10.0
10.0
New York at the Movies
2002
as Self
Spike Lee
Also known as: Sheldon Lee, Shelton J. Lee, Shelton Jackson Lee...
Directing
Born:March 20, 1957(age 69)
Birthplace:Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Nationality:United States
Education:New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Morehouse College, John Dewey High School
N/A
CommunityBiography
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American filmmaker and actor. At a very young age, he moved from pre-civil rights Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York. His father was a jazz musician, and his mother, a school teacher. His mother dubbed him Spike, due to his tough nature. He attended school in Morehouse College in Atlanta and developed his film making skills at Clark Atlanta University. After graduating, he went to the Tisch School of Arts graduate film program. He made a controversial short, The Answer (1980), a reworking of D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915) -- a ten-minute film. Lee went on to produce a 45-minute film Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983), which won a student academy award. Lee's next film, "The Messenger," in 1984, was somewhat biographical. In 1986, Spike Lee made the film, She's Gotta Have It (1986), a comedy about sexual relationships. The movie was made for 175,000 dollars, and made seven million. Since then, Lee has become a well-known, intelligent, and talented film maker. His next movie was School Daze (1988), which was set in a historically black school and focused mostly on the conflict between the school and the Fraternities, of which he was a strong critic, portraying them as materialistic, irresponsible, and uncaring. Lee went on to do his landmark film, Do the Right Thing (1989), a movie specifically about his own town in Brooklyn, New York. The movie garnered an Oscar nomination, for Danny Aiello, for supporting actor. It also sparked a debate on racial relations. Lee went on to produce the jazz biopic Mo' Better Blues (1990) which showed his talent for directing and acting, and was the first of many Spike Lee films to feature Denzel Washington. His next film, Jungle Fever (1991), was about interracial dating. Lee's handling of the subject proved yet again highly controversial. Lee's next film was the self-titled biography of Malcolm X (1992), which had Denzel Washington portraying the civil rights leader. The movie was a success, and resulted in an Oscar nomination for Washington. His next films were the comparatively light, Crooklyn (1994), and the intense crime drama, Clockers (1995). In 1996, Lee directed two movies: the badly received comedy, Girl 6 (1996), and the politically pointed, Get on the Bus (1996), about a group of men going to the Million Man March. His next film, He Got Game (1998), proved to be another excursion into the collegiate world as he shows the darker side of recruiting college athletes. The movie, in limited release, yet again featured Denzel Washington. In 2000 came Bamboozled which made a mockery out of television and the way African-Americans are perceived by white America and the way African-Americans perceive themselves. The movie, however, was a resounding critical success. Lee also has produced films like New Jersey Drive (1995), Tales from the Hood (1995), and Drop Squad (1994). He also has produced and or directed movies about Huey P. Newton, Jim Brown, and has commented in many documentaries about varied subjects. Lee is an obsessive New York Knicks fan. He and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, have two children.
Filmography (171 movies)
10.0
10.0
The Making and Meaning of 'We Are Family'
2002
as Self
10.0
10.0
Spike & Co. Do It a-Cappella
1990
as Self
10.0
10.0
Five Directors On The Battle of Algiers
2004
as Self
9.0
9.0
Samuel L. Jackson: Did I Stutter?
2023
as self
8.6
8.6
HIStory on Film, Volume II
1997
Director
8.2
8.2
Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist
2021
as Self
8.1
8.1
The Voice of Hind Rajab
2025
Executive Producer
8.0
8.0
A Century of Cinema
1994
as Self
8.0
8.0
Below the Rim
1995
8.0
8.0
It's Black Entertainment
2002
as Self
8.0
8.0
Jesus Children of America
2005
Director
7.8
7.8
New York New York
2020
Director
7.8
7.8
Evolution of a Criminal
2014
Executive Producer
7.8
7.8
Do the Right Thing
1989
Director
7.7
7.7
Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks
2010
as Self
7.7
7.7
The Universal Story
1996
as Self (archive footage)
7.6
7.6
Sidney
2022
as Self
7.6
7.6
When We Were Kings
1996
as Self
7.6
7.6
Hoop Dreams
1994
as Self
7.6
7.6
David Byrne's American Utopia
2020
Director
7.5
7.5
Malcolm X
1992
Director
7.5
7.5
BlacKkKlansman
2018
Writer
7.5
7.5
Pavarotti & Friends 99 for Guatemala and Kosovo
1999
Director
7.4
7.4
Inside Man
2006
Director
7.4
7.4
Love & Basketball
2000
Producer
7.3
7.3
25th Hour
2002
Director
7.3
7.3
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
2003
as Self
7.3
7.3
Michael Jordan to the Max
2000
as Self
7.3
7.3
Bad 25
2012
Director
7.2
7.2
4 Little Girls
1997
Director
7.2
7.2
Prince and the N.P.G.: Diamonds and Pearls Video Collection
1992
Director
7.2
7.2
Amazing Grace
2018
Producer
7.2
7.2
Denzel Washington: A Model American
2022
as Self
7.1
7.1
Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists
2018
as Self
7.1
7.1
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth
2013
Executive Producer
7.0
7.0
Decade
1989
as Self
7.0
7.0
Street Fight
2005
as Self
7.0
7.0
Pixote In Memoriam
2007
as Self
7.0
7.0
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
2005
7.0
7.0
Do the Right Thing: 20 Years Later
2009
Director
7.0
7.0
Lights, Action, Music
2007
as Self
7.0
7.0
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
2016
Director
7.0
7.0
Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans & the Movies
2008
7.0
7.0
All the Invisible Children
2005
Director
6.9
6.9
A Man's Story
2011
as Self
6.9
6.9
Through the Fire
2005
6.8
6.8
Crooklyn
1994
Producer
6.8
6.8
Pariah
2011
Executive Producer
6.8
6.8
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
2021
as Self
6.8
6.8
Brooklyn Boheme
2012
as Self
6.8
6.8
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1
2018
as Self
6.7
6.7
He Got Game
1998
Director
6.7
6.7
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
1989
as Self
6.7
6.7
Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet
2002
Producer
6.7
6.7
Clockers
1995
Screenplay
6.6
6.6
She's Gotta Have It
1986
Writer
6.6
6.6
Dirty Hands
2014
Executive Producer
6.6
6.6
The Best Man
1999
Producer
6.5
6.5
Champs
2015
as Self
6.5
6.5
Four Days in October
2010
as Self (archive footage)
6.5
6.5
Mo' Better Blues
1990
Producer
6.5
6.5
Kobe Doin' Work
2009
Director
6.5
6.5
PoliWood
2009
as Self
6.5
6.5
Son of the South
2021
Executive Producer
6.5
6.5
Summer of Sam
1999
Director
6.5
6.5
Da 5 Bloods
2020
Director
6.4
6.4
Birth of a Movement
2017
as Self
6.4
6.4
You Resemble Me
2022
Executive Producer
6.4
6.4
Jungle Fever
1991
Producer
6.3
6.3
The Original Kings of Comedy
2000
Producer
6.3
6.3
Get on the Bus
1996
Director
6.3
6.3
On the Shoulders of Giants
2011
6.3
6.3
Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store
2014
Director
6.2
6.2
New Jersey Drive
1995
Executive Producer
6.2
6.2
Tales from the Hood
1995
Executive Producer
6.2
6.2
Bamboozled
2000
Producer
6.2
6.2
Lumière & Company
1995
Director
6.2
6.2
Katt Williams: Priceless: Afterlife
2014
Director
6.1
6.1
Miracle at St. Anna
2008
Director
6.0
6.0
Guest
2011
as Self
6.0
6.0
Pass Over
2018
Director
6.0
6.0
Nervous Energy
2025
Executive Producer
6.0
6.0
Touched with Fire
2016
Executive Producer
5.9
5.9
Oldboy
2013
Director
5.9
5.9
Sucker Free City
2004
Director
5.8
5.8
John Leguizamo: Freak
1998
Director
5.8
5.8
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
2004
as Self
5.8
5.8
Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads
1983
Writer
5.7
5.7
3 A.M.
2001
Producer
5.7
5.7
Good Fences
2003
Executive Producer
5.7
5.7
Chi-Raq
2015
Writer
5.7
5.7
School Daze
1988
Director
5.6
5.6
Highest 2 Lowest
2025
Director
5.6
5.6
Saint John of Las Vegas
2010
Executive Producer
5.6
5.6
See You Yesterday
2019
Producer
5.5
5.5
Red Hook Summer
2012
Producer
5.5
5.5
Doubles with Slight Pepper
2011
Executive Producer
5.2
5.2
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
1996
as Self
5.2
5.2
Tales from the Hood 3
2020
Executive Producer
5.1
5.1
She Hate Me
2004
Screenplay
5.1
5.1
A Huey P. Newton Story
2001
Director
5.0
5.0
No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat
2004
as Self
5.0
5.0
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
2005
as Self
5.0
5.0
Tales from the Hood 2
2018
Executive Producer
5.0
5.0
Jim Brown: All-American
2002
Director
5.0
5.0
Cronies
2015
Executive Producer
4.9
4.9
Girl 6
1996
Producer
4.9
4.9
Passing Strange
2009
Director
4.8
4.8
Rodney King
2017
Director
4.8
4.8
The Concert for New York City
2001
Director
4.8
4.8
Nigerian Prince
2018
Executive Producer
4.8
4.8
The Girl Is in Trouble
2015
Executive Producer
4.7
4.7
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
2015
Director
4.7
4.7
One Morning All Over the World
2000
Director
4.7
4.7
Lisa Picard Is Famous
2000
as Spike Lee
4.6
4.6
You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You
2012
Executive Producer
4.6
4.6
The Last Party
1993
as Self
3.0
3.0
Bernie Mac: Live from Charlotte
2000
Director
2.8
2.8
Drop Squad
1994
Executive Producer
1.5
1.5
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
2014
as Self
1.0
1.0
The Making of 'Bamboozled'
2001
Director
1.0
1.0
The Answer
1980
Director
1.0
1.0
Sarah
1981
Director
1.0
1.0
Horn of Plenty
1986
Writer
1.0
1.0
Home Invaders
2001
Executive Producer
0.5
0.5
French Cinema Mon Amour
2015
as Self
A Daughter's Tribute to Her Father: Souleymane Cissé
2022
as Self
Seen It All
2022
Director
MTV's 10th Anniversary Special
1991
as Self
Do The Right Thing 25 Year Anniversary A Beats Music Experience
TBA
as Spike Lee
Sous les marches du palais
1991
as Self
Be A Part of It
2024
as Self
Be Truly Free
2017
Director
Number 4
2006
as Self
40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight
2008
as Self
First Works
1989
as Self
Seven Songs for Malcolm X
1993
Farewell, Babylon!
1993
as Self
Branford Marsalis: Steep
1991
as Self
Director Spike Lee's New York City
2015
as Self
Ray Allen/AKA- Jesus Shuttlesworth
2015
Director
We the People: From Crispus Attucks to President Barack Obama
2014
Public Enemy: Fight the Power... Live!
1989
Our Hollywood Education
1992
as Self
2 Fists Up
2016
Director
Amex Unstaged Pharrell Williams Live at the Apollo
2014
Director
Time 2 Surrender
2018
Executive Producer
Cherish
2018
Executive Producer
Gordon Hemingway & the Realm of Cthulhu
TBA
Producer
Boner
TBA
Producer
The Black 14
2018
Executive Producer
Da Understudy
TBA
Executive Producer
Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia
1998
Director
In Freedom
2023
Executive Producer
PUNTER
2024
Executive Producer
Spike Lee Presents Mike Tyson
1990
Director
The Truck
2024
Executive Producer
Brownies
2024
Executive Producer
3 Brothers - Radio Raheem, Eric Garner and George Floyd
2020
Director
Liberty
TBA
Producer
In Between Storms
2025
Executive Producer
How I Learned to Die
2025
Executive Producer
Talk Me
2025
Executive Producer
From Sidney, with Love
2025
Executive Producer
I Can't Breathe
2014
Director
F*ck That Guy
2024
Executive Producer
Land of the Free
2019
Director
Throw Like A Girl
2014
Director
Come Rain or Come Shine
2001
Director
Prince of Cats
TBA
Director
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to review!