Spike Lee's legacy is driving podcast discussions this June as hosts look back at his historic film and video shoots. On Fresh Air, host Terry Gross highlighted the director's 2020 film Da 5 Bloods while interviewing actor Clarke Peters, who "co-starred as a Vietnam vet in Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods" before moving on to his latest television roles.
Meanwhile, on This Past Weekend, host Theo Von recalled the sheer audacity of Spike Lee's music video shoots, specifically his 1996 collaboration with Michael Jackson in Brazil. Von described how "Spike Lee's camera pans across the hills of Don- Dona Marta, a favela clinging to the city's slopes" as Jackson arrived to shoot despite local police refusing to set foot in the area.
The contrasting discussions highlight the dual lanes of Spike Lee's legacy: the prestige director of heavy-hitting ensemble dramas, and the fearless, boots-on-the-ground filmmaker willing to shoot in dangerous conditions to capture cultural history. As his classic projects continue to find new audiences, Lee's influence as a master of both the big screen and the music video format remains undisputed.