Do the Right Thing
Directed by Spike Lee • 1989 • United States
Starring Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Rosie Perez
Set on one block of Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy Do or Die neighborhood, at the height of summer, this 1989 masterpiece by Spike Lee confirmed him as a writer and filmmaker of peerless vision and passionate social engagement. Over the course of a single day, the easygoing interactions of a cast of unforgettable characters—Da Mayor, Mother Sister, Mister Señor Love Daddy, Tina, Sweet Dick Willie, Buggin Out, Radio Raheem, Sal, Pino, Vito, and Lee’s Mookie among them—give way to heated confrontations as tensions rise along racial fault lines, ultimately exploding into violence. Punctuated by the anthemic refrain of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” DO THE RIGHT THING is a landmark in American cinema, as politically and emotionally charged and as relevant now as when it first hit the big screen.
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Do the Right Thing
Directed by Spike Lee • 1989 • United States
Starring Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Rosie PerezSet on one block of Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy Do or Die neighborhood, at the height of summer, this 1989 masterpiece by Spike Lee confirmed him as a writer and filmmaker of peerless vision and passionate social ...
Extras
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DO THE RIGHT THING Commentary
Recorded in 1995 for the Criterion Collection’s laserdisc edition of DO THE RIGHT THING, this commentary features director Spike Lee, cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, production designer Wynn Thomas, and actor Joie Lee.
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DO THE RIGHT THING Behind the Scenes
Director Spike Lee and his brother Cinqué Lee shot the following footage during preproduction on DO THE RIGHT THING and at the block party celebrating the film’s wrap in the summer of 1988. It is preceded by a brief introduction by Spike, recorded in 2000.
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DO THE RIGHT THING Deleted and Extended Scenes
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The Riot Sequence of DO THE RIGHT THING
Presented here are storyboards for DO THE RIGHT THING’s riot sequence alongside the scenes as they appear in the film, highlighting the adaptability of director Spike Lee and his cast and crew. The video is preceded by an introduction by Lee, recorded in 2000.
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Making DO THE RIGHT THING Introduction
This brief introduction by Spike Lee was recorded in 2000.
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Making DO THE RIGHT THING
This hour-long documentary, shot during the filming of DO THE RIGHT THING in the summer of 1988, was directed by St. Clair Bourne and produced by Spike Lee.
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DO THE RIGHT THING at Cannes
After the world premiere of DO THE RIGHT THING at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, the following forty-minute press conference was held. The footage features director Spike Lee and cast members Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Joie Lee, and Richard Edson.
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Barry Alexander Brown on DO THE RIGHT THING
The following interview with editor Barry Alexander Brown was recorded at the Brooklyn offices of 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, director Spike Lee’s production company, in the summer of 2000.
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Ruth E. Carter on DO THE RIGHT THING
The following interview with costume designer Ruth E. Carter was produced in 2019.
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DO THE RIGHT THING: Back to Bed-Stuy
This brief program from 2000 shows director Spike Lee and line producer Jon Kilik revisiting the block in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood where DO THE RIGHT THING was filmed.
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DO THE RIGHT THING Twenty Years Later
On the occasion of a twentieth-anniversary screening of DO THE RIGHT THING in New York City in 2009, director Spike Lee conducted a series of interviews with members of the film’s cast and crew. The resulting half-hour program, presented here, features cinematographer Ernest Dickerson; actors Ric...
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The One and Only DO THE RIGHT THING
In this program, produced in 2019, New York City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr., writer and director Nelson George, and filmmaker Darnell Martin discuss the influence and continued relevance of Spike Lee’s iconic film.
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“Fight the Power” Spike Lee Intro
In 1989, Spike Lee directed two music videos for Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” the anthem of DO THE RIGHT THING, which Lee had commissioned for his film. One of those videos is presented here with an introduction by Lee recorded in 2000.
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“Fight the Power” Music Video
In 1989, Spike Lee directed two music videos for Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” the anthem of DO THE RIGHT THING, which Lee had commissioned for his film. One of those videos is presented here.
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“Fight the Power” Chuck D Comments 1
Photographs from the video’s production are presented here, set to two tracks of remarks by Public Enemy’s Chuck D, recorded in 1995.
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“Fight the Power” Chuck D Comments 2
Photographs from the video’s production are presented here, set to two tracks of remarks by Public Enemy’s Chuck D, recorded in 1995.
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Spike’s Last Word on DO THE RIGHT THING
Director Spike Lee made the following video in 2000, for the Criterion Collection’s DVD edition of DO THE RIGHT THING.
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DO THE RIGHT THING TV Spot 1
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DO THE RIGHT THING TV Spot 2
