I??m working currently with SpikeDDB on a project that has been initialised by Spike himself. All I have to say, this goes for more than 4 month now, the people from the agency are a nightmare to work with, and the communication is the same. Dealing with Spike himself though is pretty cool, he is focused and nice to work with. The thing is, he totally relies on his people, and the do the Rat Race who gets the best for Spike. Once you are about to seal the deal, they come up with more 10 sec before you want to ink it. I did actaully call off the cooperation 2 times because of these fucks. I??m pretty sure that Spike has no idea of hwat is going on his agency, he just wants it to work and get paid.
Spike Lee's Oldboy remake got dumped in to 583 locations this weekend. Without much of a marketing push, the movie tanked with just $1.25 million for the five-day frame ($850,000 three-day). Based on these terrible results, it's unlikely the movie hangs in theaters long enough to make it past the $3 million mark, making this one of the biggest bombs in recent memory.
I read his book about the making of his Malcolm X film, and my respect for him went up about 7000%. I can see how he'd care not for the woes of someone who may well have been ripped off by the agency responsible for the artwork for one of his films. There's a lot going on and he doesn't micromanage.
I did like "Mo' Better Blues". The bit where his girl is chewing him out while he's practicing and he can't hear a word she's saying rings so true. And pretty human at the end. I hoped he'd carry on an build on this kind of work.
But remaking "Oldboy"... Why? Did he actually think he'd do a better job? I think he did. WHY THE F*CK ELSE WOULD YOU?
The rest of the world sees it as a "Motown Covers" move. Fast-track to the twilight of a career.
"Being a dick to Stevie Wonder" is just throwing fuel on the bonfire.
The remake was a weird decision, I tend to think these guys do it as homage; introducing something they love to a wider audience with a good measure of ego/dick stroke thrown in...who knows? Haneke doing a US version of Funny Games shot by shot, line by line is also confounding to me.
Oof. Mo Better Blues was soooooo cringe-worthy lol
Then again, I might be the only person who loved Summer of Sam
I hear you, but whether he's being a dick to Stevie Wonder and/or some mid-level graphic designer, he's being a dick either way.
I can see how he'd care not for the woes of someone who may well have been ripped off by the agency responsible for the artwork for one of his films. There's a lot going on and he doesn't micromanage.
I can't. He may not micromanage, but now something associated with him, his name and his work has been brought to his attention and if it's all true, he should fix that shit. I can see people being wary of this kind of thing; it can open the door to all sorts of claims, but that's not what I'm getting from his cavalier "I've never met the guy" attitude.
spike did the remake so maybe he would get a shot at working with big budgets again. despite inside man being a hit the studios have smaller and smaller slates each year. if it ain't a YA adaptation or a superhero movie, they really aren't trying to hear it. it was work for hire, plain and simple, can't blame him for trying to stay in the game. what's the other option? starve like other indie guys from the 80's/90's?
never realized how much hate the strut had for spike.
Yea, it comes up now and then and I actually don't get it...then again, this seems to be more of a Tarantino crowd anyway.
I have way more respect for Spike Lee than I ever will for Tarantino.
I'm not trying to defend Spike Lee in this case, but this designer dude just sounds naive. Of all the routes one could take to sort this out, airing it out publicly is probably the shittiest. If he's out to get money, he should just hire a lawyer. If he wants to get his name out as "the dude who designed that Oldboy poster they copied," he's getting his name out for sure, but maybe not in the best light, at least in terms of getting hired for another job.
Plus there's nothing special about his posters, probably some dude will look at one of his proofs and say, "this guy ripped off my design for the Saw XVIII one-sheet."
never realized how much hate the strut had for spike.
I don't hate. I've been a fan of much of his work since I saw School Daze in the theater. While I've been of the opinion that nobody should have taken a shot at this remake. I was still keeping hope that Spike would bring something to this. But now seeing it. I wish he would have stayed clear. But whatever. You can't score if you never take a shot. And things don't help that Universal put pretty much zero marketing behind it and put it in a small amount of theaters.
In any case. 5.5 outta 10
I don't think there is a lot of hate. Some people seem to have issue with putting out the address of that family during the Trayvon/Zimmerman. Which he personally apologized to the family and it was accepted.
He could have handled the designer issue WAY better tho.
Then again, I might be the only person who loved Summer of Sam
I hear you, but whether he's being a dick to Stevie Wonder and/or some mid-level graphic designer, he's being a dick either way.
He should just do documentaries.
I think Summer of Sam is a good movie also. I like the fact that it was really a character study of people with the murders being the back drop. Inside Job was a good movie as well.
Like your saying, being a hypocritical dick is separate from his artistic talents. Same goes for most artists people think they love.
I don't really hate. I too enjoyed Summer of Sam and even saw it in the theater. I still think the dog talking was cringeworthy though, but I liked the movie. Have enjoyed his other films as well and even listened to the commentary on When the Levee Breaks.
I was just pointing out that it probably tanked because it got zero promo and it's a remake of a cherished classique.
Of all the routes one could take to sort this out, airing it out publicly is probably the shittiest. If he's out to get money, he should just hire a lawyer. If he wants to get his name out as "the dude who designed that Oldboy poster they copied," he's getting his name out for sure, but maybe not in the best light, at least in terms of getting hired for another job.
I got the sense the guy feels like his options on how to deal with this are running low.
He can either take the hit and feel like crap for being taken for a chump or fight it and take the risk on a bad rep - everyone's got their limits.
Having said all that, his opening line in the letter is terrible.
never realized how much hate the strut had for spike.
Yeah I think it might have to do with the fact that the majority here -who are white- view Spike Lee as a 'reverse racist' (lol I always crack up when I see or hear that word).
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
Da Vinylmentalist said:
SIRUS said:
never realized how much hate the strut had for spike.
Yeah I think it might have to do with the fact that the majority here -who are white- view Spike Lee as a 'reverse racist' (lol I always crack up when I see or hear that word).
The day I start putting words in your mouth is the day you can start putting them in mine. Until that day arrives, plaese to not be second-guessing this CAC.
FWIW, I don't hate Spike at all. He's made a bunch of great movies (a few outright dogs, too) but I've always believed he gets granted a pass on quite a lot of shady shit because he's Spike. If white folks call him on it, they're waved away as racists, and if black folks call him on it (Samuel L siding with Tarantino in the n-bomb debate), they're Uncle Tomming for the white power structure. There's often some truth in both those positions, but it's far from the slam-dunk QED Spike might have us believe it is.
The person who most made Spike look bad here is Spike himself.
As someone who earns a living as a graphic designer, bad on this guy for working without a contract. Swim with the sharks...
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
Plantweed said:
As someone who earns a living as a graphic designer, bad on this guy for working without a contract. Swim with the sharks...
Agreed, it's a schoolboy error, and one this dude is unlikely to make again. But I'm sure you don't need telling about the way in which "no money in the budget/think of the exposure" has become the dominant narrative for creatives on the come-up - part of the reason I started this thread was to try and trigger a discussion on that very issue.
What's annoying about Spike is that pretty much his entire rep has been built on the back of getting people to work for nothing. I remember reading an interview with Tracy Camilla Johns back in 1986, where she said she never saw, nor expected to see, any money for She's Gotta Have It, even after it became a runaway hit, because Spike sold it to her on the promise of exposure and some back-end down the line.
Back when he and Samuel L. Jackson were still beefing, Sam took a shot at him over his long-time policy of getting actors to work for scale (the SAG equivalent of minimum wage). I doubt he's still in a position where he needs to do that as a matter of course (I'm speculating here, obviously), but judging from this, it does rather seem as if it's become a point of principle. Shitty principle, if you ask me.
never realized how much hate the strut had for spike.
Yeah I think it might have to do with the fact that the majority here -who are white- view Spike Lee as a 'reverse racist' (lol I always crack up when I see or hear that word).
FWIW, I don't hate Spike at all. He's made a bunch of great movies (a few outright dogs, too) but I've always believed he gets granted a pass on quite a lot of shady shit because he's Spike. If white folks call him on it, they're waved away as racists, and if black folks call him on it (Samuel L siding with Tarantino in the n-bomb debate), they're Uncle Tomming for the white power structure.
He gets granted a pass you say hmm. Do you think this 'privilege' Spike has might have something to do with him being black? Because we all know how outspoken black people in America always get 'granted a pass' on everything, right?
But I'm sure you don't need telling about the way in which "no money in the budget/think of the exposure" has become the dominant narrative for creatives on the come-up - part of the reason I started this thread was to try and trigger a discussion on that very issue.
Of course, I could write a treatise on this shit. I always try and push it to younger designers (and writers, etc.): don't work for free (if asked; I often volunteer free design/illustration to projects I'm really into but where's there's no budget). Find a balance where you're not priced too high or too low. Put a value on your time and your work. If you don't value it, no one else will.
This guy probably figured since he has no legal recourse, he might as well hail mary and see what happens. Bet he was shocked he became talk of the town. If he gets a couple of regular clients out of it, it was worth it.
He gets granted a pass you say hmm. Do you think this 'privilege' Spike has might have something to do with him being black? Because we all know how outspoken black people in America always get 'granted a pass' on everything, right?
E-friend, I think you are having an argument with yourself on this.
Comments
what the f*ck is happening in this thread?
My guess is most people don't know what it is and those who do, know that you can't fuck with the original, so why bother.
It's Probably Because Of Racism. And Also How Racist The Hunger Games Is For Being Released On The Same Weekend.
Yea, it comes up now and then and I actually don't get it...then again, this seems to be more of a Tarantino crowd anyway.
But remaking "Oldboy"... Why? Did he actually think he'd do a better job? I think he did. WHY THE F*CK ELSE WOULD YOU?
The rest of the world sees it as a "Motown Covers" move. Fast-track to the twilight of a career.
"Being a dick to Stevie Wonder" is just throwing fuel on the bonfire.
Oof. Mo Better Blues was soooooo cringe-worthy lol
Then again, I might be the only person who loved Summer of Sam
I hear you, but whether he's being a dick to Stevie Wonder and/or some mid-level graphic designer, he's being a dick either way.
He should just do documentaries.
I can't. He may not micromanage, but now something associated with him, his name and his work has been brought to his attention and if it's all true, he should fix that shit. I can see people being wary of this kind of thing; it can open the door to all sorts of claims, but that's not what I'm getting from his cavalier "I've never met the guy" attitude.
DEAL-BREAKER.
;)
Sounds like you have never even bought the same present for two birds :smh:
I have way more respect for Spike Lee than I ever will for Tarantino.
I'm not trying to defend Spike Lee in this case, but this designer dude just sounds naive. Of all the routes one could take to sort this out, airing it out publicly is probably the shittiest. If he's out to get money, he should just hire a lawyer. If he wants to get his name out as "the dude who designed that Oldboy poster they copied," he's getting his name out for sure, but maybe not in the best light, at least in terms of getting hired for another job.
Plus there's nothing special about his posters, probably some dude will look at one of his proofs and say, "this guy ripped off my design for the Saw XVIII one-sheet."
I don't hate. I've been a fan of much of his work since I saw School Daze in the theater. While I've been of the opinion that nobody should have taken a shot at this remake. I was still keeping hope that Spike would bring something to this. But now seeing it. I wish he would have stayed clear. But whatever. You can't score if you never take a shot. And things don't help that Universal put pretty much zero marketing behind it and put it in a small amount of theaters.
In any case. 5.5 outta 10
I don't think there is a lot of hate. Some people seem to have issue with putting out the address of that family during the Trayvon/Zimmerman. Which he personally apologized to the family and it was accepted.
He could have handled the designer issue WAY better tho.
I think Summer of Sam is a good movie also. I like the fact that it was really a character study of people with the murders being the back drop. Inside Job was a good movie as well.
Like your saying, being a hypocritical dick is separate from his artistic talents. Same goes for most artists people think they love.
I was just pointing out that it probably tanked because it got zero promo and it's a remake of a cherished classique.
I got the sense the guy feels like his options on how to deal with this are running low.
He can either take the hit and feel like crap for being taken for a chump or fight it and take the risk on a bad rep - everyone's got their limits.
Having said all that, his opening line in the letter is terrible.
He's remaking "Crocodile Dundee II" ??!?!1?
Yeah I think it might have to do with the fact that the majority here -who are white- view Spike Lee as a 'reverse racist' (lol I always crack up when I see or hear that word).
The day I start putting words in your mouth is the day you can start putting them in mine. Until that day arrives, plaese to not be second-guessing this CAC.
FWIW, I don't hate Spike at all. He's made a bunch of great movies (a few outright dogs, too) but I've always believed he gets granted a pass on quite a lot of shady shit because he's Spike. If white folks call him on it, they're waved away as racists, and if black folks call him on it (Samuel L siding with Tarantino in the n-bomb debate), they're Uncle Tomming for the white power structure. There's often some truth in both those positions, but it's far from the slam-dunk QED Spike might have us believe it is.
The person who most made Spike look bad here is Spike himself.
Agreed, it's a schoolboy error, and one this dude is unlikely to make again. But I'm sure you don't need telling about the way in which "no money in the budget/think of the exposure" has become the dominant narrative for creatives on the come-up - part of the reason I started this thread was to try and trigger a discussion on that very issue.
What's annoying about Spike is that pretty much his entire rep has been built on the back of getting people to work for nothing. I remember reading an interview with Tracy Camilla Johns back in 1986, where she said she never saw, nor expected to see, any money for She's Gotta Have It, even after it became a runaway hit, because Spike sold it to her on the promise of exposure and some back-end down the line.
Back when he and Samuel L. Jackson were still beefing, Sam took a shot at him over his long-time policy of getting actors to work for scale (the SAG equivalent of minimum wage). I doubt he's still in a position where he needs to do that as a matter of course (I'm speculating here, obviously), but judging from this, it does rather seem as if it's become a point of principle. Shitty principle, if you ask me.
He gets granted a pass you say hmm. Do you think this 'privilege' Spike has might have something to do with him being black? Because we all know how outspoken black people in America always get 'granted a pass' on everything, right?
Of course, I could write a treatise on this shit. I always try and push it to younger designers (and writers, etc.): don't work for free (if asked; I often volunteer free design/illustration to projects I'm really into but where's there's no budget). Find a balance where you're not priced too high or too low. Put a value on your time and your work. If you don't value it, no one else will.
This guy probably figured since he has no legal recourse, he might as well hail mary and see what happens. Bet he was shocked he became talk of the town. If he gets a couple of regular clients out of it, it was worth it.
E-friend, I think you are having an argument with yourself on this.