I've been watching a few of them recently, and got thinking about what I should watch next and what I should ignore completely. I think my favorite is He Got Game and my least favorite is Crooklyn.
A partial list of stuff he's directed (I'm not sure they're all called Spike Lee joints):
25th Hour (2002)
Come Rain or Come Shine (2001)
Bamboozled (2000)
Summer of Sam (1999)
Freak (1998/I) (TV)
He Got Game (1998)
4 Little Girls (1997)
Get on the Bus (1996)
Girl 6 (1996)
Clockers (1995)
Crooklyn (1994)
Malcolm X (1992)
Jungle Fever (1991)
Mo' Better Blues (1990)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
School Daze (1988)
She's Gotta Have It (1986)
Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983)
Sarah (1981)
Answer, The (1980)
Last Hustle in Brooklyn (1977)
cruzness
11-09-03, 01:01 AM
Least Favorite: Girl 6
Favorite: He Got Game and Do the Right Thing
Mondo Kane
11-09-03, 01:27 AM
I view Malcolm X as his greatest effort, but Do the Right Thing still remains as my most favorite.
But yeah, besides the opening scene, Girl 6 is the one that belongs on the bottom.
Get on the Bus is underrated.
Experiment626
11-09-03, 01:46 AM
Is Girl 6 about phone sex operators? Or am I thinking of something else?
Mondo Kane
11-09-03, 02:02 AM
Originally posted by Experiment626
Is Girl 6 about phone sex operators? Or am I thinking of something else?
Yup.
Aw, hell with it. Lemme make a favorites list:
1-Do the right thing
2-Malcolm X
3-25th Hour
4-Crooklyn
5-Get on the bus
6-Clockers
7-He got game
9-Jungle Fever
10-Bamboozled
11-Mo Better Blues
12-She's gotta have it
13-Summer of Sam
14-School Daze
15-Girl 6
Haven't seen the rest and I don't consider 4 little girls as a "Spike Lee joint" since it's a documentary.
Experiment626
11-09-03, 03:13 AM
Yeah I just copied and pasted the list from imdb. Took out the stuff I knew weren't movies. Mondo, thanks for the rankings, I guess that's what I was actually after. Just this week I've seen 25th hour, He Got Game, Do The Right Thing, and Jungle Fever. I have yet to see Malcolm X, and I think it is next on my list. Guess I'll avoid Girl 6 like the plague, too. :)
Crocker Jarmen
11-09-03, 03:58 AM
Not counting his student films (and I'm gonna place She's Gotta Have It in that catagory even though I know it isn't) I think Spike Lee's best films are Do The Right Thing, Mo Better Blues, Get On The Bus, and Summer of Sam.
I thought Jungle Fever, Clockers, and Girl Six were awful.
Oddly enough, as terrible as Bamboozled is, I really enjoy watching it.
The one I don't get is all the heapings of praise on Malcom X. I think it's, at it's best moments, medicre.
TCG
11-09-03, 05:40 AM
i havent seen them all but here goes:
best: 25th Hour
worst: Clockers
movielib
11-09-03, 09:53 AM
Best: Do the Right Thing - a masterpiece.
2nd best: 25th Hour.
Worst: Quite a few vying for this, can't pick just one.
Fred C. Dobbs
11-09-03, 01:19 PM
Do the Right Thing is a brilliant film. The riot scene at the end scares the living shit out of me. This is by far Spike Lee's greatest work. I have yet to see 25th Hour, however. His worst? Girl 6.
Father Merrin
11-09-03, 02:33 PM
Best :
Do the Right thing
25th Hour
Malcolm X
Worst :
Girl 6
Geofferson
11-09-03, 03:08 PM
What's with all the Girl 6 hate? I kinda liked that one.
Anyway, my top 3 are:
Do the Right Thing
Summer of Sam
The 25th Hour
Worst: Bamboozled
joefrog91
11-09-03, 06:23 PM
Clockers is the only movie I ever fell asleep while watching in a theater. I totally hated this movie.
She's Gotta Have It is my fave along with Do The Right Thing.
Mowork
11-09-03, 06:50 PM
Faves:
1. Do the Right thing
2. 4 Little Girls
3. 25th Hour
Least Fave:
Girl Six
I also agree as someone posted above that Get On the Bus is very underrated..
Timber
11-09-03, 08:47 PM
I've always been a big fan of School Daze. Do the Right Thing is favorite though. I don't really count Malcom X as a "Joint" and think it's in a class all by itself. If I looked at it with the others then it would by far be my favorite.
Thrush
11-09-03, 11:50 PM
Originally posted by joefrog91
Clockers is the only movie I ever fell asleep while watching in a theater. I totally hated this movie.
I didnt hate it quite that much. But I never could figure out why so many movie critics hailed as his best movie to date, some still do.
Crocker Jarmen
11-10-03, 12:13 AM
The first time I saw Clockers I thought it was incredible. I liked the story, I found it very suspenseful, and thought the visual tricks in it were really unique.
When I saw it again a year later I couldn't figure out what I found so appealing about it. I thought the acting was terrible. There were a few stand-out scenes but overall most of the movie looked badly improvised and shallow. I thought it was like a TV movie. I tried watching it a third time a few years back and only go halfway through it.
It also has the worst Spike Lee cameo of his career.
I also think it's woth repeating that Get on the Bus is a terrific film that's really worth watching. I remember when it came out, and all of my friends refused to see it because of it's connection to the Million Man March.
groovrbaby
11-10-03, 12:23 AM
FAV: Mo' Better Blues may always hold this spot...what a cool movie.
Worst: Girl 6, like about everyone else it seems.
Rogue588
11-10-03, 12:34 AM
Originally posted by Crocker Jarmen
The first time I saw Clockers I thought it was incredible. I liked the story, I found it very suspenseful, and thought the visual tricks in it were really unique.
When I saw it again a year later I couldn't figure out what I found so appealing about it. I thought the acting was terrible. There were a few stand-out scenes but overall most of the movie looked badly improvised and shallow. I thought it was like a TV movie.:lol: Funny you should say that...it's on net TV as I type this..;) To be honest, I haven't seen it yet. But from what i've seen on TV, it looks good. I don't really want to watch it [edits & all], so i'll probably pick it up when I can find it cheap..
From Experiment626's list: Do the Right Thing
Malcolm X
Jungle Fever
Get On the Bus
Summer Of Sam
Bamboozled
He Got Game
Girl 6
School DazeHaven't seen 25th Hour, Clockers, 'Mo Better Blues or She's Gotta Have It Yet. I started to watch Crooklyn, but wasn't able to finish watching it. [Long story]
Caliking
11-10-03, 01:21 AM
my favorites are : 25th hour, He got game, and one of my all time favorites...DO THE RIGHT THING
my least favorites: Clockers, Mo' Better Blues
...i have not seen all of them though.
Josh-da-man
11-10-03, 10:27 AM
Good to see I'm not the only one who disliked Clockers. Feh. Dull, plodding, boring.
Ginwen
11-10-03, 01:59 PM
Favorite, like many others, is Do the Right Thing
Least favorite is School Daze
Malcolm X I was disappointed with--even though it was reasonably true to a great book, I thought it dragged.
Spooky
11-10-03, 02:34 PM
Best: Malcolm X
Worst: Summer of Sam
Jaymole
11-10-03, 02:57 PM
Best: Do the Right Thing
Worst: Bamboozled
PalmerJoss
11-10-03, 04:51 PM
Originally posted by Mowork
Faves:
1. Do the Right thing
2. 4 Little Girls
3. 25th Hour
I definitely agree with your top 2. I'm surprised 4 Little Girls isn't on more people's lists. I think Spike Lee is extremely overrated as a director, but I can't ignore the brilliance that is Do The Right Thing.
Pants
11-10-03, 08:34 PM
Do the Right Thing was brilliant
Clockers was excellent but only because of the great Richard Price book and script which was botched at the end with a hurried conclusion and lame final 10 minutes.
The half dozen other films of his I've seen (X, He Got Game, Girl 6, Get on the Bus, Summer of Sam, 25th Hour) are unequivical crap...
...leaving me to believe that Do the Right Thing was a fluke and the guy's got no tallent.
Buy: