The Oscars came and went last night, and undoubtedly one of the people to watch was legendary director Spike Lee. He was hard to miss, decked out in one of a kind, gold Michael Jordan 3s, specially commissioned by His Airness, himself. Lee's “BlacKkKlansman” film went toe to toe with other Best Pictures nominees “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Favourite,” “Green Book,” “Roma,” “A Star is Born,” “Vice” and the cultural event of 2018 “Black Panther.”
Meanwhile, the Academy has finally cleaned up one of most staggering omissions: finally nominating the Brooklyn born Lee in the category of Best Director.
Nope, not even any of his early classics such as “Do The Right Thing,” “Mo Better Blues,” “Jungle Fever” not the epic “Malcom X” garnered him any recognition in that category. On Thursday, while being honored at the Icon Mann along with the director and famed costume designer Ruth E. Carter, one of Spike’s closest friends and a co-star in some of those early gems, Samuel L. Jackson told LiveXLive he was pessimistic that the iconic lens man would walk away with an Oscar.
“You really thinks he’s gonna win?” The box office champion would ask sarcastically. “In every award show he’s been to, has he won? That’s usually a sign of what going to happen.”
Jackson, credited Lee's casting of him as the crack addicted Gator in 1991’s “Jungle Fever” as the major breakthrough in his career. And he acknowledged that whether or not his Capital One-commercials co-star gets an award, Lee’s contribution to filmmaking is immeasurable nonetheless.
“There have been surprises. There have been mistakes,” Jackson added. “Spike’s already a winner in our minds and hearts and we’ll forever champion him. All these young directors that came behind him had an opportunity to do what they do because Spike was able to do what he did.”
In the end, Jackson was right and Lee did not walk away with the Oscar for Best Director, losing to “Roma’s” Alfonso Cuaron, nor Best Picture, losing to “Green Book." However, the man did score his first ever Oscar, taking home the Best Adapted Screenplay. His appearance on stage created one of the night’s most memorable moments, and finally gave long overdue acknowledgment to one of Brooklyn’s best. Perhaps those elusive Director and Picture awards will still be in his sure-to-be fascinating future.
Nope, not even any of his early classics such as “Do The Right Thing,” “Mo Better Blues,” “Jungle Fever” not the epic “Malcom X” garnered him any recognition in that category. On Thursday, while being honored at the Icon Mann along with the director and famed costume designer Ruth E. Carter, one of Spike’s closest friends and a co-star in some of those early gems, Samuel L. Jackson told LiveXLive he was pessimistic that the iconic lens man would walk away with an Oscar.
“You really thinks he’s gonna win?” The box office champion would ask sarcastically. “In every award show he’s been to, has he won? That’s usually a sign of what going to happen.”
Jackson, credited Lee's casting of him as the crack addicted Gator in 1991’s “Jungle Fever” as the major breakthrough in his career. And he acknowledged that whether or not his Capital One-commercials co-star gets an award, Lee’s contribution to filmmaking is immeasurable nonetheless.
“There have been surprises. There have been mistakes,” Jackson added. “Spike’s already a winner in our minds and hearts and we’ll forever champion him. All these young directors that came behind him had an opportunity to do what they do because Spike was able to do what he did.”
In the end, Jackson was right and Lee did not walk away with the Oscar for Best Director, losing to “Roma’s” Alfonso Cuaron, nor Best Picture, losing to “Green Book." However, the man did score his first ever Oscar, taking home the Best Adapted Screenplay. His appearance on stage created one of the night’s most memorable moments, and finally gave long overdue acknowledgment to one of Brooklyn’s best. Perhaps those elusive Director and Picture awards will still be in his sure-to-be fascinating future.