Spike Lee Remembers a 'Red Hook Summer'
Friday, August 10, 2012
Director Spike Lee
(Amy Pearl/WNYC)
A new film by director Spike Lee has its roots in Brooklyn.
"Red Hook Summer" is about a teenager from Atlanta, Georgia, who's spending the summer in the Red Hook neighborhood projects — with a grandfather he's never met.
Lee met with author James McBride at a coffee shop to talk about collaborating on a project. The two men both have teenage kids and the discussion evolved from there, Lee told actor John Turturro, who was guest-hosting on WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show.
"We'd talk about how when was the last time we saw a black teenager film that wasn't a gang-banger," he said. "And then it just evolved from that. James grew up in Red Hook. He grew up in the church. The church you see in the film, his parents founded that church."
Lee says the teen actors who played the lead roles are from the Ronald Edmonds school in Brooklyn, which used to be Lee's old school, Rothschilds Junior High School 294.
"Red Hook Summer" opens Friday.
Comments [1]
What would be the right path, one that covers a multiple of goals? First off, you should realize that agents and casting directors look for people who can do brilliant work. If you do brilliant work, you become a valued commodity that attracts industry attention. You get work because you are capable of doing a professional job. Thus, in your training, you should strive toward this professional standard. Instead of being result oriented, i.e., getting an agent, getting into the union, concentrate on the process of acting and the things that markedly improve your abilities. Concentrate on the goals over which you have control, namely the accumulation of acting skills and techniques.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.