Okay people we need to talk about Spike Lee's movies of the last 10 years...

Spike's worked steadily over the years but mostly as a documentarian more than a feature filmmaker. But when he has done movies its been mostly misses than hits...

2016 Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (Documentary)
2015 Kevon Carter: We Gotta Do Better (Video short)
2015 Chi-Raq - $2,653,032
2015 NBA 2K16 (Video Game)
2015 Livin' Da Dream (Video Game)
2015 Spike Lee's Lil Joints (TV Mini-Series documentary) (1 episode)
- Ray Allen/AKA- Jesus Shuttlesworth (2015)
2014 Mo'ne Davis: I Throw Like a Girl (Documentary short)
2014 Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store (TV Special documentary)
2014 Katt Williams: Priceless: Afterlife (TV Special)
2014 Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (no B.O. info)
2014 Amex Unstaged Pharrell Williams Live at the Apollo (Video)
2013 Oldboy - $4,861,022
2012 Bad 25 (Documentary)
2012 Red Hook Summer $338,803
2011 Da Brick (TV Movie)
2010 If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (TV Series documentary)
2009 Passing Strange
2009 Kobe Doin' Work (TV Movie documentary)
1998-2009 Great Performances (TV Series) (2 episodes)
- Passing Strange (2009)
- Pavarotti & Friends for the Children of Liberia (1998)
2008 Miracle at St. Anna - Worldwide: $9,323,833
2007 Lovers & Haters (Short)
2007 M.O.N.Y. (TV Movie)
2006 Shark
2006 When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (TV Mini-Series documentary)
2006 Inside Man - Worldwide $185,677,523

His only true hit and most profitable film in the last decade was Inside Man in 2006. Since then Miracle at St. Anna was middling in critic and audience reception, Red Hook Summer a disappointing flop, Oldboy given no studio push and came and went almost unnoticed, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus disregarded (the Kick-Starter campaign got more attention) and the latest Chi-raq flopping hard.

And it's the last film that sparks this discussion Chi-raq not only failed box office wise but drew a backlash from Lee's core audience, Black people. When you start losing your primary support base its time to reflect and look at where things ran off the rails. Spike's never been a huge office blockbuster type filmmaker and I don't think that's something he really cares about too much. Where Spike shined and his strongest suit was his outspokenness and ability to make a point with his films particularly in the socio-political realm. Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X, his two most important and popular films, illustrate this perfectly.

Even when he's just having fun with stories like Mo' Better Blues, He Got Game, 25th Hour and Inside Man, you know, just straight up matinee movie stuff, Spike was at the very least entertaining. But the last four of his films weren't just swings and misses, they really weren't that entertaining either, at least that's the general consensus. So lets talk about where how an important filmmaker could fall off so hard?

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I knew a neighbor who grew up with Spike Lee and family. We discussed Lee's films. I had mentioned that he used anger as a motivation for his films and that he wasn't afraid of the critics. Anger has worked for him. I have seen She's Gotta Have It. I think everyone has known a woman like Nola. Clickers was a pretty good murder mystery. Summer Of Sam was excellent also. But these films were 80's and 90's.

I loved Inside Man, Miracle At St. Anna. Passing Strange: The Movie was great. I cannot get enough of the music of that show. Spike Lee isn't going away. Not by a long shot. He even teaches film making.

 

no one said he was going away but he has fallen off or lost a step in recent years as far as feature films goes.

 

Like all independent film makers, he is looking for a project that he feels worthy of attention. A story that needs to be told. And there are a lot of them. When he remade Old boy, I didn't watch it because the original Korean film stuck in my mind. It was very intense and clever ly written.

Then, again, he probably wants nothing to do with the dysfunctional Hollywood system.

 

the same dysfunctional hollywood that bankrolled his other 20 movies including inside man?

 

Yes. Because that dysfunctional Hollywood didn't realize how profitable his movies were andprobably thought they could control Lee. But he stepped aside.

 

it just took 25 years for him to do it:lol::lol:

 

I loved Inside Man and Miracle at St. Anna. I also think he had some good work right before this period, like He Got Game and The 25th Hour. I hope he has a few successes soon. I wonder if he's at the helm in those Barkley, Jackson and Lee commercials.

 

He did direct a psa featuring Jesse Jackson and even appeared in a commercial with the actress from She's Gotta Have It and Michael Jordan. He played his character Mars Blackmon. That's the two I recall.

 

He butted heads with Clint Eastwood about the film Flags Of Our Fathers stating that there were black marines that also fought on Mt. Surabachi. Lee called Eastwood out about it.

 

Inside Man and Miracle are two of my favorite movies. Spike will continue to push the boundaries and do films hat are powerful and interest him. For the most part his films address important issues, Chiraq, was an interesting take on historical happenings updated to modern times. He remains a powerful and needed voice in filmmaking. Profit does not always equal worth in art.

 

When Spike made School Daze, he purposely segregated the light-skinned black actresses from the darker skinned black actresses portraying the Jigaboos and the Wannabes. It showed in the musical number Right Or Wrong Hair. Great, original and a little disturbing all in one scene. Lee was exposing the racism within the black race.

 

no one is saying spike should go away or he's always been a bad filmmaker...just that his shit hasn't been connecting lately even with his fan base...even people here haven't said his last 3 films were good...thats NEVER happened before..spikes NEVER gone 0 for 3 at any point in his career until now..

so the question is...WHAT UP WIT DAT???

 

Kevin smith explained it very well with age and directors. Spike like Lucas and Spielberg are old. The material isn't going to be what it was back then.

 

He still has his teaching gig.