NYFF: ‘American Utopia’ Sets a Glorious Tone for Our Difficult Times
Spike Lee's crisp concert film of David Byrne's Broadway show, American Utopia, embraces the hopes and anxieties of the present moment.
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Spike Lee’s ‘Da 5 Bloods’ and Pedagogical Filmmaking in the Movement for Black Lives
As with Da 5 Bloods, Spike Lee's films are replete with experimental aesthetics that deconstruct the conventions of (white) Hollywood and re-frame and re-contextualize Black lives and Black history.
There’s a War Going on: Spike Lee’s ‘Da 5 Bloods’
Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods engages with the notion of perpetual conflict. But how well does it fit into the current social milieu of demonstrations against police violence?
Spike Lee’s ‘Do the Right Thing’ Remains Explosive and Vivid
The Criterion Collection's essential 30th anniversary Blu-ray package of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing honors the film's heart, aesthetic brilliance, and pointed message on American racism, diversity, and community.
Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman’ Is a Provocative, Entertaining Mess
The new Spike Lee Joint is irreverent and challenging, but it fails to rival contemporary social powerhouses like Sorry to Bother You and Blindspotting.
Prince Shall Forever Remain the Enigma: ‘This Thing Called Life’
Instead of cherry-picking facts and quotes, Joseph Vogel lets Prince's legacy shine in all its vague and erratic splendor.
Film’s Overlooked Histories: Charles Burnett and the L.A. Rebellion
The general absence of the L.A. Rebellion from most film history text books and Burnett's relative marginalization within film and media studies speaks to the socio-economic myopia and privileges that define both areas of study.
Michael Jackson: Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
Something as fresh and lively as Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall results in a rare enhancement of what you already have come to know and love.
‘Chi-Raq’ Is Spike Lee’s Call to Consciousness
Chi-Raq draws from current headlines, hip-hop lyrics, Aristophanes, and Spike Lee’s prior films to forge a vibrant, propulsive saga of fury and hope.
Double Take: Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989)
Double Take looks back at Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, a film that celebrated its 25th anniversary during another summer of strikingly similar violence.
‘Dear White People’ Untangles Complicated Relations of Racism and Identity
This film's ability to balance character-driven stories with didactic critiques against the racist practices that haunt our daily lives speaks to a sophisticated outlook rare among first-time directors.