Metafizics Theatre Presents: "Do The Right Thing"

 

Cast

• Spike Lee as Mookie, a young black man working in Sal's Famous Pizza
• Danny Aiello as Sal, a surly Italian man who owns the pizzeria
• Ossie Davis as Da Mayor, an older black man who some call the town drunk
• Ruby Dee as Mother Sister, an older black woman who observes the neighborhood goings-ons from the window of her brownstone and despises Da Mayor
• Richard Edson as Vito, one of Sal's sons and a friend of Mookie's
• Giancarlo Esposito as Buggin' Out, an excitable friend of Mookie's who "wants some brothers" on Sal's wall of fame
• Bill Nunn as Radio Raheem, a towering young black man who always carries around a huge boom box blasting only Public Enemy's "Fight the Power"
• John Turturro as Pino, another one of Sal's sons. He is not happy about being one of the last Italians in the neighborhood, nor about his brother's interracial friendship
• Rosie Perez as Tina, Mookie's girlfriend
• Paul Benjamin as ML
• Frankie Faison as Coconut Sid
• Robin Harris as Sweet Dick Willie
• Miguel Sandoval as Officer Mark Ponte, a policeman
• Rick Aiello as Officer Gary Long, a white policeman
• Joie Lee as Jade, Mookie's sister
• Samuel L. Jackson as Señor Love Daddy, the local DJ
• Roger Guenveur Smith as Smiley, a young, mentally impaired man who tries to sell pictures of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
• Steve Park as Sonny, a Korean grocery store owner across the street from Sal's
• Steve White as Ahmad
• Martin Lawrence as Cee
• Leonard L. Thomas as Punchy
• Christa Rivers as Ella
• Luis Antonio Ramos as Stevie
• John Savage as Clifton
• Frank Vincent as Charlie
• Richard Parnell Habersham as Eddie
• Ginny Yang as Kim, Sonny's wife

That's right... A Spike Lee Joint. The film was a commercial success and received numerous accolades and awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Lee for Best Original Screenplay. The film has grown in stature over time and is commonly listed among the greatest films of all time. In 1999, it was deemed to be "culturally significant" by the U.S. Library of Congress, and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, one of just five films to have this honor in their first year of eligibility.

The Year is 1989. The Season is Summer. The Location is the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn (otherwise known as Bed-Stuy). 

We're taken on a ride through the racially tense late 80s, a tumultuous time filled progressive Black Pride, the phenomenon of White-Flight, and the increasing popularity of Hip-Hop.  

But on this hot summer day in Brooklyn, it all simmered to a boil. 

Our main character Mookie (Spike Lee) works for Sal's Pizzeria, a legendary establishment on the block, that has been there before the neighborhood became predominantly black. A staple in the community. Sal (Danny Aiello) is fair businessman that understands and appreciates the business he receives from the black community. Pino (John Turturro), Sal's son, is highly prejudice and has a low-lying resentment for the community and projects it on his younger brother, Vito (Richard Edson) whom is amicable with Mookie the deliveryman. As the movie progresses it's easy to see that Mookie is the adhesive that holds this whole block together. He is respected and people look to him for acceptance and support. 

Over the course of one day, the morals and true feelings for one another on the block is unleashed. By the end of the day, it was no longer Black vs White vs Latino vs Asian, just only Black and White. True colors were shown in flashes of desperation and raw, unfiltered emotion. Black and White wasn't just limited to Minority vs Caucasians yet Right vs Wrong, Good vs Evil, Freedom vs Oppression, and Love vs. Hate. It was a true test of what everyone was capable of. You'll see that once Mookie decides to act in a certain manner, the community follows suit. He is a bonafide leader. 

I've been meaning to watch this movie for too long and when I finally did, I realized it was more of an artistic representation that had metaphors everywhere. Spike Lee's masterpiece. It's a must see movie and a possible life changer. I think its more of a educational film rather than just entertainment based. So pay attention! Maybe it'll add some insight to your life. So you can....

DO THE RIGHT THING! 
Here are some more Screenshots I took:  

-TLG/MTFZ

What Does Christmas Mean to Metafizics?

The readers that know me personally know that I don't practice any religion or hold any higher spirtual beliefs. So for a long time, I've been trying to figure out a reason as to why I feel so strongly against religion, yet celebrate a religious holiday with fam and friends. The answer is simple. 

Christmas is no longer the holiday that it used to be. To me it has taken on a whole new meaning. Yeah, there is a big consumerist element these days but thats all very petty and materialistic. Don't get me wrong, we all like to receive and many of us like to give (notice the difference). That's all well and good but what's more valuable is the time that we spend with loved ones. Family and Friends. 

I come home and my fun is spending time with the most important people in my life. It took me awhile to find the significance behind the holiday, but I'm glad its not a materialistic one.

I like to observe the shoppers during this time of year. All in a frenzy, caught up with Tickle Me Elmos, PS3s, Godiva chocolates, and iPhones. It seems like we subconsciously put more emphasis on the presents than the actual people themselves. As if the recipients will love us more for what we get them. In some sad cases, thats all it takes for some. I'm not saying throw out all your gifts and go empty handed, but just remember that you shouldnt have to feel obligated to purchase something just to maintain a person's happiness, feelings for you, etc. 

This holiday and a few others have created this obligation to buy, buy, and buy. Overtime it just ends up overshadowing the real and true meaning. 

Going through economic struggles as a child helped me gain insight into what really matters. As a little kid the gifts are really all you can think about. You can try and teach the youth the real meaning but it means nothing until later. When my material gifts started getting smaller and smaller, it finally dawned on me that my gift was there the whole time. 

My family, my friends, and my health. 

Merry Christmas y'all!

-TLG/MTFZ 

Dream/Reality.

 

You rub your eyes and sit up in bed, look around to verify where you are in the world. Maybe look at your hands or check to see if your body is intact. You just woke up from a dream. The feeling is real, but it really is not. A single dream can change your life, the way you view the world, or perhaps something as minute as a simple step in your daily routine. Now this post isn't about the science of dreaming or any type of method explaining why we have them. Its merely an acknowledgement of a phenomenon many of us experience on a regular basis.  

We dream about things we want, things we DONT know that we want, things we dont want, and things we DONT know that we DONT want. But sometimes we dream about total nonsense. What if it isnt? How do we know when to have a good or bad feeling about a dream? To heed a warning? To proceed with an idea?

Maybe I'm just trying to provoke some thoughts in your head before you go to sleep, but now that you've started to read, you can't help but think of what's going on in your head when your subconscious takes over. 

Some ideas are best left in the dream world. But for just a second think about world leaders, business executives, and the world's most influential people. How many of their important decisions, transactions, moves, etc. are influenced by a dream or series of dreams? We'll never know the answer to that. Before a big decision is made, don't many people just...

"Sleep on it."  

-TLG/MTFZ