Ep 85: Da 5 Bloods

Spike Lee's Da 5 BloodsFor the first time, Nate and Ryan review a movie from this year, breaking our routine for the one and only Spike Lee and his 2020 film Da 5 Bloods streaming on Netflix. Nate and Ryan chose this movie before the heartbreaking news of Chadwick Boseman’s death, but as anyone who has watched Da 5 Bloods knows, his death puts his performance as Stormin’ Norman in a poignant new light.

As for Spike Lee’s filmmaking, few people deny the impressive scope of what he is seeking to accomplish with this movie, but not everyone agrees on whether he stuck the landing. Nate and Ryan take their best shot at discussing everything going on.

Have you seen Da 5 Bloods? What are your thoughts? Let us know!

Please read Odie Henderson’s review of Da 5 Bloods over on RogerEbert.com

Spike Lee and the Battlefield of American History (New York Times)

For more Spike Lee discussion from Nate and Ryan, check out our Do The Right Thing episode.

Ep. 75: Do The Right Thing

Nate and Ryan are back from a brief break to discuss Spike Lee’s masterpiece Do the Right Thing. In celebration of the film’s 30th anniversary, Nate and Ryan are doing an appreciation episode to give a much deserved re-watch to a movie that has proven to be more timely and prescient with each passing year. Listen as they discuss what they think makes the movie work so well and how the movie has impacted the way they see the world.

A word of caution: this episode contains clips from the movie that contain racial slurs. If such content typically is a trigger for you, you may want to skip over any clips we use.

Share your thoughts on Spike Lee: genius? provocateur? both? Does Do the Right Thing belong in the conversation of all-time great films ever? Let us know!

Read Wesley Morris’ terrific analysis in the New York Times of what makes Do the Right Thing stand out from other Hollywood movies about race.

Listen to past episodes.