March 2006–The Spike Lee Joint Collection features Clockers, Jungle Fever, Do The Right Thing, Crooklyn and Mo’ Better Blues. This anthology of five provocative and controversial films by one of the most influential filmmakers hits shelves March 7, 2006 from Universal Home Entertainment.
Director, producer, writer and actor Spike Lee has received widespread acclaim for making movies that challenge cultural assumptions about such hot button issues as race, class and gender identity, with passion, humor and intelligence. The Spike Lee Joint Collection brings five of Lee’ s most important films together for the first time in a special collection that highlights his unique voice and prodigious talents.
Clockers, Jungle Fever, Do The Right Thing, Crooklyn and Mo’ Better Blues are included in this one-of-a-kind anthology, each featuring unforgettable performances from award-winning actors such as Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Harvey Keitel, Wesley Snipes, Samuel L. Jackson, Rosie Perez, John Turturro, Mekhi Phifer, Danny Aiello and Alfre Woodard. Music by Stevie Wonder, Seal, Marc Dorsey, Des’ree, Chaka Khan and others provides a compelling aural backdrop for Lee’s always intriguing urban jungle. The Spike Lee Joint Collection comes in a specially designed, highly collectible package and is priced at $26.98 SRP.
DISC 1
Clockers
One of 1995’s most powerful films. Strike (Mekhi Phifer) is the hardest-working 24-hour drug dealer (or “clocker”) in New York City. His industry and ambition attract the attention a local drug kingpin (Delroy Lindo), who offers him an opportunity for advancement: Get rid of the competition. When a rival dealer turns up dead, Strike finds himself at the center of the investigation. Strike’s law-abiding brother shocks everyone by confessing to the murder, but a dedicated homicide detective (Harvey Keitel) wants the truth.
Jungle Fever
Flipper Purify (Wesley Snipes) is a successful black architect enmeshed in an extramarital romance with his working-class, Italian-American secretary (Annabella Sciorra). When the interracial romance is discovered, their families and friends shun the pair, reacting with anger and disgust. Jungle Fever examines the tragic consequences of interracial relationships, as the pair is driven apart by the pressures of race and class. The extraordinary cast includes Spike Lee, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, Lonette McKee, John Turturro and two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Quinn.
DISC 2
A single sweltering summer day in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood is the setting for Lee’s scorching depiction of racial tensions in America. A neighborhood pizza joint owned by Sal (Danny Aiello in an Oscar-nominated performance) is targeted for a boycott because of the lack of racial diversity on the shop’s “Wall of Fame.” Suppressed resentment and bigotry explode into senseless violence, altering the delicate balance of a volatile inner-city community. Unforgettable characters and first-rate performances from the likes of Rosie Perez, John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito and Lee make this a memorable and extraordinary film.
Mo’ Better Blues
In the smoky environs of late night jazz clubs, Bleek Gilliam (Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington), a gifted musician, faces crises in both his personal and professional life. Obsessed with his music and caught between two girlfriends, Indigo (Joie Lee) and Clarke (Cynda Williams), Bleek struggles to keep his musical quintet together and make a commitment to one of the women. Stunning cinematography, a rousing score and superlative performances come together in this unforgettable feast for the senses.
DISC 3
Crooklyn
Spike Lee revisits the Brooklyn of his youth to create a sweet, heartwarming comedy about one summer in the life of a large urban family. Seen through the eyes of young Troy (Zelda Harris), the Carmichaels experience a very special season in the neighborhood they jokingly call “Crooklyn.”
Schoolteacher Carolyn (Oscar nominee Alfre Woodard), her stubborn jazz musician husband (Delroy Lindo) and their five kids struggle through often difficult but always loving circumstances. Loosely based on Lee’s own childhood, “Crooklyn” is a universal coming-of-age saga.
Running Time:
Disc 1: 4 hours 21 minutes;
Disc 2: 4 hours 12 minutes;
Disc 3: 1 hour 54 minutes
Ratings
Clockers: R (Strong Graphic Violence, Strong Language, Drug Content); Jungle Fever: R (Sensuality, Strong Language, Drug Content, Violence);
Do The Right Thing: R
Mo’ Better Blues: R;
Crooklyn: PG-13 (Drug Content)
