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Arts and Culture

Spielberg Negotiates Rare Peace Agreement Between Feuding Directors

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Posted on Sep 22, 2008
Spike Lee
manolomen.com

Insert “Do the Right Thing” joke here: Spike Lee extended an olive branch to Clint Eastwood via Steven Spielberg.

It’s good to know that there are still people, in this time of great strife, who believe in the power of diplomatic negotiation over brute force ... even if the people in this particular case happen to be two Hollywood directors apparently possessed of egos the size of Sarah Palin’s home state. Come to think of it, though, that description could apply to many a politician currently flexing his or her chops on the global stage with far worse consequences than any big-screen disaster ever wrought. If Clint and Spike can do it, why can’t they?

According to the New York Post, Clint Eastwood and Spike Lee were able to get past the little culture war that came to a head last June when Eastwood responded to Lee’s race-based critiques of some of his films by growling that Lee should “shut his face.” All it took to set things straight was a little chat with three other Hollywood players during a recent Lakers game.


New York Post:

“I was at an NBA finals, Lakers versus the Celtics,” Lee says. “[At] halftime [I’m] going to the restroom. I saw Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Eddie Murphy sitting together. I stopped by to say hi and Jeffrey jokes, ‘Leave Clint alone’ and we all laugh.

“But Steven and I went off to the side and discussed it, and I asked him to relay a message to Clint that I meant no disrespect, that I was extending the olive branch,” he adds. “Steve called Clint in the morning the next day. And it’s finito.”

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By samosamo, October 1, 2008 at 12:29 am #

This was posted on September 22 and it is still out here? And only 8 comments which really shows it is NOT a high value post. Stuff like this should not have even been put here, huffington post is better suited for it.
Come on Robert, put some real stuff out here.

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By Ruben Dominguez, September 29, 2008 at 3:24 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I’m with back bencher, this is important for what reason???

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By the illusion, September 28, 2008 at 4:32 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Spike Lee has made a great movie with Miracle at St anna

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By RickinSF, September 27, 2008 at 1:27 pm #

How sweet.
Two millionaires had a spat and have made up.
I’ll look for the movie version in a year or so.

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By SeeSaw, September 26, 2008 at 5:06 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Just make sure you go see Spike Lee’s new film as soon as possible.  If Lee’s race-based comments should offend Clint, I’m offended Spike’s films don’t get longer runs.

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By mikeschoch, September 25, 2008 at 1:47 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Spike Lee uses his anger to make memorable movies, no? So people like Clint Eastwood actually help him. I know it’s not a perfect world, but I also know Spike Lee’s films are entertaining. Why complain? Just enjoy the movies.

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By Virginia777, September 24, 2008 at 4:01 pm #

How nice to see that Stephen Spielberg, relaxing at a game, negotiated a “peace agreement”. How funny.

It wasn’t so long ago that he let Mia Farrow (hello?) convince him to drop out of directing the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics because he thought “China should do more to influence Sudan on Darfur”. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/world/asia/13china.html

America’s idea of “influence” was spelled out here by Nicholas Kristof, in the New York Times, in his article Memo to Bush on Darfur http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/opinion/10kristof.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

excerpt:
“6. The U.S. should impose a no-fly zone over Darfur from the air base in Abeche, Chad (or even from our existing base in Djibouti). We wouldn’t keep planes in the air or shoot down Sudanese aircraft. Rather, the next time Sudan breaches the U.N. ban on offensive military flights, we would wait a day or two and then destroy a Sudanese Antonov bomber on the ground.”

“Destroy Sudanese aircraft” - good idea, Nic! (??)

Truth being much stranger than fiction, “Rosemary” a few years on, publicly “shames” Spielberg, in several well-placed media articles (I saw one in Entertainment Weekly. That publication goes free to millions of homes).

Mia struggled to link the Darfur conflict to China, see her trying here: http://www.miafarrow.org/ed_032807.html

Well, poetic justice set in anyway, film director Zhang Yimou’s direction of the opening ceremony, was Amazing!

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By Peter Albertson, September 23, 2008 at 2:41 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

It’s important because both of these guys have enormous media presence, both are good guys and could be imnportant allies for themselves and for us. We, and they, have to learn to make conversation/discussion not just accusation.

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By Back bencher, September 23, 2008 at 9:07 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

...and this is important news…. why?

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