This year marks the 20th anniversary of Spike Lee’s School Daze . It is also the year of my 20th high school reunion. Time certainly does fly! I remember going to see this movie during my senior year of high school. This movie and the television show A Different World had me in such a rush to get to college. I couldn’t wait to pledge a sorority, live the college life, meet me a strong activist brother like Dap Dunlap… all of it. I wanted to experience it all! I also remember in our last auditorium during senior year we all did “Da Butt” down the aisle and on to the stage. I wonder what ever happened to the go-go group EU? Hmmm…. Anyway, do you all remember these scenes from the film?
Just for a little extra… this is how we do the old to the new… Alicia Keys made her video for “Teenage Love Affair” a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the Spike Lee joint. If you watch the video you’ll see homage to the protests with Derek Luke standing in for Laurence Fishburne. And instead of protesting investment in South Africa they are protesting the lack of concern for the growing HIV/AIDS rates on the Continent. Alicia Keys and her girls take off where the Gamma Rays left off in their own talent show. We see the Gamma Pledges marching through. And if you look hard you’ll even see that Dean Big Brother Almighty makes a cameo in Key’s video. He has aged a bit so you might not recognize him. He is standing in a sort of administrative position watching the students protest. They even have a few of those now classic Spike Lee camera shots where it looks like the folks are not moving even as they move forward. (I don’t know the technical name for it. I just know to look for it in every Spike Lee movie. LOL) Anyway… You can see Alicia Key’s video here because they won’t let me take the code to post it on the blog:
Alicia Keys “Teenage Love Affair
So do you have any fond memories that coincide with School Daze . Is there another Spike Lee joint that resonates with you more profoundly? What’s your throwback classic flick of choice today?
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
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I do remember School Daze and loved it, in my case it was fond memories…I also really loved Mo Betta Blues…Da Butt, Mercy, Mercy…Lady Gwyneth you do bring back the memories…
Blessings,
angelia
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School Daze wasn’t my era. My favorites are the early black flicks like “Thomasine and Bushrod” with Vonetta McGee and Max Julian, “Cotton Comes to Harlem,” and the Cosby/Poitier movies.
Oooh, I’m really dating myself — again.
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I loved School Daze. I was in middle school of course, but I remember it fondly. As I got older, it made so much more sense to me…lol. I like Spike’s Jungle Fever. A lot of folks didn’t get that one, but I thought it was good. Queen Latifah made it memorable for me.
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My favorite Spike Lee movie is Mo’ Better Blues. All his films were photographed by Ernest Dickerson (who really knows how to light black people), but that one was particularly stylish, if a tad long. Although I saw School Daze, I was past college age at the time and it was just so-so, although I did love E.U.’s “Da Butt” and still do!
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Ummm lemme see, now…you’re talking ’bout 1987, right? I don’t mind dating myself, ’specially if the content being reviewed was memorable! I remember School Daze quite well. That year I was in Europe after finishing grad school. I remember Spike Lee most of all though; he, Samuel L. Jackson and his subsequent wife-to-be LaTanya Richardson were all in school together at Morehouse and Spelman, respectfully back in da day. Back then, Spike Lee had a camera wherever he went being a pest to trying to take pictures of everything that moved! As a member of the Morehouse Alumni Association I get a chance to see both of them as their schedules would allow.
Mo’ Better Blues and Jungle Fever are my favorite movies that he shot, but knowing Spike Lee is to know that he himself is truly a MOVIE! Seriously speaking, isn’t it ’bout time for another good movie from the Spike Lee Joint?
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Angelia ~ Mo Betta Blues was the flick! I loved Denzel in that movie, even though brother was playing more than that horn. LOL. I loved the scene when both women showed up in the same dress that he had given them both.
Chicki ~ I love the Cosby/Poitier films from the 70s. Those were certainly classics.
Tyhitia ~ I liked Jungle Fever because of Gaitor. LOL. Samuel Jackson played the hell out of that crack head. I still sing Gaitor’s song… “I’ll do it, huh, you know I’ll do it, ha… cause I like getting high, ho, cause I’m a cra-cra-cra-crackhead” LOL.
Bettye ~ Yes! You can tell the difference between the Spike Lee films in which Ernest Dickerson was the cinematographer and the ones where he wasn’t All of the earlier films have the same look and feel. And of course Dickerson went on to direct another one of my favorite films, Juice when he made his directorial debut. The one thing that we can say about the Spike Lee era his he brought us loads of black talent both in front of and behind the camera. Lots of folks on both sides got their starts in a Spike Lee Joint.
Alvin ~ The film was released in 1988. We’re all dating ourselves… But I don’t mind. That’s what Throwback Thursday is all about. I didn’t know you were a Morehouse man! I agree it’s about time for Spike to bless us with another film. I remember when we all used to wait to see what he would come with next.
much love and peace,
Gwyneth
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Gwyneth, this movie brings back so many memories. I was going to Southern Univ in Baton Rouge (Go Jags) when this came out. This movie was so on point when it came to Black college life. This was one of my favorite Spike Lee movies because I could relate to what was going on in the film.
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This definitely is an oldy but goody. I had already been out of high school for two years when this movie came out. However, I could remember wishing I’d gone to a black college. Mo Betta Blues and Crooklyn are also favorites of mine. What happened to Spike Lee? It’s been a minute since he’s come out with a movie.
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Shelia ~ See… That’s why I wish I had gone to an HBCU. Even though this film and “A Different World” made me eager to get to college… When I got there it was nothing like it! LOL. I still had some fun though…
Victoria ~ I loved Crooklyn too. My heart just ached for the little girl. And Denzel in Mo Betta Blues was just excellent. I had a brother try to run that “I need you to save my life…” line that Denzel used in the film. I had to look at him like “Negro, please… Denzel you are not !
Gwyneth
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Another vote for Mo Betta Blues.
I was past college by the time School Daze came out. Didn’t care for it. One, because I pledged a sorority and it was a lot like it was portrayed in the movie and a lot NOT like it was portrayed. Beyond that, I just thought Spike could have made a better quality movie.
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Patricia ~ We have a lot of votes for Mo Betta Blues . That might just call for a Throwback Thursday of it’s own. Hmmmm… School Daze certainly isn’t as polished as a lot of his later films. I think it’s more polished than She’s Gotta Have it . They seem to get better with each film…
Gwyneth
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What?! No votes for Mookie, Mother-Sista and ‘nem from DO THE RIGHT THING? (smile).
I attended a HBCU for a minute, long enough to meet the brother who would later become my husband. I do enjoy the spirit, energy and the music of SCHOOL DAZE, but DO THE RIGHT THING is my favorite Spike Lee joint.
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I had a brother try to run that “I need you to save my life…” line that Denzel used in the film. I had to look at him like “Negro, please… Denzel you are not !
ROFL…No he didn’t!
Victoria
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Lori ~ How can we forget Do the Right Thing ? “Hey, Sal, how come you don’t have no black people on the wall?” And my favorite Radio Rahiem line that I always mess up… Was it C batteries or D batteries that he wanted? LOL.
Victoria ~ Yes he did. Pathetic fool that he was… LOL.
Gwyneth
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Gwyneth, going to an HBCU definately opened up my eyes about a lot of things. My high school/middle school years were spent at predominately white schools. When I got ready to choose a college, not only did I want to go to a good school, but I wanted the “Black” experience. Plus I was debating on whether or not to be an engineer or attorney so SU had a good academic reputation in those areas. I’m glad that I went because up until then I had no idea that there was such a “class” issue amongst our own race. There were several things that came up during my 4 years there – the light-skinned vs dark-skinned–the haves verses the have nots. The greeks vs non-greeks. I went to school with some of the kids from some of the wealthiest AA families in the country. It was inspiring to see that not everyone got their wealth from being in entertainment or sports. The whole college experience opened up my eyes to a lot of things.
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Shelia ~ The class issues in the black community are issues that I’d like to see folks talk about and exam more. I think we try to ignore them and some folks really don’t think they exist at all. But they do. I think we have a hard time in the United States in general dealing with class…
Gwyneth