Spike Lee

Amy & Paul don’t fight the power of 1989’s Spike Lee breakthrough Do The Right Thing! They praise the film’s Shakespearean qualities, analyze the infamous reception it received at Cannes, and ask whether this story has a true villain. Plus: The man himself, director and star Lee joins the show to discuss why the film still feels so timely 30 years later.

What do you think The Deer Hunter is about? Call the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824 with your answer! Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Photo credit: Kim Troxall

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp (www.betterhelp.com/unspooled code: UNSPOOLED), Ooni (www.ooni.comcode: UNSPOOLED), and CNN – The Movies.

One of the greatest directors in the history of cinema, Spike Lee joins Kamau and Kevin this week to talk about Denzel Washington, the Greatest Actor of All Time Period. Spike tells us about his Top 5 Denzel Movies that he didn’t direct, how Denzel channeled the spirit of Malcolm X by preparing for the role for over a year, future NBA hall of famer Ray Allen getting caught by surprise when Denzel went off script during their one-on-one basketball game in He Got Game because Denzel wanted to score a basket, and Denzel himself asking him to direct one of 10 August Wilson plays being produced by HBO. Plus, Spike gives us the scoop on his latest film Chi-Raq, a satire set in Chicago about the gang violence prevalent in some neighborhoods on the city’s south side.

This past Saturday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded director Spike Lee a Governors Award Oscar, honoring his lifetime of achievements. But the legendary director is far from retired. In fact, during an interview with W.Kamau Bell and Kevin Avery on the upcoming episode of their podcast, Denzel Washington is the Greatest Actor of All Time Period, Spike revealed that Denzel himself asked him to direct one of 10 August Wilson plays being produced by HBO. (Denzel is executive producing the entire series)

The audio from that part of the interview is below, and the full episode will be released this Thursday. Tune in to hear Spike talk about working with Denzel & about his new movie Chi-Raq (plus a whole bunch of other Spike Lee amazingness). You can subscribe to Denzel Washington is the Greatest Actor of All Time Period on iTunes.