A loud burst of laughter erupts in the house. My daughters know how to get to me. "Just kidding mom," my youngest replies. Asking me who Spike Lee is like asking me who Michael Jackson is?
I'm a huge movie buff. I curated a black film festival, "Ethnogenre" that was sponsored by the Rochester Association of Black Communicators for eight years. I and several people used to screen movies and decide which ones got selected for inclusion in the festival showcase. We showed the works of black filmmakers that many people never heard of. The artists created feature films, documentary, science fiction, horror, and shorts. I discovered that there were Black filmmakers from Canada, Asia, Britain, Africa, and America. Several of the films we selected went on win Academy Awards.
It was during this period, I discovered the founding father of black cinema, Oscar Micheaux. He was making films in the early 1900s in the midwest. He made what was called back then "race films." It boggled my mind to think that not only was he doing this, but no one ever heard of him. I also discovered that women made greater strides in the industry during the 1940's as opposed to today.
I wrote an earlier blog,"Men Act Like Only THEY Know Football". The things that I mention there also happen to me when I try to talk "film" with certain types of people. I was being interviewed about the festival years ago and the paper's critic asked why we do the festival. I answered his question and also noted that I considered Spike Lee as important a filmmaker as director John Sayles. The critic nearly dropped his pen and asked me what I knew about John Sayles? He hesitated for a moment when I gave him my answer, he agreed with me. His response: "A lot of people don't recognize his value or vision in his work and he tells great stories." So does Spike Lee.
Love him or hate him. Spike Lee gets a lot of props in my book for making so many films. People pick on him for telling stories that we don't want others to know about it. Others say, he is a poor writer. While some say, he just complains too much. Black people accont for more than 40% of Hollywood's movie gross, yet directors and producers rarely make films about us. He's trying to make Hollywood accountable. One black movie every year doesn't work for me. All I have to say is how many other black filmmakers can you name that have made 20 or more films? Spike's doing that.
Spike Lee holds a special place in my heart. He was the first press conference I ever did on my first job. The other public relations people in my office had no idea who he was. I, however, knew who he was and was delighted that he was MY assignment. I was swamped with media requests and friends, I hadn't heard from in years, were asking for tickets.
Reporters came to the press conference and were shocked and surprised to have access to him. They also commented on the press kits that I assembled for this event. During the question-and-answer session of his program, Lee told me that I could let more people ask him questions and the crowd responded enthusiastically. The event was a HUGE success.
As a result of that event, I got a phone call from our city's other well-known television critic Bill Klein. I didn't know who he was, he had left several messages so I returned his call. He complimented me about the event and asked me if I would be interested in being part of his Academy Awards committee. I told him I had to think about it and would call him back.
It turned out he hosted our city's annual Academy Awards Party (I didn't know this; it's the second biggest party outside of Hollywood. All the money raised goes to charity and the winner of his yearly quiz wins tickets for two for a week in Hollywood) I told him I would join, but I would do something-behind-the-scenes, so I volunteered to chair the event's souvenir program committee. He liked the work that I did and I asked him if I could change the book's layout and found someone to donate the printing. Bill loved the journal's new look and asked me if I could do some public relations for the party. I agreed.
The next year, we got a ton of press coverage and ticket sales went through the roof. Bill got the bright idea to move the party to Regal Cinemas. He also decided that since the party's popularity was growing, he needed a new host for it. Bill, didn't care for that year's hostess; he asked me to do it.
My jaw hit the ground. He told me that I could do it. I had the personality, movie knowledge (for the last seven years, I always picked the best supporting actress winner) and he thought I could wear a gown to coincide with the ceremonies that would be telecast live into the theater. Standing in front of 900 people on a Sunday night and some of them I might know, the thought was intimidating, but I decided to go out of my comfort zone and do it.
When I got in front of the screen, butterflies were tearing up my stomach, but I looked calmed. Once I got talking, they went away. It was also nice to have the tech crew having my back. I paid attention to them constantly for cues. We raised a lot of money for a children's charity and once Bill joined me on stage; I knew I would be OK.
I hosted this party for 13 years. Then Bill had a heart attack two weeks before the ceremony. I saw the announcement on the TV news and was in shock. My phone was ringing off the hook with calls from friends. The committee decided the event should go on in Bill's memory. I decided that this would be my last year. I only hosted this event for him and since he was now gone, I needed to go, too. What was I going to do without Bill Klein?
To make a long story short, Spike Lee holds a fond place in my heart, not just for his filmmaking skills, but because of my long-working friendship with film critic Bill Klein.
Bill encouraged me to see films outside the norm and it was great to go to his house for parties and just talk about film and find out Hollywood "dirt." We appeared on a short "Siskel and Ebert-like show" to give our opinions about movies. We also shared a love of theatre, jazz, and travel. I'll never forget how nervous he got the year that my second child was due and I did the show eight months pregnant. He didn't tell me, but I found out that he had arranged for a "doctor" to be in the audience in case I went into early labor. I didn't.
When a Spike Lee film comes out; I rush out to see it. His last film, "A Miracle at St. Anna" about black war veterans brought me to tears. He has just developed and matured so much as a filmmaker. I know the struggles he has gone through to finance and keep his dreams alive. I respect him for that. I'm going through the same thing as an author.
My daughters know this. He's my favorite filmmaker.That's why when I look at his signed caricature portrait near my computer, I just keep my writing dream alive.
Posted By: Marsha Jones
Sunday, November 22nd 2009 at 11:13AM
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