Its a lesserknown effort from lee, and thats mostly understandable. The book is illustrated with storyboards and 150 photographs that reveal the behindthescenes drama of mo better blues. In the following excerpt from the movies companion book, lee. Plus the mambo kings seemed to be a little more intense and guess it helped that i found the two main stars attractive. Buy a cheap copy of mo better blues book by spike lee. He reprised the role of mars blackmon from shes gotta have it for a series of nike commercials also starring michael jordan. Kino unveils mo better blues, jungle fever and other. Mo better blues paperback august 15, 1990 by spike lee author. A look at five spike lee 90s films just released on bluray. Clockers 1995 is a crimedrama based on a book by richard price.
An excerpt from mo better blues spike lee writes about the inspiration. Branford marsalis quartet featuring terence blanchard. He made his directorial debut with shes gotta have it 1986. As with mo better blues, lee overshoots a bit with crooklyn, complicating what shouldve been a simple character sketch about a stoic little girl by introducing cartoonish gluesniffers one of whom is played by lee, and by using a distorting lens during a long sequence in which the heroine visits family down south. He leads a quintet at the beneath the underground club with a flashy saxophonist named shadow henderson wesley snipes. Rather than build on the epic canvas of do the right thing, he seems to be retreating to familiar themes. Lisa jones and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books. He also teaches film at new york university and columbia university.
I dont think my films are going to get rid of racism or prejudice. Kino lorber studio classics has released on bluray five films by director spike lee, mo better blues, jungle fever, crooklyn, clockers and summer of sam. All spike lee movies ranked mo better blues is rich with vibrant hues and denzel washingtons impassioned performance, although its straightforward telling lacks the political punch fans expect from a spike lee joint. Aug 03, 1990 in spike lees mo better blues, the young brooklyn jazz trumpeter bleek gilliam denzel washington enjoys a life of laidback hedonism. All blues by miles davis, footprints by wayne shorter, performed by miles davis.
Mo better blues 1990 a spike lee mixtape season black. Great support by wesley snipes, joie lee, cynda williams, giancarlo esposito, bill nunn, robin harris and dick anthony williams. Lees jungle fever, mo better blues, clockers, and crooklyn were also well received by critics and fans alike. But the final product, a slick, glossy drama with hiphop jazz provided by gangstarr no less, is just as superficial as the numerous algeresque stories of music stardom to which movie audiences are accustomed. Mo better blues 1990 talented trumpeter bleek gilliam denzel washington is obsessed by his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends indigo joie lee and clarke cynda williams. With a beautiful jazz score and some great performance by an early denzel washington and wesley snipes. His production company, 40 acres and a mule filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. Mar 19, 2020 spike lee was born shelton jackson lee on march 20, 1957, in atlanta, georgia, and soon moved to brooklyn, new york. With denzel washington, spike lee, wesley snipes, giancarlo esposito.
Music from mo better blues branford marsalis songs. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend spike lee, bleek finds his world more fragile that he ever imagined. All spike lee movies ranked mo better blues was entitled a love supreme. S pike lee is an exhilarating mix of brilliance and bravado, of.
Do the right thing 1989 mookie, produced, written and directed by. Spike lee talks mo better blues, malcolm x, and miracle at. Lisa jones documents the making of the movie mo better blues, a film that captures the lives and traditions of the great jazz musicians, in a volume that includes the films script and production notes. The film focuses on themes of friendship, loyalty, honesty, causeandeffect, and ultimately salvation. Do the right thing and read the companion books spike lees gotta have it, uplift the race, and. I think that is what i was expecting from mo better blues and i think that is what didnt seem to make it as enjoyable since it was less focused on the music. May 15, 2018 spike lees jewish characters have gotten better since mo better blues by ron kampeas may 15, 2018 4.
Spike lee and the slavery of the blues the new york times. Mo better blues by denzel washington, wesley snipes, joie. But other than that, mo better blues was a good movie, rating it a 45. In one of the earliest sequences of mo better blues, spike lees new film about. Book spike lee for speaking, events and appearances apb. Dec 27, 2009 mo better blues clip by the movie mo better blues spike lee 1990 original score composed by bill lee. Spike lees most popular book is please, baby, please. Originally, mo better blues was entitled a love supreme. Mo better blues is rich with vibrant hues and denzel washingtons impassioned performance, although its straightforward telling lacks the political punch fans expect from a spike lee joint. Millions have seen spike lees films shes gotta have it, school daze, and the most provocative film of 1989, do the right thing and read the companion books.
Mo better blues is the 1990 followup to spike lee s commercial breakthrough do the right thing. Mo better blues is the 1990 followup to spike lees commercial breakthrough do the right thing. Bleek, who whiles away the afternoons practicing, leads. Its a less passionate and angry film than lees previous work, do the right thing, and less inspired, too. Filmmaker spike lees portrayal of two jewish jazz club owners in the new film mo better blues is being called antisemitic by both the antidefamation league of bnai brith and some. Questlove publishes his memoir, mo meta blues the new. Additionally, lee has authored six books on the making of his films. Spike lee is an american film director, producer, writer, and actor, noted for his films that deal with controversial social and political issues. Spike lee biographycomplete works 1996 in motion magazine. Spike lees 1990 directing effort is a jazz film, the story of a fictional trumpeter named bleek gilliam. Shelton jackson lee, better known as spike lee, is an emmy award winning, and academy award nominated american film director, producer, writer, and actor noted for his films dealing with controversial social and political issues.
It features the music of the branford marsalis quartet and terence blanchard on. Lees jungle fever, mo better blues, clockers, and crooklyn were also critically well received. Controversial arousing opposing viewpoints filmmaker spike lee is known for powerful films such as shes gotta have it 1986, school daze 1988, do the right thing 1989, mo better blues 1990, malcolm x 1992, and many others. Publication date 1990 topics mo better blues motion picture. Adl criticizes filmmaker spike lee for stereotyping jewish. Mo better blues is unmistakably influenced by film noir and classic 1940s cinema, not surprising as lee has embraced the style of those films. In response, he has hit back at the white movie establishment, and says he will not be diverted from his commitment to documenting the afroamerican experience. With mo better blues, the story of a young trumpeters rise to jazzworld stardom, spike lee set out to counter clint eastwoods clicheridden biopic of charlie parker in bird. Spike lees romantic drama mo better blues 1990 starring denzel washington has been. He has since written and directed such films as do the right thing 1989, mo better blues 1990, jungle fever.
Though shadow takes a few too many solos, everything seems fine in bleeks life. Shelton jackson spike lee born march 20, 1957 is an american film director, producer, writer, actor, and professor. Mo better blues is another great entry from spike lee. Mo better blues 1990 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Spike lee has 35 books on goodreads with 9970 ratings. Mo better blues is a 1990 american musical comedy drama film starring denzel washington, wesley snipes, and spike lee, who also directed. Spike lee movies to watch a list of 25 titles created 3 months ago 1990 watchlist a list of 39 titles created 02 feb 2017 spike lee a list of 27 titles. Apr 18, 2020 spike lee, american filmmaker known for his uncompromising, provocative approach to controversial subject matter. In this unique document spike speaks of the people and the events that created the film, including the thoughts and feelings of the musicians, actors, and crew. After the success of do the right thing, his film about race and politics, spike lee has returned to romance with mo better blues, a film starring denzel washington as a horn player in love. Get ready for six of his most thoughtprovoking films available in one bundle, from the breakout hit dramedy blackkklansman to the groundbreaking do the right thing. Spike lees mo better blues is about a jazzman, but its not really about jazz its about work, about being so wrapped up in your career that you dont have space for relationships and you cant see where youre headed. Mo better blues by denzel washington, wesley snipes, joie lee. His popular films included do the right thing 1989, malcolm x 1992, he got game 1998, inside man 2006, and chiraq 2015.
Denzel washington, spike lee, wesley snipes, giancarlo esposito, robin harris, joie lee, bill nunn, john turturro, dick anthony williams. Spike lees jewish characters have gotten better since mo. A few of the selections on this soundtrack cd are throwaways or filler, but there is also some fine playing by a modern hard bop quintet consisting of trumpeter terence blanchard, branford marsalis on tenor and soprano. Spike lee is one of the most acclaimed and controversial directors of all time. Documents the making of the movie mo better blues, a film. Kino unveils mo better blues, jungle fever and other spike lee classics on bluray. Say hey, beneath the underdog by branford marsalis, mo better blues, again never by bill lee, performed by the branford marsalis quartet, with terence blanchard. He played the lead role of mookie in do the right thing and major supporting roles in malcolm x, girl 6, and mo better blues. Oct 15, 2018 mo better blues the dynamic duo of denzel washington and spike lee combine forces for the first time in this freewheeling and ambitious study of an erratic, arrogant but supremely talented black jazz musician and the various dramas he gets caught up in trying to negotiate the music, the women, and ambitious bandmates. Growing up in a relatively welloff africanamerican family, lee was making.
It follows a period in the life of fictional jazz trumpeter bleek gilliam played by washington as a series of bad decisions result in his jeopardizing both his relationships and his playing career. Spike lee biography life, family, childhood, children. Lee s jungle fever and mo better blues were also critically well received. Additional work by spike lee feature films jackie robinson saga 1997 girl 6 1996 clockers 1995 crooklyn 1994 malcolm x 1992 jungle fever 1991 mo better blues 1990 do the right thing 1989 school daze 1988 shes gotta have it 1986 short films hbo. I still dont care for spikes acting and i think his characters story was the least interesting of the group. She read the script and thought there was too much profanity in the film, and she preferred that. Its his fourth feature but suffers a little from the. Spike lee s 1990 directing effort is a jazz film, the story of a fictional trumpeter named bleek gilliam denzel washington. Although the spike lee film mo better blues had a somewhat absurd ending, its depiction of the jazz life had its accurate moments and the music was generally quite rewarding. The companion volume to the universal pictures filmcover spike lee jointography. Mo better blues 1990 giant, produced, written and directed by. The following is an unpublished chunk from that piece. Spike lees 1990 directing effort is a jazz film, the story of a fictional trumpeter named bleek gilliam denzel washington. Kino unveils mo better blues, jungle fever and other spike lee.
Jazz trumpeter bleek gilliam makes questionable decisions in his professional and romantic lives. Branford marsalis quartet featuring terence blanchard music. Millions have seen spike lee s films shes gotta have it, school daze, and the most provocative film of 1989, do the right thing and read the companion books. Lee s films are typically referred to as spike lee joints and the closing credits always end with the phrases by any means necessary, ya dig and sho nuff. Really good performances by denzel washington and especially spike lee as his gambling addicted manager. His epic drama malcolm x, starring denzel washington, received two academy award nominations. Mo better blues denzel washington spike lee wesley snipes 1990 music comes first for a manhattan jazzman denzel washington with one too many lovers and a manager spike lee who gambles. Born in atlanta, georgia, and raised in brooklyn, lee returned south to attend morehouse college. In its very creation as well as its plot, mo better blues amounts to a. I think the best thing my films can do is provoke discussion. An article about spike lee being named the first africanamerican jury president in the history of the cannes film festival. The branford marsalis quartet featuring terence blanchard. Pop top 40 by spike lee, branford marsalis, performed by denzel washington, wesley snipes.
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