Go see Chi-raq now!

I saw Spike Lee’s new masterpiece Chi-raq last Monday. The next day, I called the Grand Lake Theater owner and got him to donate 30 tickets. We (Oakland Parents Together) are inviting the parents we work with in West Oakland to a showing on Saturday. 

The movie is not just a masterpiece, it’s a revolutionary masterpiece. Please go see it forthwith.

It’s a comedy about urban/gang violence – and world wide violence. Who can do that? A comedy, with deeply tragic moments.

It’s also a blueprint for revolution, metaphorically, at least. I think the idea of a sex strike by women in a society that is barraged with sexual images on an hourly basis is probably unrealistic.

Full disclosure, I wrote a hip-hop update of the Lysistrata story about three years ago called Lysistrata in the Hood. I doubt Spike stole my idea because only about ten people read it. Reading it now I’m a little embarrassed by the old white guy version of hip-hop language. But with the right translator into authentic black English, it could be worth circulating, a PG-13 version of the story to expose it to a younger audience. 

A comedy about urban/gang violence – and world wide violence told in verse! Hip-hop verse.

A musical comedy. And it works!

The man’s a genius. Malcolm X is the best film of at least the decade. Do the Right Thing was a loving portrait of a vibrant Black community under pressure. He – Spike – is as insightful of the intricacies of race as James Baldwin.

So I’m not going to review the movie. The whole idea criticism when it comes to art is largely a crock of shit. You like what you like. But I will say GO SEE THIS MOVIE NOW! Also, in an ingeniously revolutionary move, the film, will be released to stream on Amazon in a couple weeks. So see it in the theaters this week to support the film and then we can have community showings as fundraisers for Bernie. Spike has all but endorsed Bernie. It would be great for Bernie himself to be seen as a promoter of the film.