and I made him write an essay and simple the only question was yeah. So the question was you know, do you think Mookie did the right thing? And there is no right or wrong answer to that question. You could argue with a million different ways. And so to answer your question, though, thank you for showing your son at early age, at that age the film. But no black person has ever asked me why didn't movie throw the garbage can through the window? Only white people asked me. Not one single black pers ever asked me why did Mookie throw the garbage can through the window. A matter of fact, I still pay Bill, still pay Steve that way. Was this movie the first time? Did you had people in mind for characters or did you still just know I had I mean the film Messenger, which the uncle never happened. It was school was supposed to start John Carlo and Fishburn, So I mean, I knew had to put in a film after the success of She's Gonna Happen because he Fishburn turned on the roll RD around him. He didn't want to do it. He said, no, I can't like I'm shooting The King of New York or I don't like it and like the role Bill none Size made it like, Yeah, he definitely wasn't truth that Danny A Yellow didn't want to take picks with Chuck d for press. I never heard what I've never heard of. I never DeNiro. I wanted robbed There'll do it? What he didn't want to do it? Wow? But it turned up. Yeah, it would have been. Here's the thing though, with The Narrow when the great actors ever but would have kept it would have tipped the scale. Would have been a Robbing the Narrow movie instead of an ensemble piece. So okay for starters as and I was saying that I hate the fact that I can predict all these episodes the Quest Love Supreme, because I can't go an episode without mentioning soul Train and my my nolgeable wisdom of it. But you know, for the longest, I never knew what Rosie Perez's name was because you know, they don't give the names of the she. I mean, she did a scramble board once, but you know, I didn't realize that until like much later, like four or five years ago. There, Oh, there's Rosie Perez. So just for the longest, it was like me and my best friend in school was like our girl because even on soul Train, she was a star And it wasn't like going in the puberty or whatever, like, oh my god, who's this woman? Dad? It's just that she stuck out, literally got I got a story more than so, how did you discuss? Ever, that's two stories, rosy stories. So again it comes back to school days. School days? Is it hit? Mhm h. The butt is number one song R and B. So I'm having a birthday party in l A. I forgot funky. It was named the club Funky Something. Anyway, I'm holling you guys. Anyway, So the club is called Funky Something and EU we fly EU to l A for the party, and so we had a butt contest, but dance contests and this woman is on speaker dancing roll. She says that she was screaming, saying that this is sexist something else, but that she was dancing. M hmm. He wasn't doing that stuff is just the truth. And so I tell security to get this lady off the speaker because she's gonna fall and break her neck. So bring her down, and she starts to curse me out. I've never heard this. U. I knew she was Puerto Rican, but the way that I never everybody speaks like my motherfucking life. So I said, where are you from? This is Brooklyn, So I'm from Brooklyn. So where you from? I said, what name is just four? I live for Green and I was writing do the right thing at the time. At that moment, I said, I'm gonna make Mookie's girl from Puerto Rican. Mhm God. At that point, did you know you were gonna pay a Mookie? Oh? Yeah, yeah, but I knew, But I said, she has to be. I mean, she had the audition, but I still knew that that she was going to be played Mookie's girlfriend Tina. That's the real story that a star was born. I knew that. I knew that she was gonna be great in this role. I did not. I cannot predict you'd be great as Mookie's girlfriend. But at that point, you didn't say, like, oh, this is an Oscar caliber actress and she herself and we never talked about oscars. That's not there. I mean, we don't talk about that stuff. Well, not that, but when you see new talent that but I don't a lot of times people first films are yours. But I don't say she's going to Oscar. I don't do that. So do you direct? Like, are you the director that will? You know? I know something? Uh, what's his name? Who directed seven and Fish so Fincher, especially on House of Cars. Like his episode of House of Cars, he's been known to do fifteen, sixteen, seventeen takes knowing that the last three are finally going to be what he wants that seventy takes for you know, Oh yeah, I've heard that. Yeah, he'll he'll spend. First of all, I don't have I never had the budget to do that. We gotta go and he doesn't need I mean, so you're saying that riot scene was shot in one shot? You had one shot that just know it was like two nights we had, you had the right and you had excuse me, you had the when the fire trucks coming, the war and stuff like that. So for something in that tense, especially when you are with multiple cameras and that sort of thing, I know, there's a moment where it's like, you know, okay, cut and then Carl it's like okay, so everything is like do characters break now? I know forgotten Gan Carlos Posito said that because of the correct teach me, Jean Carlo, okay, take to keep it. My father gian Carlo, Giancarlo Porsito. So he he mentioned um that during the filming that him and Danny did some bonding because of their Italian connection, talk to each other Italian his his father's Italian right, and then there was Italian America. There was a scene well during that scene, uh where the radio gets beaten finally you know baba. Yeah. I think initially Danny decided to curse amount in Italian and said something two Sean Carlo. That really just infuriated him. And even when you yell cut, he was just like that. That ain't that. I never heard that stoke. What I would tell you is that there were certain words that people don't want to say. And so we Yet when when John the scene where Danny has the bat end the close of him, Giancarlo and Bill Nunn would stand on the side of the camera and they were, you know, going exchanging and what Giancarlo called him a fact getting bastard. That's when Danny exploded. Also was Danny that was upset. He was upset, but he don't like to be called fact getting bastard. And the fact that it wasn't in the script. Oh, I mean that that you're off script by then you just just go, you know, just say the worst things you could say. So you have a lot of old script moments. So in your screen plays it's just like you know, we'll we'll improvise. No, you don't write improvise, but you know that it comes in rehearsal. You start, you see where we can improvise there. So here's the thing though, not everybody can improvise, so you have to know who can do it who can't, and you work on improvisation. Improvisation during uh rehearsal and heated moments, people gonna get off script because it's really emotional and you're not really worried about it. This exact, exact words that are that are scripted. But at the table okay, so at the table read through, are they as heated as it will be? Because I don't do that worry to me. I don't want acting at it at a read through, I just want to hear the words. I tell nobody act, just read the words. Because except for auditions, where when you when you audition people only getting you're not this in the whole film. You're just different scenes. So if the read there was the first time you get to hear the words, it is entirely This is a strange phenomenon reading the script. It's not the same as act as saying the word. And so many times you might think that you wrote something that's good, but her active reason it's like, oh, ship, I gotta change that. So during my read through, I'm re writing, I'm I gotta keep up because like, well I'm crossing ship out. We gotta change you gotta change that, gonna change this. How could have an improv improper was Robin harris Man Sweetig Willie. Here's the thing Robin was at this. I forgot the name of the club, but Robbie read told me again to casting. Dirick said, you gotta see this guy Robin in l A. So this club the club to go to the to go to the bathroom, you got to go up the stairs next to the stage. In the back of the club. Robin Harris had a guy with a spotlight. He was he like this snapper fingers a point and I was there one night. Robin Harris tore Mike Tyson up. Mike Tys with I mean, you read a piss of your pants. You have to walk past Robin on the stage to go to the back. I mean, no better blues. I know we're jumping ahead. Even if you weren't working, if you act, you don't working that day, but you saw Robin Harris was on the call sheet, you would come. You will be there. He would remember. He told Denzel, He said, Denzel, you hit things like the question mark. I mean, I'm thinking that whole scene when they at the party and he just fucking with everybody likes that, you know, the whole thing. I mean, I mean, he a great, great law those all lips. I mean, people like that. You just gotta let him go. That's like, that's like Jordan's Get Green Light, Green Light. So by this point, when you're established, um, are you putting pressure on Robbie to find you the next unused Jim Town? Is she going to theaters? It wasn't pressure because we always stash away a couple of roles. But are they you know? Does does Martin Lawrence know? Oh there's an audition for Do the Right Thing? Or is it Robbie found Robbie. Do the Right Thing was Rody Prayer's first film, Rob Hash's first film, Lawrence film Rob Robbie found me. I didn't know these people. I know, I mean I found Rosie, but the other people I didn't know. Also, as you're building your actors squad, it seems like it's harder and harder to get to get for other actors to get in right because like by now you said you already had Giancarlo, you already had Bill None, you already had Can we talk about the tutoral relationship? Well, I was gonna go there, like how hard is it for your white actors two, especially especially in Jungle Fever? How they were at the Silverda Shop Like how and I know about the controversy of better Blues with you between the club owners more Josh Flappers played by Nick and John Deturo. Yes, how to write that down? Don't get it? So I want to talk about that. But no, No, that's the thing. It's like, how do you convey to them what the character is without saying like, Okay, well you're going to be the villain or you know, play it to the hilt, or like, I mean, how do you Here's the thing though, the white actors that I've worked with, great human beings. These are people artists and understand that their history and they're cool planet because it's not like we're making it up. But was there ever any indifference to or not indifference or objections to Okay, well you know who? Who? Where did you find that? What are waste? Guys? The two cops, the cops that killed Radio were also in fever. One is Dannielle little son. Which one the one is not Hispanic taller one? Oh what are waste? That's what's his name? I was? I knew that, Miguel Sandoval, Yeah, I knew that name. The no, the taller one, like the red on here that's Daniel's son. He's the woman. Yeah, ah man. But here's the thing though, is that people dig my work. They understand it, and then there they're there. They're great parts. In fact, John the Turtle used to say, Man, you know, Spike Man. I don't know when this before the Throne came out as a Spike Man. I ride the subway. He would say, Spike, the brothers come to me, give me that. They say, yo yo, yo, yo yo. So they loved the Turtle. Yo, you messed it up so good. I don't know what they are. I was like, wait, are you Jewish? Are you telling you sister too? I eat it too. I'm like, I don't. But here's the thing though, when up more better claim came out, I was accused of being antisi the Jewish Defense League a d L. So my lawyer at the time, he told me, says, Spike, this serious, this is this is the truth. He says, Spike, if you want to continue work in Hollywood, you have to write an op ed piece for New York Times saying why you're not Semitic. I know it's not fair, but you want to continue to work in this industry. And I wrote it. You could google it. I wish we had that kind of protection. Google it I had. He you know, he was Jewish. He died, but he said, Spike, you know you're a great filmmaker. I care for you. But if you don't write this outbed piece saying you're not anti Semitic, when you're done, you're done. Wow. Wait on, I'm forgetting the most important character into the right thing is the song, fight the power. I'm about to move one. How did you you know, like when you're growing up in the era, you just hear great music all the time, like you think like a cat like Prince will just you know, eat breathing ship, great songs and hits. But now that I realized that it takes a craft and and and and really a steady hand to to do perfection getting I'm asking a group to give you an anthem. I mean, that's some that's some hard as ship to do. And what's weird is that I guess later years when I've heard outtakes from songs that didn't make Nation a millions, and you know there's like five or six or seven other publicanmy related joints that where where can I hear those? Where does he get his stuff? He's hearing ship? Like? Look, man, by this point everyone knows that I'm the student. Like if I came off as a chisty guy that just you know, leaked the ship online and bootleg that ship, that a testament to people know that I just generally want to know stuff. And yes, you're a student of the music, I'll share with you. Bill. I'm sorry I didn't know anyway. So the point is that when I heard the other songs, I was like, wow, Like okay, so Public Enemy did have some misses. They had some misses with their with their hits, the songs that really resonated, and the songs that were like Okay, I'm glad they kept this off the record. Yeah, but you could do it. Yeah, but I'm now I'm just saying that the the the I mean, the likelihood of them having five major life changing songs in a row is some rare ship. And the fourth one of their you know, of their of their cannon being fight the Power, the first revel without a pause to me bring the noise. Uh don't believe hut or uh don't believe that it was necessary. I feel like bass Heads. I feel like bass Heads is just insane. At the time that it came out, it was just unlike anything we ever heard before uh, then the fourth being Fight the Power, and the last being uh, welcome to the terrib So when how many songs did they submit? Do they submit other songs that they just said, like, this is your song, Well, here's a story. Hit me. I knew, I knew that I need an anthem because every script, every time Radar Raheem appears on screen, he's gonna have a song blasting m hm. So every time he seem a song to be blast and so that ship gotta be hitting, and knowing the tone, I knew it had to be public enemy. So the first Fight the Power was the second submission. Aha, there we go. Have we heard the first one? No, I don't. I don't even see you don't want to play it safe in the summer radio like and to be like, okay, without a pause, we'll just stick to this or and I wanted a new song and the first one wasn't hitting, wasn't it? But it wasn't their fault because we didn't we didn't. We weren't at a point where we could show them the film. Okay, so earlier they didn't see anything. I just I just didn't have a script. I guess sending to Bill Stepney because Bill Stepnie living for Green. So I called him up. I got my bike roll four or five blocks. Here's the script. Boom he he. He knows that he remembers more of the story than anybody, Bill Stepney, So you just try to get his his his saying it. But but the second But we got to a point where we could show him something. I don't know we showed him a clip or the whole film. But once I saw that, Hank Shockley them, guys, do you remember what your place for song was that? Do you use your placeholder song? Yeah? That you used before you got there? You mean, like, what do you called temp music? We have it? We don't have any temp music? Oh exactly. So because I knew that there's a thing called temp love demis. That's so I don't want I don't want to contaminate my INSI I mean, I knew it was music is I don't have to take it. When I heard Fight the Power for the first time, what was that? Like? Man, I said, thank you Jesus, because this was the whole It summed up the whole motherfucking movie. And you asked for none of that. You didn't asked for Elvis, John Wayne, none of that ship like you just another do it that? Did you name the song and say I need a song called Fight the Power? Or no? They got five brothers, but I did. All I said was I need an anthem. That's a tall order, Spike, and that's why what the public m Okay, the pizza Rea that burnt down the fire which I assume that you burnt it down for real? How did y'all control that since you weren't on a studio like what stopping from spreading to have the fire departments there? Okay, but the fire department that was in the film fire department that's weird. Okay. But that that song, I mean sometimes I don't I can't even can you imagine do the Right Thing without Fight the Power. It's not the same movie. It's not the same as another character in the movie movie. I mean, but that it was a gift. It's a gift from God. That's that's all I mean. You You should ask Chuck and those guys, you know, their their their version. Eventually I'll get to that. Yeah yeah. Oh side note, um Spikes film inspired do the Right Thing inspired? Uh? The song that was originally the roots before Scott Storge gave it to his girlfriend Little Kim, the song that will eventually be Lighters Up. Well, when we got to the studio, um do the Right thing was on television and uh, Samuel Jackson was senior ladder lef Daddy and he was doing road Call. And when I heard that drum be the time, I said, I want to remake that sit and so I remade it, and my father see Scott starts. I remade dude, and Scott did the piano and then here's here's the crazy ship. Tarik stayed by to to write the first verse. This is gonna be like the first thing off tipping point. Uh. And then Scott was like, we're going to somebody's birthday party. I didn't realize that. That night is when I had dinner with O. J. Simpson. Long story of that night, and that was the first time literally we made that beat. And then we went to some friends of ours birthday party and and O J and Busta Rhymes and me and Scott Starts sitting at the small kid small kids stay able At the Thanksgiving it was very and we were like the four black people there, so we just sat at the small table all I got would say was that he he said that, um that you know the way that the rappers, uh, the way that Bob Dylan Uh. And and was it Patti Smith, Um, you know Champion Hurricane Carter that us US rappers need to chamon. Yes, very surreal night. Anyway, Thank you Spike who boo boo boo Boa Ladies and gentlemen. I hope you enjoyed that encore presentation of Spike Lee's interview on QLs Classic. Uh, stay tuned for next go round when we asked more questions about his history behind the count. Spike Lee Part two come out next QLs Classic What's Love Supreme As a production of My Heart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Padora. For more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

Questlove Supreme

Questlove Supreme is a fun, irreverent and educational weekly podcast that digs deep into the storie 
Social links
Follow podcast
Recent clips
Browse 404 clip(s)