Spike Lee

the legendary Spike Lee. He's iconic, he's legendary. He's from Booklet and he's coming all the way to l A to do a book signing at Malik Books. And four hundred people came out strong. We took over the Westfield Mall. The line went from Leak Books all the way down to Target. The people came out to show Spike Lee how much we appreciate the thirty five years of work that he's put in, because this is what that book

is all about, called Spike. Spike Lee's new book, Spike features thirty five years of his life as a filmmaker, director, and as a family man. The pictures are incredible, They are illuminating. They show the love and passion and genius and just success of Spike Lee. This is a beautiful coffee table book and it's a musk because the impact that Spike Lee has made has inspired the next generation

of film makers. And so we had a wonderful, huge, successful event on December eighteen, and I got a chance to talk to Spike Lee at the event to offer some of his insights in terms of his top film, his top books, some of his inspiration and what Spike Lee had to say about me leaf Books. We got it firsthand and it's coming to you on this episode

spike Lee in the House. Also featured on this episode is none other than the iconic actor Terry Crews who happens to pop up at the book signing at Mileage Books and he talked to us about the impact that Spike Lee made on him that helped him in his career and he shares his insights about spike Lee Jenes. So we have that as well part of this episode. So stay tuned for the next episode of spike Lee

in the House. Hello everybody, We'll gets books in the high sad louder than that, we're giving him the l A love Spike Lee. He's a legend, he's an Oscar winner and he's had league books now, so give it up. You have a loss. Thank you for sharing your blessing. All the work is beautiful. You put over thirty five years of excellence and setting the standard high for the next generation. You want to thank you, and if you have some few words you want to share with our

group is gathering to appreciate it. I want to thank you first of all for having me here. Give up though, peoples, come on, yeah, I just want to say from the very first film, from the jump she used to have back in six l A has been supported so today. So from the beginning, I've always got love from l A, always have lovel A, none of that East coast, West coast, and I've never happened with me. It's been loved from the get go. This is my first time being Link bookstore,

and it's outstanding. The selection of the literature all from people call up, specifically black folks, and if you in the Los Angeles area, you need to come out here and support it. You gotta read books, gotta read, gotta read. And also there's a massive children's section, so parents, you know you can start reading books. In fact, my wife and I wrote children books who are here that are on the show Please Please, Baby, Please, Please, Puppy Please,

written by Tanya and Spike Lead. So we gotta start reading. You know, parents, you just can't let your kids sit in front of TV and watch eight hours of stuff. You know, some of that time you have to make sure sit there, rusty butts down, and they gotta read it. They gotta read it. We gotta read. And the books right here, the books right here, the books right here. Piece of Love, Spike Lead Children a treach. I'm glad you plugged that. I'm glad you plugged that because that's

what we believe. We're trying to change the generation, just like you change the generation through your sin lithography. You got no choice, no choice, no choice. We gotta write our story. We gotta tell our story. You have a favorite book, my favorite book I read in junior high school and it's still my favorite book today. Go to biography of Malcolm x Is told to Alex Haley. Yes, yes, that's a stone. Second list on the list, song of Solomon Tony Warres. Two classics, great classics. I read both

of those and I yes you heard. Two favorite books by Spike Lee did autobiograp Malcolm X. That's an incredible book. Incredible. I mean, I'm sure you read that before you wrote the script, Malcolm X. He read. I read that book every year. What was the most favorite scene and when you made that movie? Yes, I mean there were so many great scenes in that Definitely anything with Denzel in it.

When you approached Denzel for that movie, no, no, no approach, approach, approach when you're approaching for the movie, Malcolm X. That's not the story. That's not the story. Then there was a part of Malcolm X BIS and part of Norman Jews are gonna direct its row? I was Denzil there wave of part. See it's all lined up, easy, come up. We know why you called a spike. What inspired you to write this wonderful pictorial of your career? I mean the three five years of pictures life. How has the

tour been for you? Wonderful? Brooklyn, DC. Now three two days, one more day in l A. Video name altogether it's gonna use hit out here in l A. We was head to two thirty in the morning putting these balloons and poach yourself. You wanted to make you feel at home. You know we love you, bro. I thought, llow love not industry you and it's so inspiring because it's the

number one form of influence. Seven and TV and TV. Yeah, I kind of see them both as the same even though they got two different business models, but they influenced to let you know, the future, the next generation. What inspired you to want to be a film the film director? I just went to see a lot of films of kids. You have a favorite film on the Waterfront. On the Waterfront, you have seen it. I haven't seen Marlon Brando. Marlon Brando. I mean he's a classic. Actually, that's for sure. I

need to see that. What's some of the pioneering techniques that you used over the years. It's kind of brand you know, your image and unit double dollar shot. With the double dollar shot, that's the signature shot. You know what you're talking about, right, Yes, that's the one. It makes it like they walk into something like that. Yeah, I know, to do the right thing one of my favorites. We'll do that, dude, the right thing. Though we used

that shot. The best use of that shot was in Malcolm X. I just played all of our ball room when uh Sam Cook song changing them Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's crazy how you can watch a movie over and over and see something different, the good ones. Yes, I see, I mean Margola may see that every year. You know that. That's one of the classes. Denzel. Yeah, one of the greatest actors, no doubt. What's some of your projects you're working on now? It's coming up? Working on? Really I

don't like to talk about that was happening. Yeah, yeah, So that was my conversation I was able to have with Spike Lee throughout the course of the book signing. And during the course of this conversation, we found out what Spike lee favorite books were The autobiographer Margola max Is Told by Alex Helly and Songa Solomon by Tony Morrison. We also found out what his favorite film is by Marlon Brando, and we found out what his famous double dolly technique he uses when you're floating on the air

in his movies that he pioneered. When we was also able to get a public service announcement how Fike Lee said our beautiful Milik bookstore is, how we have a large selection of children books, how we have a robust and beautiful bookstore, and how he invited people to come on out to Malik books in the Westfield Covi City Mall and also at the ball when he was crush. So that is some of the things that we were able to get out of that wonderful conversation with Spike Lee.

And while we were having this wonderful conversation and book signing, guess who showed up. This guy is larger than life. He's a comedian as an actor, he's full of just charm. This is Terry Crews. He popped up at the book signing to get his book person to autograph, and he had a few words to share about the impact Spike Lee had on his life and his career. I would not be here if it was not for him writing

his books. And this is belief. Listen. He wrote his book about she's got to have his making or She's got to have it, And it changed my life to let me know that I could do it, and let me know I could risk at all and move to l A and tried for this thing because he was the gatekeeper let everybody know it was possible. And listen to the fact that he keeps writing, the fact that he keeps going, the fact that he's absolutely incredible. There would not be any career for me if it was

not for this. Man. Thank you, thank you for everything. I love you. Okay, I'm sweating because I'm so nervous. This is this is just so good. But how you been extreme? The line is all the way, not all the way. Man. We had to put them and put him in an overflow. I know in the community we're showing Spike Man, and they love Man. You know, you know, like you saying, impacted the industry, man impacted the generation. I told you that when I met you. You told

me that. Yes, yes, like I said, it wouldn't be so many people that would not be here. One for him. Man, he wrote that book and I was like, what right, And I read it and I said, we can do this. Yes, yes, yes, it's merchant in and all the things, everything everything. It's always been a marketing master. Yes, you got the market you know, just everything about it, man, because it's all It's not about just making it's about selling it. Yeah, what I'm saying. So that's a part of the that's

a part of the bill. Is a lot of people forget yeah, because it's half of it. Yeah, I mean, you gotta get it out. You gotta gotta find a way for everybody understand. Yes, yes, yeah, yeah, I just love that he started with the T shirts and the hats, and I remember having no you know, back in the day, that was it. I took everything. Yeah, that was like the master marketing and all the way. They wouldn't be no, I mean to be honest, the Jordan brand wouldn't be

what it was, sing him. Yeah. That picture in here too, because I know that that isn't fact that in the basketball industry. You know, people don't know he effected everything from sports culture, film, tell all this stuff. Man, it came out of it, right because I do ideas his mind, right, Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, And I love to tell the story

all right. His grandmother gave him the first bits of money to start, and he ended up losing it on a movie called The Message Back, and he had to go back to apologize, and she dug up some more money so he could do She's got to have it, imagine to lose that money and not and then but still keep going, right, Yes, that's not and then that's

perseverance and it's fine. The proof is is that sometimes you might fail right right, right, but don't stop it because it's all in the faith, you know, the lessons it's coming exactly. But a lot of people just quit right there, but he never quit right and that's one reason why I was that right. Yeah, that's opportunity, open doors and any open doors, but I love it. Never one of our guests at the book signing, it's a

young lady by the name of Tina Sanpy. She's a community activist and she's known in the social media world it's Saussing girl. She got the pass to the streets in her heart, to the community, and she got a chance to expike Lee. A very important question regarding funding as it relates to films and in in that business, because I think that's very important information. You know a lot of people have ideas, but how do you get that idea funded? So she happens to be able to

ex spoke lead that directly. What advice would you give to um independent filmmakers that are seeking funding finances? One of the hardest things, the hurdles when you're filmmaker, especially independent filmmaker, So you just gotta yeah, it's it's this industry is hard to a f You just gotta make it work. By Book of crook. You know, you gotta just gotta make it work. I mean, if you independent filmmaker and you're writing a script, it's gonna cause twenty

million dollars. Come on, now, you know independent centema. You know, if you do your thing, you'll you get to that point directly. Like my first film was unders In the five thousand dollars and I couldn't do anything more than that. Really, if people really follow you know, the course of my career, that that's like a map, roadmap how to do it? Got it, sir? Thanks for listening to Malik's Bookshow, where topics on the shelf, our books, culture, and community. Be

sure to subscribe and leave me a review. Check out my instagram at Milik Books. See you next time.