Spike Lee

Spike Lee

Born: March 20, 1957
in Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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.

Movies for Spike Lee...

Denzel Washington - Un modèle américain
Title: Denzel Washington - Un modèle américain
Character: Self
Released: October 15, 2022
Type: Movie
In 30 years of a deeply committed career and 50 roles, Denzel Washington, double-Oscar winner, placed the figure of the Black man in all its complexity at the heart of the American paradoxes: from Black activist, rebel soldier to gangster torn between violence and charity. Voted best actor of the 21st century by the New York Times a few months ago, Denzel Washington, 65, has risen to the top of American cinema. As an Actor, director and producer, he has shaken up a "color line" as immutable as it is subtle. Often identified with his characters, he reveals himself to be disconcerting and paradoxical. As if he were holding up a mirror to America in which all of its contradictions and failings were reflected. A documentary that chronicles the extraordinary career of the world-renowned African-American actor.
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Sidney
Title: Sidney
Character: Self
Released: September 10, 2022
Type: Movie
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
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A Daughter's Tribute to Her Father: Souleymane Cissé
Title: A Daughter's Tribute to Her Father: Souleymane Cissé
Character: Self
Released: May 17, 2022
Type: Movie
Fatou Cissé accompanies her father, malien director Souleymane Cissé, through a trip down his film career, painting an intimate and poetic picture of one of Africa’s most celebrated actors.
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Seen It All
Title: Seen It All
Character: Mars Blackmon
Released: May 16, 2022
Type: Movie
A celebration of the 50th anniversary of Nike.
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Title: They Call Me Magic
Character: Self
Released: April 22, 2022
Type: TV
Earvin “Magic” Johnson is an icon for the ages—from humble beginnings to the Dream Team to business titan. Featuring candid interviews with teammates, rivals, family, friends, and more, this docuseries charts the life and career of a legend.
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The NBA Finals: Game 1
Title: The NBA Finals: Game 1
Character: Spike Lee
Released: July 6, 2021
Type: Movie
Spike Lee directed intro for game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals
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A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
Title: A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
Character: Self
Released: June 18, 2021
Type: Movie
This documentary chronicles renaissance man Gordon Parks’ stellar career from staff photographer for LIFE magazine, through his artistic development photographing everyday Americans, through his evolution as a novelist and groundbreaking filmmaker.
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Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist
Title: Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist
Character: Self
Released: April 17, 2021
Type: Movie
An intimate look at the Oscar-nominated actor’s incomparable artistry, and the acting process which informed his transformative performances. Viola Davis, Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, George C. Wolfe, Branford Marsalis, Phylicia Rashad and more take us behind the scenes to explore Boseman's extraordinary commitment to his craft.
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Title: This Is Pop
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: March 6, 2021
Type: TV
Unknown histories take center stage as the hitmakers themselves - from ABBA to T-Pain - explore dimensions of pop music you never knew existed.
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Title: Pretend It's a City
Character: Self
Released: January 8, 2021
Type: TV
Wander the New York City streets and fascinating mind of wry writer, humorist and raconteur Fran Lebowitz as she sits down with Martin Scorsese.
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Title: Dear...
Character: Self
Released: June 5, 2020
Type: TV
An inventive and cinematic approach to biographies of the most iconic figures in society today by using letters written by those whose lives have been changed through their work.
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Title: Tamron Hall
Character: Self - Guest
Released: September 9, 2019
Type: TV
Former news host and journalist Tamron Hall discusses all things topical and engages those she interviews in thorough meaningful and entertaining conversations.
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Title: Desus & Mero
Character: Self - Illustrious Guest
Released: February 21, 2019
Type: TV
The first ever weekly late-night talk show on Showtime features popular TV and podcast personalities Desus and Mero speaking off the cuff and chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics and more.
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Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists
Title: Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists
Character: Self
Released: November 15, 2018
Type: Movie
Directors Jonathan Alter, John Block and Steve McCarthy bring New York columnists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill’s courageous writing to life, celebrating the acclaimed journalists and the city they loved.
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Title: Basketball: A Love Story
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: September 18, 2018
Type: TV
'Basketball: A Love Story' is a series of 62 interconnected short stories that creates a vibrant mosaic of the game, featuring 165 exclusive interviews. The cast encompasses basketball's most prominent figures and explores the complex nature of love as it relates to the game.
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Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1
Title: Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1
Character: Himself
Released: April 22, 2018
Type: Movie
Unbanned explores the dynamic life of AJ1 from its unlikely origins to its role in disrupting NBA rules, birthing sneaker culture, and influencing a social and cultural revolution. This is the story of a shoe that changed the world.
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Title: She's Gotta Have It
Character: Drum Major
Released: November 23, 2017
Type: TV
Nola Darling struggles to define herself and divide her time among her friends, job and three lovers. A new take on Spike Lee's film, in 10 episodes.
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Plankton Salesmen
Title: Plankton Salesmen
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 29, 2017
Type: Movie
A nostalgic look at the birth and death of arthouse film distribution in the early 2000s in Russia. The story of the Cinema Without Borders company and its two founders, Sam Klebanov and Anton Mazurov.
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Be Truly Free
Title: Be Truly Free
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: March 1, 2017
Type: Movie
Spike Lee explains the dream.
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Birth of a Movement
Title: Birth of a Movement
Character: Self
Released: February 6, 2017
Type: Movie
In 1915, Boston-based African American newspaper editor and activist William M. Trotter waged a battle against D.W. Griffith’s technically groundbreaking but notoriously Ku Klux Klan-friendly The Birth of a Nation, unleashing a fight that still rages today about race relations, media representation, and the power and influence of Hollywood. Birth of a Movement, based on Dick Lehr's book The Birth of a Movement: How Birth of a Nation Ignited the Battle for Civil Rights, captures the backdrop to this prescient clash between human rights, freedom of speech, and a changing media landscape.
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Axé: Music of a People
Title: Axé: Music of a People
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: January 19, 2017
Type: Movie
Originally from Bahia and considered today one of the most globalised musical movements in the world, Axé is a musical rhythm that carries in its essence a good part of all the musical and cultural syncretism of Bahia. The documentary brings together interviews and archive images outlining the birth of Axé.
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Title: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Character: Self
Released: September 8, 2015
Type: TV
Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater. Stephen Colbert, Chris Licht, Tom Purcell, and Jon Stewart are executive producers. Barry Julien and Denise Rehrig serve as co-executive producers.must watch
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Title: Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Character: Self
Released: August 2, 2015
Type: TV
Some of this year's most talked about talent open up about the challenges and triumphs of creating critically acclaimed series and performances.
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French Cinema Mon Amour
Title: French Cinema Mon Amour
Character: Self
Released: July 6, 2015
Type: Movie
French Cinema Mon Amour is an ensemble film in which each contributor brings their own voice, their own particular approach, their culture, and their language to produce a portrait of French cinema.
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Director Spike Lee's New York City
Title: Director Spike Lee's New York City
Character: Himself
Released: April 10, 2015
Type: Movie
Director Spike Lee (Malcolm X) has lived and worked in New York City for his entire career. He loves New York City and talks about the movies he has shot in Brooklyn: “I grew up here, it’s my home. It developed who I am and what I’ve become, so it’s been the subject or location of a lot of my films - She’s Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, Crooklyn, and Clockers are stories that take place here, about the people in Brooklyn, New York.” A brief travel documentary for VisitTheUSA.com
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Champs
Title: Champs
Character: Self
Released: March 13, 2015
Type: Movie
A documentary about the sport of boxing, as seen through the eyes of champions Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins.
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Ray Allen/AKA- Jesus Shuttlesworth
Title: Ray Allen/AKA- Jesus Shuttlesworth
Released: February 6, 2015
Type: Movie
Spike Lee takes us into the world of NBA nicknames, focusing on how Ray Allen's starring role in Lee's HE GOT GAME, forever associated him with his character, Jesus Shuttlesworth.
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Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
Title: Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
Character: Self
Released: June 22, 2014
Type: Movie
In this open-letter style documentary, Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis' rich lives guide their grandson on his personal quest to master lasting love, conscious art, and undying activism.
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Title: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Character: Self
Released: February 17, 2014
Type: TV
After Jay Leno's second retirement from the program, Jimmy Fallon stepped in as his permanent replacement. After 42 years in Los Angeles the program was brought back to New York.
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Title: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Character: Himself
Released: February 17, 2014
Type: TV
After Jay Leno's second retirement from the program, Jimmy Fallon stepped in as his permanent replacement. After 42 years in Los Angeles the program was brought back to New York.
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We the People: From Crispus Attucks to President Barack Obama
Title: We the People: From Crispus Attucks to President Barack Obama
Released: February 11, 2014
Type: Movie
The Election of President Barack Obama began on March 5, 1770 at the Boston Massacre with the death of Crispus Attucks.
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Bad 25
Title: Bad 25
Character: Self
Released: November 22, 2012
Type: Movie
Spike Lee pays tribute to Michael Jackson's Bad on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the epochal album, offering behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson recording the album and interviews with confidants, musicians, choreographers, and such music-world superstars as Kanye West, Sheryl Crow, Cee Lo Green and Mariah Carey.
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Red Hook Summer
Title: Red Hook Summer
Character: Mr. Mookie
Released: August 10, 2012
Type: Movie
When his mom deposits him at the Red Hook housing project in Brooklyn to spend the summer with the grandfather he’s never met, young Flik may as well have landed on Mars. Fresh from his cushy life in Atlanta, he’s bored and friendless, and his strict grandfather, Enoch, a firebrand preacher, is bent on getting him to accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior. Only Chazz, the feisty girl from church, provides a diversion from the drudgery. As hot summer simmers and Sunday mornings brim with Enoch’s operatic sermons, things turn anything but dull as people’s conflicting agendas collide.
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Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
Title: Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
Character: Self
Released: June 7, 2012
Type: Movie
A provocative look into the seven-year history of the series that gave hip hop a voice and broke color barriers, integrating MTV with rap. "Yo! MTV Raps" premiered on August 6, 1988 with hosts Fab 5 Freddy, Ed Lover and Doctor Dré, and shaped the careers of many of today’s hip hop superstars, while simultaneously making groundbreaking strides in introducing hip hop to the mainstream.
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Brooklyn Boheme
Title: Brooklyn Boheme
Character: Himself
Released: February 27, 2012
Type: Movie
Brooklyn Boheme is a love letter to a vibrant African American artistic community who resided in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill Brooklyn during the 80's and 90's that included the great Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Branford Marsalis, Rosie Perez, Saul Williams, Lorna Simpson, Talib Kweli just to name a few. Narrated and written by Fort Greene resident Nelson George, this feature length documentary celebrates "Brooklyn's equivalent of the Harlem Renaissance" and follows the rise of a new kind of African American artist, the Brooklyn Boheme.
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A Man's Story
Title: A Man's Story
Character: Self
Released: October 8, 2011
Type: Movie
Documentary about British fashion designer Ozwald Boateng.
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Guest
Title: Guest
Character: Self
Released: March 25, 2011
Type: Movie
Filmmaker José Luis Guerin documents his experience during a year of traveling as a guest of film festivals to present his previous film. What emerges is a wonderfully humane and sincere portrayal of the people that he meets when he goes off the beaten track in some of the world's major cities.
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On the Shoulders of Giants
Title: On the Shoulders of Giants
Released: February 11, 2011
Type: Movie
The story of the Harlem Rens: the greatest basketball team you never heard of.
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Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks
Title: Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks
Character: Himself
Released: March 14, 2010
Type: Movie
Reggie Miller single-handedly crushed the hearts of Knick fans multiple times. But it was the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals that solidified Miller as Public Enemy #1 in New York City. With moments to go in Game 1, and facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit of 105-99, Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds to give his Indiana Pacers an astonishing victory. This career-defining performance, combined with his give-and-take with Knicks fan Spike Lee, made Miller and the Knicks a highlight of the 1995 NBA playoffs. Peabody Award-winning director Dan Klores will explore how Miller proudly built his legend as "The Garden's Greatest Villain".
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Title: Who Do You Think You Are?
Character: Self
Released: March 5, 2010
Type: TV
From roots in the Deep South to the slums of New Jersey, "Who Do You Think You Are?" follows the journeys of some of the most well-known names in American popular culture. Watch as celebrities discover unknown details about themselves and their families while researching their ancestry with the help of historians and genealogical experts.
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PoliWood
Title: PoliWood
Character: Self
Released: July 3, 2009
Type: Movie
An in-depth look at the Democratic and Republican national conventions held during the 2008 U.S. Presidential election year.
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Do the Right Thing: 20 Years Later
Title: Do the Right Thing: 20 Years Later
Character: Self
Released: June 30, 2009
Type: Movie
In this documentary directed by Spike Lee, he interviews the cast and crew of his 1989 film DO THE RIGHT THING. It also includes footage from a twentieth-anniversary screening of the film.
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Kobe Doin' Work
Title: Kobe Doin' Work
Character: Self
Released: May 16, 2009
Type: Movie
A documentary following Kobe Bryant during one day of the 2008 NBA playoffs.
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40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight
Title: 40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight
Character: Self
Released: May 18, 2008
Type: Movie
A hstory of the Cannes Film Festival's Director's Fortnight selection.
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Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans & the Movies
Title: Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans & the Movies
Released: January 20, 2008
Type: Movie
Documentary portrays the saga of how Italian Americans went from being outsiders who were stereotyped as gangsters in American movies to insiders in Hollywood who took control of their own stories. Interviews, film clips and home movies from Italian American filmmakers highlight personal experiences and comment on Hollywood's politics and cultural impact.
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Pixote In Memoriam
Title: Pixote In Memoriam
Character: Self
Released: October 30, 2007
Type: Movie
A tribute documentary on Fernando Ramos da Silva, the famous child star of the acclaimed film by Hector Babenco, "Pixote, a Lei do Mais Fraco" (1981). 20 years after his assassination by the police, his co-stars and Babenco talk about Fernando's contributions to the film, his troubled life when his acting works didn't took off as expected (since he was typecast) and which made him turn back to his past life of poverty and crimes. The project also presents that film's influence to many directors and artists around the world.
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Lights, Action, Music
Title: Lights, Action, Music
Character: Self
Released: August 6, 2007
Type: Movie
A wonderful journey through the meaning and relevance of film music composition. Featuring great, albeit brief, insights from some of the modern greats.
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Title: It's the Shoes
Character: Self
Released: June 21, 2005
Type: TV
Bibbito Garcia takes you across the country to check out some of the rarest and most unusual sneaker collections owned by celebs.
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Life O' The Party: On the Road with Prince and the New Power Generation
Title: Life O' The Party: On the Road with Prince and the New Power Generation
Character: Self
Released: June 7, 2005
Type: Movie
On the road documentary with Prince and the New Power Generation during their 2004 Musicology tour from the west coast Los Angeles' House of Blues to the east coast's Madison Square Garden in New York City with press stops along the way and behind the scenes concert footage.
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Street Fight
Title: Street Fight
Character: Self
Released: April 23, 2005
Type: Movie
This documentary follows the 2002 mayoral campaign in Newark, New Jersey, in which a City Councilman, Cory Booker, attempted to unseat longtime mayor Sharpe James.
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How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
Title: How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
Released: April 7, 2005
Type: Movie
Melvin Van Peebles was one of the first black directors to challenge the white establishment in his films, which include "Watermelon Man" and "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." In this documentary, the life of Van Peebles is discussed, including his work not only in film, but also as a novelist, actor, musician, stock trader and even Air Force pilot. Interview subjects include Gil Scott-Heron, Spike lee and Melvin's son and fellow filmmaker, Mario Van Peebles.
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By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
Title: By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
Character: Self
Released: February 8, 2005
Type: Movie
A short documentary about the making of Spike Lee's biopic, "Malcolm X."
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Through the Fire
Title: Through the Fire
Released: January 1, 2005
Type: Movie
"Through the Fire" chronicles the journey of Coney Island basketball star, Sebastian Telfair, from famed Lincoln High School straight to the NBA.
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Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
Title: Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
Character: Self
Released: October 28, 2004
Type: Movie
Documentary about actor Peter Sellers and one of his most memorable film roles.
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No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat
Title: No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat
Character: Self
Released: October 28, 2004
Type: Movie
A documentary exploring the historical concept of the narrative of Stanley Kubrick's 1964 film "Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb." This short documentary compares the film with the actual events concerning the Cold War and the Cuban Missle Crisis.
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Five Directors On The Battle of Algiers
Title: Five Directors On The Battle of Algiers
Character: Self
Released: August 1, 2004
Type: Movie
This 17-minute documentary is featured on the 3-Disc Criterion Collection DVD of The Battle of Algiers (1966), released in 2004. An in-depth look at the Battle of Algiers through the eyes of five established and accomplished filmmakers; Spike Lee, Steven Soderbergh, Oliver Stone, Julian Schnabel and Mira Nair. They discuss how the shots, cinematography, set design, sound and editing directly influenced their own work and how the film's sequences look incredibly realistic, despite the claim that everything in the film was staged .
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The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
Title: The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
Character: Self
Released: May 20, 2003
Type: Movie
Spike Lee's filmmaking career is examined in this partial making-of for the film 25th Hour (2002). Interviews with cast members from this film and his past successes give us an idea what kind of dedicated person he truly is.
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Title: Real Time with Bill Maher
Character: Self
Released: February 21, 2003
Type: TV
Each week Bill Maher surrounds himself with a panel of guests which include politicians, actors, comedians, musicians and the like to discuss what's going on in the world.
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New York at the Movies
Title: New York at the Movies
Character: Self
Released: July 7, 2002
Type: Movie
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It's Black Entertainment
Title: It's Black Entertainment
Character: Self
Released: February 8, 2002
Type: Movie
A star-studded tribute (from the creators of That's Entertainment) to the contributions of Afro-Americans in film over the last century. Vanessa Williams traces the struggles and triumphs of the superstars of music and film. Among the many artists featured are: Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Cab Calloway, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Little Richard, Also included are today's contemporary superstars: Snoop Dogg, Ice T, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, Russell Simmons, and many, more! 80 minutes plus DVD bonus features.
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The Making and Meaning of 'We Are Family'
Title: The Making and Meaning of 'We Are Family'
Character: Self
Released: January 9, 2002
Type: Movie
Featuring inverviews from: Afrika Bambaataa, Ashford & Simpson, Jackson Browne, Kim Burell, Taylor Dayne, Carmen Electra, Faith Evans, Roberta Flack, Joel Gray, Kc & the Sunshine Band, Eartha Kitt, Patti Labelle, Queen Latifah and more?
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Title: Johnny Vaughan Tonight
Character: Self
Released: January 7, 2002
Type: TV
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3 A.M.
Title: 3 A.M.
Character: Filmmaker
Released: July 1, 2001
Type: Movie
The feature film directing debut of Spike Lee protege Lee Davis takes the viewer into the world of taxi drivers. Developed in the Sundance Laboratory, this film offers dove-tailing stories centering on the lives of individual taxi drivers as they reflect on and experience romance, politics, sociology, and spirituality.
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The Making of 'Bamboozled'
Title: The Making of 'Bamboozled'
Character: Self
Released: April 17, 2001
Type: Movie
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Spike Lee's satirical take on the American entertainment industry.
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Lisa Picard Is Famous
Title: Lisa Picard Is Famous
Character: Spike Lee
Released: May 14, 2000
Type: Movie
A documentarian decides to follow the career of New York actress Lisa Picard, believing she is on the brink of fame. Instead, he bears witness to Lisa's continued, humorous, struggles as an actress, as well as the conflict that arises when Lisa's best friend Tate hits it big with an off-Broadway one-man show.
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Michael Jordan to the Max
Title: Michael Jordan to the Max
Character: Self
Released: May 5, 2000
Type: Movie
This documentary showcases basketball player Michael Jordan's awe-inspiring moves, providing behind-the-scenes and on-the-court action, including footage of Jordan and the Chicago Bulls going head-to-head against the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. Phil Jackson and Bob Costas are interviewed (among others), and the awesome soundtrack includes songs by Earth, Wind and Fire, Fatboy Slim and Freddie King.
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Title: The Early Show
Character: Self
Released: November 1, 1999
Type: TV
The Early Show is an American morning television show which was broadcast by CBS from New York City from 1999 to 2012. The program aired live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday in the Eastern time zone; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones aired the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. The Saturday edition aired live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time as well, but a number of affiliates did not carry it or aired it later on tape-delay. It premiered on November 1, 1999, and was the newest of the major networks' morning shows, although CBS has made several attempts to program in the morning slot since 1954. The show aired as a division of CBS News. The Early Show, like many of its predecessors, traditionally ran last in the ratings to its rivals, NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America. Much like NBC's The Today Show and The Tonight Show, the title The Early Show was analogous to that of CBS's late-night talk show, The Late Show. On November 15, 2011, CBS announced that a new morning show would replace The Early Show on January 9, 2012. CBS News chairman Jeff Fager and CBS News president David Rhodes stated that the new show would "redefine the morning television landscape." On December 1, it was announced that the new show would be titled CBS This Morning. The Early Show ended its twelve-year run on January 6, 2012, to make way for the program. Charlie Rose, Gayle King, and Erica Hill were named anchors of the new program.
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Summer of Sam
Title: Summer of Sam
Character: John Jeffries
Released: July 2, 1999
Type: Movie
During the summer of 1977, a killer known as the Son of Sam keeps all of New York City on edge with a series of brutal murders.
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Title: The View
Character: Self
Released: August 11, 1997
Type: TV
ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Meghan McCain, and Abby Huntsman, discussing the most exciting events of the day. Hot topics in the news, the best experts in their field, celebrity interviews and general entertainment are all part of The View.
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4 Little Girls
Title: 4 Little Girls
Character: Interviewer (voice) (uncredited)
Released: July 9, 1997
Type: Movie
On September 15, 1963, a bomb destroyed a black church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young girls who were there for Sunday school. It was a crime that shocked the nation--and a defining moment in the history of the civil-rights movement. Spike Lee re-examines the full story of the bombing, including a revealing interview with former Alabama Governor George Wallace.
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Title: The Chris Rock Show
Released: February 7, 1997
Type: TV
The Chris Rock Show is a late night comedy talk show featured on HBO. It was created by Chris Rock and featured various guests. The show won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program in 1999. It ran for five seasons from 1997 to 2000.
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The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
Title: The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
Character: Self
Released: November 17, 1996
Type: Movie
An examination of the evolution of commercials as an artistic medium, featuring interviews with media luminaries who relate how the in-your-face stylistic conventions of commercials have influenced feature films and the visual arts. A documentary film talking about art and advertising divided in three parts: 1. Crossing Over - from cinema to ads from ads to cinema 2. Humour - How humour affects us in advertising 3. Shock - The way shock is used to sell
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When We Were Kings
Title: When We Were Kings
Character: Self
Released: October 25, 1996
Type: Movie
It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.
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Title: The Daily Show
Character: Self
Released: July 22, 1996
Type: TV
The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.
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The Universal Story
Title: The Universal Story
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: April 21, 1996
Type: Movie
Richard Dreyfuss hosts a celebration of the 80 year history of Universal Studios. Founded as IMP by Carl Leammle to oppose Edison's Motion Picture Tust, it soon grew under the leadership of 21 year old production head Irving Thalberg with classic silents from artists like John Ford, Erich Von Stroheim, and Lon Chaney and prospered further in the Sound Era under the leadership of Carl Leammle Jr. with such classics as "All Quiet on The Western Front," "Showboat," and the studio's signature monster franchises, "Frankenstein" and "Dracula."
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Girl 6
Title: Girl 6
Character: Jimmy
Released: March 22, 1996
Type: Movie
A struggling actress in New York City takes a job as a phone sex operator.
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Clockers
Title: Clockers
Character: Chucky
Released: September 15, 1995
Type: Movie
Strike is a young city drug pusher under the tutelage of drug lord Rodney Little. When a night manager at a fast-food restaurant is found with four bullets in his body, Strike’s older brother turns himself in as the killer. Detective Rocco Klein doesn’t buy the story, however, setting out to find the truth, and it seems that all the fingers point toward Strike & Rodney.
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Below the Rim
Title: Below the Rim
Released: January 1, 1995
Type: Movie
Men among giants, the NBA's little big men are the unsung heroes of the court. Defying the odds, these players rise to levels above and beyond even their own expectations. Marvel at the men who beat the odds to make it in a big man's game: Mark Price's amazing long-range shooting, Spud Webb's incredible dunks, and Tim Hardaway's killer cross-over.
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Hoop Dreams
Title: Hoop Dreams
Character: Self
Released: September 12, 1994
Type: Movie
Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.
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Title: Inside the Actors Studio
Character: Self
Released: August 14, 1994
Type: TV
James Lipton sits down with some of the world's most accomplished actors and directors for penetrating, fascinating interviews.
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Crooklyn
Title: Crooklyn
Character: Snuffy
Released: May 13, 1994
Type: Movie
From Spike Lee comes this vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school-teacher, her stubborn jazz-musician husband and their five kids living in '70s Brooklyn.
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A Century of Cinema
Title: A Century of Cinema
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1994
Type: Movie
A look back at the first 100 years of the movies.
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Seven Songs for Malcolm X
Title: Seven Songs for Malcolm X
Released: October 1, 1993
Type: Movie
The Black Audio Film Collective’s seventh film envisioned the death and life of the African American revolutionary as a seven part study in iconography as narrated by novelist Toni Cade Bambara and actor Giancarlo Espesito. The stylized tableaux vivants that memorialise Malcolm’s life referenced the early 20th century funeral photography of James Van der Zee’s The Harlem Book of the Dead and the elemental static cinematography of Sergei Paradjanov’s The Colour of Pomegranates.
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Farewell, Babylon!
Title: Farewell, Babylon!
Character: Self
Released: August 28, 1993
Type: Movie
Arrabal's sixth film based on his novel from 1969 with the same name as the movie.
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The Last Party
Title: The Last Party
Character: Self
Released: August 27, 1993
Type: Movie
A youthful perspective on the 1992 presidential campaign with a witty, cautionary message to young Americans to start participating in democracy or get the kind of government they deserve.
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Malcolm X
Title: Malcolm X
Character: Shorty
Released: November 18, 1992
Type: Movie
A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.
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Title: Ghostwriter
Character: Special Agent Pete (archive footage)
Released: October 3, 1992
Type: TV
Ghostwriter is an American television program created by Liz Nealon and produced by the Children's Television Workshop and BBC One. It began airing on PBS on October 4, 1992, and the final episode aired on February 13, 1995. The series revolves around a close knit circle of friends from Brooklyn who solve neighborhood crimes and mysteries as a team of young detectives with the help of an invisible ghost named Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter can communicate with the kids only by manipulating whatever text and letters he can find and using them to form words and sentences. The series was filmed on location in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
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Title: Ghostwriter
Character: Special Agent Pete
Released: October 3, 1992
Type: TV
Ghostwriter is an American television program created by Liz Nealon and produced by the Children's Television Workshop and BBC One. It began airing on PBS on October 4, 1992, and the final episode aired on February 13, 1995. The series revolves around a close knit circle of friends from Brooklyn who solve neighborhood crimes and mysteries as a team of young detectives with the help of an invisible ghost named Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter can communicate with the kids only by manipulating whatever text and letters he can find and using them to form words and sentences. The series was filmed on location in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
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Our Hollywood Education
Title: Our Hollywood Education
Character: Self
Released: May 28, 1992
Type: Movie
In this documentary, a variety of directors and actors, many of them well known, give answers to questions the viewer never hears -- answers which, on the face of it, call into question the validity of the whole filmmaking enterprise and the culture which spawned it. The narration asserts that the theme is "art versus enterprise," but critics objected that the film is not sufficiently focused to back up that claim. It does, however, reveal a strong anti-Hollywood bias.
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Sous les marches du palais
Title: Sous les marches du palais
Character: Himself
Released: September 14, 1991
Type: Movie
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Jungle Fever
Title: Jungle Fever
Character: Cyrus
Released: June 7, 1991
Type: Movie
A successful and married black man contemplates having an affair with a white girl from work. He's quite rightly worried that the racial difference would make an already taboo relationship even worse.
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MTV's 10th Anniversary Special
Title: MTV's 10th Anniversary Special
Character: Self
Released: June 6, 1991
Type: Movie
A special commemorating the 10th anniversary of MTV. Included are performances created for this special by contemporary music artists who have been associated with MTV throughout the years as well as celebrity interviews, animation and a look at MTV around the world.
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Branford Marsalis: Steep
Title: Branford Marsalis: Steep
Released: January 4, 1991
Type: Movie
Recorded live on 13th November, 1987, at the Spirit Square Arts Centre, North Carolina, USA.
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Lonely in America
Title: Lonely in America
Character: Himself
Released: September 30, 1990
Type: Movie
An East Indian native immigrates to New York City and stumbles his way onto the corporate fast-track.
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Mo' Better Blues
Title: Mo' Better Blues
Character: Giant
Released: August 3, 1990
Type: Movie
Talented but self-centered trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed with his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend, Bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined.
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Title: In Living Color
Released: April 15, 1990
Type: TV
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990, to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television and was taped before a live studio audience at stage 7 at the Fox Television Center on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The title of the series was inspired by the NBC announcement of broadcasts being presented "in living color" during the 1950s and 1960s, prior to mainstream color television. It also refers to the fact that most of the show's cast were black, unlike other sketch comedy shows such as Saturday Night Live whose casts are usually mostly white. Other members of the Wayans family—Kim, Shawn and Marlon—had regular roles, while brother Dwayne frequently appeared as an extra. The show also starred the previously unknown actor/comedians Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, and David Alan Grier. Additionally, actress Rosie Perez, Dancing with the Stars judge and choreographer Carrie Ann Inaba and dancer Jennifer Lopez were members of the show's dance troupe The Fly Girls. The series won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series in 1990.
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Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella
Title: Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1990
Type: Movie
A 1990 PBS documentary around the topic of A cappella music. Artists that performed as part of the documentary include The Mint Juleps, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Rockapella and The Persuasions. It also stars Spike Lee, Debbie Allen and a cameo appearance by Samuel L. Jackson.
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Decade
Title: Decade
Character: Self
Released: December 9, 1989
Type: Movie
Interviews with personalities including John Mellencamp, Spike Lee, Lou Reed, Roseanne Barr, David Byrne, George Michael and more, as they reflect on the 1980s.
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Making 'Do the Right Thing'
Title: Making 'Do the Right Thing'
Character: Self
Released: November 3, 1989
Type: Movie
The Behind-the-Scenes documentary of the dramatic comedy Do the Right Thing.
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First Works
Title: First Works
Character: Self
Released: October 10, 1989
Type: Movie
It's a mixed bag in the age of illuminating DVD supplements, but First Works effectively demonstrates the early promise of 13 successful filmmakers. Culled from programs originally broadcast on Showtime in 1990, this crude compilation combines student films, early professional work, and interviews with now-famous directors at various stages of commercial and artistic achievement.
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Do the Right Thing
Title: Do the Right Thing
Character: Mookie
Released: June 14, 1989
Type: Movie
Salvatore "Sal" Fragione is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.
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Public Enemy: Fight the Power... Live!
Title: Public Enemy: Fight the Power... Live!
Released: January 1, 1989
Type: Movie
THE BLACK PANTHERS OF RAPP-CHUCK D, FLAVOR FLAY, TERMINATOR X, PROFESSOR GRIFF, AND THE S1W'S BRING THE NOISE HOME TO NASSAU COLISEUM, STRONG ISLAND NEW YORK. PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE CAPTURED AT RIKER'S ISLAND, IN PHILADELPHIA, AT THE "STOP THE VIOLENCE" DEMONSTRATION IN HARLEM. CHECK OUT RAP'S PROPHETS OF RAGE RAM-PAGING LIVE IN JAPAN, EUROPE, AND ACROSS AMERICA!
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Title: Yo! MTV Raps
Character: Self
Released: September 21, 1988
Type: TV
Popular rap music videos showcased along with live performances and interviews with notable rap artists.
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School Daze
Title: School Daze
Character: Darrell 'Half-Pint' Dunlap
Released: February 12, 1988
Type: Movie
Fraternity and sorority members clash with other students at a historically black college during homecoming weekend.
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She's Gotta Have It
Title: She's Gotta Have It
Character: Mars Blackmon
Released: August 8, 1986
Type: Movie
The story of Nola Darling's simultaneous sexual relationships with three different men is told by her and by her partners and other friends. All three men wanted her to commit solely to them; Nola resists being "owned" by a single partner.
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Title: Saturday Night Live
Character: Self (uncredited)
Released: October 11, 1975
Type: TV
A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, and features performances by a musical guest.
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Title: Saturday Night Live
Character: Mars Blackmon
Released: October 11, 1975
Type: TV
A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, and features performances by a musical guest.
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Title: Great Performances
Character: Self
Released: January 28, 1971
Type: TV
The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.
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Title: The Oscars
Character: Self
Released: March 19, 1953
Type: TV
An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, that is better known by its nickname Oscar.
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Do The Right Thing 25 Year Anniversary A Beats Music Experience
Title: Do The Right Thing 25 Year Anniversary A Beats Music Experience
Character: Spike Lee
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
Spike Lee and others reflect on this impactful film, more than two decades later.
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Be A Part of It
Title: Be A Part of It
Character: Himself
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
Spike Lee’s tribute to the Bronx in promotion of the Yankees’ 2024 season opener.