our next guest is a talented filmmaker whose latest Motion Picture the very
provocative Bamboozled is in theaters now here he is Spike Lee Spike how you doing
good welcome back to the show yeah where my mother Stewart underwear
hey we got a lot to talk about here first of all baseball what do you think what are you looking
at what do you like Subway Series yeah you think the Yankees will get by Seattle [Applause] bats
finally came alive so everything's fine well I mean they're not gonna roll over but uh I
think it'll be seven games Yankees will beat the Mets oh good that's what looks like you
yeah that'd be great New York City will be insane have you always been a Yankees fan
I started I grew up in Brooklyn so I was a Mets fan that's when the Yankees suck were you just a
front runner is that what you are no I mean it's been going back and forth but since Reggie Jackson
yeah oh yeah yeah throw me a monsoon everybody don't you got everybody's attention didn't he
he was uh stick this third the drink that's right and what about uh the Knicks Patrick Ewing I've
looked and looked and looked he ain't here anymore what what is that all about well I think it's
criminal that Patrick couldn't end his career in a Nick uniform and something kind of worked
out and uh he still one of the best players in the game is going a Hall of Famer and uh
well we got in return doesn't doesn't add up in my estimation so you
so and what about uh where'd he go he went to Seattle yeah and what does it look like
for them has he got a chance there now to get a ring well they they're in Western
Division they gotta Play Shock oh yeah and they are Robinson a lot more time if so but
now let's talk about my Indiana Pacers how about those guys they're done [Laughter]
bird retired Mark Jackson Toronto you trade Dale Davis
you're done yeah Reggie Reggie had a great uh Champion Series against the Lakers but you guys
are done oh Smith's retired yeah Rick Smith yeah so forget about it they'll be hanging out with
the Knicks don't even bother opening the arena is what you're saying no they can be competitive but
I understand why they got rid of Dale Davis and Mark Jackson I mean I felt bad Larry Bird left I
thought that was too bad but you know he's a man of his word he said I'll do it for three
years he did it for three years it came very very close didn't want to coach anymore didn't want to
coach anymore what about that series with LA wasn't that didn't it just make you crazy I
mean it looked like if they had just won that one game in Indianapolis they might have had a shot
Shaq is too much yeah that's right he's really coming to his own hasn't he what's made the
difference there I think Phil Jackson really you think so is he that good a coach or has
he just got a great team around him Seven Rings yeah I know I know well what are you gonna do
let's talk about the motion picture bamboozle and I've seen this movie I thought it was a
good film I and I I don't know if I should say I enjoyed the film but I did enjoy the film but is
it the kind of film people should enjoy really I think they're parts of it that you can enjoy
and I think there are things in it that make you reflect and say man and when things are
messed up are people uh already going crazy about this movie are you getting a lot of a
lot of controversy about this well number one I'm really tired of that word controversy I think that
it's so easy today that the the label people and I think it's just an act of laziness where you
don't want to spend the time to say who these people are describe something just put one word
to it and for me Spike Lee film controversy right away I think that's this film is a very
thought-provoking film you know excuse me for a second I can't I can't believe how dumb I am
I'm asking you who you think you're going to win the World Series and you're wearing the Yankees
hat I just noticed it I'm sorry I just I don't know what's the matter with me I'm drilling you
about who do you think that they have a chance or he's got the Hat on um so so anyway but the motion
picture is is about exploitation well I think it's about many things but what we try to do
in satirical light this show look back on the history of American films and television
and then try to juxtapose that with today and then see the differences and where we might be going in
the future and the story of of the film a group of people working for a television network get
the idea to put on it's like the minstrel well it's not as Damon Wayne's character he wants to
be fired he wants to get out of there the only way he can be fired and get his money is come without
like the plot from The Producers the Mel Brooks right he thinks of the most offensive racist show
he could think of they gotta find me turns out they love it they shoot the pilot becomes a no
one showing America blackface becomes a rage and he's become Dr Frankenstein and has to deal with
it yeah what is it when people watch this uh what do you want to what should they take away from the
theater what do you want them to be thinking about like a day or two later when they're well there's
so many things in it that uh it really depends what you bring to the theater so I really try
not to dictate what people should think coming out but I hope to hope to be thinking about something
that they just saw yeah and uh but forget what other people should think what do you think what
is what is when you look at your film what what do you take from it what do you what do you get
back from your work here I think that is uh a very interesting look at Pop Culture today and how it
affects everything we do yeah and the the damage the stereotypes have done to America as a whole
is is it is it fair uh the the person like me uh or people who are not black people are not
African-Americans is it a fair statement to say that that we really don't understand uh certainly
the the bad part of the black experience or maybe not even the good part of the black experience is
that fair to say we you know we don't think about it and we can conjure about it and conjecture but
we really will never know what that is no I don't I don't agree with that I think that
number one you can't make blanket statements like that I think that if you're open to it you
can't understand it but if if you think that the last piece of the last racist film in history in
America was birthed to the nation back in 1900 and then can look at some of the stuff that's
on television now and see that you know some of the stuff is still related and I think that
what this film what I'm trying to show with this film also is that in the 21st century you don't
have to put on blackface necessarily be doing the menstrual act so I think a lot of these Gangsta
videos of a modern day form of a ministerial show so so you're talking about a television current
television situation comedies uh well that I think that too yeah and some of those you you have uh
you would object to you think that I mean in my opinion I'm not trying to study like I'm God I'm
just saying I just find interest in that majority of African-Americans are working television today
everybody is in the sitcom have you if you contrast that with
hour-long episomic episodic episodic dramas you know we're not even there I know
uh Broward has a new thing Gideon's cross I know it's not on CBS but that looks to be interesting
yeah I don't know anything about that I mean I don't know Andrew Brower Andre Brower things
takes place in the hospital and and the movie has opened now in in selected cities around the
country it opened this past week in New York earlier in Chicago October 20th uh a lot more
doing business now people are going yeah yeah it's a and again I feel odd saying I enjoyed
it but I thought it was a there's nothing wrong with that all right then I enjoyed the film and
it was very nicely nicely made in some great performances in there also great Damon yeah
Jada Pinkett Tommy Davis and Simon Glover the great tap dancer and and Michael Rapaport and
and most deaths Paul Mooney that's right that's right Paul Mooney one of the great comedians who
wrote a lot of Richard prize materials he's terrific yes it's been around a long time a
long time uh and and who do you want to win the World Series I'm the dumbest man on television
the film opens
October 20th yes Nationwide it goes away from Friday yeah good to see you tonight have a
great season my friend we'll see you in Indiana thank you Spike Lee we'll be right back [Music]
actually [Music]