The couple’s attorney, Matt Morgan, announced the settlement Thursday. Morgan says Lee called them to apologize fo retweeting their address. Details of the settlement weren’t disclosed.

Elaine and David McClain are in their 70s and say they have a son named William George Zimmerman, who lived in their Sanford area home in the mid-1990s. They say he is no relation to 28-year-old George Zimmerman, who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26.

The killing touched off protests around the country because Zimmerman was not arrested. He says he acted in self-defense.

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Respected film director Spike Lee was one of many Twitter users who retweeted the wrong address of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed Florida teen Trayvon Martin in February.

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Since the case has made national headlines, Lee has expressed his support of the Martin family and has called for justice to be served with several Twitter messages.

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Lee got wind of Zimmerman’s purported address last Friday after Marcus Davonne Higgins, a 33-year-old Los Angeles man who uses the online handle “maccapone,” tweeted it to Lee and several other celebrities including Will Smith, 50 Cent and Lebron James, according to a Smoking Gun report.

However, the address of an Edgewater Circle property that Higgins disseminated actually is the residence of David and Elaine McClain, a couple in their 70s whose home is about four miles from where Martin was shot, according to an MSNBC report.

The error has caused the couple to fear for their safety.

They have received mail that references the Martin case including an envelope etched with the words: “Taste the Rainbow.” (That is the slogan for Skittles, the candy Martin had on him when he was discovered shot.)

They have even moved temporarily from their home.

Elaine McClain told ClickOrlando.com that the only have one thing in common with Martin’s shooter.

“My youngest son, his last name is Zimmerman and his middle name is George.”

An old voter registration record shows that William George Zimmerman is connected to that Edgewater Circle property. McClain said her former married name was Zimmerman but that she’s not related to the Zimmerman who shot Martin.

The man who shot Martin is George Michael Zimmerman.

As for Lee, she added:

“He definitely owes a big apology. All this is really scary and it’s a shame. There’s no reason they put our address out there without checking to see who lived there.”

Lee has more than 250,000 Twitter followers. The mistake is a reminder that in the rush to disseminate information, it’s equally important to share news that is factually correct.

In this case, Higgins, Lee and whoever else retweeted the incorrect address may indeed be at fault for rushing to judgment.

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Brett Johnson is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based writer and the founder of the music and culture blog VeryArtistical.com.

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Maurice Ballard, now 37, spent part of his childhood in the Marlboro Houses in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn.

Ballard claims his life story was the basis for the film which told the story of an incarcerated father’s (played by Denzel Washington) attempt to shorten his sentence by persuading his estranged teenage son (Boston Celtics forward Ray Allen) to play basketball at a specific college.

Citing Allen’s character, Ballard explained:

“I want the people of the world knowing that I am Jesus Shuttlesworth.”

Ballard alleges that Earl Smith, an employee of Spike Lee’s production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, and promised Ballard that he’d get credit and appropriate payment for inspiring the film’s plot.

However, Smith and Lee completely deny that any such deal was made, asserting that his film was made from an original screenplay. Lee even has said that he’s never heard of Ballard.

Lee told the Daily News:

“It’s just another example of what happens in this industry all the time of someone saying, ‘They stole my idea.’”

In addition, Ballard claimed that he gave Lee associate Butch Robinson audio tapes several months before filming of He Got Game started. Ballard also said he was on set regularly and that, “Everyone knew it was my story.”

Ballard said he’s waited so long to seek credit because he was trying to avoid protect Lee. Ballard’s father, George Ballard, who died in 2009, was so well-connected in prison that he could have had people intimidate Lee into compensating the family, according to the former basketball star.

Ballard, who now lives in California, said he might seek legal action if he can find an attorney to represent his case.

Read more here.

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Brett Johnson is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based writer and the founder of the music and culture blog VeryArtistical.com.

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Part 1

I wasn’t even a teenager in 1992 when the film “X,” Spike Lee’s biopic of the late civil rights legend Malcolm X, hit theaters. But after watching it, I immediately became a fan of that young, Black pioneering director from Brooklyn. Not only did Lee’s directing of “X” enthrall me, the film indirectly influenced my fashion choices.

I, along with millions of Black men across the nation, copped an “X” baseball cap and a red, black, and green Africa medallion soon after viewing the film. (Yes, the early 1990s were also the days when “Troops” and “Filas” were the sneakers to have on your feet and kids were saving up money to buy a Luster’s S-curl kit.)

A reading of Alex Haley’s “Autobiography of Malcolm X” soon followed. I had never been so conscience about being a Black man, until I saw this landmark film. At the tender age of 12, Spike Lee had me self-assessing my Black male masculinity.

But now, at the age of 31, Spike Lee has me scratching my bald head.

How and when did he become such hater? And when did he stop making those gritty, Afro-centric grassroots films that “fought the power” and start complaining about his lack of it instead? His self-indulgent rants against Hollywood and unprovoked diatribes at fellow directors are becoming so common that I have to wonder if he is experiencing a midlife crisis.

During a Q&A about his new film, “Red Hook Summer,” at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Chris Rock asked Lee, “What would you have done differently if you had gotten a bunch of studio money?”

It was a simple enough question that should have rendered a simple reply. Instead, Lee went on a profanity-laced tangent about how Hollywood doesn’t know anything about Black people. (He said “muthaf*cka” five times and “f*ck” once in the presence of young child actors.)

He sounded less like a sophisticated, avant-garde director and more like DMX. He embarrassed himself as well as those close to him: “My wife is looking at me like I’m crazy.”

Trust me, Spike, she wasn’t the only one.

This is not the first time Lee has pontificated less-than-constructive criticisms of the industry or his colleagues. Back in 1997, he complained about how inappropriate it was for Quentin Tarantino to use the N-word so often in his retro-Blaxploitation flick “Jackie Brown.”

(Isn’t it “muthaf*ckin’” ironic that he, of all people, lectured someone on inappropriate language?)

Samuel L. Jackson, one of the film’s stars, shot back at Lee saying, “I don’t think the word is offensive in the context of this film. … Black artists think they are the only ones allowed to use the word. Well, that’s bull. Jackie Brown is a wonderful homage to black exploitation films. This is a good film, and Spike hasn’t made one of those in a few years.”

He wasn’t lying about that. (Ironically, Tarantino played a small role in Lee’s 1996 film “Girl 6” and Jackson acted in several Spike Lee Joints. Brotha Spike has a penchant for burning bridges, doesn’t he?)

Even Clint Eastwood has been served a dose of Lee’s “hateration.” When Eastwood received rave reviews for his World War II film “Heros of Iwo Jima” several years ago, Lee went into hater mode again, criticizing the film for its dearth of Black faces. When Eastwood counted that his film dealt with a very specific group of soldiers and situation that reflected historical fact, Lee balked. In turn, Eastwood recommended that Lee “shut his face.”

It is becoming a common practice of Lee’s to make less-than-stellar films and then play the race card when no one supports them because he feels they should.

Take his first attempt at a war movie, “Miracle On St. Anna,” for example. Based off of a novel of the same name, Lee’s film focuses on the segregated 92nd Infantry Division, aka the Buffalo Soldiers, who mistakenly fight their way behind enemy lines during World War II. His attempts to capture the heroism of these Black soldiers via film were admirable; however, the film as a whole left much to be desired.

Instead of chalking up his poor box office showing as a learning experience, he ridiculed Black moviegoers for not supporting the movie and blamed them for preferring Tyler Perry’s “coonery” and “baffonery.” Lee’s mean-spirited analysis is perplexing, given that Perry’s business model and artistic taste toward film making epitomizes the anti-Hollywood mantra that defines Lee himself.

Perry ended up telling Lee to “go straight to hell.” But I don’t want him to do that.

I’d rather see Spike Lee stop being a bitter, old grandpa and start making those great, thought-provoking movies that made me want to “waaaaake uuuuuup!”

I want to see that daring, undauntedly aggressive director I remember from the late 1980s get his mojo back because the Spike Lee of today is failing miserably to direct or say “the right thang.”

Watch for Starr’s final installment of this opinion series titled, “Why We Should Celebrate, Not Playa Hate On Tyler Perry.”

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Lee said Monday that in the “upper echelons of television and studios, it’s 1950. It’s Eisenhower.”

He says there is much work to be done before the film industry reflects the diversity of the United States. He noted that the U.S. Census shows that “white Americans will be a minority by 2045, maybe sooner,” and said it makes “good business sense” for companies, including entertainment companies, to diversify their workforce.

Lee unveiled “Red Hook Summer” on Sunday to a full house that included such guests as Chris Rock, Alfre Woodard and Cuba Gooding Jr.

Murphy is not known for dramatic roles but scored an Oscar nomination for his role in “Dreamgirls.” This would be the first time Black film veterans, Lee and Murphy would work together.

The Hollywood Reporter reports:

HBO Films is developing an untitled television biopic centered on former Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, whom Murphy would play should the project move forward, a source confirms to The Hollywood Reporter.

Spike Lee is attached to direct with John Ridley (Red Tails, Da Brick) to pen the script. Murphy, Lee and Ridley would all serve as executive producers as the Washington Post first reported.

Read More At The Hollywood Reporter

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Some premieres usually enter the independent-film showcase with U.S. distribution already lined up. But festival director John Cooper said all the premieres that Sundance announced Monday will be looking for distributors.

“I don’t think that’s ever happened before,” said festival director John Cooper. “It makes for a much more exciting buyer’s market, I think. At least, lively.”

Among Sundance’s big-name premieres: Kirsten Dunst’s wedding romp “Bachelorette,” directed by Leslye Headland; Bruce Willis and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Las Vegas bookie caper “Lay the Favorite,” from filmmaker Stephen Frears; Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon’s Wall Street saga “Arbitrage,” directed by Nicholas Jarecki; Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro in Rodrigo Cortes’ paranormal thriller “Red Lights”; and actor-director Julie Delpy’s “2 Days in New York,” co-starring Chris Rock in a follow-up to her 2007 romance “2 Days in Paris.”

Sarandon also stars alongside Frank Langella in a second Sundance premiere, director Jake Schreier’s geriatric comedy “Robot and Frank,” which also features Liv Tyler and James Marsden.

Former “X-Files” partners David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson both have premieres playing Sundance. Duchovny and Vera Farmiga star in Christopher Neil’s father-son story “Goats,” while Anderson is featured along with Clive Owen and Andrea Riseborough in James Marsh’s Irish terrorism tale “Shadow Dancer.”

Director Spike Lee, who came to Sundance with his 2009 rock musical “Passing Strange,” returns with “Red Hook Summer,” the story of an Atlanta boy spending the summer with his grandfather in Brooklyn.

Cooper said the film is a return to the same urban landscape Lee explored two decades ago in “Do the Right Thing,” with the director reprising the role he played in that film.

“It’s very back to his roots, very much in his old style. He’s even playing his old character, Mookie,” Cooper said. “This is the same neighborhood.”

Overseen by Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute, the festival runs Jan. 19-29 in Park City, Utah.

Sundance opens with four films that were announced last week among the festival’s dramatic and documentary competitions. It closes with one of the premieres unveiled Monday, directors Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal’s literary plagiarism story “The Words,” starring Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde.

The premieres, which screen out of competition, also include actor-director Josh Radnor’s campus romance “Liberal Arts,” co-starring Elizabeth Olsen and Allison Janney; Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ aging supermodel documentary “About Face,” featuring Christie Brinkley, Paulina Poriskova and Christy Turlington; Rory Kennedy’s Ethel Kennedy portrait “Ethel”; and two musical documentaries — an as-yet-untitled Paul Simon documentary from director Joe Berlinger, and rapper Ice-T’s “Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap,” featuring Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kanye West and other performers.

The premieres present strong roles for women, said Trevor Groth, the festival’s programming director. Among them: Michael Walker’s workplace tale “Price Check,” starring Sundance regular Parker Posey; Lee Toland Krieger’s divorce romance “Celeste and Jesse Forever,” with Rashida Jones, who also co-wrote the film; and Frears’ “Lay the Favorite,” with Rebecca Hall in the lead alongside Willis and Zeta-Jones.

Dunst’s “Bachelorette,” co-starring Isla Fisher and Lizzie Caplan, and director Jamie Travis’ phone-sex farce “For a Good Time, Call …,” starring Ari Graynor and Lauren Anne Miller, are raunchy comedies that could benefit from the success of last summer’s R-rated female romps “Bridesmaids” and “Bad Teacher.”

“Both written by women, both very funny and pretty outrageous for that type of comedy,” Groth said. “Happening to sort of follow in the wake of the success of ‘Bridesmaids,’ that seems to have opened some doors for creating female comedies outside the traditional romantic comedy. I think these two are really going to pop.”

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The movie starred Denzel Washington, who gave the performance of a lifetime capturing the passion and essence of Malcolm X. The three hour epic captured Malcolm’s transformation from street hustler to Muslim leader, and Angela Basset and Delroy Lindo contributed to an excellent supporting cast.

The legacy of the movie is strong today as the epic historical tale of one of America’s most significant leaders is still relevant.

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Lee is set to direct the South Korean blockbuster “Old Boy,” an adaptation of a manga that won the Grand Prize Jury Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

In making the announcement, Mandate describes the story “of a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned on his daughter’s birthday.” For fifteen years, he is held captive, and, upon his release, must begin his journey to find the reason for his imprisonment. He soon finds out that his kidnapper has plans for him more tortuous than he can imagine.

Will Smith and Steven Spielberg are some of the names that have been associated with the English language remake. For Lee, the movie marks his first feature since his 2008 Miracle at St. Anna.

Read more at The Hollywood Reporter.

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“In 1989, ‘Do the Right Thing’ was not even nominated,” he said. “What film won best picture in 1989? ‘Driving Miss Mother F*cking Daisy!’ That’s why [Oscars] don’t matter. Because 20 years later, who’s watching ‘Driving Miss Daisy’?… There are many times in history where the best work does not get awarded. And I’m not even talking about my own work. So that’s why [the Oscars] don’t matter.”

Read The Whole Story At The Hollywood Reporter

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Before I even begin, let me admit that I’m not entirely qualified to answer that question myself because although I’ve seen every movie Spike’s ever made including Joe’s Bed Stuy Barbershop, I’m not as familiar with entirety of Tyler Perry’s filmography.

The five Tyler Perry movies that I have seen, I’ve liked. The first Why Did I Get Married, perhaps the best.

The thing about Tyler Perry movies to me though is that while they’ve all been admittedly good, none have been, to this point at least, spectacular.

None have demonstrated any nuance in either style or form, none have presented anything groundbreaking as far as the art of filmmaking is concerned, and perhaps most importantly, none have ever required from any of their actors or actresses the type of performance that pushed him or her to the boundaries of their abilities.

Spike Lee, on the other hand, is a nut. His style is always nuanced, his technique original and Denzel Washington, John Leguizamo, Clive Owen, Angela Bassett, Mira Sorvino and Rosario Dawson have all been at their best while rocking with him.

This work itself however, has mixed results.

When Spike’s been off, he’s produced clunkers like Miracle at St. Anna and Girl 6.

But when Spike’s on, he’s produced absolute gems like Malcolm X, Summer of Sam, Bamboozled, and Inside Man.

This isn’t to say he’s better than Tyler Perry, though.

To say that, I’d have to presume to know what each filmgoer needed.

On the issue of the current beef between the two men, I take Tyler’s side all the way.

Spike was way out of pocket to compare Tyler to Amos n Andy, not even able to disguise the fact that all he’s doing is hating, mostly because Tyler Perry movies are like dynamite at the box office, while Spike’s films are more like a firecracker.

On the issue of films however, if I had to choose one over the other, I’d choose Spike.

I always want to feel passionate about art one way or another.

I’d rather walk out of a movie feeling that it completely sucked than feeling pleasantly indifferent.

I realize however that not everybody shares this sentiment.

Some people simply want to be entertained.

And at least Tyler’s guaranteed to give them what they paid for.

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SAVANNAH, Georgia — Spike Lee spoke to college students at the historically black Savannah State University, telling them to fight ignorance with education.

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Using anecdotes from his own experiences, the bespectacled Lee told the hundreds gathered in Tiger Arena what he believes is the key to a positive, happy life.

“Some way, some how you’ve got to figure out what you want to do and make that happen,” he said. “If you don’t, you’ll be unhappy in many, many ways.”

Spike Lee, an alumni of Atlanta HBCU More House College,  said he relished the opportunity to speak at Savannah State University.

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10. The Harder They Come

This Jamaican movie had one of the best soundtracks of all time and featured excellent acting by star Jimmy Cliff and an great ensemble cast.

Should Have Won-Best Soundtrack, Best Song (Harder They Come), Best Foreign Language Film (It had subtitles)
Should Have Been Nominated Best Actor (Jimmy Cliff) Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay

9. Five Heartbeats

This epic movie which told the story of the evolution of a Temptations-like R&B group in the 60s and 70s had great music, great writing and great acting.

Should Have Won Best Soundtrack, Best Song, Best Director (Robert Townsend)
Should Have Been Nominated, Best Actor, (Leon) Best Supporting Actor, Michael Wright, Best Screenplay

8. Spook That Sat By The Door

Great movie that follows a Black CIA agent who learns their tactics to start his own revolution.

Should Have Won Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor (Lawrence Cook), Best Soundtrack (Herbie Hancock)

Should Have Been Nominated Best Picture

7. New Jack City

Great crime drama about the birth of crack and the violent gangs it spawned.

Should Have Won Best Supporting Actor (Chris Rock), Best Soundtrack

Should Have Been Nominated Best Actor (Wesley Snipes)

6. Love Jones

Great love story about two intelligent artistic African American 20-somethings.

Should Have Won, Best Actor(Larenz Tate), Best Actress(Nia Long), Best Picture, Best Soundtrack

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5. Cooley High

Great coming of age story on Chicago with great cast and music.

Should Have Won Best Song(It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday),

Should Have Been Nominated Best Actor Glynn Turman

4. Jungle Fever

Excellent movie about the stigmas around inter-racial dating, Black families and the crack epidemic.

Should Have Won Best Actor (Wesley Snipes), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Jackson) Best Supporting Actress (Lonette McKee), Best Sondtrack, Best Song (Stevie Wonder, Jungle Fever), Best Director(Spike Lee)

3. Love And Basketball

Great epic love story with a great cast and great writing.

Should Have Won, Best Actor(Omar Epps), Best Actress(Sanaa Lathan), Best Soundtrack

2. Mo’ Better Blues

Great story of love jazz, friendship and brotherhood.

Should Have Won Best Actor(Denzel Washington) Best Supporting Actor(Wesley Snipes), Best Score, Best Soundtrack, Best Song (Mo’ Better Blues)

1. Malcolm X

Great epic story of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X. History on film.

Should Have Won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor(Wesley Snipes), Best Actress, (Angela Basset) Best Director(Spike Lee)

Filmmaker Spike Lee speaks as Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., looks on after meeting where the two joined Education Secretary Arne Duncan in calling for more black men to become teachers at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

ATLANTA — Filmmaker Spike Lee joined Education Secretary Arne Duncan in issuing a call Monday for more black men to become teachers, making their plea at the country’s only all-male historically black college.

The two took part in a town hall meeting at Atlanta’s private Morehouse College just a week after President Barack Obama urged more people nationwide to become teachers.

Duncan told an audience that more than 1 million educators are expected to retire in the coming decade and that federal officials are hoping to harness that opportunity to create a more diverse teaching work force, noting that less than 2 percent of the nation’s 3 million teachers are black men.

“Everybody can’t be a business major,” Lee told the auditorium packed with male high school and college students. “We have to educate ourselves. We have to educate our young black men.”

Lee, a Morehouse graduate, said he was influenced most — outside of his own family — by two of his Morehouse professors. Both educators attended Monday’s gathering and were asked to stand up to be honored.

Duncan used the occasion to promote the federal TEACH campaign. The program was launched in the fall to persuade more minorities — particularly males — to enter education. The federal government has launched the teach.gov website, a one-stop-shop for anyone wanting to enter teaching, including professionals hoping to switch careers.

“If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation, if you want to make a difference in the life of a child, become a teacher,” Obama said in a video address taped for Monday’s event. “Our country needs you.”

The Education Department also recorded TV commercials with Oprah Winfrey, performer John Legend and others to talk about the influence of teachers on their lives. Duncan said he will visit Los Angeles next month, seeking to recruit more Hispanics for teaching.

Duncan said that while many school districts are confronting layoffs and tight budgets, there are many high-need areas such as science, mathematics and special education facing a teacher shortage. School districts nationwide hire between 80,000 and 200,000 new teachers each year, even in tough economic times.

Duncan pointed to 8,500 unfilled teaching jobs listed on the teach.gov website as of Monday.

The government is working to help students obtain more financial aid for college and to create loan-forgiveness programs once they graduate and commit to teaching, Duncan said. He urged private organizations to get involved in recruiting minorities to teaching and supporting them once they’re in the classroom.

“The government can’t begin to do this alone,” he said.

Social activist Jeff Johnson is joining the effort. The MSNBC contributor has launched a task force that aims at putting 80,000 more black male teachers in classrooms across the country in the next four years.

Johnson told the audience that being a teacher isn’t considered “cool” in the black community and that perception must change.

“They look at business, engineering and law as professions that will make them better men, but the very profession that determines what the next generation looks like isn’t even on their radar,” Johnson said.

Lee says the high-profile wins had observers declaring “a new dawn” in Hollywood’s racial landscape, but adds that nothing has changed since then.

“I remember a couple years ago, when three or four black people won — Halle won an Academy Award, Denzel won and Sidney Poitier won a career achievement award and people were saying, like, ‘Oh, this is a new dawn.

“Nothing happened, you know. People looking at superficial things trying to think there’s great movement that happened. And it hasn’t happened.”

Despite critical acclaim for his work, Lee has never been nominated for best directing Oscar — only in the screenwriting and documentary categories.

The Academy Award nominations come out Tuesday — the same day Lee is due to speak in the city. Leading contenders this year include “The Social Network,” “The King’s Speech” and “Black Swan.” There are no obvious African-American frontrunners.

Read more at 680news.com

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NEW ORLEANS – Spike Lee screened portions of his follow-up documentary about Hurricane Katrina in front of a big crowd at Mahalia Jackson Theater in New Orleans.

The premiere Tuesday included hours one and four of the HBO documentary, “If God Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise.” It airs on Aug. 23 and 24. Among those attending were Mayor Mitch Landrieu and New Orleans Hornets star guard Chris Paul.

Lee also produced “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” after Katrina struck in August 2005.

In the new movie, Lee returns five years later to see how plans to rebuild New Orleans have played out.

It also touches on the Saints’ Super Bowl victory and details the impact of the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill on people who have yet to fully recover from the hurricane.

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Federal scientists said last week that nearly three-quarters of the oil from the BP oil debacle has been removed by various artificial or natural means, but that the spill’s effect on wildlife will long continue. Filmmaker Spike Lee says that the U.S. government report is a “lie.”

He then said journalists should expose “the real story” while speaking at a meeting of the Television Critics Association on Saturday.

Lee argued that it’s unlikely that “abracadabra, presto chango” the vast majority of the oil has vanished from Gulf of Mexico waters and coastal wetlands. While we understand that Spike Lee is not a scientist, common sense would suggest that those numbers relative to the reported amount of devastation and spillage are a little suspect.

Not to mention the constantly changing information during the actual spill. We’re not understanding the controversy, since Lee basically said what a lot of people are thinking.

Click here to view photos:

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Spike Lee visited the National Association of Black Journalists convention in San Diego Saturday to give folks a sample of his new HBO documentary that includes a look at the BP Gulf oil spill.

The director showed about 90 minutes of “If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise,” his follow-up to “When the Levees Broke” about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.Spike Lee visited the National Association of Black Journalists convention in San Diego Saturday to give folks a sample of his new HBO documentary that includes a look at the BP Gulf oil spill.

The director showed about 90 minutes of “If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise,” his follow-up to “When the Levees Broke” about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

The film picks up with the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl victory and chronicles the impact of the spill on people who have yet to fully recover from Katrina

When asked if BP cooperated he said, “Nobody was speaking to me from BP.”

Click here to read more at eurweb.com

Click here to see gallery of Black Hollywood

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In the weeks since an oil rig exploded and later sank into the Gulf of Mexico, President Obama has dealt with the tragedy with his signature cool, calm and collected approach.

But with the oil still gushing in what is now the worst spill in U.S. history and the environmental devastation coming ashore, the president is becoming a target of the anger that was originally directed only at BP.

“One time, go off!” director Spike Lee urged on CNN’s “AC 360°.” “If there’s any one time to go off, this is it, because this is a disaster.”

Text continues after gallery …

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Lee’s sentiment echoes the frustration of people who want to see Obama get loud, take charge and inspire them like he did during his presidential run.

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By Ashley AC Trybula

Wayne State University‘s Tom Adams Field was packed Wednesday morning to hear first lady’s speech on mentoring and the future of Detroit: the youth.

Obama pushed those in the audience, including more then 5,000 Detroit Public Schools students, to focus on their studies and make a difference in their lives. She used her life and that of her husband, President Barack Obama, as examples of how students can rise from modest upbringings to the highest office in the land.

Michelle Obama, wearing a hot pink, sleeveless dress, told students she was going to share a secret with them, the secret of success.

What was the secret?

“There is no secret,” she said. “It is your education. It is mastering math and science and learning how to write well … that’s what the difference is for so many people.”

WATCH highlights of her speech:

Previous to Michelle’s Speach, Hollywood director Spike Lee and basketball legend Magic Johnson along with a panel full of heavy hitters including former “American Idol” contestant Kimberly Locke. Several local officials joined forces with the first lady including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Mayor Dave Bing, Congressman John Conyers and Denise Ilitch, whose family owns the Detroit Red Wings. The panel answered student questions and stressed the importance of being a mentor.

Michelle Obama was also accompanied by Michigan first gentleman Dan Mulhern, who actively promotes Mentor Michigan, which oversees more than 200 state mentoring programs, and Susan Cares, founder of the National CARES Mentoring Movement.

The White House said the event is “designed to engage, encourage and inspire.”

Michelle Obama is asking thousands of Detroit-area students to rise up and become the next great leaders of the city and the country.

Click here to view photos:

Obama says she and her husband, President Barack Obama, believe in them and says she knows they “can do this.”

Obama called on everyone to help others, every race, creed, black, white, Asian, Arab-American. And “both sides of Eight Mile,” she said. This quote in particular was a huge hit with the Detroit crowd.

WATCH full speech here:

The first Lady also held a special lunch afterwards with Detroit students.

The Detroit trip is part of Obama’s mentoring outreach. In March 2009, during Women’s History Month, she focused on young women, and paired up female high school students in the Washington, D.C., area with female staff in the White House.

Last year, 28,536 Michigan children were helped by 19,578 mentors, according to a survey of 161 of the Mentor Michigan-supported groups.

There are 238 organizations in the Mentor Michigan Registry.

Such programs have been found to help disadvantaged youths do better in school, have higher self-esteem and not fall into criminal behavior.

Contributing Sources:
Patrick Harris
detnews.com
Morris Davis

Charles Barkley says Tiger Woods changed his cell phone number the day after his car accident and is not talking to some of his famous friends.
On a show that airs Sunday on news network HLN, Barkley and filmmaker Spike Lee worry that Woods isn’t taking advantage of the invaluable advice that can only be offered by friends who are used to the spotlight.
“You should reach out to your celebrity friends when things go bad,” Barkley told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday. “They’re the only people who understand what it’s like.”
Barkley appears on “With All Due Respect” with two other Turner Sports analysts, baseball Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley and longtime NASCAR driver Kyle Petty. Lee is one of the guests in the one-hour special during which the sports stars discuss a variety of topics.
Turner Sports and HLN are owned by Turner Broadcasting System.
“He’s insulated,” Lee said during the taping for the show. “If Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan can’t get to him, and those are his boys, then other people are making bad moves.”
Barkley said Tuesday he has not spoken to Woods since the Nov. 27 accident, which unleashed a series of events that resulted in him admitting to marital infidelity.
“I’ve been trying to get to him and can’t get to him,” he said. “It’s very frustrating.”
Barkley said he just wants to tell Woods, “Hey, man, we love you. If you need anything, pick up the phone.”
Chatting about subjects ranging from sports to world news, entertainment and current events is a natural for the outspoken Barkley, who has long expressed an interest in entering politics. He said he wants potential voters to be familiar with his views, with include support for abortion rights and gay marriage.
“I hope people get a chance to see where I am on different issues,” he said.
While taping the show, the three athletes found they had similar feelings about another of the year’s big stories: the death of Michael Jackson. Each felt at peace about the saga after seeing “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” the film about the King of Pop’s final rehearsals.
During the conversation, Barkley said, “I thought Kyle was going to cry.”

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I woke up this morning to see that Tyler Perry is being forced to defend himself against nasty allegations coming from Spike Lee.  Spike has made it clear that he doesn’t appreciate what he perceives to be “coonery” in Tyler Perry films and TV shows. When I saw Perry flat out say that the accusations “pissed him off,” I thought, “Wow, now that’s an honest brother!”

RELATED: Tyler Perry Responds To Spike Lee’s “Coonery” Criticism

I grew up on Spike Lee and I’ll always love him.  I am also certain that images of black people singing, dancing and eating chicken certainly won Perry instant favor with the not-so-in-touch executives in Hollywood.  But here are three reasons that Spike Lee might be wrong about Tyler Perry:

1)    Tyler Perry is not all about Madea: I went onto BET a few times to talk about Hip Hop.  My hoity-toity friends in academia (many of whom pride themselves on writing research papers for journals that nobody ever reads) criticized me for being “unscholarly” by talking to rappers.  But my response was that hip hop culture has a dramatic influence on the young minds that I am trying to reach with education.  You don’t get a baby to eat healthy by only forcing vegetables down his throat; you sprinkle sugar on the food to get the child’s attention.  It’s not always a matter of forcing people to consume what they NEED – you should also be willing to let them have some of what they WANT.  Every positive black movie doesn’t have to be a PBS special.

2)    Tyler Perry’s films produce a diversity of images: The objective in black Hollywood is not for every black person to be presented in a perfect light.  Lord knows that black people are not perfect.  The objective is for us to have our humanity respected.  That means accepting the fact that African Americans are as diverse as white Americans: we can be just as good, just as evil, just as brilliant and just as “ignant.”  The image of the black man in media should not stop with Flavor Flav, but it doesn’t always have to be Barack Obama.  For every Oprah Winfrey, it’s ok to throw in a “Hoochie mama.”  Media should present a mixture of all images that exist across the spectrum.  Perry does a good job with this in his films and Spike Lee should recognize that.

RELATED: Spike Lee Compares Tyler Perry To Amos and Andy

3)    Sorry, but Spike Lee is not the Godfather of Black Cinema: As much as Spike might seem to feel that Tyler Perry needs his blessing to be successful, the truth is that he does not.  The same was true when Muhammad Ali realized he did not need the approval of Joe Louis, and the protestors of the 1968 Olympics ignored the words of Jesse Owens.  Spike is “the man” and an amazing talent, but Tyler Perry has created his own legendary impact on the world.  Sometimes, if we take a difficult and excessively disciplined route to our success, we can be tempted to become bitter toward those who find a simpler solution.   Also, Spike Lee’s implied notion that the many educated and uneducated black folks who see Tyler Perry’s movies can’t identify buffoonery on their own is somehow insulting to the intelligence of the African American community, if not a bit self-righteous.   I’ve seen Tyler Perry’s films and I liked them.  What makes matters worse is that I didn’t want to like them: I watched them with a skeptical eye, and I still found myself laughing, crying and thinking deeply at the end of each film.  Tyler Perry is good, and Spike Lee might as well accept that.  Just let the brother do his thing.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and author of the forthcoming book, “Black American Money.” For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.

Spike Lee has called Tyler Perry’s TBS sitcoms “Meet the Browns” and “House of Payne,”  “coonery and buffoonery.”

Perry responded to that criticism in a Sunday interview on “60 Minutes.”

“You know, that pisses me off,” Perry tells Byron Pitts. “It really does. Because it’s so insulting. It’s attitudes like that that make Hollywood think that these people do not exist and that’s why there’s no material speaking to them. I would love to read that to my fan base.”

NEW YORK — Thousands of Michael Jackson fans danced the rain away in a Brooklyn park on Saturday at a party hosted by filmmaker Spike Lee, marking what would have been the 51st birthday of the late pop star.

Crowds of partygoers streamed into Prospect Park late Saturday afternoon, many wearing fedoras, sporting white gloves and showing off other Jackson-esque outfits. DJs spun Jackson’s hits one after the other as people danced and sang along. Dozens of hawkers wandered through the crowd with T-shirts, buttons, posters and homemade memorabilia.

“I was just like everyone else. I loved his talent,” said Lee, who directed two music videos for Jackson in 1996. He also reminisced how Jackson had visited him in his home in Brooklyn to talk about their music video collaboration.

The day was also designated Michael “King of Pop” Jackson Memorial Day by Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz.

“We all know Michael Jackson had fans around the world, but we all know the best fans come from Brooklyn,” Markowitz boasted to a roaring crowd that grew as heavy rain in the morning lightened to a drizzle by mid-afternoon.

Edna Robles of Brooklyn was on her feet all afternoon. In a red baseball cap and flip flops, she closed her eyes and swung her hips, pivoting in the grass and mud to the beats of Jackson’s hit “Thriller.”

RELATED: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHAEL: NewsOne’s Full Coverage

“It could be thundering, I don’t care,” she said. “I watched him through the years and I think he’s the best. I love him.”

The event, originally planned as a block-party-style gathering for 2,000 in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park, was moved to Prospect Park to accommodate a bigger crowd.

Peter Brodie and his wife, Corrine Rodriguez, brought their daughters, 3-month-old Astrid and 2 1/2-year-old Makeda, to the party. Rodriguez danced with Makeda to “Beat It” while Brodie swayed side to side as he held Astrid in his arms.

“I grew up listening to Michael Jackson. I was 9 years old and he opened up a whole new world of music and dancing to me,” said Brodie, who said it was a shame that such a spirited celebration of Jackson’s music came only after his death.

Aubrey Harris, a 45-year-old from New York, was clutching a stack of homemade portraits he made of Jackson.

“I’m spreading the memory of Michael Jackson,” said Harris, who cut out Jackson’s image from posters and created 19 collages decorated with paint and glitter. “I’m keeping it in the forefront of people’s minds.”

By mid-afternoon, he had already sold 10 portraits for $15 each.

Director Spike Lee’s Brooklyn public celebration of Michael Jackson’s birthday has been moved amid predictions of a big crowd.

The free bash will be held in the Nethermead meadow in Prospect Park on Saturday afternoon, rain or shine. It originally was planned for Fort Greene Park.

The New York Times reported Friday that the initial crowd estimate of 2,000 swelled to more than 10,000.

The paper says the Rev. Al Sharpton will say a prayer at the party. President Marty Markowitz will present a proclamation declaring Aug. 29 Michael Jackson Day in Brooklyn. DJ Spinna will play all things Michael Jackson.

Jackson would have turned 51.

Lee collaborated on Jackson’s video for “They Don’t Care About Us.”

Jackson died on June 25.

From HuffingtonPost.com:

Bill O’Reilly recounted on Monday night how Spike Lee once asked him in the men’s room at a New York Knicks game, “You find any weapons of mass destruction in here?”

O’Reilly was talking to his ambush interview producer Jesse Waters, who had attempted in vain to interview Lee during an event on Martha’s Vineyard over the weekend, when he related an experience with Lee:

To read more, click here.

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Q: Spike Lee is known for his stylish visuals, so it’s interesting that he chose to make a straightforward filmed version of the play. Were there any discussions about taking a more cinematic approach or did you want to preserve the theatrical experience?
Stew: I think the movie accomplishes both things—it gives you the flavor of the theater piece, but Spike shot it in a cinematic way. It’s not a dry documentary. Spike wanted to stay true to the sweat and great and rock ‘n’ roll aspect of it. People always ask me “Were you worried about how it might translate?” and I wasn’t worried for a single second. Why would I be worried? Spike Lee is making a film out of my musical! [Laughs]

Q: Has Spike ever told you what attracted him to Passing Strange in the first place?
Stew: One thing that we both like about it is that it tells a story that is specific yet universal. I think he also likes the fact that we have an obsession with the idea that black culture is not monolithic. Ultimately though, it’s the story of the artist and that’s what Spike gravitated towards. Also he’s a music guy—it’s weird he ended up a filmmaker and not a musician. His films are very musical.

Q: How involved were you behind-the-scenes during the film’s production? Were you allowed into the editing room, for example?
Stew: Spike and Barry were extremely generous. They invited Heidi and I into the editing room for almost a week. That’s unprecedented. Denzel doesn’t get into the editing room! They wanted to tell the story and they knew nobody knew it better than us. You know, we went into this thinking the only filmed record of the play we could hope for would be a one-camera videotape in the back row of the theater. So for it to end like this is great, because what artists want more than money is to last. We can all go to bed tonight knowing that 100 years from now, some geeky kid who wants to know what was going on in 2008 can watch this film.

Q: It sounds like you’re ready to let go of Passing Strange after living with for a long time.
Stew: Totally. That’s why it’s so weird when people start talking about whether we’d want to do it again. I feel like it would only be for money.

Q: Would you be open to reviving the play with someone else playing the lead beside yourself?
Stew: I would so love that. Heidi and I know a handful of amazing rock singers who could do this, like Corey Glover from Living Color. But the theater people don’t know them because they don’t know any rock singers. They think I’m special. In order to make this happen, she and I are going to have to make a video with Corey and show him kicking ass on one of these songs for them to understand it.

Heidi: I think what’s great about the movie is that Spike actually captured us living through this thing. So now that its done it would be nice to see other people do it. Of course it would be different—there’s no way it could be the same.

Stew: Yeah, there would be a different relationship between the audience and the narrator, but I think that’s where the power of the performer comes in. I believe a good rock singer can make you believe anything the same way a good actor can. You could cast it so that the narrator and the kid look a little more like each other. Or have a woman be the narrator.

Heidi: As long as people are doing it in their own way and not just doing you.

Q: Passing Strange begins when you’re a teenager and ends when you’re in your early 20s. Is there material from your adult life that you think could be the basis for a new musical?
Stew: It would take awhile. I’d have to be an older man to really write about it. But Heidi and I have often talked about doing a play or film about what it’s really like to be in a rock band. Not the 22-year-old kid with a hit record, but what its like to be 35 and the question about whether you’re going to make it or not really comes in. I’ve never seen that onscreen, you know, when the drummer has a wife whose not happy with the music and the guitarist has a habit and the other guy has a really good computer job with health insurance. I feel lucky to be us in this business, because we’re not writers trying to invent cool stories. We just know our lives and the people we’ve observed and are lucky enough to be in the position to tell their stories. But it’s not like I can make anything up—I can only invent songs, not stories.

Q: Do any of the real people you base your characters on ever get angry with you about your portrayal of them?
Stew: Luckily, all of the characters are composites. I still have some real names; I use my mom’s real name even thought the mother in the play isn’t in any way shape or form like my mom. There’s a great Bob Dylan story from the ’60s when he started writing love songs. There would be six women in Greenwich Village going “That song is about me because I wore a green shirt.” But then another girl would be like “You know where he mentions the snaggle tooth Cheshire Cat? That’s me, I’m the one with the cat.” But those songs were composites; he wasn’t writing about one woman. That’s the beauty of the composite—you never get totally in trouble. Nobody can show you the song and say “I’m gong to kick your ass because all of these things correspond to me!” [Laughs]

Q: What do you hope viewers take away from the film version of Passing Strange?
Stew: I would like people to say, “I want more.” I want the Asian American Passing Strange. I want the girl version of Passing Strange. I want the gay Hispanic Passing Strange. I want stories that actually exist to be told. Not just the same out boy meets girl bullshit.

Heidi: Also it’s nice for people to walk away thinking, “Anything I’m doing I should just do it, because these kind of things just happen.” We didn’t plan to get to Broadway. We stuck to what we were doing.

Stew: It’s pretty dorky and sentimental but I get a lot of emails from young people going “This makes me feel like doing what I want to do now” and older people going “Maybe I should have finished that novel.” It’s pushing buttons and I’m grateful. Sometimes on Broadway I’d walk into the lobby after the show and people would start telling me all this personal stuff about their lives. And I’m standing there on 46^th Street thinking, “I just finished a two-and-a-half hour show. What I really need is a beer and steak right now!” [Laughs]

Passing Strange opens in limited theatrical release on Friday and will be available via Sundance Channel’s new on-demand service starting August 26^th.

From HuffingtonPost.com:

Spike Lee is planning a Brooklyn block party in honor of Michael Jackson’s birthday.

On August 29th, what would have been Jackson’s 51st birthday, Lee and “the great borough of Brooklyn” will take over Fort Greene park with, according to The Root, “DJ Spinna… spinning all things Jackson, from the Jackson 5 to the Jacksons to Michael Jackson.”

Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz, who has already named June 30th “Spike Lee Day,” is set to declare Aug. 29 “Michael Jackson Day.”

Click here for full story.

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Hundreds including Rev. Al Sharpton and film director Spike Lee gathered at the Apollo Monday afternoon to honor deceased pop king Michael Jackson.

Calling Jackson a “genius” and an “innovator” Sharpton led the crowd in a moment of silence at exactly 5:26 p.m., the east coast time Jackson was declared dead last week Thursday.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: APOLLO THEATER HOSTS TRIBUTE TO THE KING OF POP

Lee, who directed both music videos for Jackson’s song “They Don’t Really Care About Us”– one set in Brazil, the other in prison–partied with the celebratory crowd.

Lee danced and took pictures of the hundreds who filled the historic Harlem theater, some of whom had waited five hours just to get into the venue.

Fans came carrying posters, wearing Jackson t-shirts, white gloves and black fedoras. They left behind bouquets of flowers, stuffed animals, and handwritten notes that covered the lower part of the Apollo stage.

It was in August 1967 on that same stage that nine-year-old Jackson performed alongside his four older brothers. Known then as the Jackson Brothers, they won the Apollo’s signature show “Amateur Night.”

Today in honor of Jackson the Harlem theatre will host a tribute to Jackson during tonight’s Amateur night scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

See more of our continuing coverage, check out:

Sharpton Dances at MJ Tribute and More

Jackson Has Top 3 Albums This Week