The visceral thriller also starsElizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, Samuel L. Jackson,andMichael Imperioli.
Hit the jump to read the interview.
QUESTION: I had a chance to talk to Josh Brolin a couple weeks ago.
He said two things I wanted to ask you about.
SPIKE LEE: I wouldnt use the word demanded.
That was his exact word, that he demanded it.
Did you also talk to director Park about it in advance?
I never got to talk to Mr. Park.
Im a Professor at NYU at the Graduate Film School.
Im also the Artistic Director of the School, and he showedStokerthe same night I was teaching.
He doesnt speak English.
I dont speak Korean.
So, we were working through his assistant and we just couldnt make it happen to meet each other.
I dont think hes seen it yet.
But Josh did go.
I dont know about the specific details, but he did meet with Park because Josh wanted his blessing.
Park said, I dont think its a good idea if Josh is not going to do the film.
Park also told Josh that, Look, you have my blessing.
But dont make a run at redo what we did.
Make your own film.
And that was my thinking from the beginning.
I mean, I love Gus Van Sant (laughs), but why do that?
Gus is a great filmmaker, but thats just something I wouldnt do.
Heres the reason why you use reinterpretation instead of remake.
John Coltrane did not play the same exact thing that Julie Andrews sang inThe Sound of Music.
How long is that now?
Sixteen minutes?My Favorite Things.
I mean, its a 3-minute song.
Many people sangMy Funny Valentine,but Miles Davis play is different.
That was the mindset.
Josh and I had that mindset that we know Park Chan is great.
I only do it once, one per film.
I always knew I was going to do it.
I just hadnt figured out where.
We were trying to figure out where we were going to do it.
Were you ever going to do it during the fight scene with the hammer?
LEE: (Laughs) That would have been the wrong space.
What were some of the things that inspired your take on this?
(Laughs)
Why was Josh Brolin the right guy for the role of Joe Doucett?
LEE: I cant imagine anybody else playing that role.
Its a funny story.
Oh I love your stuff!
I love your stuff!
Next year it was the same thing.
This happened four years in a row.
Josh is a great, great actor.
We get along great.
And we want to work together many more times.
We had the same outlook.
We knew the film we wanted to make.
So it was a wonderful experience.
And also, that was not special.
He gained and lost that weight.
He did that himself under the supervision of dieticians and doctors.
He gained 50 pounds and lost it for the role.
Did he do that in two weeks?
LEE: Less than that.
Heres the trick thing.
He had to lose the weight quickly.
He only lost 25 pounds over a weekend.
All the time were rehearsing, hes eating pasta, peanut butter, protein shakes.
That was on a Friday, and that following Monday, he had to be different.
So he lost it in two days, something like that.
Youll have to ask him.
He lost 25 or 30 pounds.
It was all water, but he had to lose it.
Not something I recommend.
This has been your year for doing things that youre not accustomed to doing.
Tomorrow is the debut ofUndisputed Truth.
LEE: Thats with Mike Tyson.
That was in the summer of 2012 and this past summer we filmed.
Its coming out on HBO tomorrow night.
Its calledMike Tyson: Undisputed Truthand that was really it.
We dont run away from hard stuff.
Nothing is easy and we dont run away from challenges either.
Lets get rid of the word remake, yo, for this film at least.
Ive been saying it for a year since I was on set.
Its interesting watching it.
Yeah, exactly, right?
LEE: Oh yes.
First of all, most Americans dont go see foreign films, especially Korean foreign films.
Most Americans arent reading subtitles.
(Laughs) Little do they know…
I was sitting next to someone who hadnt seen the Korean version and her reaction was pretty great.
LEE: Thats what were hoping.
But were going against football though.
But there are going to be some people who are going to go.
I think it was a great move, in my opinion.
Film District did a great move with this.
Ive done this before.
People forget this, butDo the Right Thingopened the same day, June 30, 1989, asBatman.
The Tim Burton/Jack NicholsonBatman.
It doesnt work all the time, but we hope history repeats itself.
Did you read the Japanese comic book?
LEE: Yes, I read it, the manga.
The Korean movie is based on the Japanese manga.
LEE: Thank you for bringing that up.
I always point that out, that the original source material was Japanese.
I find it very interesting.
It feels like theres a certain continuity between Joe Doucett and Mike Tyson.
LEE: I never thought about that.
Mike Tyson is the most complex person Ive ever met in my life.
Ive known Mike since 1986.
Were both from Brooklyn.
I didnt know him growing up, but once he became heavyweight champion, I knew him then.
Now hes in front of the world because hes going to be on television on HBO tomorrow night.
I see it as a correlation more between… What was his name?
What was Kirk Douglas characters name inAce in the Hole?
LEE: Chuck Tatum!
I see a greater correlation between Kirk Douglas Chuck Tatum and Josh Brolins Joe Doucette.
Whos seen that film,Ace in the Hole?
That movie is amazing, and an interesting thing is he did that right afterSunset Boulevard.
Same thing happened to Elia Kazan.
Right afterOn the Waterfront,he didA Face in the Crowd.
But if you dont haveA Face in the Crowd, youre not going to have Paddy ChayefskysNetwork.
I sawUndisputed Truthwhen it opened across the street.
LEE: At the Pantages?
LEE: Heres the thing.
Mike is who he is and he doesnt apologize for it.
A couple of times he might have said, Excuse me, ladies.
Mike is a very intelligent individual, but he grew up on the streets of Brooklyn.
Thats what it is.
I was just surprised at the reaction.
LEE: You know what that is?
People love Mike Tyson.
They know he has his problems, still, but people love him.
Ive seen it all my life.
I dont care who it is.
Its not just black folks.
People love Mike Tyson.
LEE: They followed me with25th Hour.
They followed me withSummer of Sam.
No, thats not even a concern.
Of course, I got Sam (Samuel L. Jackson) back, too.
Its the first time we worked together sinceJungle Fever.
They gonna ride this mule until the mule falls over.
(Laughs)
Mark Protosevich has been on this project for quite a while.
When you came on board, I imagine that he had already gone through several drafts of the script.
What was your main note when you got the script that you wanted to emphasize or de-emphasize?
LEE: The main note was really Lizzie Olsens character.
First of all, Mark wrote a great script.
So lets just get that out of the way.
We all Josh and I and Lizzie – just felt we needed the strength in Lizzies character.
Its not just me saying that.
Shes the one whos playing that role.
I was actually going to ask about Elizabeth.
LEE: Shes wonderful.
What struck you the most about her that is why people are lining up to work with her?
When youre talented, people want to work with you.
Someone young enough, but old enough.
LEE: No, we definitely dont like to telegraph.
Thats one of my pet peeves with trailers today.
I almost dont want to go…
I understand that today, with the studios, it costs more now to make a film.
Were going to show them everything.
But Im just of the generation where youve got to tease.
Have you ever seen those Alfred Hitchcock trailers?
Or they put in jokes that arent even in the film.
Just the okie dokie.
(Laughs)
Speaking of trailers, Film District has been pretty coy about the trailer for this.
LEE: Oh, theyve been great.
Ive got to give a shout out to Film District.
Their marketing of this film has been phenomenal.
That was my question.
Was that your choosing or theirs?
LEE: Did you want it to come out earlier?
LEE: We have to realize this is not a 3,000 theater release.
Were going to roll off in 550, so its very well thought out and Im happy with it.
I spoke with Ruth Carter last night whos worked with you on several films.
Can you talk a little bit about your long term collaboration with your creative team?
LEE: Ruth Carter, a two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Costumes forMalcolm XandAmistad.
Ruths first film wasSchool Dazeand weve worked on and off since.
Da is spelled d-a, not t-h-e.Da Sweet Blood of Jesus.
Ruth did a phenomenal job on that.
Can you talk a little bit Sweet Blood of Jesus?
LEE: Its a Kickstarter film.
It will be a Spike Lee Joint.
(Laughs) Its about people addicted to blood, but theyre not vampires.
We talk about it, but really blood is a metaphor.
Its a contemporary film.
We shot in New York and Marthas Vineyard and were editing it now.
We shot it in 16 days, one day ahead of schedule.
The goal was to raise $1,250,000.
We raised $1,400,000.
I loved all the people who backed this film.
The male leads name is Stephen Tyrone Williams, a young Broadway actor.
The female lead is a woman named Zaraah Abrahams, a black Brit actress.
I saw one of my students thesis films and she was a co-star.
I asked my student, You cast…?
You got it flipped.
She should have been the star.
I tracked her down, and I flew to London, and shes the lead.
There are phenomenal performances in this film.
LEE: Its scary, humorous, bloody, sexy.
Go for this one!
How have the process and the business changed for you since then?
LEE: Very good question.
Well, the world has changed.
For me, heres the interesting thing.
I was being attacked for being on Kickstarter and I just had to break it down.
I used the principles of Kickstarter to makeShes Gotta Have It.
We filmed that in 1985 to 1986.
The final cost was $175,000.
I didnt have that money.
It was friends, grants, donations.
We saved our bottles for the nickel deposit.
There was no Twitter.
I had to write pen to letter and postcards asking people for money.
But I dont get tripped up in technology.
I use technology as a tool.Oldboywe shot Two Pro 35mm.
ForDa Blood of Jesus, we shot digitally.
We shot the new Sony F55.
Its a 4K camera.
And whats your editing process?
LEE: Were Avid.
I dont cut on the Steenbeck anymore.
Anyone want to buy a Steenbeck?
(Laughs)
Has that changed the process for you in post-production as far as assembling the film?
LEE: Yes, but you know whats good though?
It used to kill me after you work all day to watch three hours of dailies.
Now I just get a link or a DVD and I watch it when I want to watch it.
What do you feel you learned from the Kickstarter campaign?
LEE: That its hard.
Thats one of the hardest things Ive ever had to do.
That is no joke.
That was a 30-day campaign and every day.
Failure was not an option.
We had to get that money.
LEE: Oh yes.
I financedRed Hook Summer.
That came out of nowhere.
Id never even heard of that award.
What has been the biggest surprise for you about becoming a director?
Did you used to dream about becoming one?
LEE: I didnt dream about being a director.
I was a little kid.
Nowadays, its like, Yes, I sawStar Wars.
I saw… Whatever the film is.
Do I want to be a filmmaker like that?
I didnt have that key in of moment.
Im just happy that Ive been able to continue what Ive been doing and move forward.
