Spike Lee

Spike Lee

Spike Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American filmmaker and actor. He was born Shelton Lee in Atlanta, Georgia. At a very young age, he moved from pre-civil rights Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York. His father was a jazz musician, and his mother, a school teacher. His mother dubbed him Spike, due to his tough nature. He attended school in Morehouse College in Atlanta and developed his film making skills at Clark Atlanta University. After graduating, he went to the Tisch School of Arts graduate film program. He made a controversial short, The Answer (1980), a reworking of D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915) -- a ten-minute film. Lee went on to produce a 45-minute film Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983), which won a student academy award. Lee's next film, "The Messenger," in 1984, was somewhat biographical. In 1986, Spike Lee made the film, She's Gotta Have It (1986), a comedy about sexual relationships. The movie was made for 175,000 dollars, and made seven million. Since then, Lee has become a well-known, intelligent, and talented film maker. His next movie was School Daze (1988), which was set in a historically black school and focused mostly on the conflict between the school and the Fraternities, of which he was a strong critic, portraying them as materialistic, irresponsible, and uncaring. Lee went on to do his landmark film, Do the Right Thing (1989), a movie specifically about his own town in Brooklyn, New York. The movie garnered an Oscar nomination, for Danny Aiello, for supporting actor. It also sparked a debate on racial relations. Lee went on to produce the jazz biopic Mo' Better Blues (1990) which showed his talent for directing and acting, and was the first of many Spike Lee films to feature Denzel Washington. His next film, Jungle Fever (1991), was about interracial dating. Lee's handling of the subject proved yet again highly controversial. Lee's next film was the self-titled biography of Malcolm X (1992), which had Denzel Washington portraying the civil rights leader. The movie was a success, and resulted in an Oscar nomination for Washington. His next films were the comparatively light, Crooklyn (1994), and the intense crime drama, Clockers (1995). In 1996, Lee directed two movies: the badly received comedy, Girl 6 (1996), and the politically pointed, Get on the Bus (1996), about a group of men going to the Million Man March. His next film, He Got Game (1998), proved to be another excursion into the collegiate world as he shows the darker side of recruiting college athletes. The movie, in limited release, yet again featured Denzel Washington. In 2000 came Bamboozled which made a mockery out of television and the way African-Americans are perceived by white America and the way African-Americans perceive themselves. The movie, however, was a resounding critical success. Lee also has produced films like New Jersey Drive (1995), Tales from the Hood (1995), and Drop Squad (1994). He also has produced and or directed movies about Huey P. Newton, Jim Brown, and has commented in many documentaries about varied subjects. Lee is an obsessive New York Knicks fan. He and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, have two children.
    Known for
    Directing
    Place of birth
    Atlanta, Georgia, USA
    Birthday
    3/20/1957
Brooklyn Boheme
Brooklyn Boheme
6.8
The Making of 'Bamboozled'
The Making of 'Bamboozled'
1
Farewell, Babylon!
Farewell, Babylon!
0
Director Spike Lee's New York City
0
Five Directors on THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS
0
Seen It All
Seen It All
0
Be Truly Free
Be Truly Free
0
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
0
Do the Right Thing
Do the Right Thing
7.764
Mo' Better Blues
Mo' Better Blues
6.498
Bad 25
Bad 25
7.3
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
5
Birth of a Movement
Birth of a Movement
6.4
Our Hollywood Education
0
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
6.889
Jungle Fever
Jungle Fever
6.392
Street Fight
Street Fight
7
Girl 6
Girl 6
4.985
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
6
Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks
Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks
7.7
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
6.3
Pixote In Memoriam
Pixote In Memoriam
7
Decade
Decade
7
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1
6.8
We the People: From Crispus Attucks to President Barack Obama
We the People: From Crispus Attucks to President Barack Obama
0
She's Gotta Have It
She's Gotta Have It
6.613
No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat
No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat
5
Through the Fire
6.9
Lights, Action, Music
Lights, Action, Music
7
Ray Allen/AKA- Jesus Shuttlesworth
Ray Allen/AKA- Jesus Shuttlesworth
0
Public Enemy: Fight the Power... Live!
Public Enemy: Fight the Power... Live!
0
A Daughter's Tribute to Her Father: Souleymane Cissé
A Daughter's Tribute to Her Father: Souleymane Cissé
0
Guest
Guest
6
Champs
Champs
6.667
First Works
First Works
0
Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists
Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists
6.929
Malcolm X
Malcolm X
7.537
When We Were Kings
When We Were Kings
7.677
It's Black Entertainment
8
Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella
Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella
10
Below the Rim
Below the Rim
0
40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight
40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight
0
The Last Party
The Last Party
4.2
Michael Jordan to the Max
Michael Jordan to the Max
7.2
Branford Marsalis: Steep
Branford Marsalis: Steep
0
Hoop Dreams
Hoop Dreams
7.6
The Universal Story
The Universal Story
7.7
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
5.8
Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist
Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist
8.5
Lonely in America
Lonely in America
5
French Cinema Mon Amour
French Cinema Mon Amour
0.5
School Daze
School Daze
5.9
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
6.667
Lisa Picard Is Famous
Lisa Picard Is Famous
6.6
Kobe Doin' Work
Kobe Doin' Work
6.605
On the Shoulders of Giants
On the Shoulders of Giants
6.3
Red Hook Summer
Red Hook Summer
5.737
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
1.5
Sidney
Sidney
7.8
Crooklyn
Crooklyn
6.805
A Man's Story
A Man's Story
6.9
Do the Right Thing: 20 Years Later
Do the Right Thing: 20 Years Later
7
Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans & the Movies
7
Seven Songs for Malcolm X
Seven Songs for Malcolm X
0
PoliWood
PoliWood
6.7
The Making and Meaning of 'We Are Family'
The Making and Meaning of 'We Are Family'
10
MTV's 10th Anniversary Special
0
3 A.M.
3 A.M.
5.481
Life O' The Party: On the Road with Prince and the New Power Generation
Life O' The Party: On the Road with Prince and the New Power Generation
0
Summer of Sam
Summer of Sam
6.464
Clockers
Clockers
6.779
A Century of Cinema
A Century of Cinema
10
4 Little Girls
4 Little Girls
7.3
Logo
Nuxt Movies
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