Five reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee fan - Part II

This is Part II of a five-part series, Five reasons why I’m not a Spike Lee fan.

(Read Five Reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee Fan - Part I.)

 

    

Put me on stage.  Put me on stage.  Put me on stage.

    

    

Why, oh why does he feel the need to place himself inside his films, so often? He’s gotten away from this in his recent work, though. Thank goodness. I dunno...  maybe Oliver Stone does it. Maybe Martin Scorcese does it. Does Steven Spielberg do it? Maybe the Coen brothers do it. Does Francis Ford Coppola do it? Ron Howard? John Singleton? Actually, I think Alfred Hitchcock did it from time to time, though I don’t know if he had speaking parts.

    

I’m not talking about John Singleton walking through the frame as a mailman. I’m talking about Spike Lee, who has speaking parts and enjoys prominence in many of his films, including School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Clockers, and Summer of Sam. This is burdensome to watch because Spike Lee can’t act and despite makeup and costuming, he’s still the same character film after film. Besides satisfying a seemingly insatiable desire to be seen and heard, there are perks to be had. After all, in Jungle Fever, he kissed then-model, Veronica Webb.

 

    

    

    

For more on Spike Lee, visit the SPIKE LEE category on this blog.

Comments

[Shion]

I think it is some kind of artistic thing. Tarentino gets criticised for the same thing even though I think it was just a backlash against all of the success that he had with Pulp Fiction.Yep, Hitchcock did it,Stallone was a passer-by in Staying Alive (he directed it).I think Spike may seem as a distraction in his own movies because he has such a large personality off-screen kinda like those old Elvis movies...no matter what character he played..he was still being Elvis.This is probably true for the Madonnas and her "acting".

[theblackactor.com]

@ Shion. Yup.

"I think Spike may seem as a distraction in his own movies because he has such a large personality off-screen"

This is one reason why I question his judgement to act in his films.

[Stacey]

I used to wonder the same thing...
He has the power to do it so he just does it, weather it works for the movie or not.
I have like several of his movies but he is annoying. lol

[theblackactor.com]

@ Stacey

Yup. Just does it so cuz he can. LOL.

[Kimi]

I think it'd be better/more acceptable if (1) he could actually act; and (2) if the character he portrayed actually made a difference in the film(s) or was a memorable character.

The same thing goes for his sister Joi. She was always in his earlier films & even got to play Denzel's girlfriend/wife in Mo Better Blues. Never thought she was a great actress, but have to give it to Spike for looking out for his sister & giving her a chance to appear opposite & have love/kissing scenes w/Denzel LOL.

The only films I really remembered any Spike Lee character in his films were She's Gotta Have It & Do the Right Thing. His other apperances are completely forgettable to me.

[theblackactor.com]

When Joie Lee had her kiss with Denzel, I said to myself, "I know she's glad her bro hooked her up like that." LOL

[James Nelson]

Well add Woody Allen, to the list as well. This is actually a non reason. If you don't like his acting that's one thing, if you don't like the idea that he appears in his own films that's something else entirerly.