Spike Lee: Top Films and Unforgettable Controversies

Spike Lee is one of the most accomplished filmmakers and artists in recent memory. His films have been noted for their social commentary, unique style, and excellence as filmmaking tools. His stand out films include: "She's Gotta Have It," "Do The Right Thing," "Jungle Fever", “Malcolm X”, “Mo’ Better Blues”, and his newest film "BlacKkKlansman.” This book has been written by David Ritz, with photographs by James D. Morgan and interviews with various people such as Spike Lee, Norman Mailer, and Spike Lee's wife Tonya Lewis Lee.

Spike Lee: Top Films and Unforgettable Controversies is a short but rich look at the films of Spike Lee. The film critic David Ritz has done an admirable job in compiling all of the films that were made during his career along with described controversies, awards received for these films (including two Oscars), and information on filming locations.

Spike Lee: Top Films and Unforgettable Controversies is a very quick read, almost like reading a magazine. Its about the size of the same book that has a cover of the same film shown in the middle of the book. The book is set up in chronological order, by year if they were released in that order, or by controversy if those films were released within one year. The controversy section is separated into three categories which are "race", "sex", and "violence". Ritz also includes an extra category of "bias" which does not pertain to any specific film but rather acts as an overall review of what bothered Spike Lee about a movie. Ritz's overall writing style is very simple and easy to read, especially for someone who does not know of Spike Lee.

Spike Lee: Top Films and Unforgettable Controversies is probably not the ideal book to introduce someone to Spike Lee but it makes a great addition to anyone's Spike Lee collection. The book itself may seem too expensive at full price but it can be found for discounted prices online or at used bookstores. The book itself is obviously rather small and thin, which makes it easy to carry around if you want to show other people what films Spike Lee has made or just want a little bit of inspiration when you go out and make your own film.

"Spike Lee: Top Films and Unforgettable Controversies" was reviewed by "New York Times" film critic, A. O. Scott who said the book was "a light, pleasant read from a filmmaker who has never been shy about controversy."

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 Written by Tony Simmons; published in 2007 by BookSurge/Amazon Digital Services (ASIN: B000E1OATU).

 http://www.cineaste.com/reviews/readings_of_spike_lee-8406/reviews_and_columns/spikelee-1020-9715-0.

Conclusion: This is a short and easy to read, but still informative, little book that any film enthusiast can enjoy. This would be an excellent book to add to your collection if you are looking to learn more about the life of one of the most controversial directors in today's film industry. 

Conclusion: When you first begin reading this little short book it is hard to see what it has to offer. After you understand what it was intended for and how it was structured I would recommend this book because it offers great insight on the life of Spike Lee. It truly was an enjoyable read and taught me more about Spike Lee than I already knew prior.