DAT NiGGA

Comme des Garçons x Paolo Roversi: ‘Ceremony of Seperation’, 2015.

Crooklyn (1994)     dir: Spike Lee

Some set pics and mementos. While many did not see the film when it was released in theaters, everyone I talk to today who has seen the film seems to love the film. Glad to see the film seems to have a earned an enthusiastic audience in the ancillary market beyond theatrical release. Fond memories. 

All the actors from the kids to the adults really shined and performed well in this film. A capture of a distinct place and time.

A bit of candor and insights: as I went through the process of earning an internship on the film, the production let me read the script in this tiny office space as the sounds of the Brooklyn NY streets served as backdrop. I noticed the co-writers on the front of the screenplay were Spike’s brother and sister, Cinque and Joie, So I immediately thought the genesis of the idea must have begun with them. Reading the screenplay I have to tell you, I was a bit disappointed. This was the man behind Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X. Hell, I began studying film by reading his screenplay books.  I was a bit underwhelmed by the script and writing on the page. The final film though, shows how a filmmaker, with the help of talented collaborators, can elevate what is on the page through visuals, performances, and music. The film truly elevates what is a rather lean and inelegant screenplay.