[lapInsalm]

I thought the forum was in need of a new thread so I thought I'd start one. Did anyone else find the movie "Mo' Betta Blues" as offensive as I did. Besides being an awful movie, it's Spike Lee's reason for making the movie that offends me. He made the movie because he thought movies like "Round Midnight" and "Bird" painted an inaccurate portrait of jazz musicians. Is he kidding? In "Mo' Betta Blues" the musicians have a steady gig at the nicest jazz club I've ever seen. They drive around in fancy cars and wear $1000 suits. They live in penthouse apartments and the biggest problem in their life is whether their girlfriend will smell their other girlfriends perfume on the sheets. Is that an accurate portrayal of the life of a jazz musician? How many jazz musicians do you know that live like that? Thoughts

[SoorgoBardy]

Hi Terry,


I thought it was a stupid movie for all the reasons you enumerate. I was living in a 350 square foot roach trap in Toronto the first time I saw it, and I thought I could get used to Wesley Snipes crib pretty easy.

The only interview I ever read with Spike on that movie though, he didn't mention anything about an authentic portrayal of jazz life. Just the opposite in fact. He said he was originally thinking about a sporting figure who sustains a career-ending injury, like a pitcher who tears a rotator cuff or something. I can't remember if he said why he decided to make the characters musicians. I do remember thinking at the time that he'd obviously confused jazz with rock and roll.

I was the only white guy in an all-black band at the time though, and I think he got the dressing room banter down pretty good.

[lapInsalm]

I read an interview where he talked about the other jazz movies as being inaccurate.

[SoorgoBardy]

Did he elaborate? Because his father Bill was a jazz musician, so it's not like he doesn't know how full of shit his portrayal is.

[Nfvzjvcl]

Yeah, well I still dig Spike - even though, like the rest of us he can be pretty "out" at times.

I mean, he works in the industry and I presume must be acutely aware of the twisted challenges involved in distilling the dramatic essence of a life down to 90 minutes of celluloid. So it seems very harsh and unrealistic of him to criticize "Bird" or "Round Midnight" for being inaccurate. Gee - what's up with the mother?

Did any of you guys see "Lush Life", though?
Pretty close to real, I thought.

[SoorgoBardy]

I liked Lush Life a lot, especially considering it was a mainstream hollywood product. I thought it was more about the 50s though, considering the amount of jingle work and the size of the bands involved. Guys I know who were around that scene then tell me that the jingles they're playing in the movie are way too hip, too. Lots of studio work around then, but very boring and unchallenging. That's why there were so many top notch players willing to play in the Jones/Lewis band for peanuts.

But yeah, much closer to the truth than Spike. BTW, did you see the "Spike Lee Movie That Time Forgot"? It's called "Bamboozled." Weak finish, but very interesting nonetheless.