Categories
The Couch Potato Report

12500 – In case you need a flick or two for Canada Day!!

The Couch Potato Report – June 29th, 2009
This week The Couch Potato Report peels a made-in-Saskatchewan movie that could have been great, and a fifty year-old film that still is.
When I read the synopsis for this week’s first new release – our Hot Potato – I was very…very excited!!
Sure, the fact that it was made-in Bulyea, Craven, Qu’Appelle and Regina made it a must-see as well, but it was primarily the synopsis that had me excited.
Here it is:
“In the Autumn of 1960, a fluke atmospheric weather condition allows a young teenager, Parry Tender, to receive a radio broadcast from New York City.
Nestled in the Northern town of Goose Lake, Saskatchewan, Parry believes the contest the New York radio D.J. is running may be his ticket out of town, and away from a life to which he feels he never belonged.
When Debbie Baxter, a young girl from California, arrives in the town by way of her father’s position with the military, Parry soon discovers love, loss, and the magic of rock and roll.”
Now, that sounds like a great movie!!
Unfortunately, sometimes you can’t just a DVD by it’s cover either!!
45 RPM does feature the things that it’s synopsis suggests, but as the movie plays out, the music and friendship elements of the story start to take a back seat to police brutality, child abuse, sexual assault, and several other subjects that take away from what the film could have been.
The truth is that the filmmakers decided to make their movie, with all of the extra story lines that aren’t mentioned in the synopsis, and it was their movie to make.
My feeling is that had they focussed on the classic rock and roll music an dthe dream of these two friends getting out of Goose Lake, Saskatchewan to New York City, this could have been as good a movie as STAND BY ME, MY GIRL, THE GOONIES or THE SANDLOT, all great films about friends overcoming the odds of their situations.
45 RPM, is not a bad movie, but parts of it are…and so even though Saskatchewan loosk great on film, as always, I just can’t recommend it.
I suggest you see STAND BY ME, MY GIRL, THE GOONIES or THE SANDLOT instead, if you haven’t already.
I have four capsule reviews for you now, four films that I didn’t like or dislike, but you might consider a good rental.
Like INKHEART, for example.
INKHEART is the film based on the young adult-child fantasy novel that is the first book of the Inkworld trilogy.
Canadian Brendan Fraser stars along with Paul Bettany, and Academy Award winners Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent.
Fraser plays the father of a young girl who discovers that he has the ability to bring characters to life from books just by reading out loud.
He must try to stop a freed villain from his plot of world domination!!
INKHEART is not awful, but there is nothing special about it. If you have a teenager who likes to read, get them the book instead.
Now, if you have a teenager who likes to shop…relax…that is normal!! We all liked to shop at that age…and some of us still do!
In CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC Isla Fisher from WEDDING CRASHERS and DEFINITELY MAYBE stars as a wannabe journalist who loves to shop, and is good at it too!!
I admit that even though I love Isla Fisher, and think she is a beautiful and talented actress, I didn’t expect much from CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, so I didn’t mind it.
It isn’t as good as THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and it certainly isn’t for everyone – but it isn’t a bad little film.
I will say the same about THE PINK PANTHER 2.
It also isn’t a bad little film.
I love and adore Steve Martin, but I didn’t see his first PINK PANTHER film. I was a little embarassed that he felt the need to take over this iconic Peter Sellers role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau, so I stayed away.
I may have to go back and see it now as this second movie was sort of fun at times.
In PINK PANTHER 2 Clouseau is part of a team of International detectives who are working to try and stop a globe-trotting thief who specializes in stealing historical artifacts.
Some parts of THE PINK PANTHER 2 are simple silly and stupid fun, other parts of it are just stupid.
Ultimately, it isn’t a bad little film. It isn’t a classic, but it is okay.
This next release has an amazing cast, including Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd, all actors I like, but I have nothing positive to say about it.
I didn’t dislike CROSSING OVER, I just don’t have anything positive to say about it.
CROSSING OVER is a film with multiple story arcs that is primarily about immigrants struggling to live life and become American citizens in Los Angeles.
The cast, the stories, they are almost all interesting…however, this movie is so slow and boring at times that I found it hard to stay interested in them, or their stories.
As far as I was concerned, when it ended, it ended.
As this review now does because I am moving on, with an instantly recognizable TV show there song!
With the release of TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN to theatres this week, the time has never been better to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of the animated television show.
Especially if you like quality – albeit dated at times – entertainment!!
I found the newest film to be a loud, useless film that was too noisy and pointless to enjoy, so I’m glad I had the simplistic television shows to watch this week, at at time when due to the hype and publicity machine behind the theatrical film, I have been craving some TRANSFORMERS.
If you’ve had that craving too, skip the film, and check out the three disc set for TRANSFORMERS – THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, which comes with a very interesting restrospective look back at how an advertising company came up with the characters in the first place, and it also features some of those great old commercials!!
Yes, it has been twenty-five years since the debut of the TRANSFORMERS…do you remember 1984?
How about 1988?
That was the year that a small Tom Hanks film went on to do some big things.
Tom Hanks’ film BIG is now available in High Definition for the first time and the BLU-RAY BEACON shines it’s spotlight on it this week because the new Blu-ray also features the EXTENDED EDITION of the film, with some interesting new scenes added in!
The Blu-ray of BIG doesn’t feature any new features that weren’t included on the DVD that came out a couple fo years ago, but it does allow you to see either the theatrical version, or the 26-minute longer EXTENDED CUT in High Definition.
For me…that is a big difference!!
Finally this week, talk about remembering 1984 and 1988, do you remember 1959?
That was the year the film THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK debuted.
Before the Holocaust films SOPHIE’S CHOICE, SCHINDLER’S LIST, and THE PIANIST there was this, harrowing story of a young Jewish girl who, with her family and their friends is forced into hiding in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.
What made and makes this one different is that we know this one is absolutely true!
It is said that THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK is second only to The Bible as the most widely read book in the world, and so many people know the story of this girl who hid in the attic with her family for two years.
But if you have never seen the film, this new 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION features some great retrospective looks back from Anne’s family and friends, and the filmmakers and cast…including Millie Perkins, who played Anne.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK remains an important film, even fifty years after it’s Academy Award winning release.
It is available now on DVD and Blu-ray, along with Tom Hanks’ great comedy BIG, Steve Martin’s okay comedy THE PINK PANTHER 2, the not bad CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, and the not awful but nothing special film INKHEART.
The could have been interesting CROSSING OVER, THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of the still fun animated show TRANSFORMERS, and the made-in-Saskatchewan film 45 RPM are all available now only on DVD.
Coming up in TWO WEEKS on the next Couch Potato Report
The Canadian films IT’S NOT ME, I SWEAR and THE MEMORIES OF ANGELS.
Plus, we will SKATE OR DIE and THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of the television show PARKER LEWIS CAN’T LOSE debuts on DVD!!
I’m Dan Reynish. I’ll have more on those, and some other releases, in fourteen days.
For now, that’s this week’s COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I’ll see you back here next time on The Couch!

Categories
Television

12499 – Coolio!!

‘Lost’ will last a little longer
If you’re already preparing yourself for the departure of “Lost” in the spring of 2010, take heart. The series will go on a little longer than expected.
OK, it’s only one hour longer, but we’ll take what we can get.
An ABC rep confirmed Monday (June 29) that the final season of “Lost” will run 18 hours. That’s an hour more than initially planned, although where that extra time fits in — although a two-hour series finale seems pretty much like a given at this point — is far from determined yet. “Lost” begins filming season six in Hawaii later this summer.
Considering the possibly game-changing events at the end of season five — wherein Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) detonated a nuclear warhead in an effort to hit the Island’s reset button and, in theory, prevent Oceanic 815 from crashing in the first place — any extra time the show’s creative team wants to take unraveling what happened could be welcome.
When ABC and executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof agreed to an end date for the show after season six, the network asked for three 16-episode seasons to wrap things up. The 2007-08 writers strike messed up that schedule somewhat, and only 14 episodes made it onto the air in the fourth season.
Last season ran 17 episodes (with the two-hour finale counting as two), and the final season was set to do the same thing. Adding the extra hour to the final season will bring the total number of episodes in the final three years to 49.

Categories
Concerts

12498 – Would you keep it or get a refund?

Michael Jackson Ticket Refund Details Announced By AEG
AEG Live has announced that full refunds will be given to fans who purchased tickets through authorized agents to Michael Jackson’s 50 planned concerts at the O2 Arena in London, according to a news release from the promoter, which operates the O2 Arena. The refunds will include service fee charges.
On July 1, fans who purchased tickets to Jacksonís “This Is It” concerts will be directed to MichaelJacksonLive.com for information about how to receive full refunds. The refunds will be processed by authorized ticketing agencies, including primary ticketing company Ticketmaster and U.K. reseller Viagogo, among others.
Fans will be also given the option to receive the concert tickets as souvenirs in lieu of the full refunds. The tickets were printed with the lenticular process and were designed by Jackson, according to the release. The offer will be valid through Aug. 14.
“The world lost a kind soul who just happened to be the greatest entertainer the world has ever known,” AEG Live president/CEO Randy Phillips said in a statement. “Since he loved his fans in life, it is incumbent upon us to treat them with the same reverence and respect after his death.”
Jackson’s planned 50-show run at the O2 Arena in London would have been the highest-grossing single concert engagement. More than $85 million worth of tickets had already been sold for the series of performances.

Categories
Music

12497 – The news continues!!

Jackson wrapped video before death
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press Writer ñ 1 hr 19 mins ago
LOS ANGELES ñ Two weeks before he died, Michael Jackson wrapped up work on an elaborate production dubbed the “Dome Project” that could be the final finished video piece overseen by the King of Pop, The Associated Press has learned.
Details on the project are scarce. Two people with knowledge of the project confirmed its existence Monday to the AP on condition they not be identified because they signed confidentiality agreements.
They said it was a five-week project filmed at Culver Studios, which 70 years ago was the set for the classic film “Gone With the Wind.” Four sets were constructed for Jackson’s production, including a cemetery recalling his 1983 “Thriller” video.
Shooting for the project lasted from June 1-9, with Jackson on the set most days. Now in post-production, the project is expected to be completed next month.
Producer Robb Wagner, founder of music-video company Stimulated Inc., did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the project.
Michael Roth, a spokesman for Jackson’s Los Angeles-based promoter AEG Live, said he hadn’t heard about the production but did not rule that it could be part of the company’s contract with the entertainer.
According to one of the people with knowledge of the project, a willow-thin, pallid Jackson left a memorable impression on the crew, arriving in a caravan of SUVs with hulking security guards in tow. The person said Jackson introduced himself to workers on the set and walked with a spring in his step but at one point needed assistance as he descended steps off a stage.
Besides the cemetery, one set was draped in black with an oversized portrait of Jackson in his “Thriller” werewolf costume. Another set was designed to simulate a lush jungle, and a fourth was built to replicate a construction site, with a screen in the back to allow projection of different backgrounds.
Taping took place in marathon sessions ending early in the morning. One scene filmed on the construction site set included scantily clad male dancers wearing carpenter’s belts.
It’s unclear what final form or forms the video project will take.
According to Stimulated’s Web site, the company was hired to produce screen content for Jackson’s planned comeback concerts in London. Stimulated has worked with Def Leppard and the Pussycat Dolls, and produced content for the Academy Awards and the Emmys.

Categories
Music

12496 – New Tunage – Sorry, youa re on your own again this week, it is still all Green Day, all the time for me!!

New Releases, June 30: Rob Thomas, Brad Paisley, Wilco, Moby, Levon Helm, and more!!
Rob Thomas “Cradlesong” (Atlantic)
The pop/rock star, who came to fame as the frontman for Matchbox Twenty, is finally ready to unveil his second solo record. The first single from “Cradlesong” is the track “Her Diamonds.”
“Cradlesong” follows 2005’s “…Something To Be,” which made chart history when Thomas became the first male artist from a rock or pop group to debut at No. 1 with his inaugural solo album, according to a press release. In a broader sense, “Cradlesong” also follows his 2007 reunion with his Matchbox Twenty bandmates on “Exile On Mainstream,” which was the first group effort since the 2003 six-song collection, “EP.”
* * *
Brad Paisley “American Saturday Night” (RCA)
The mega-popular cowboy crooner/guitarist is back with a follow-up to last year’s “Play.” The first single from “American Saturday Night,” Paisley’s eighth studio album, is the hit song “Then,” which holds the distinction of being the fastest-rising chart-topper of Paisley’s career, according to a press release.
Paisley currently is supporting the new album with a major North American trek, dubbed the “Saturday Night Tour.” The run will hit more than 40 cities and stretches well into October. His tour companions are fellow country singers Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne.
In other news, Paisley had a huge night at the most recent CMT Music Awards. The country star tallied the most belt-buckle-shaped trophies this year of any entertainer, snagging Male Video of the Year for “Waitin’ On a Woman,” Collaborative Video of the Year with Keith Urban for “Start a Band” and Performance of the Year alongside Alan Jackson, George Strait and Dierks Bentley for their rendition of “Country Boy” on “CMT Giants: Alan Jackson.”
* * *
Wilco “Wilco (The Album)” (Nonesuch)
The acclaimed alt-rock act is set deliver “Wilco (The Album).” The record is the Chicago-based group’s seventh studio offering to date, and its first since 2007’s “Sky Blue Sky.”
Wilco co-produced the album with studio vet Jim Scott (who had worked as a mixer on some of the band’s prior discs) during recording sessions in New Zealand and Chicago. “Wilco (The Album)” also includes the group’s first-ever official duet, “You and I,” which was recorded with Canadian singer Feist.
Wilco is currently touring in support of its new album–as well as a recently released concert DVD, “Ashes of American Flags”–and plans call for the band to remain on the road through an Aug. 23 appearance at Minnesota’s 10,000 Lakes Festival.
* * *
Moby “Wait For Me” (Mute)
The electronica giant, who took the music world by storm with the 1999 dance manifesto “Play,” plugs back in for his ninth studio album. “Wait For Me” follows 2008’s “Last Night.”
The first single from “Wait For Me” is the track “Shot in the Back of the Head,” the music video for which was directed by David Lynch. Moby produced the album, then turned it over for mixing to Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros).
* * *
Levon Helm “Electric Dirt” (Vanguard)
The classic-rock legend, best known as a founding member of The Band, returns with his second solo offering. “Electric Dirt” was produced by Larry Campbell, who also worked the boards on Helm’s 2007 Grammy-award winning “Dirt Farmer.”
“Electric Dirt” features versions of The Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed,” Happy Traum’s “Golden Bird” and Randy Newman’s “Kingfish.” It also includes horn arrangements by Allen Toussaint and the Levon Helm Band.
* * *
More new releases:
Bjork, “Voltaic” (Nonesuch)
Jefferson Airplane, “Jefferson Airplane: The Woodstock Experience” (Sony)
Janis Joplin, “Janis Joplin: The Woodstock Experience” (Sony)
Killswitch Engage, “Killswitch Engage” (Roadrunner)
Lillian Axe, “Sad Day on Planet Earth” (Blistering)
Santana, “Santana: The Woodstock Experience” (Sony)
Sly & The Family Stone, “Sly & The Family Stone: The Woodstock Experience” (Sony)
Rod Stewart, “A Night on the Town” (Rhino)
Tanya Tucker, “My Turn” (Saguaro Road)
Twisted Sister, “Stay Hungry” (Rhino)
Various Artists, “Now That’s What I Call Music, Vol. 31” (Sony)
Various Artists, “The Woodstock Experience” (Sony)
Johnny Winter, “Johnny Winter: The Woodstock Experience” (Sony)
Soundtracks and scores:
“Road Show” (Nonesuch)

Categories
Magazines

12495 – Eventually, in this day and age, it all comes out – doesn’t it?!?

Heath Ledger’s Last Days ñ From His Friends
In the days leading up to his death, Heath Ledger battled chronic insomnia, pneumonia and exhaustion, according to several members of Ledger’s inner circle ñ who paint a portrait of a tortured man who struggled with personal strife and professional indecision, reports the August Vanity Fair, on sale nationally July 7.
Apparently, one of the biggest struggles in Ledger’s life was his deteriorating relationship with partner Michelle Williams.
“Heath was always blaming himself [about the relationship], asking ‘what did I do wrong?'” says Ledger’s friend and mentor, director Terry Gilliam. “Once it started going south, it went very quickly. He was overwhelmed by lawyers, and there were more and more of them, as if they were breeding.”
Especially contentious were the custody issues surrounding the couple’s daughter, Matilda. As the couple battled over the child, “there were definitely heated conversations,” says one source, “and emotions were high.”
The stress of his personal life left Ledger unable to sleep.
Chronic Insomnia
Gerry Grennell, a vocal coach who lived with Ledger during the filming of The Dark Knight, said that the actor used sleeping medication to combat chronic insomnia. “I’d say, ‘If you can possibly bear it to stop taking the medications, do, because they don’t seem to be doing you any good,’ ” recalls Grennell, who said that Ledger would spend his nights finding ways to occupy himself, such as rearranging the furniture.
Grennell also says that everyone has a different view on how Ledger died. “From my perspective, and knowing him as well as I did, and being around him as much as I was, it was a combination of exhaustion, sleeping medication Ö and perhaps the aftereffects of the flu,” he says. “I guess his body just stopped breathing.”
Grennell and other sources claim that Ledger was no longer using illegal drugs or alcohol when he died.
Professional Indecision
Despite the actor’s eventual success ñ and posthumous Oscar ñ as the Joker in the The Dark Knight, Ledger’s friend and agent, Steven Alexander, tells the magazine that Ledger “was always hesitant to be in a summer blockbuster, with the dolls and action figures and everything else that comes with one of those movies. He was afraid it would define him and limit his choices.”
Friends say that Ledger agreed to join the Batman franchise because it would be such a long shot that it would give him an excuse to turn down other offers. Ledger reportedly had a pay-or-play deal for Dark Knight, meaning that he’d receive a paycheck no matter what, so he took creative liberties with the Joker.
According to cinematographer Nicola Pecorini, Ledger hoped his performance would be so over-the-top that he’d be fired.

Categories
People

12494 – May he rest in peace!!

Impressionist, Vegas headliner Fred Travalena dies
LOS ANGELES (AP) ó Impressionist Fred Travalena, a headliner in Vegas showrooms and a regular on late-night talk shows with his takes on presidents, crooners and screen stars, has died in Los Angeles. He was 66.
Publicist Roger Neal says Travalena died Sunday at his home in the Encino area after a recurrence of the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that first surfaced in 2002.
Travalena was known for the sheer volume of celebrities he imitated, leading to the nicknames “The Man of a Thousand Voices” and “Mr. Everybody.”
His act included presidents from Kennedy to Obama, musicians from Frank Sinatra to Bruce Springsteen and actors from Marlon Brando to Tom Cruise.
The Bronx native started his career in Las Vegas in 1971.

Categories
Music

12493 – Let the onslaught begin!!

A Lost Michael Jackson Tune…and His Final Concert?
Los Angeles (E! Online) ñ Michael Jackson never got around to recording that long-awaited comeback album, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of material.
E! News has obtained the King of Pop’s recording of “Shout”óthe first of what will likely be a slew of posthumous recordings unearthed in the next few years.
The tune, which puts a distinctive Jackson twist on the Isley Brothers’ seminal 1959 hit, was cowritten by the New Jersey-based team of Cyph and Crystal and recorded in the fall of 2001 at Sony Recording Studios in New York City, but was never released.
“After the recording was done, we could see him dancing to the song,” Cyph, who was introduced to the star by producer Teddy Riley, tells E! News. “He really was feeling that record, but, unfortunately, the record got rail roaded by politics within the album and the dispute between M.J. and Tommy [Mottola], so it got released as a maxi single to R. Kelly’s “Cry.” No one’s heard “Shout” in the U.S.”
Jackson’s last studio album, Invincible, came out in 2001.
One of Jackson’s biographers, Ian Halperin, claims the singer may have left more than 100 unreleased songs to his three children as a “personal legacy,” according to the the Times of London.
Meanwhile, per TheWrap.com, Jackson’s final Los Angeles rehearsal for his upcoming London concert series was recorded by AEG as part of his multimillion-dollar deal, and the concert promoter is reportedly planning to release it on DVD and CD as a “live concert.”

Categories
Blu-ray

12492 – Awesome!!

Blu-ray to Attend a Grindhouse Double-Feature
A new listing at Walmart.com has confirmed an ongoing rumor regarding a reissue of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse films on Blu-ray Disc August 11.
Per the listing, the set is titled simply “Grindhouse” and will include the unrated versions of Planet Terror and Death Proof totaling 218 minutes in length.
There are two ways Genius Products could approach this two-disc set. They could simple bundle the previously released single versions of Death Proof and Planet Terror into a single package. Or preferably they could combine the two films with intermission onto a single disc leaving the second disc entirely for supplemental features.
We’ll have more on this upcoming release as information is offered by the studio.

Categories
Movies

It remains a classic!!

TWENTY YEARS AFTER ‘DO THE RIGHT THING,’ LEE AND HIS CO-STARS REFLECT ON HOW THEIR MOVIE MADE HISTORY
On Christmas Day, 1987, 30-year-old Brooklyn-based filmmaker Spike Lee started working on the script for his third feature, “Do the Right Thing.” The film would examine the racial tension that enveloped New York City at the time, most of which was due to an incident that occurred in the predominantly white section of Howard Beach in Queens a year earlier: A group of white youths attacked three black men outside a pizza place for simply being the wrong color in the wrong neighborhood. One of the black men, 23-year-old Michael Griffith, was chased onto the Belt Parkway, where he was struck by a car and killed.
The movie wound up detailing how a single block in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant — one with the white-owned Sal’s Famous Pizzeria at its heart — erupted in racial violence on the hottest day of the year. It featured a striking visual style, an idiosyncratic blend of comedy and tragedy, and an extraordinary ensemble cast including Danny Aiello as Sal, the pizzeria owner; Lee as Mookie, an unambitious deliveryman; and Ossie Davis as Da Mayor, the local drunk. It also instantly established Lee as a major talent who couldn’t be ignored or dismissed.
When the film was released, audiences and critics were divided. Vincent Canby hailed it in the New York Times as “a remarkable piece of work,” and Roger Ebert, in his four-star Chicago Sun-Times review, added that it came “closer to reflecting the current state of race relations in America than any other movie of our time.”
On the flip side, Lee was criticized for presenting a crack-ravaged neighborhood as drug-free, and for being recklessly incendiary. In his review in the June 26, 1989, issue of New York magazine, David Denby said, “The end of this movie is a shambles, and if some audiences go wild, [Lee’s] partly responsible.” Jack Kroll in Newsweek called the film “dynamite under every seat.” The critics’ fears underestimated the audience — no riots resulted.
The movie received two Oscar nominations (Supporting Actor for Danny Aiello and Original Screenplay), but no awards. The motion picture academy’s political timidity was reflected in its choice for best picture, “Driving Miss Daisy,” which featured Morgan Freeman as a Southern chauffeur. Lee, however, would have the last laugh. When the American Film Institute unveiled its list of the 100 greatest American movies of all time, neither “Driving Miss Daisy” nor “sex, lies, and videotape,” which beat out Lee’s film for the Palme d’Or at Cannes, were anywhere to be found. “Do the Right Thing” came in at No. 96.
On June 30, the film celebrates its 20th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Universal is releasing a two-disc special-edition DVD with hours of extras, including a never-before-seen documentary and new commentary from Lee. Since making “Do the Right Thing,” Lee has averaged nearly a film a year — his latest is the basketball documentary “Kobe: Doin’ Work.” But “Do the Right Thing” continues to be his most celebrated movie.
In this oral history, key members of the cast and crew, including Lee, who sat down for two lengthy interviews, were eager to discuss the controversy that accompanied the film, the tensions on the set and how the movie played a role in bringing our president and first lady together.
‘It’s gonna be a scorcher’
Spike Lee [Mookie], actor, writer, producer and director: The Howard Beach incident had happened, and I wanted to explore the love-hate relationship between African-Americans and Italian-Americans. I also wanted to do something that took place on the hottest day of the summer.
Ernest Dickerson, cinematographer: Spike and I were sitting together on a plane to Los Angeles and he was writing a script on a legal pad. The title at that point was “Heat Wave.” He then asked me, “How do you portray heat on film? How do you get the audience to really feel it?” I remember we talked about having car radiators boiling over, hot asphalt and steam.
Lee: Paramount was on track to make the film. Then, at the last moment, out of nowhere, they didn’t like the ending. They wanted Mookie and Sal to hug, all happy and upbeat. I wasn’t doing that, so I called up Universal executive Sam Kitt, who I had known from my independent days, and he gave it to Tom Pollock.
Tom Pollock, then-chairman, Universal Pictures: I liked “She’s Gotta Have It.” I thought, “Wow, this guy’s really talented.” So when Spike submitted the script for “Do the Right Thing,” I felt it had the potential of being great. I also had never before seen a movie that dealt explicitly with race and what was then called a race riot from a black director.
Lee: Tom said, “Make the film the way you want to, but you’re not getting a penny more than $6.5 million.”
‘My people, my people’
Danny Aiello [Sal]: I was in New York at a party for Madonna and as I was leaving, this little guy runs after me and says, “I have this script.” So we started a dialogue, which led to our meeting in restaurants, going to a Yankees game, going to a Knicks game. We became close.
Lee: I was in a Los Angeles club called Funky Reggae at a party for my birthday. This young lady was dancing on top of a speaker, and since it was my party, if she fell and broke her neck, I was going to get sued. So I told her to please get off, and she jumped down and cursed me out. I had never heard a voice like that before.
Rosie Perez [Tina]: That’s fiction. There was a bunch of African-American girls on the stage bending over. It was a contest to see who had the biggest butt. I jumped on the speaker and started screaming for the women not to degrade themselves. I wasn’t dancing.
Lee: I love Rosie, but she was not on top of the speaker saying, “Women, we must rise against this!” She was the choreographer for “In Living Color,” and all the Fly Girls did were shake their asses. That story is bull.
Giancarlo Esposito [Buggin Out]: I’m half-Italian and half-black, so I understood both sides on a deep level. And a hard part of growing up for me was that I didn’t want to take sides. But for this character, I had to.
Roger Guenveur Smith [Smiley]: All of my work throughout the film was improvised. There’s no Smiley in any script.
Lee: Matt Dillon turned down the role of Pino. His agent told him not to do it. Then I saw the film “Five Corners,” in which John Turturro beats a penguin to death and throws his mother out a window. I was like, “That’s the guy I want to play Pino.”
John Turturro [Pino]: When I read the script, I thought, “This is what’s happening.” I grew up in Hollis, Queens, which was basically more black than white. So I knew both sides.
‘Bed-Stuy — do or die’
Turturro: The neighborhood had a lot of energy, but it was dangerous to drive through at night. You definitely didn’t want to have a flat tire at 4 o’clock in the morning. There were a lot of hungry dogs out on some streets.
Lee: There were crack houses in the neighborhood. The NYPD was not thought of that highly in most black communities, especially Bed-Stuy, so we got the Fruit of Islam [Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam’s security force] to watch the set.
Dickerson: It became the safest block in Brooklyn!
Richard Edson [Vito]: I tried to get through to the Fruit of Islam guys. It was kind of a challenge because I knew they had very strong racial feelings. So every morning, I would say hello and try to engage them. I don’t think they ever even acknowledged me. I finally gave up after about four weeks.
Esposito: Those guys were hard-core. They just didn’t like or hang out with white people.
Turturro: They talked to me all the time. They called me Brother John. I guess Richard is not as black as I am.
‘Burn it down, burn it down!’
Aiello: It was sad to watch Sal’s burn down. I thought it should have been preserved, almost like a landmark or tourist attraction.
Lee: I wanted to use three Frank Sinatra songs in “Jungle Fever,” so I approached Tina Sinatra, who handled that stuff. She said, “Spike, I don’t know. My father wasn’t happy about his picture being burned in the pizzeria.” It’s funny — Pacino never said anything, De Niro never said anything. I had to do some serious smoothing over with Frank.
‘Always do the right thing’
Lee: To this day, no person of color has ever asked me why Mookie threw the can through the window. The only people who ask are white.
Edson: I don’t think Mookie did the right thing. He did what he felt he had to at that moment. But then did Sal do the right thing by smashing the radio? I think there were a lot of wrong things.
Bill Nunn [Radio Raheem]: I didn’t really understand why Mookie did what he did. Sal was doing the neighborhood kids a favor by staying open late. He was trying to do a good thing.
Esposito: Mookie did the right thing for Mookie. But I think he definitely made a mistake.
‘Together, are we gonna live?’
Barry Alexander Brown, editor: I showed a filmmaker friend of mine the movie. And afterward, he said, “You and Spike are irresponsible. There are going to be riots and people are going to get killed.”
Lee: People actually thought that young black Americans would riot across the country because of this film. That’s how crazy it was. It was the furthest thing from my mind because I had faith in my people. But I still feel that some white moviegoers were scared to see it in theaters because they might be filled with crazy black people.
Edson: It incited discussion, that’s what it incited.
Perez: The Latin community just blew a gasket over my depiction. They were bothered that I was a single mom, that I was — whether they would admit it or not — impregnated by a black man, that my accent was heavy. I would say, “If you don’t believe that there is truth to my character, walk into a welfare office.” And that pissed them off even more.
Lee: It disturbed me how some critics would talk about the loss of property — which is really saying white-owned property — but not the loss of life. “Do the Right Thing” was a litmus test. If in a review, a critic discussed how Sal’s Famous was burned down but didn’t mention anything about Radio Raheem getting killed, it seemed obvious that he or she valued white-owned property more than the life of this young black hoodlum. To me, loss of life outweighs loss of property. You can rebuild a building. I mean, they’re rebuilding New Orleans now but the people that died there are never coming back.
Aiello: Spike brought attention to the film and that is, of course, good. But he was quite controversial in his press conferences, talking about Malcolm X and so forth. If it wasn’t for that, I feel the film had a chance to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Dickerson: [“Driving Miss Daisy” winning Best Picture] still hurts. It definitely does.
Lee: I let it go. But let’s be honest. If you look at the Academy voters 20 years ago, which movie are they going to like? One with characters named Buggin Out and Radio Raheem? Or one with a subservient, obedient, yassah-massa character?
Aiello: I love Denzel [Washington, who beat Aiello in the supporting actor category, for “Glory”], but that film was a joke. I look at it today and laugh.
‘We had a great, great day’
Turturro: They don’t make movies like that anymore, man.
Aiello: We made something special.
Lee: There was a benefit for Barack Obama on Martha’s Vineyard when he was running for the Senate. I didn’t really know who he was. He came over and said, “You’re responsible for me and my wife getting together.” Then he told me how they saw “Do the Right Thing” on their first date, and then went to Baskin-Robbins for ice cream and talked about it.
Smith: We’re actually responsible for a whole new era in American political achievement.
Lee: I think he is a very smart man, because if he had taken Michelle to see “Driving Miss Daisy,” things would have turned out a whole lot different.