Blackkklansman

Gotta be honest... that trailer looks hilarious.

Absolutely.

Not particularly excited but I'll probably give it a go because of AMC A List.

I heard Spike shoe-horned a particular recent event into the end so I'll pass.

I love the actors in this one and he typically does a great casting job with his movies.

I actually might see it, but I find it annoying that the white police officer that actually did the legwork and put himself in danger by actually interacting face to face with the Klan, while Ron Stallworth stayed at the station, gets little to no credit. He is not even named in the Wiki page. It will be interesting to see how the film handles it.

"I heard Spike shoe-horned a particular recent event into the end so I'll pass."

You type stupid.

[quote] I heard Spike shoe-horned a particular recent event into the end so I'll pass

Are you referring to Charlottesville?

I saw it last night and thought it was great! Spike's movies usually have interesting stories but I don't always like how he tells them. This was a very pleasant surprise. Music is great. Yes, as is his style, Spike introduces a political message which I first thought, "why'd he have to go there?" but in the end, it just sobers you up after a pretty funny two hours. I liked it!

I'd watch it just for Topher Grace as David Duke. I love Topher!

Could be a career comeback for him.

That's the wonderful Adam Driver, R6, who was so terrific in the little indie film 'Paterson.'

[quote] I heard Spike shoe-horned a particular recent event into the end so I'll pass.

It was perfect to marry the past to the present.  That is what the film touches on - the idea that that hard racism of the past where someone can be dismembered, set afire and lynched, has been replaced by a seemingly more benign form of racism embodied by David Duke. Duke changing his title of National Director versus Grand Wizard isn't different than the new terms being thrown around for  today's Klan/Nazis - the alt-right/white nationalists, so called patriots.

[quote] I find it annoying that the white police officer that actually did the legwork and put himself in danger by actually interacting face to face with the Klan, while Ron Stallworth stayed at the station, gets little to no credit. He is not even named in the Wiki page.

The real officer did not want to be involved with Stallworth's book. He helped Stallworth with his memories of the operation but didn't want to be identified.  Stallworth's book uses the alias "Chuck" whereas the film uses "Flip Zimmerman" for narrative purposes.

More Topher!

Saw it at a packed matinee this afternoon. The audience applauded at the end. Great movie.

I HATE that word, r10.......

Comeback, R15?

What's wrong with that? It's used all the time.

That's right, R16

Saw it today - highly recommend! Well done and topher grace was perfect as David duke.

A return to form for Spike Lee, and Denzel’s son did a terrific job in the lead role.

I’m annoyed that he always calls his films a “joint.” Please stop.

R20, I doubt Spike hangs out at Datalounge.

When was the last time he made a good movie? 2006? And before that, 1989.

No. I'm sick of these propaganda movies.

Well, thanks for "The Village", R22.

Oh and "Lady in a Weird Lake That's Really A Pool But Nobody Remembers"

R21 It's not totally out of the realm of possibility. Remember rapper King Louie accused Spike Lee a few years ago of sleeping with his friend's husband.

Was anybody else hoping Adam Driver would pull out his dick in that one scene?

Spike Lee lives in a Manhattan townhouse that was formerly the home of Gypsy Rose Lee (no relation).

The movie is terrific and right on the mark.

The movie is really good.

I know it's a comedy drama, but are there laugh out loud scenes? I could enjoy the catharsis of seeing professional racists portrayed as clowns.

No. I'd don't care if he fucked Gypsy Rose Lee or lived in her town house.

Like his films though I haven't watched most of the recent ones.

Adam Driver is uglier than sin.

Who do people hire that ugly white guy who can't act?

I never watch Spike Lee movies. As someone said, his films are all "propaganda" movies. This one looks very cartoonish.

I’ll see it, looks good. I love Jordan Peele and the cast looks good. I’m excited because I read there is an unreleased Prince song in it!

[quote]Was anybody else hoping Adam Driver would pull out his dick in that one scene?

Not as much as I wish Topher Grace would whip it out.

Great film- while it was sort of funny in places it was also creepy because these people exist- thus the closing to remind the audience that this is not satire.

Loved it! Saw it in a packed upper west side theater that clapped at the end. The theater was mostly white people, a lot of them older (4-5 of them had walkers).

It was at times laugh out loud funny but in the end I had tears. It’s sad to see that we really haven’t learned anything from the past.

I also appreciated that he pointed out the klan’s anti Semiticism and homophobia as well as hatred for blacks. We should all be united against hate.

Spike is a douchebag, but I think most of his movies are great.

[quote] (4-5 of them had walkers).

The metal kind or the kind you pay?

R6 He worked as an undercover cop. It's normal for an undercover cop to keep their identity hidden to prevent the danger of a crazed KKK member from seeking revenge for his betrayal. His face is already identifiable because he had worked closely in person with the Klansmen.

R6 It was an undercover operation. All police records were supposed to be destroyed after the secret operation was over but the author, Ron Stallworth, muscled his way through to prevent that from happening. The white undercover cop wanted his identity to be hidden because of the secrecy of the operation and the fact that the white undercover cop could put his life in real danger if his true identity was known.

Ron Stallworth explains the secrecy of the operation at 6:41 in the following clip.

BlacKkKlansman premiered on May 14, 2018, at the Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or and won the Grand Prix.

[quote]BlacKkKlansman premiered on May 14, 2018, at the Cannes Film Festival

Well, isn't that a foot up the old ass?

Possibly the only relevant and interesting Spike Lee movie ever.

At 2:01 in the following clip, Topher Grace, mentions that the film received a 10 minute standing ovation at its screening at the Cannes Film Festival.

Not indicative of anything. Several good movies are booed at Cannes and several (I mean A LOT) get standing ovation and are shit.

This movie looks great, though.

Topher's back, bitches! He's so handsome.

r46 That pink is not his color.

The film is "kicking up quite a response from critics, whose reviews seem to range from “really good” to “great.”"

"BlacKkKlansman is currently sitting at a 97 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes and is garnering a lot of Oscar buzz, although due to its limited release it is only shaping up to be the fifth highest grossing film of the weekend."

It's excellent & Driver will get an Oscar nom. He's also beautiful - whats wrong with you bitches?

It will be nominated for Best Picture, no question. Also Best Actor, and they will lobby for Topher to get best supporting Actor. The girl who played Angela Davis was also very good as was the wife of the Klansman who was a horrible character but was portrayed very clearly and came off quite pathetic in her desire to belong and help her Husband and the "Organization".

r51=Helen Keller.

Wow, I never dreamed that this film would garner Oscar buzz.

I haven't seen it, but now I just might.

R48 I agree. I love him in the following clip.

The movie could be peaking at the right time.

It's nearly September, so it gives Academy voters four months to go out and watch the movie, based on the buzz.

Then by awards season in January 2019, it can start picking up steam.

R52 According to Vanity Fair, Topher Grace nailed BlacKkKlansman’s toughest role: the smiling face of white supremacy.

Academy Award winner Topher Grace!

I love the sound of that.

r58 Shut up.

My only nitpicks to the film are : Adam Driver just looked too ethnic to be accepted as "aryan" by the white supremacists. The character who recognizes him also looks straight up Italian- Jewish not aryan.

Worth seeing and topher grace nailed the David duke character.

pre-BURN!, r59.

I was not interested in this film until I saw the trailer. It looks great. I liked the fact that they did not try to do David Duke's accent. Nothing is worse than bad accents.

I hope it get Best Picture Oscar nod but didn't they add a new category of "Popular"? I can easily imagine movies like Black Panther and BlacKkKlansmen will be nominated in that category.

Is there really going to be a new "popular" category at the Academy Awards?

What is this, the People's Choice awards, now?

The popular category is for blockbuster popcorn films (action, sci-fi, comic books). BlacKkKlansmen Would be in the regular category.

I thought they weren’t starting that till 2020?

[quote] Will you watch it?

No. I already know the story.

[quote] Adam Driver just looked too ethnic to be accepted as "aryan" by the white supremacists

He is your basic Anglo Scots Irish Dutch German mix that is all over the US, especially in klan country. Why would supremacists not accept him?

Oh yeah, and Driver’s stepdad is a Baptist minister, which would make him all the more acceptable to the klan.

97% OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS FROM RED STATES WILL NOT SEE THIS FILM IM JUST SAYING!!!

[quote] 97% OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS FROM RED STATES WILL NOT SEE THIS FILM

It wasn't made for them.

It is a nearly perfect movie: funny, well acted, interesting, painful, and back to fun again.

I liked it a lot. Who will get Best Supporting Actor nom?

Topher!

I thought there were too many pat, happy endings, and the white man had to rescue the black man at the end, even though one of the characters complained about that very thing earlier in the movie.

Spike Lee has four months to put out advertisements and lobby the Academy for votes!

I'm shocked the cast isn't all British.

I noticed the pop culture reference to Marie Osmond and “Paper Roses” was released in 1973 not 1972.

The one thing that was noticed.

Watchable but uneven. I think it could have been improved in the pacing and editing, Spike cannot write women's parts. Agreed that Topher is good, but son of Denzel is not that magnetic of an actor.

I can't watch anything about slavery, racism or the Holocaust

Really r79? Then you're missing out on the original "Roots"

I thought parts of it were good, most of the rest so-so, and the remainder bog awful. Outside of a few actors, the cast was terrible. That all said, I think it is one of his better movies.

There were several anachronisms that drove me crazy, but I guess that's how it goes these days.

[quote]There were several anachronisms that drove me crazy

Such as?

I really liked it, including all the actors/performances, and the Prince performance over the end credits it sweet. It's a traditional song, not written by Prince.

Did anyone else catch Driver's "Jedi mind trick" quip? It was a cute inside joke, but I was under the impression that this movie was set before Star Wars was released.

Nope. I do not support anything that has to do with Spike Lee.

I enjoyed the movie and it had a good message. It made me think.

Is that a book report r86? It needs to be 500 words.

Thought it was great, but really could have used some trimming. The speech in the beginning, the dance sequence, all those redundant scenes with Ron and Patrice, etc. I didn't think the Charlottesville footage was out-of-place. It served as a great bookend for the movie along with the Alec Baldwin scene in the beginning. The Alec character represented old-school racism, Charlottesville the present-day version. The movie in between showed us something that happened, and probably could have only happened, during the transition.

The entire time I thought I was watching Steve Buscemi in makeup. The fat wife character was well-written and disturbingly well-acted. Good to see Topher. Adam Driver is even uglier when he's 20 times bigger.

Sounds incredibly woke. In other words get ready to be scolded.

r89 Not at all. But you sound like you've made up your mind.

I have a feeling R89 often feels scolded!

I loved it. Thought the lead was a little lacking in charisma, but for once I didn’t want to stab myself watching Adam Driver. He didn’t do any of his stupid acting tics and turned in a great performance. Topher Grace was great, too. I give him props for taking such a controversial role and nailing it without becoming a caricature.

Yes that’s true r81, because if a movie feels scoldy to me I guess I am scolded a lot.

I absolutely cannot abide Spike Lee.

Having said that, I love his movies and I have seen every damn one of them. Dude knows what he is doing, and I would lay money that I will like this film just as I have every one of them starting with "She's Gotta Have It."

I just wish he wasn't such a superior douche in real life.

One question for those who know the story: Did Stallworth actually call Duke and identify himself by his real name? If so, I am dumbfounded that Duke was not suspicious. I'm not saying that it is quite on a level with say, Tyrone Washington or Lamar Jenkins...but it's close.

And I thought that for all his repulsive beliefs that Duke was supposed to be rather bright?

Saw it tonight. Incredible movie with great performances.

As is typical, a few DLers are going to pick it to death because they're assholes. Ignore them and go see this.

r94 This is a somewhat different Spike Lee. It's the fun Spike Lee we rarely see, so if you love his movies you just might like this even more. I don't know if I made it sound like a preachy history lesson in r88 but it's not. And I'm with r95. Most everything on DL is skewed toward the negative.

more please!

The actor who played Felix was great. I lost it when he asked to see Adam Drivers's [italic]circumstance[/italic].

[quote]The entire time I thought I was watching Steve Buscemi in makeup.

So did I! Their voices are eerily similar, even for brothers.

Thought this film was incredible. Definitely one of the best films of the year and should be Oscar nominated.

I liked it to bro

I finally watched the movie last night. It’s a great movie with an interesting story and good acting.

Watching the final scenes with actual footage of recent events was very powerful, especially considering the person who’s in charge of our country right now.

R101, I’ve started a Gofundme for you, so you can get an “o” and a comma.

I also finally saw this film last night. What a disappointment. Really wanted to like it. Of course the message is powerful but the actual film making to me was sub par. Not funny when it tried to be and felt forced and heavy handed when it wasn't necessary. Harry Belafonte was the best part of the film for me.

Washington’s incredible physique is suppressed well in this movie

This movie made me think dirty thoughts about Washington's BBC.

A google search shows Washington's torso covered with tattoos. Are those his or for a role?

Hate Spike Lee. Would never watch any of his shit movies.

Harry Belafonte gave the best performance.

Adam Driver was miscast. He didn't sound like (or even attempt to sound like) Ron Stallworth. He is also too ethnic-looking to have believably been read as an Aryan man.

There were way too many scenes with Washington's feminist girlfriend. They went absolutely nowhere.

Great idea, but the execution was wonky.

And the Jedi mind-trick line was most definitely an anachronism. Star Wars was still being written when this film is set.

John David Washington

I'm kind of shocked that Adam Driver is receiving so many nominations for his performance, I thought he was lackluster. Even Topher Grace was better than Driver.

I agree that Harry Belafonte stole the film with his one scene.

R110, that is not him.