Saw the new Spike Lee, "Red Hook Summer", in an empty theater. Not surprising, as it's gotten some bad reviews, but I kinda liked it. Yes, it's a bit of a mess and the child actors really are awful (seriously, Spike, you couldn't find talented black kids in BROOKLYN??) but I think the critics missed the boat. It struck me as Spike's response to Tyler Perry-ism and a rather pointed comment on poor black people's love of church, even tho' Jeezus ain't done nothing' for them lately -- nobody seems to have noticed, much less mentioned that in any review I've read. The great Clarke Peters (of "The Wire" and "Treme") is wonderful. Loved the super-saturated color cinematography. A few things make no sense (tho' explaining would mean spoilers) but overall, worth a look.
Review of Red Hook Summer
