History Creator / SpikeLee

'''Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee''' (born March 20, 1957).

Very political. Very polarizing. Very popular.

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is a renowned film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor famous for dealing with controversial issues such as racism, politics, and urban violence in his films. Lee has received two UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, a Student Academy Award and an Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and won numerous other awards, including an Emmy Award and the 2013 Gish Prize.

Is the SitcomArchNemesis of Creator/QuentinTarantino, whom Lee has clashed with over his films' use of [[NWordPrivileged a certain word]].

[[TropeNamer Famously attributed with coining the name for the]] "MagicalNegro" [[TropeNamer trope.]] Oh, and he's a SitcomArchNemesis with Creator/QuentinTarantino, due to the latter claiming NWordPrivileges for his movies.

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is a renowned film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor famous for dealing with controversial issues such as racism, politics, and urban violence in his films. He is known for being very opinionated, very polarizing, and very influential. Lee has received two UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, a Student Academy Award and an Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and won numerous other awards, including an Emmy Award and the 2013 Gish Prize.

'''Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee''' (born March 20, 1957) is a renowned film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor famous for dealing with controversial issues such as racism, politics, and urban violence in his films. He is known for being very opinionated, very polarizing, and very influential. Lee has received two UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, a Student Academy Award and an Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and won numerous other awards, including an Emmy Award and the 2013 Gish Prize.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spike_lee.jpg]]

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is a renowned film director, producer, writer, and actor famous for dealing with controversial issues such as racism, politics, and urban violence in his films. He is known for being very opinionated, very polarizing, and very influential. Lee has received two ''UsefulNotes/AcademyAward'' nominations, a Student Academy Award and an Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and won numerous other awards, including an Emmy Award and the 2013 Gish Prize.

Lee made his directorial debut with ''She's Gotta Have It'', and has since directed such films as ''Film/DoTheRightThing'', ''Film/MalcolmX'', ''Film/TheOriginalKingsOfComedy'', ''/Film/TwentyFifthHour'', ''Film/TwentyFifthHour'', and most recently Chi-Raq (2015).

Throughout the 90s, he made at least one film (or "joint" as it's called) a year[[note]]This was because he was disappointed that African-American filmmakers tended to go a long time between films[[/note]]. This didn't carry through into the 00s, however. ''Film/InsideMan'' (2006), was his biggest hit to date. In 2006, he also directed the acclaimed documentary, ''When the Levees Broke'', which detailed life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city's anti-flooding safeguards in 2005.

In 2013, he was chosen to direct an English-language remake of the South Korean thriller ''{{Film/Oldboy|2003}}'' and started work on a follow-up to ''Film/InsideMan''.

Lee has acted in his ten of his films. He played the lead role of Mookie in ''Film/DoTheRightThing'' and major supporting roles in ''Film/MalcolmX'', ''{{Film/Girl 6}}'', and ''Mo' Better Blues''. One character he played, Mars Blackmon from ''She's Gotta Have It'', also appeared in ads for Nike.

Shelton Jackson Lee (born March 20, 1957) is a renowned film director, producer, writer, and actor famous for dealing with controversial issues like racism, politics and urban violence in his films. He is known for being very opinionated, very polarizing, and very influential. Lee has received two Academy Award nominations, a Student Academy Award and an Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and won numerous other awards, including an Emmy Award and the 2013 Gish Prize.

Lee made his directorial debut with She's Gotta Have It (1986), and has since directed such films as ''Film/DoTheRightThing'', ''Film/MalcolmX'', ''Film/TheOriginalKingsOfComedy'', ''/Film/TwentyFifthHour'', ''Film/TwentyFifthHour'', and most recently Chi-Raq (2015).

African-American film maker: very opinionated, very polarizing, and very influential.

Throughout the 90s, he made at least one film (or "joint" as it's called) a year[[note]]This was because he was disappointed that African-American filmmakers tended to go a long time between films[[/note]]. This didn't carry through into the 00s, however. ''Film/TwentyFifthHour'' is often cited as one of his best films, but his next film, ''Film/SheHateMe'', is considered one of his worst. ''Film/InsideMan'' (2006), was his biggest hit to date. Also in 2006,he made the acclaimed documentary ''When the Levees Broke''. Despite this, he still had trouble getting two projects off the ground: a James Brown biopic and a film about the L.A. riots.

His 2008 WWII tale ''Miracle at St. Anna'' was a commercial failure and received mixed reviews from the critics.

He frequently acted in his earlier films. He played the lead role of Mookie in ''Film/DoTheRightThing'' and major supporting roles in ''Film/MalcolmX'', ''{{Film/Girl 6}}'', and ''Mo' Better Blues''. One character he played, Mars Blackmon from ''She's Gotta Have It'', also appeared in ads for Nike.

In 2013, he was chosen to direct an English-language remake of the South Korean thriller ''{{Film/Oldboy}}'' and started work on a follow-up to ''Film/InsideMan''.

[[TropeNamer Famously attributed with coining the name for the]] "MagicalNegro" [[TropeNamer trope.]] Oh, and he's a SitcomArchNemesis with QuentinTarantino, due to the latter claiming NWordPrivileges for his movies.

Most recently he was chosen to direct an English-language remake of the South Korean thriller ''{{Film/Oldboy}}'' and started work on a follow-up to ''Film/InsideMan''.

* ''{{Film/Crooklyn}}'' (1994)
* ''{{Film/Clockers}}'' (1995)

* ''{{Film/Bamboozled}}'' (2000)
* ''TheOriginalKingsOfComedy'' (2000)

* ''SheHateMe'' (2004)
* ''InsideMan'' (2006)

* ''[[Film/{{Oldboy2013}} Oldboy]]'' (2013)

[[TropeNamer Famously coined the name for the]] "MagicalNegro" [[TropeNamer trope.]] Oh, and he's a SitcomArchNemesis with QuentinTarantino, due to the latter claiming NWordPrivileges for his movies.

Throughout the 90s, he made at least one film a year[[note]]This was because he was disappointed that African-American filmmakers tended to go a long time between films[[/note]]. This didn't carry through into the 00s, however. ''Film/TwentyFifthHour'' is often cited as one of his best films, but his next film, ''Film/SheHateMe'', is considered one of his worst. ''Film/InsideMan'' (2006), was his biggest hit to date. Also in 2006,he made the acclaimed documentary ''When the Levees Broke''. Despite this, he still had trouble getting two projects off the ground: a James Brown biopic and a film about the L.A. riots.

Throughout the 90s, he made at least one film a year[[hottip:*:This was because he was disappointed that African-American filmmakers tended to go a long time between films]]. This didn't carry through into the 00s, however. ''Film/TwentyFifthHour'' is often cited as one of his best films, but his next film, ''SheHateMe'', is considered one of his worst. ''InsideMan'' (2006), was his biggest hit to date. Also in 2006,he made the acclaimed documentary ''When the Levees Broke''. Despite this, he still had trouble getting two projects off the ground: a James Brown biopic and a film about the L.A. riots.

Most recently he was chosen to direct an English-language remake of the South Korean thriller ''{{Film/Oldboy}}'' and started work on a follow-up to ''InsideMan''.

African-American film maker, very opiniated, very polarizing, very influential.

Throughout the 90s, he made at least one film a year[[hottip:*:This was because he was disappointed that African-American filmmakers tended to go a long time between films]]. This didn't carry through into the 00s, however. ''Film/TwentyFifthHour'' is often cited as one of his best films, but his next film, ''SheHateMe'', is considered one of his worst. His next film, ''InsideMan'', was his biggest hit yet. At that same time, he made the acclaimed documentary ''When the Levees Broke''. Despite this, he still had trouble getting two projects off the ground-a James Brown biopic and a film about the L.A. riots. When he did make another film, WWII tale ''Miracle at St. Anna'', it was a commercial failure and received mixed reviews among critics. Most recently, he has been chosen to ruin an English-language remake of the South Korean thriller ''{{Film/Oldboy}}''.

Throughout the 90s, he made at least one film a year[[hottip:*:This was because he was disappointed that African-American filmmakers tended to go a long time between films]]. This didn't carry through into the 00s, however. ''Film/TwentyFifthHour'' is often cited as one of his best films, but his next film, ''SheHateMe'', is considered one of his worst. His next film, ''InsideMan'', was his biggest hit yet. At that same time, he made the acclaimed documentary ''When the Levees Broke''. Despite this, he still had trouble getting two projects off the ground-a James Brown biopic and a film about the L.A. riots. When he did make another film, WWII tale ''Miracle at St. Anna'', it was a commercial failure and received mixed reviews among critics. Most recently, he has been chosen to direct an English-language remake of the South Korean thriller ''{{Film/Oldboy}}''.

Love him or hate him, most can agree that Spike Lee is one of the most talented, as well as polarizing filmmakers ever. Known for being opinionated both through his work as well as his own voice regarding issues of [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped politics and race]], Lee tends to create pieces that usually tend to make the average person think, though the message is either wasted on some, or totally misinterpreted by others sometimes. Anything dubbed "A Spike Lee Joint" can come off as somewhat [[{{Anvilicious}} heavy-handed or preachy]], but it's all within the context that's it's viewed.

Tropes associated with Spike Lee:
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: As a civil rights activist, his goal is noble. Then, during the controversial Trayvon Martin shooting case, he released to the public an address thought to be that of the shooter. Instead, vigilantes using the address only found an elderly couple, who were eventually forced to flee their home because of it. Lee and the couple eventually settled.

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Throughout the 90s, he made at least one film a year[[hottip:*:This was because he was disappointed that African-American filmmakers tended to go a long time between films]]. This didn't carry through into the 00s, however. ''Film/TwentyFifthHour'' is often cited as one of his best films, but his next film, ''She Hate Me'', is considered one of his worst. His next film, ''InsideMan'', was his biggest hit yet. At that same time, he made the acclaimed documentary ''When the Levees Broke''. Despite this, he still had trouble getting two projects off the ground-a James Brown biopic and a film about the L.A. riots. When he did make another film, WWII tale ''Miracle at St. Anna'', it was a commercial failure and received mixed reviews among critics. Most recently, he has been chosen to direct an English-language remake of the South Korean thriller {{Oldboy}}.

He frequently acted in his earlier films. He played the lead role of Mookie in ''DoTheRightThing'' and major supporting roles in ''Film/MalcolmX'', ''{{Girl 6}}'', and ''Mo' Better Blues''. One character he played, Mars Blackmon from ''She's Gotta Have It'', also appeared in ads for Nike.

* ''DoTheRightThing'' (1989)
* ''MoBetterBlues'' (1990)

* ''{{Crooklyn}}'' (1994)
* ''{{Clockers}}'' (1995)

* ''HeGotGame'' (1998)
* ''SummerOfSam'' (1999)
* ''{{Bamboozled}}'' (2000)