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" I think my work shows that I love women. I understand where these types of criticisms are coming from because black people have been so dogged out in the media, they're just extra sensitive. "
Spike Lee
Women
People
Media
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" There's an unwritten law that you cannot have a Jewish character in a film who isn't 100 percent perfect, or you're labeled anti-Semitic. "
Spike Lee
You
Perfect
Law
" People of color have a constant frustration of not being represented, or being misrepresented, and these images go around the world. "
Spike Lee
Color
People
World
" I don't get tripped up in technology. I use technology as a tool. 'Oldboy' we shot Two Pro 35mm. For 'Da Blood of Jesus,' we shot digitally. We shot the new Sony F55. It's a 4K camera. "
Spike Lee
Camera
Up
Two
" There's a lot of Americans, black and white, who think that we've arrived where we need to be and nothing else needs to be done and affirmative action needs to be dismantled. "
Spike Lee
Think
Action
Black
" Any film I do is not going to change the way black women have been portrayed, or black people have been portrayed, in cinema since the days of D.W. Griffith. "
Spike Lee
Women
Black
Change
" I didn't dream about being a director. I didn't know I wanted to do something with film until the summer between my sophomore and junior years at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. "
Spike Lee
Summer
Dream
Know
" Amongst black people, you have always heard it said that once a black man reaches a certain level, especially if you are an entertainer, you get a white trophy woman. I didn't make that up. "
Spike Lee
People
Man
Black
" Since the days of slavery, if you were a good singer or dancer, it was your job to perform for the master after dinner. "
Spike Lee
Dinner
You
Job
" You have to do the research. If you don't know about something, then you ask the right people who do. "
Spike Lee
Ask
Know
People
" '25th Hour,' like a lot of my films, takes place in New York City. I've been very fortunate to make films in the city that I live. I mean, it's great going home at night instead of being on location. "
Spike Lee
Night
City
Great
" If we became students of Malcolm X, we would not have young black men out there killing each other like they're killing each other now. Young black men would not be impregnating young black women at the rate going on now. We'd not have the drugs we have now, or the alcoholism. "
Spike Lee
Now
Men
Black
" What's the difference between Hollywood characters and my characters? Mine are real. "
Spike Lee
Hollywood
Difference
Real
" I think that every minority in the United States of America knows everything about the dominant culture. From the time you can think, you are bombarded with images from TV, film, magazines, newspapers. "
Spike Lee
America
Time
Culture
" And one thing Hollywood does well is sequels. "
Spike Lee
One Thing
Well
Hollywood
" I'm riding my man Obama. I think he's a visionary. Actually, Barack told me the first date he took Michelle to was 'Do the Right Thing.' I said, Thank God I made it. Otherwise you would have taken her to 'Soul Man.' Michelle would have been like 'What's wrong with this brother?' "
Spike Lee
Brother
Man
God
" I'm just trying to tell a good story and make thought-provoking, entertaining films. I just try and draw upon the great culture we have as a people, from music, novels, the streets. "
Spike Lee
Great
Good
Culture
" A spine to my films that's become more evident to me is that many are about the choices people make, and the reverberations of those choices. You go this way, or that way, and either way, there's going to be consequences. "
Spike Lee
Me
Consequences
Choices
" We grew up in a very creative environment and were exposed to the arts at a very young age, so it's not a surprise that all of us are in some form of the arts. "
Spike Lee
Age
Surprise
Environment
" I think people who have faults are a lot more interesting than people who are perfect. "
Spike Lee
People
Perfect
Interesting
" Mike Tyson is the most complex person I've ever met in my life. I've known Mike since 1986. We're both from Brooklyn. I didn't know him growing up, but once he became heavyweight champion, I knew him then. "
Spike Lee
My Life
Champion
Growing Up
" I'd like to state that Spike Lee is not saying that African American culture is just for black people alone to enjoy and cherish. Culture is for everybody. "
Spike Lee
Culture
Alone
Black
" When I went to school, you had to take art, you had to play an instrument. You had to play an instrument. But it's all degraded since then. I do not know what kind of nation we are that is cutting art, music, and gym out of the public-school curriculum. "
Spike Lee
School
You
Music
" First of all, what in this world does not revolve around money? But money is a big part of film, unlike a lot of other art forms. "
Spike Lee
Big
Art
Film
" I've been blessed with the opportunity to express the views of black people who otherwise don't have access to power and the media. I have to take advantage of that while I'm still bankable. "
Spike Lee
Power
Opportunity
Blessed
" I used the principles of Kickstarter to make 'She's Gotta Have It.' We filmed that in 1985 to 1986. The final cost was $175,000. I didn't have that money. It was friends, grants, donations. We saved our bottles for the nickel deposit. "
Spike Lee
Principles
Friends
She
" A lot of times you get credit for stuff in your movies you didn't intend to be there. "
Spike Lee
You
Credit
Movies
" I tend to favour films that have multiple plot and story lines, multiple characters and ensemble pieces. "
Spike Lee
Plot
Lines
Ensemble
" It has been my observation that parents kill more dreams than anybody. "
Spike Lee
Been
Parents
Observation
" I'm very careful about how I portray violence in my films. I do believe that violence, especially violent video games, are not a good thing for young kids. "
Spike Lee
Violence
Believe
Good
" Everything I do is always scrutinised. But that's all I'll say about that. "
Spike Lee
Always
Say
Everything