Filmmaker to receive honorary Oscar at Motion Picture Academy's Governors Awards
By Sandy Cohen, Entertainment Writer
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) --Spike Lee gets so excited when talking about movies, he can barely sit down. Reflecting on his career as he prepares to accept an honorary Oscar, the 58-year-old suddenly stands up and bounds around as he considers various ideas, at times bellowing so exuberantly, it echoes. Lee laughs as easily as he gets serious, and says he's profoundly touched by the film academy honor he'll receive Saturday at the seventh annual Governors Awards.
"Stick around long enough, you'll get some grace," Lee says, eyes smiling behind blue-framed glasses.
He insisted on meeting in person for this interview, and arrived at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences building wearing a black sweat suit, orange sneakers, a long strand of colorful beads and a beret touting the name of his latest film, "Chi-Raq." He carried a backpack with a blocky, cartoon image of his face on it.
Lee sat down (and sometimes stood) with The Associated Press to answer six questions about his career. Responses have been edited for brevity.
Q: What was your most challenging film to make?
Lee: "She's Gotta Have It" and "Malcolm X." ''She's Gotta Have it" was my first feature and I had to raise the money myself. We shot it in 12 days. And "Malcolm X" was an epic, and we never had the money from the beginning to shoot it, so that's why we had to ask prominent African-Americans to help us finish the film.
Q: What skill has proven most valuable to you in this industry?
Lee: You have to have thick skin. Because even this new film, "Chi-Raq," we went to Sundance with the script, and everybody else said no but Amazon. And it only takes one yes. This is a tough (expletive) business, and people need to understand that. I tell that to my students, more than once, in class at NYU. You've got to have heart, and you've got to have drive. And when you get knocked down, you've got to pick yourself up – put your hands up on the ropes and pull yourself to your feet. Because… if you can't take a hit, you're not going to last long, that's for sure.
Q: What changes in the industry have been most surprising to you?
Lee: I'm still surprised that Hollywood and networks have not been diverse as other industries. You look at sports; look at what African Americans have done in sports – not just on the field but in owning teams, in the front office. And I don't want to give away some of my speech, but it's great to have African Americans who are Oprahs an Denzels and Sam and Will, but we need to have gatekeepers. I want one studio, one TV network, cable – who is the person of color that has the green-light vote? That's what I want to know. (He later noted that a black woman, Vanessa Morrison, runs Fox Animation Studios and clarified he's talking about live action.)
Q: What is the movie experience you'd most like to forget or have done differently?
Lee: My worst experience ever, and I've been making films since 1986, was "Oldboy." That is not the film – the film Josh Brolin and I made? That didn't make it to the theaters. And that's the first time I've said this publicly. It was not a good experience.
Q: What was your most exciting Hollywood experience?
Lee: I don't know if I could just say one. It's going to be exciting Nov. 14 (at the Governors Awards). It was exciting back in '82 when I won the Student Academy Award for my thesis film. … But I mean, think of all the people I've worked with: Five times with Denzel, a lot with Samuel L. Jackson, Wesley Snipes, Jada Pinkett. "Jungle Fever" was Halle Berry's first film. Anthony Quinn in "Jungle Fever." Ben Gazzara in "Summer of Sam." Jim Brown in "He Got Game." There's a lot of great people I worked with. Nelson Mandela in "Malcolm X." Angela Bassett. John Turturro – he's acted in my films more than anybody. Working with Prince on "Girl 6." Working with Stevie Wonder, who did the songs on "Jungle Fever." So I worked with great, great, great talent…
Q: You've been very outspoken throughout your career and gotten into some public verbal exchanges with your peers. Have any of them ever resulted in friendships afterward?
Lee: Of the things that have been public, me and Tyler Perry are cool now. We talked it out. I flew down to Atlanta … we sat down, so me and Tyler Perry are mad cool. It happened two or three years ago. We have no beef.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More