Do the Correct Thing

Good Evening Ladies & Gentlemen,

I've spent all morning trying to square things away for my Rational Baboon's European Vacation coming up in a few weeks...and it has been mildly irritating...like a skin rash. Because I am traveling with two 70-year old ladies (who don't believe in concepts like electronic mail, cellular phones, or any form of communication that doesn't involve horseback), it has been difficult to get any commitment from them...so I basically told them what we're going to be doing today...and they seemed to approve. There are a few wrinkles to iron out but all in all, it's going to be a fun-filled trip along the Mediterranean.

After all that was handled, I watched Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" for the first time...and was sorely disappointed. Now, before I start a fierce debate with people that loved this movie, all me to elaborate on the situation. I enjoy most Spike Lee movies...and this was the one that made him a household name. In fact, I'm one of exactly six people in the entire world who thought "He Got Game" was a great movie. Anyway, this movie was okay...but I was expecting something that was going to make me look at the world in a completely different way like a lot of his movies do...and it simply did not. The main character Mookie (good name & played by Spike himself) is a pizza delivery man for Sal's Pizzeria (Italian pizzeria in Brooklyn). Sal's a decent guy who gives money to people in the neighborhood that are down on their luck. Then some guy comes in and notices that Sal has the place decorated with pictures of American-Italians like Frank Sinatra and Al Pacino. "Hey Sal, why ain't there no brothers on this wall?" "When you get a place, you can decorate it anyway you want." I was sold on that argument.

About an hour later (in movie time), a riot ensues when the guy comes back & causes a scene in the restaurant...and Sal takes out his frustrations on a boombox, another man reacts by choking Sal, and the police accidentally kill this other man in trying to pry him off Sal. So they burn down his pizzeria. Maybe Mr. Lee has to explain the moral of the story to me...but for anybody who wants to try to convince me that the neighborhood wasn't in the wrong, just flip it up and think of it as Mookie's pizzeria in an Italian neighborhood...and Vinnie, Sal, Guido, and James Caan burn down their establishment. Basically, what I took away from it...is that any group of people can be a mob and do something like that...and think they're in the right...but it's wrong. Oh, and never underestimate the power of silly ass people in large numbers. It's thought provoking and has powerful imagery and all...but I must just not be getting the overall message...or even worse, I am and I don't agree with it. One thing that I do agree with is that we should all learn from Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and other great leaders of the Civil Rights movement...and learn from their stories. Anyway, if you haven't seen it...then it doesn't matter what I think, so I'll move on.

Led Zeppelin Goes Digital - On November 13th, the two-disc Led Zeppelin retrospective "Mothership" will hit stores and will be the first time that all of the greatest rock band of all time's music will be in prestine digital quality. Again, if ANY of you know how I can score tickets to the November 26th concert in London where they're going to be reunited, please let me know. In the meantime, November 13th I'll be at Best Buy getting "Mothership" (this ship is not affiliated with George Clinton and/or Parliament Funkadelic).

Local Water News - In the wideopen spaces of Syracuse, Utah, the sewer district manager of North Davis County, Keith Cowan is handing out complimentary bottles of water. By complimentary, I mean free...because the ingredients listed on the bottle are hardly complimentary. "Ingredients: Water, fecal matter, toilet paper, hair, lint, rancid grease, stomach acid and trace amounts of Pepto Bismol, chocolate, urine, body oils, dead skin, industrial chemicals (aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, selenium, silver arsenic, mercury,) ammonia, ... soil, laundry soap, bath soap, shaving cream, sweat, saliva, salt, sugar. No artificial colors or preservatives. Some variations in taste and/or color may occur due to holidays, predominant cuisine preference, infiltration/inflow, or sewer cross-connections." Suddenly tequila doesn't seem that bad to me. Oh yeah...and there's a message associated with it that water is polluted. I wonder if he's handing this out to people that have been living in a cave since the Industrial Revolution because that's about all who wouldn't know that by swimming in the local fishin' hole. Mildly creative though.

"We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat" - An 844-pound shark was caught in the Gulf of Mexico by six friends who were looking to hook some grouper. Instead, they hooked themselves a record with this 11-foot Mako, king of the Tigersharks. Not only did it set a new record at the Destin Fishing Rodeo...but it shattered it by 338 pounds. I struggle at trout farms...so my hat's off to you six gentlemen for getting that shark.


Who Here Has Seen the Matrix? - Really? Me too? If you want to see a hot Wachowski Brothers movie though, check out "Bound". Just trust me. Anyway, this news clipping is about Japanese researchers who say they have found a way to let people stroll through a virtual world called Second Life using their imagination (brain waves). Second Life is basically like a faux real-life version of Warcraft where people make up their avatar characters or whatever and interact...as opposed to stepping outside and taking in sunshine at the same time. I understand that this could mean a lot for paralysis victims in leading to Iron Man-like technology for the future...but it just has a kind of creepy vibe to me. I pray that I'm not Cassandra looking into the future and nobody believes me...but this just seems like Step 1 in the twelve-step process of technology's domination of the world. It's kinda like: Step 1 - Virtual World, Step 2 - Sexbots, Step 3 - Virtual Fudge and on down to Step 12 - Human Batteries. Anyway, keep an out for development in that department.

So...to show that I don't dislike Spike Lee in any way, here's the new movie list...enjoy. Just so you know ahead of time, I haven't seen ALL of his movies, so let me know if I missed a good one.

Spike Lee Movies

Medal Winners

Gold - Malcolm X (1992) - Denzel Washington will be a recurring theme in this list...because he's Denzel Washington...and he's in Spike Lee movies. I can't believe that I completely forgot this movie in my list of Biopics...but it should be in there somewhere. It does a great job of showing the life, personal conflict, rise to power, and the multiple dimensions to Malcolm X and other historical black leaders of the era. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie...but I'm going to warn you, it's quite lengthy. Denzel should have won an award...and Spike Lee too...but we'll see if Spike ever gets his.


Silver - Inside Man (2006) - I distinctly remember watching this movie and not realizing it was a Spike Lee Joint...until some unnecessary scenes were in there about racism. Then when it showed his name at the end, it made sense. It's a great bank robbery movie starring Denzel (again), Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, and Christopher Plummer. As far as bank robbery movies go, it'd make my list...along with "Heat", "Dog Day Afternoon", and "Point Break." It's a great thrill ride with twists and turns at every twist and turn. If you haven't seen it, go out and rent it tonight. You won't regret it later.


Bronze - He Got Game (1998) - Again, I may be one of the few people who liked this movie (and not just because Milla Jovovich is a prostitute) but I think it's as poignant a piece about the state of sports today as "Any Given Sunday." An interesting spin on the usual Blue Chip recruitment method as a convicted murderer (Denzel) is temporarily released to convince his high school basketball superstar son (Jesus Shuttlesworth played by NBA All-Star Ray Allen) to go to the governor's alma mater Big State. Only one big catch, Jesus' father accidentally killed his mother. What a twist! Great cameo performances ranging from John Turturro, Ned Beatty, and Rosario Dawson to half the major college basketball coaches and NBA superstars...including a great performance by Lakers legend Rick Fox (because he married Vanessa Williams) and Chasey Lain. Great movie. Check it out. I just got a Bloodhound Gang song stuck in my head now thinking about Chasey Lain.


Suggestion - Bamboozled (2000) - Again, a great movie loosely based on the exploitation of hip-hop music and other factors of African-American culture...but it's done obviously as a hit televised blackface minstrel show. It's actually one of the more thought-provoking movies that Spike has done...and I don't think anybody that I know has seen it. I only stumbled upon it around 2 AM on HBO once. Great performances by Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Michael Rappaport, Paul Mooney, Tommy Davidson, Mos Def leading a superstar group called the Mau Maus.


Flush It - Summer of Sam (1999) - Spike Lee's take on the "Son of Sam" murders in New York City during the summer of 1977 centering on the residents of an Italian-American South Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one another. It had very little to do with the "Son of Sam" murders and a lot to do with John Leguizamo's character being a bastard. It's not a horrible movie or anything, but it's not Spike Lee's finest. Actually his worst...but still decent. Maybe if...for a twist, Reggie Jackson was the 45 killer...or Denzel. Oh yeah, check out Adrien Brody in the movie. Awesome, right?


Future Watch - M.O.N.Y (TV 2007) - Apparently this TV series about an outspoken public advocate becoming the interim mayor of New York is coming later this year but...I can't find much on it. They also have an Inside Man Sequel in the works...which should be pretty good when/if it comes around, possibly by 2009. Also, I wonder if Spike Lee will still be courtside at Knicks games after the fiascos of the past year or so...or if Reverend Al Sharpton is pesting him too. New York is a great place to visit. Hopefully I'm still welcome back there after this review of his work. You're a great director Mars Blackmon, just not my cup of tea all the time...but I'm sure that you've heard much worse. Maybe some new Nike commercials...


Fortune Cookies of the Day - "Success will be yours at home and in business...in bed." - Okay, that one didn't really make a lot of sense...but still...success will be mine even if sex-s isn't. Thank you all-powerful cookie of fortune!!! Oh wait, you have another one for me? What does this one say? "Stay close to your inner self - you will benefit in all ways." - Stay close to inner self? Good advice...for I will benefit in all ways...in bed. Have a great night everybody. Bubbles, I hope you start feeling better.