Richard interviewed legendary filmmaker Spike Lee in a no-holds-barred on stage interview at Canadian Music Week. They discussed everything from watching movies on the big screen–“It kills me today that young people see Malcolm X on this (holds up his Blackberry) for the first time. We worked too long. Look, I know Blackberry is a Canadian company. We couldn’t see the future. Now if you’re on a plane, alright, but to see Malcolm X, Do The Right Thing, and not just my films, to see Apocalypse Now the first time, the first time you see 2001 on this? As a filmmaker, I know I might sound like a dinosaur, but that pains me.”–to race in America–“This whole stuff is not new. This thing’s happened forever — back to lynchings. So please do not believe that this is a phenomenon that all of the sudden is sweeping America. Now it’s just being caught. Everybody now, with a camera, is a photojournalist. Here’s the thing though, even with the footage, those cops in New York City got off with the stranglehold of Eric Garner.”
Richard hosted a keynote interview with Spike Lee at Canadian Music Week. Lee was fascinating. They talked about creativity–“Creativity is one of the greatest gifts you can get.”–movies and he even created a new term for people who live in Toronto… Toroncanians. “As long as you’re living you have to work on your craft.” Amen.
On Saturday May 9, 2015 rom 2:10 pm – 2:55 pm at Osgoode Ballroom East at The Sheraton Centre Hotel Richard will host a keynote interview with legendary director Spike Lee.
On Saturday May 9, 2015, Canadian Music Week is proud to present a special Keynote Interview with Spike Lee, as part of the event’s conference programming. As one of America’s most vital, vibrant, and challenging filmmakers, over his four-decade long career he has made an indelible mark on the independent film scene with his provocative, experimental, and socially active films. Known as “Spike Lee Joints”, he has directed, produced, written, and acted in over 50 films, along with creating his own production company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks.
Expounding upon Spike Lee’s expansive and storied career, the Keynote Interview will give attendees a rare inside look into the filmmaker’s accomplishments, creative process, and more. The interview will take place from 2:10 pm – 2:55 pm at the Sheraton Centre Hotel.
In conjunction with Spike Lee’s participation in this year’s conference, a special engagement of his masterpiece Do The Right Thing will screen at The Royal Cinema, followed by a Q&A with Lee on Sunday May 10th.
Inside Man is director Spike Lee’s take on a heist film, and predictably he puts his own spin on an old genre and offers up something unpredictable. It’s like an episode of Law and Order minus the order.
Lee forgoes the usual set-up for movies like this and gets us directly into the action. Five minutes into the movie we are inside the bank and the bad guys—led by the charismatic Clive Owen—have already taken control, closing off the building and taking hostages. On the outside a team of detectives led by Spike Lee regular Denzel Washington—they’ve made four movies together—tries to keep the situation under control.
It sounds rather standard, but Lee crafts a story in which the moral compass can’t find true north, and the good guys aren’t always good and maybe the bad guys aren’t as bad as they seem.
Also unexpected for a thriller of this kind is how much humor Washington and Owen bring to their roles. Their conversations crackle with sharp one-liners that diffuse some of the tension of the story.
In one effective scene Owen spends some time with the youngest hostage as the street-wise kid plays with a violent videogame on his PSP. Owen inspects the game that includes drive-by shootings, stabbings and most outrageously, a hand grenade stuffed into the mouth of a pedestrian. As the videogame character’s head explodes Owen says, “I’ll take you back to your Father. I think should have a word with him about that game.” It’s a humorous moment, but one also laden with social comment. In earlier films Lee has employed a heavier hand when trying to get his message across, but it seems he has learned that a spoonful of sugar can sometimes more effectively help the medicine go down.
Inside Man will keep you guessing until the end, and maybe even after you leave the theatre. Lee chooses not to tie up all the loose ends, and the film is more intriguing because of it.
Richard interviewed legendary filmmaker Spike Lee in a no-holds-barred on stage interview at Canadian Music Week. They discussed everything from watching movies on the big screen–“It kills me today that young people see Malcolm X on this (holds up his Blackberry) for the first time. We worked too long. Look, I know Blackberry is a Canadian company. We couldn’t see the future. Now if you’re on a plane, alright, but to see Malcolm X, Do The Right Thing, and not just my films, to see Apocalypse Now the first time, the first time you see 2001 on this? As a filmmaker, I know I might sound like a dinosaur, but that pains me.”–to race in America–“This whole stuff is not new. This thing’s happened forever — back to lynchings. So please do not believe that this is a phenomenon that all of the sudden is sweeping America. Now it’s just being caught. Everybody now, with a camera, is a photojournalist. Here’s the thing though, even with the footage, those cops in New York City got off with the stranglehold of Eric Garner.”
