movie is stupid
Added 1/17/2010
lets be frank because my mother is full blooded Italian, we are not white people. I know a lot of us Italians in this country try so hard be be "white" but that is so foolish when when we have LATIN names, culture, and blood, and are directly related to Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Arabs, and North Africans. We could never be like anglos because we are LATIN which means Italian. All my life, I have been treated as a minority because I look very italian...so, yes... whites just see us as a Latino. So, you are incorrect and in denial, that Italians are different, when you get a bunch of us together we smell, act, and look different than white people because we are NOT WHITE...we are ITALIAN and proud of our LATIN ROOTS! This movie by the way sucks, the only good part is when Toturro had the scare in his eyes when Spike referred to him as having black blood in him because of his obvious negro hair which is who we are! So, get your head out of the gutter because us ITALIANS are minorities too!
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Do The Right Thing (1989)
Added 12/23/2009
Do The Right Thing (1989)
It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since I first saw this movie in theaters, but it has and I'm getting old.
This one chronicles The hottest day of the summer in the Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy for short) neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Danny Aiello plays Sal, the owner of Sal's Famous Pizzeria that has been there for over 25 years. During that time, I assume the neighborhod changed from predominately Italian American immigrants to mostly African American. Through it all, it seems as if Sal is very appreciative of the business and people that have allowed his family to thrive over the decades. Sal's son , Pino (John Tuturro, Transformers), who works at the Pizzeria is less appreciative. He is very open about his dislike for black people and openly urges Sal to sell the bussiness and move to the predominately Italian neighborhood of Bensonhurst Brooklyn. Spike Lee plays Mookie, the neighborhood guy that Sal hired to deliver his pizzas across Bed-Stuy. Needless to say, Mookie and Pino don't get along.
Long story short, in the course of one day, things devolve, a lot of good people make some tremendously terrible decisions and some regrettable events transpire in what the American Film Institute included in it's 100 most Powerful Moments on Film (link when I get home.They subsequently named DtRT thier 96th greatest american film of all time.) You as the audience are tasked to decide who "did the right thing." As a teenager, I always thought that Spike Lee used the Mookie character to speak for his own opinions on the matter, but now, 20 years later, in the age of Obama, I really don't think so. I think he was just writing the character. His director's commentary seems to confirm that. He says he gave up offering his opinion on the "Right Thing" a while after the movie was released. The shot of Public Enemy's 1989 anthem "Fight the Power" playing in the backgroung while panning through the ashes of Sal's Pizzeria was worth it alone.
I have to admit that sometimes the characters seem more like caricatures and in a weird way, that helps to give a it a feeling that this could be any black neighborhood in the US at almost anytime, but when it's all said and done, this is a great movie, IMHO. In my mind, this is one of our modern classics that is a must have. If you've never seen it or rarely seen it, I strongly urge you to give it a viewing. Ernest Dickerson (Cinematographer, Director of Dexter, The Wire, Stargate Universe) made a concious choice to film this movie in the hue of yellow in order to get a summer audience to "feel the heat" and this really shows through well on Blu-ray along with other movie magic he reveals on a special featurette. The special features are well worth it for the director's commentary alone. Spike Lee is not a typical director and his personality really shines through. Looking foward to more Blu's from Spike like Malcolm X and Jungle Fever.
It's worth noting that if this movie came out right now, it would be considered "star studded." Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Spike Lee, Rosie Perez (who was a freakin' hottie despite her mouth), Bill Nunn, Martin Lawrence, Giancarlo Espisito and many other were in here and for many of them, it was their first film. I'm really glad to have this Blu-ray in my collection.
Film 9.0 Disk 7.5
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Do The Right Thing Review
Added 10/28/2009
Do the Right Thing, a Spike Lee joint, takes you into the heart of Bedford - Stuyvesant, Brooklyn on a sweltering summer day. Most of the entire film takes place over just one day. Though one day is a short amount of time, many issues arise. The issues, mostly rooted from racial conflict, are humorous but at the same time provocative and heartfelt.
The main character, Pookie played by director Spike Lee, works as a pizza delivery guy for Sal's Famous Pizzeria. Sal's Pizzeria is owned by a white man who runs the business with his two sons. Pookie, a young African American male with a girlfriend and a young son, is often the guy the neighborhood people go to for advice or to rant about whatever. After a young man gets upset about the absence of African Americans on the wall at Sal's Pizzeria, he lets Pookie hear it. When an attempted boycott of the pizzeria fails, the young man and his friend, Radio Rahim, confront Sal. Soon after, a riot breaks out which results in the death of Radio Rahim and Sal's Pizzeria going up in flames.
While the movie lacks direction and plot through the majority of the film, its goal is to take the racial conflict of Bedstuy and broadcast it to the audience, many of which who were probably unaware of the severity and volume of the issue. By doing this affectively, the film was granted the prestige of being "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress. Do the Right Thing is humorous while also being culturally informative. It gives insight that appears real and significant, which can easily be appreciated by any viewer.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Great Movie on Race Relations
Added 10/28/2009
A great mix of characters and music from 1989... makes you think. A must-see for anyone that likes rap/hip-hop.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Do The Right Thing: A Review
Added 10/27/2009
"Do The Right Thing" was written, produced, and directed by Spike Lee who also stars as the movie's main character, Mookie. The film is set in 1989 on the hottest day of the summer on a block in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Most of the action occurs around Sal's Pizzeria. Sal's Pizzeria is an Italian-American "pizza joint" that has been thriving in this predominantly African-American neighborhood for over 25 years. The "pizza joint"is run by Sal with help from his two sons Pino and Vito. Mookie works as the restaurant's delivery boy.
The movie highlights and is a study of the daily lives of the neighborhoods various inhabitants. It addresses predominant racial prejudices and stereotypes while tracking the inhabitants' survival. One way that this is shown is through the businesses that exist and thrive off of the neighborhood. Businesses such as Sal's as well as a Korean owned store thrive off of and take money out of the community, while African-American owned stores are rarely found. The lack of African-American representation in the community's businesses soon becomes an issue as a character by the name of Buggin' Out questions Sal for only having Italian-Americans on the wall in his restaurant, but no African-Americans, the race that is essentially supporting him and putting money in his pocket. Sal shrugs him off telling him that it is his restaurant therefore he can do whatever he wants. As a result, Buggin' Out decides to organize a boycott and enlists the help of Radio Raheem, who is like the neighborhood's "jukebox." Radio Raheem constantly walks around with his huge radio as he blasts Public Enemy's hit song "Fight the Power", the power being white supremacy. Though he may seem obnoxious to some, Radio Raheem is a strong and vital character as he is a representation of someone trying to rise above his current state of opression and speak out. However, he is never afforded the opportunity to truly do so because he is choked to death by a white police offer after an altercation between he and Sal ensues. Radio Raheem's death devastates the neighborhood and causes the citizens to riot and burn down Sal's Pizzeria.
Throughout the movie, we see various types of racial prejudice all of which never truly die, but are rather pushed under the surface and ignored. Pino even expresses to Sal that Mookie can't be trusted because he's black. Radio Raheem's death at the hands of a white police officer symbolizes how the black community, as well as other prejudice stricken communities feel when they try to speak out, they are afraid, afraid that "tha man" will silence them for good. Spike Lee does a great job of showing the injustices that existed at that time and that still exist today. If we refuse to educate ourselves as a nation and ignore these issues then we too are to blame, for ignorance is not bliss, and by being ignorant, we are helping to perpetuate the very issue in which we are trying to diminish.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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movie is stupid
Added 1/17/2010
lets be frank because my mother is full blooded Italian, we are not white people. I know a lot of us Italians in this country try so hard be be "white" but that is so foolish when when we have LATIN names, culture, and blood, and are directly related to Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Arabs, and North Africans. We could never be like anglos because we are LATIN which means Italian. All my life, I have been treated as a minority because I look very italian...so, yes... whites just see us as a Latino. So, you are incorrect and in denial, that Italians are different, when you get a bunch of us together we smell, act, and look different than white people because we are NOT WHITE...we are ITALIAN and proud of our LATIN ROOTS! This movie by the way sucks, the only good part is when Toturro had the scare in his eyes when Spike referred to him as having black blood in him because of his obvious negro hair which is who we are! So, get your head out of the gutter because us ITALIANS are minorities too!
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Do The Right Thing (1989)
Added 12/23/2009
Do The Right Thing (1989)
It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since I first saw this movie in theaters, but it has and I'm getting old.
This one chronicles The hottest day of the summer in the Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy for short) neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Danny Aiello plays Sal, the owner of Sal's Famous Pizzeria that has been there for over 25 years. During that time, I assume the neighborhod changed from predominately Italian American immigrants to mostly African American. Through it all, it seems as if Sal is very appreciative of the business and people that have allowed his family to thrive over the decades. Sal's son , Pino (John Tuturro, Transformers), who works at the Pizzeria is less appreciative. He is very open about his dislike for black people and openly urges Sal to sell the bussiness and move to the predominately Italian neighborhood of Bensonhurst Brooklyn. Spike Lee plays Mookie, the neighborhood guy that Sal hired to deliver his pizzas across Bed-Stuy. Needless to say, Mookie and Pino don't get along.
Long story short, in the course of one day, things devolve, a lot of good people make some tremendously terrible decisions and some regrettable events transpire in what the American Film Institute included in it's 100 most Powerful Moments on Film (link when I get home.They subsequently named DtRT thier 96th greatest american film of all time.) You as the audience are tasked to decide who "did the right thing." As a teenager, I always thought that Spike Lee used the Mookie character to speak for his own opinions on the matter, but now, 20 years later, in the age of Obama, I really don't think so. I think he was just writing the character. His director's commentary seems to confirm that. He says he gave up offering his opinion on the "Right Thing" a while after the movie was released. The shot of Public Enemy's 1989 anthem "Fight the Power" playing in the backgroung while panning through the ashes of Sal's Pizzeria was worth it alone.
I have to admit that sometimes the characters seem more like caricatures and in a weird way, that helps to give a it a feeling that this could be any black neighborhood in the US at almost anytime, but when it's all said and done, this is a great movie, IMHO. In my mind, this is one of our modern classics that is a must have. If you've never seen it or rarely seen it, I strongly urge you to give it a viewing. Ernest Dickerson (Cinematographer, Director of Dexter, The Wire, Stargate Universe) made a concious choice to film this movie in the hue of yellow in order to get a summer audience to "feel the heat" and this really shows through well on Blu-ray along with other movie magic he reveals on a special featurette. The special features are well worth it for the director's commentary alone. Spike Lee is not a typical director and his personality really shines through. Looking foward to more Blu's from Spike like Malcolm X and Jungle Fever.
It's worth noting that if this movie came out right now, it would be considered "star studded." Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Spike Lee, Rosie Perez (who was a freakin' hottie despite her mouth), Bill Nunn, Martin Lawrence, Giancarlo Espisito and many other were in here and for many of them, it was their first film. I'm really glad to have this Blu-ray in my collection.
Film 9.0 Disk 7.5
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Do The Right Thing Review
Added 10/28/2009
Do the Right Thing, a Spike Lee joint, takes you into the heart of Bedford - Stuyvesant, Brooklyn on a sweltering summer day. Most of the entire film takes place over just one day. Though one day is a short amount of time, many issues arise. The issues, mostly rooted from racial conflict, are humorous but at the same time provocative and heartfelt.
The main character, Pookie played by director Spike Lee, works as a pizza delivery guy for Sal's Famous Pizzeria. Sal's Pizzeria is owned by a white man who runs the business with his two sons. Pookie, a young African American male with a girlfriend and a young son, is often the guy the neighborhood people go to for advice or to rant about whatever. After a young man gets upset about the absence of African Americans on the wall at Sal's Pizzeria, he lets Pookie hear it. When an attempted boycott of the pizzeria fails, the young man and his friend, Radio Rahim, confront Sal. Soon after, a riot breaks out which results in the death of Radio Rahim and Sal's Pizzeria going up in flames.
While the movie lacks direction and plot through the majority of the film, its goal is to take the racial conflict of Bedstuy and broadcast it to the audience, many of which who were probably unaware of the severity and volume of the issue. By doing this affectively, the film was granted the prestige of being "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress. Do the Right Thing is humorous while also being culturally informative. It gives insight that appears real and significant, which can easily be appreciated by any viewer.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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