Search - Spike Lee Joint Collection (Clockers/ Jungle Fever/ Do the Right Thing/ Mo` Better Blues/ Crooklyn) on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 1/19/2023...

Clockers - Pretty gritty so not for everyone but it seems Spike Lee got it right in this one until about an hour into the movie and then it went downhill and repetitive.

If you don't know Spike Lee by now, this is a fabulous intro

James Ferguson | Vilnius, Lithuania | 07/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This would be a steal at twice the price. I don't know what possessed Spike Lee to offer five of his best movies at such a low price. Do the Right Thing is a brilliant movie, capturing both the rhythms and tensions of Lee's beloved Brooklyn, which he would return to time and again. Lee is at his best when avoiding the polemics and sticking to character-driven movies. Jungle Fever and Mo' Better Blues stand out in this regard, because they are first and foremost about people. Jungle Fever introduced the great Samuel L. Jackson, as well as launched Wesley Snipes in an intense social drama which revolves around an inter-racial love affair. Jackson stole most of the scenes however as the drug-addled brother who simply couldn't get his act straight no matter how hard he tried. Mo' Better Blues exposed Lee's love for jazz. Moody and atmospheric, with Denzel Washington delivering a solid performance, the film tries to recapture the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance. Clockers was his crime drama with plenty of tension. Crooklyn revolved mostly around amusing family disputes, with Alfre Woodard as a strong mother figure. It was probably the least satisfying of the five, but fun to watch just the same. Lee embelishes his movies with such rich cinematic color, and offers numerous fascinating camera angles such as his now famous walking scenes in Jungle Fever. Not since Gordon Parks, had someone done so much for black cinema, rescuing it from the blaxploitation films of the 70's."

Worth having

B. ERICKSON | West Hollywood, CA | 03/24/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great set of films. Spike Lee's early Universal years were his best. "Do The Right Thing" is a remarkable film and is as strong today as it was back in 1989. Too bad the Academy did not see fit to reward "...Thing" with the Best Picture honor back then: they waited to reward the awful "Crash" instead. Think of the impact they could have made back then, kind of what they could have done with "Brokeback Mountain" this year. They really are out of touch and really have dropped the ball so much in their history.

I'm wondering off... back to this wonderful collection. My other favorites of the group are the underrated "Clockers" and "Crooklyn". "Crooklyn" brings back good memories to me. It may not be my neighborhood represented in it, but the time period is my era and he captured the essence of what life was like as a child in the 70's. "Mo Better Blues" is a nice throw back to the 40's and 50's melodramas, it has a wonderful music soundtrack. But then again Spike Lee's films usually are enhanced by the music in them. Mr. Lee has also a great eye for untapped talent, in this collection you will see early works by Samuel L. Jackson, Halle Berry, Wesley Snipes and the late Robin Harris. At a price around $20.00, this Collection is definately worth adding to your DVD library. Bravo to you Mr. Lee."

READ FIRST BEFORE BUYING

W. Waters | Columbus, OH USA | 02/13/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"In reality, I wouldn't give this product a one star rating. I'd probably give it a three or a four. However, I know that I (and I assume other people) tend to read the one-star ratings before buying something, rather than the better reviews, and I may have an issue with my collection that other people may want to consider before purchasing. My main problem is that of the five movies, two (Clockers and Jungle Fever) contained many 'digital glitches'. Clockers is actually on the verge of being unwatchable because the DVD is of such a low quality. That being said, the remaining movies work perfectly, and I'm sure I'll enjoy them many more times down the road. Yes, it is pretty disappointing that only 3/5ths of the product works, but, in the end, three great movies for $20 is still a great deal."