Spike Lee: Do the Right Thing - Hardcover

Lee, Spike; Matloff, Jason

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1934429511 ISBN 13: 9781934429518

Publisher: Ammo Books, 2010

Synopsis

Celebrating just more than 20 years since its seminal debut, Do The Right Thing remains one of the most important and controversial films of its era. Employing director Spike Lee's hometown of Brooklyn as the essential setting, this explosive film masterfully explores race and class relationships. Both a critical and popular success, Do The Right Thing became a landmark film that brought serious issues in the African American community to light and established Lee as a major director in American cinema. Lee also wrote the screenplay, produced, and even starred in this deeply personal film, which was applauded for its commanding visuals provided by Danny Aiello  and John Turturro, and an assertive soundtrack featuring Public Enemy's "Fight the Power."

Including an unprecedented insider's look at the film, with behind-the-scenes visuals and interviews, this impressive book celebrates the impact of Do The Right Thing on our culture throughout the years. The film is even credited with bringing President Barack Obama and the First Lady together on their first date!

About this title

About the Author

SPIKE LEE is a writer, director, actor, producer and author who revolutionized the role of black talent in cinema. Widely regarded as a premiere African-American filmmaker, Lee is a forerunner in the ‘do it yourself’ school of independent film.

Lee's most recent theatrical release is “Miracle at St Anna," and other critical and box office successes have included “Inside Man,” “25th Hour,” and “Summer of Sam.” Many of Lee's films have earned various awards and nominations, including his 1989 film, “Do the Right Thing,” which garnered an Academy Award® nomination for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film and Director awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Brooklyn, Lee returned to the south to attend Morehouse College. After graduation, Lee continued his education at New York University where he received his Master of Fine Arts Degree in film production. Lee then founded 40 Acres and Mule Filmworks based in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn. Since 2002, Lee has been Artistic Director of the Graduate Film Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

JASON MATLOFF is a film journalist who has been writing about movies for more than a decade. He was on staff at Premiere Magazine for several years, where he put together oral histories on the "Indiana Jones" trilogy, "Ghostbusters," and "Platoon." His articles and interviews have appeared in Premiere, Spin, Empire, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and The Hollywood Reporter. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.

Review

 "It has been more than two decades since the groundbreaking film premiered, and this commemorative volume includes behind-the-scenes visuals and interviews." —Los Angeles Magazine

"The new coffee table book, 'Spike Lee: Do the Right Thing,' is a wonderful companion to Lee's cinematic masterpiece. Co-written by Lee and journalist Jason Matloff, and clocking in at 368 pages, the tome is a must-have for fans not only of Lee's pivotal film but of independent moviemaking in general." —MovieMaker Magazine

"Spike Lee's handsome new book about his iconic joint, 'Do The Right Thing,' combines interviews, movie stills, behind-the-scenes pictures, and the photocopied first draft of the screenplay, handwritten by the director himself in the late '80s." —TimeOut New York

"Now a new coffee-table book takes readers back to those Brooklyn streets. 'Spike Lee: Do the Right Thing,' by Lee and Jason Matloff, showcases gorgeous behind-the-scenes photos by David Lee (the filmmaker's brother), along with a reproduction of Lee's handwritten script, lively interviews with cast and crew—including the film's great cinematographer, Ernest Dickerson, who crafted its memorable look—and stills from the movie, which was nominated for two Academy Awards." —New York Daily News

Edition details

• Publisher: Ammo Books
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1934429511
• ISBN 13: 9781934429518
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 360
• Editor: Crist Steve