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CROOKLYN: With CROOKLYN, Spike
Lee revisits through the eyes of a young girl the Brooklyn of
his youth, resulting in an innocent, touching comedy about one
summer in the life of a large family. The only sister in a
family full of boys, Troy Carmichael (Zelda Harris) has to be
strong, smart and quick with her fists if necessary. Although
they argue more than they talk, the Carmichaels draw from a
deep well of love for one another. Over the course of the
summer, Troy weathers her parents' separation and
reconciliation (characters played with deep sincerity by Alfre
Woodard and Delroy Lindo), takes a wild visit to her cousin's
in Virginia, and must learn to cope with personal tragedy when
it strikes. Lee co-scripted the film with siblings Joie and
Cinque--who claim that it isn’t strictly
autobiographical--yet CROOKLYN rings true with a nostalgia and
detail that makes it feel like a home movie. Flexing his
technical skills, Lee shot all of the Virginia scenes with a
distorted lens to reflect Troy’s confusion with her new
surroundings. Featuring an onslaught of 1970s pop culture
references and a seemingly endless pop music soundtrack,
CROOKLYN yet remains a universal viewing experience. JUNGLE
FEVER: Spike Lee’s drama is a complex, multilayered, and
volatile look at interracial romance in present-day New York
City. Flipper Purify (Wesley Snipes), an up-and-coming African
American architect, seems to have it all: a successful career,
a nice apartment on a renovated street in Harlem, a beautiful,
intelligent wife whom he adores, and a bright, loving little
girl. The last thing he expects is to find himself in an
affair with a blue-collar Italian American from Bensonhurst.
But soon after Angie Tucci (Annabella Sciorra) comes to work
in his office, the two end up staying late together and having
intimate talks over takeout Chinese food. Inevitably a romance
begins, leaving Flipper and Angie caught up in the fury and
suspicion of the racial prejudice of their families and
friends. As their lives unravel, so does their affair, and
they wonder if their relationship ever had a chance from the
beginning. As usual with Lee, he isn’t content to tackle
simply one issue in his films--in JUNGLE FEVER, he addresses,
for perhaps the first time, the drug epidemic in the African
American community. In this subplot, Samuel L. Jackson plays
Gator, Flipper’s crackhead brother, with an intensity that
is almost too painful to watch. MO' BETTER BLUES: Spike Lee
ventures into the world of jazz music with this stylish
romantic drama. Forced by his mother to study the trumpet,
Bleek Gilliam (Denzel Washington) has grown up to become the
leader of a successful jazz quintet. Managed by his inept
friend, Giant (Lee), Bleek clashes with fellow band member
Shadow Henderson (Wesley Snipes). Making matters worse is
Bleek’s romantic situation: trying to balance two different
women at the same time--schoolteacher Indigo Downes (Joie Lee)
and aspiring singer Clarke Bentancourt (Cynda Williams). In a
hysterical moment, the line is blurred when, while making
love, Bleek calls each woman by the other’s name. As he
struggles to keep the quintet alive and flourishing, he must
decide once and for all what it is he really wants: Indigo,
Clarke, or his trumpet. The son of jazz musician Bill Lee, who
contributes music to the film, Lee has written a script that
crackles with witty behind-the-scenes banter that feels
natural and fresh. Ernest R. Dickerson’s camera moves at an
even brisker pace than in other Lee films, which compliments
the bouncy soundtrack, making MO’ BETTER BLUES an
entertaining ride.
Movie Details:
Color; Dolby Noise Reduction; Surround Sound; Stereo Sound;
AC-3 Sound; Letter Boxed; Closed Captioned; Widescreen; Boxed
Set
DVD Features: Region 1
Boxed Set - Keep Case Disc One: CROOKLYN Anamorphic Widescreen
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1.85 Single Side - Single Layer Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 -
English Dolby Digital 5.1 - French Additional Release
Material: Film Clips/Highlights Text/Photo Galleries:
Production Notes Biographies -
1. Cast & Crew DVD-ROM Features: Web Links Disc Two:
JUNGLE FEVER Widescreen Anamorphic -
1.85 Single Side - Dual Layer Audio: Dolby Surround - English
Dolby Surround - Spanish Dolby Surround - French Additional
Release Material: Trailer -
1. Original Theatrical Featurette Text/Photo Galleries:
Production Notes Biographies -
1. Cast & Crew DVD-ROM Features: Web Links Disc Three: MO'
BETTER BLUES Anamorphic Widescreen -
1.78 Single Side - Dual Layer Audio: Dolby Surround - English
Dolby Surround - French Dolby Surround - Spanish Additional
Release Material: Trailer -
1. Original Theatrical Text/Photo Galleries: Production Notes
Biographies -
1. Cast and Crew
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