6/24/2014
By Ivan Pereira
Twenty-five years ago, Spike Lee put Bedford-Stuyvesant in the spotlight with his ground-breaking hit “Do the Right Thing,” and Tuesday Brooklyn leaders returned the favor.
Borough President Eric Adams and City Councilman Robert E. Cornegy Jr. not only honored Lee for his 1989 film with official proclamations, they also announced a block party this Saturday on the street where he filmed the movie.
Adams said the movie, which starred Lee and Danny Aiello depicted a riot brought on by racial tensions, gave the world a taste of Brooklyn that was different from the brownstones and more “glamorous” aspects seen in other movies.
“Many people don’t realize how powerful and profound the movie ‘Do the Right Thing’ is,” Adams said at a news conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall.
The movie was nominated for two Academy Awards, including a Best Screenplay nomination for Lee.Lee filmed on Stuyvesant Avenue between Quincy Street and Lexington Avenue and that will be the site of Saturday’s party.
From noon until 6 p.m. Lee, his production company 40 Acres and other sponsors will celebrate the summer with music games and other events. The director said he was proud that the community has come a long way since the ’80s and relations between it and the police have improved.
“I never knew I’d be here 25 years later celebrating a film,” he said.
Lee, who grew up in Brooklyn, said he would never consider a sequel or doing an updated version because the themes behind the movie are still relevant today.
“There’s no need to do it over in modern times. It’s still contemporary,” he said.
