Comments on: Spike Lee Won’t See ‘Django Unchained,’ Says “American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western”

By: Sean

Sean — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

Dear Spike Lee, Your a great filmmaker, GREAT. QT is a great filmmaker, GREAT. I feel like you both will certainly go down (for both your filmography's) included in some of the best filmmakers to come around. But Spike you should see the film 1st before saying anything AT ALL. Come on now you know that's not right. Your talking from ignorance man, thats not kool. See the film then comment as much as you like esp from QT, who's a prominent name in the business (not some newbie wannabe hack) The END… P.S…. Spike stop whining so much, esp regarding QT (with all due respect). Don't you think the African American actors would boycott the film if it was all that bad?!? Make some good films Spike plz, I for one, miss your movies!

By: Korie

Korie — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

I'm an African American and I can plainly state that Lee is completely full of hubris and bullshit! He is quite definitely the living embodiment of a hater. It would be a completely different affair if Sam Jackson who is also Django(as well as an outspoken advocate for African American affairs) came out and said that he couldn't be a part of this film BC it trivialized American slavery..then I'm sure the collective eyebrows would raise but no one can take a blowhard like Lee seriously. Also, I don't believe anyone especially Jews got upset when QT made Inglorious Bastards?? Lee needs to just stick to his post court side at Knicks games and keep his mouth shut

By: America

America — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

It's just a movie. Some people have good imaginations. Spike has never envisioned an interesting world. Quentin has envisioned many.

By: Asia

Asia — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

I am not that much of a Spike Lee fan. I respect him as an artist and his contribution. However I am not going to see this film . I find no interest in any film dealing with slavery. It is not entertainment. It does not educate because people do not listen or seem to comprehend how offensive these films are. It immortalize a time that other people owned and treated others harshly. I understand Spike Lee's perspective but its not mine. I choose not to sit through 2 hours of a movie, feeling appalled at its events and trying to figure why in the world people find this entertaining. Do they not realize that to others this was a reality that was condoned and excused by the government And society. Real people and their families had to live through this. People whose relative live today. How is watching a movie going to create anything, but anger and resentment, fueling what is happening today.

By: fry

fry — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

I liked what Jonathan Rosenbaum said about the film, a remark he posted inside his review of 'Mandingo' while mentioning some relevant slavery films: "Quentin Tarantinoâs thigh-slapping Django Unchained â a film so historically whimsical that it can show us a slave whoâs an expert marksman, can read, and even puts on sunglasses after he becomes a free man â clearly isnât one of them; at best itâs another Tarantino True Life Adventure for ten-year-old boys â ten-year-old girls need not apply."

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

Spike you don't want o disrespect your ancestors…. You want to talk about Slavery .. You have no problem with hold slavery hence why you support a company like Nike ….

I guess bling and blood diamonds are okay too…

Spike hates to see success for other artists , that is the real issue here….

By: No

No — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

Has anyone seen Lee's masterpiece, Red Hook Summer? Lee could have made a film about slavery, but has chosen not to. Instead, he seems to want to block others (especially whites) from doing so. So, what if it's done as a Spaghetti Western? The only decent thing he's done in the 5 years was Inside Man. Miracle at St. Anna was one one of the worst war movies I've even seen. Lee certainly has the skills to be a great director, but he let's his hubris get in the way. "Oh, I'm not going to see this film" and this use his "ancestors" as a pre-text to hide his enviousness and pettiness. As Isabelle Sanford once said on The Jeffersons, "Nigger, please…"

By: Bob Roberts

Bob Roberts — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

What are you guys talking about "Zero Dark Thrirty" -endorses torture """"spin"""". What spin?????? It does. No matter how brutal torture is depicted it ultimately justifies it though an "end justifies the means" argument. Stop being complete film heads and not see how important apologizing for torture is. You can criticize a narrative movie (esp. one in which the directors claim to have a journalistic approach to it) based on real world facts. It's OK….

Please actually read up on the subject before dubbing it "spin".
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/12/torture-in-kathryn-bigelows-zero-dark-thirty.html

"For that reason, to depict X as valuable in enabling the killing of bin Laden is – by definition – to glorify X. That formula will lead huge numbers of American viewers to regard X as justified and important. In this film: X = torture. That's why it glorifies torture: because it powerfully depicts it as a vital step – the first, indispensable step – in what enabled the US to hunt down and pump bullets into America's most hated public enemy." – G. Greenwald

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/14/zero-dark-thirty-cia-propaganda

By: Movie Watcher

Movie Watcher — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

Spike Lee disrespected not only his ancestors but himself when he made Miracle at St. Anna.

By: Franco Unamerican

Franco Unamerican — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

Doesn't Spike Lee Know You're Not Supposed To Type Like This? It Makes You Look Like A Freaking Idiot.

By: wtf

wtf — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

This is the same guy who won multiple best writing/screenplay awards (including an Oscar) for Pulp Fiction. In it, he himself, used the word "Nigger" several times in front of a bad ass "Nigga" â Juelz â and whose character was married to a "Nigger" â Bonnie.

In this same film he Directed other actors (at least two) to use the word "Nigger" to describe Black men, either in their company, or as a means of describing some arbitrary gun toting, drug selling Black man. To top it off, he used a hillbilly to sodomize and torture the most menacing "Nigger" in the film.

Letâs let the truth be told. Quentin Tarantino likes using the word Nigger. He doesnât mind emasculating Black men one bit and he certainly will use them to sell his movies.

By: cineman

cineman — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

Lee's bitterness and envy towards Tarantino knows no bounds. He would love DJANGO to be a flop because he didn't make it, and desperately wants to dissuade any African-Americans from a trip to the flicks. Hopefully he'll be ignored.

By: KeepItReal

KeepItReal — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

If he chooses to honor his ancestors that suffered through slavery by not watching the movie, that is his choice and I respect that choice. I intend to see the movie Tuesday. My hope is that QT depicted the horror, inhumane treatment, and downright brutal ugliness of the American slave with as much realism as he could muster. American growth and prosperity was built on the backs of millions of Africans taken against their will from their homes and they were never compensated for their contribution. I hope the African Americans who are a part of this film have/will be compensated handsomely.

By: wtf

wtf — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

This is the same guy who won multiple best writing/screenplay awards (including an Oscar) for Pulp Fiction. In it, he himself, used the word âNiggerâ several times in front of a bad ass âNiggaâ â Juelz â and whose character was married to a âNiggerâ â Bonnie.

In this same film he Directed other actors (at least two) to use the word âNiggerâ to describe âBlack men,â either in their company, or as a means of describing some arbitrary gun toting, drug selling Black man. To top it off, he used a hillbilly to sodomize and torture the most menacing Nigger in the film.

Letâs let the truth be told. Quentin Tarantino likes using the word Nigger. He doesnât mind emasculating Black men one bit and he certainly will use them to sell his movies.

By: Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

By: AS

AS — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

"My Ancestors Are Slaves. Stolen From Africa. I Will Honor Them." – By donning the materialistic bullshit hats, sports-jersey's and Nike shoes made in sweatshops in third world countries? Hmm, I guess his sympathies begin and end with black people. Also, doesn't he wear "bling?" Ya know, which consists of blood diamonds found in Africa?

By: Scott

Scott — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

I think it's kind of petty to trash a movie before you see it or refuse to see it because you might not enjoy it, but with a racially charged movie like this I guess it's inevitable that Spike would say something. However, it seems as though Spike isn't straight out bashing Django, and to be fair he posted this to his twitter for his followers and QT fans shouldn't really give a shit

By: H Smith

H Smith — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

With all do respect Spike… Your showing your true colors here… Why be envious ???? Why don't you go talk to Jamie Foxx or Kerry Washington…. This movie does not disrespect it. Don't tell us you won't see it , that's a total lie….

This year two of greatest films – django and Beasts of the southern wild were written by white writers ….. Sorry but does that mean we should not watch them.. The very idea that a person of another color can't show empathy and compassion about another race is just wrong.

By: Yod

Yod — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

Spike Lee won't be watching a movie? I'm devastated. I'm not sure I can continue living.

By: Maria

Maria — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

It's hilarious to hear Lee express mock outrage at this film when far more talented African American like Foxx and Jackson seem to have no problem with it. In addition to many of his overrated films (Malcolm X being the notable exception – masterpiece) being mysogynistic and stereotyping other minorities (DTWT is offensive to Italian Americans on numerous levels), this is the same man who has shilled for Nike most of his adult life while they exploited child laborwhere kids live ( in some cases) in conditions worse than American slaves….

By: felicia

felicia — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

I will not support this movie the alantic slave trade was not some type of warrior event. It was horrible , disgusting time for my ancestors. 40 million black people died. It was worser than the holocaust. Dgango is a fiction character in a movie that is based of a real event. He was faught for his freedom, then went to rescue his wife. I seen clips im a trailer of dgango laughing. Slaves were laughing, there nothing fun about slavery, . This movie makes it seem like slavery wasn't that bad . Black slaves started to fight to be freed close to the end of slavery not the beginning. If they were going to make a warrior movie .based of slavery. Why couldn't they make a movie about frederick Douglas .

By: Q

Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

The difference between IB and Django is of particular relevance to America. Django deals with slavery, the implications of which still haunt and influence this country in less obvious and more institutionalized ways than Hitler and the Holocaust.

I respect Spike's take on this, he is representing a more profound aspect of the argument- the chain remains.

By: matt d

matt d — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

would somebody give that man a lollipop! I liked Red Hook Summer…

By: PBYRD

PBYRD — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

That being said, he's probably already seen it and just wants to make a scene. That's just his personality.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Sun, 22 May 2016 03:28:52 +0000

It's too bad our most prominent African-American director is also the director (of any race) most publicly bitchy and resentful about every other director. What a jerk. There were a few years when his jerkdom could be overlooked because his talent seemed larger than his petty behavior, but the ratio between them has long since reversed.