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Do the Right Thing ()


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On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.

Director:
Writer:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 21 wins & 17 nominations.
  • See more »
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Cast verified as complete

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Sal
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Da Mayor
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Mother Sister
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Vito
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Buggin Out
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Mookie
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Radio Raheem
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Pino
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ML
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Coconut Sid
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Sweet Dick Willie
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Jade
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Officer Ponte
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Officer Long
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Clifton
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Mister Señor Love Daddy (as Sam Jackson)
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Tina
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Smiley
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Ahmad
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Cee
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Punchy (as Leonard Thomas)
Christa Rivers ...
Ella
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Charlie
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Stevie (as Luis Ramos)
Richard Habersham ...
Eddie
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Louise
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Sonny
Ginny Yang ...
Kim
Sherwin Park ...
Korean Child
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Puerto Rican Icee Man
Diva Osorio ...
Carmen
Chris Delaney ...
Stevie's Friends
Angel Ramirez Jr. ...
Stevie's Friends (as Ángel Ramírez)
Sixto Ramos ...
Stevie's Friends
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Stevie's Friends
Travell Lee Toulson ...
Hector
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Sergeant
David E. Weinberg ...
Plainclothes Detective
Yattee Brown ...
Double Dutch Girl
Mecca Brunson ...
Double Dutch Girl
Shawn Stainback ...
Double Dutch Girl
Soquana Wallace ...
Double Dutch Girl
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Customer in Pizzeria (uncredited)
Leland Hardy ...
Riot Starter (uncredited)
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P.O. Bonamo (uncredited)
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Guy in Riot (uncredited)
John Michael Quinn ...
Policeman (uncredited)
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Guy by Water Hydrant (uncredited)
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Policeman (uncredited)

Directed by

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Spike Lee

Written by

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Spike Lee ... (written by)

Produced by

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Jon Kilik ... line producer
Spike Lee ... producer (produced by)
Monty Ross ... co-producer

Music by

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Bill Lee ... (original music score)

Cinematography by

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Ernest R. Dickerson ... (photography by) (as Ernest Dickerson)

Editing by

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Barry Alexander Brown

Editorial Department

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Tula Goenka ... assistant editor
Bob Hagans ... color timer
John Nicolard ... color timer
Noëlle Penraat ... negative matcher
Leander T. Sales ... apprentice editor (as Leander Sales)

Casting By

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Robi Reed ... (casting)

Production Design by

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Wynn Thomas ... (production design)

Set Decoration by

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Steve Rosse

Costume Design by

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Ruth E. Carter ... (costumes) (as Ruth Carter)

Makeup Department

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Matiki Anoff ... makeup artist
Larry M. Cherry ... hair stylist (as Larry Cherry)
Marianna Najjar ... additional makeup artist

Production Management

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R.W. Dixon ... unit manager
Preston L. Holmes ... production supervisor (as Preston Holmes)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Nandi Bowe ... second assistant director
Randy Fletcher ... first assistant director
Christopher Lopez ... second second assistant director (as Chris Lopez)

Art Department

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Anthony Baldasare ... set dresser
Jeff Balsmeyer ... storyboard artist
Patricia Bases ... scenic artist
Sherman Benjamin ... shop production assistant
Michael L. Benson ... set dresser (as Michael Lee Benson)
Martin Bernstein ... construction coordinator
James R. Bilz ... set dresser (as James Bilz)
James Boniece ... construction grip (as James Bonice)
Dennis Bradford ... assistant art director
David Bromberg ... construction grip
Lawrence Casey ... scenic artist
Rodney Clark ... carpenter
Dominic Ferrara ... carpenter (as Dominic Ferrar)
Jeffrey L. Glave ... chargeman
Jonathan Graham ... construction grip
Harold Horn ... carpenter
Marc Henry Johnson ... second assistant props
Richard C. Kerekes ... construction grip (as Rich Kerekes)
Joyce Kubalak-Szuflita ... second scenic artist (as Joyce Kubalak)
Kevin Ladson ... third assistant props
Andrew Lassman ... additional assistant props (as Andy Lassman)
Timothy Main ... carpenter
Charlie Marroquin ... construction grip (as Charles Marroquin)
Chris Miller ... carpenter
Jeff Miller ... scenic artist
Monique Mitchell ... construction grip
Octavio Molina ... property master
Ken Nelson ... key set builder
Michael O'Dell Green ... assistant art director (as Michael Green)
Carl Peterson ... construction grip
Carl Prinzi ... construction grip
Thomas Hudson Reeve ... set dresser
Scott Rosenstock ... lead man
Jon Rudo ... assistant set decorator
Rosalie Russino ... shop person
Twad Schuetrum ... carpenter
Mark Paul Selemon ... first assistant props (as Mark Selemon)
Pam Stephens ... art department coordinator
Bryan Unger ... construction grip
Keith Wall ... key set dresser
Robert Woods Jr. ... construction production assistant
Ziska Childs ... scenic artist (uncredited)
Jeff Naparstek ... set dresser (uncredited)
Jeffrey Rollins ... set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Abdul Malik Abbott ... cableman production assistant
Nzingha Clarke ... apprentice sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo ... foley artist
Michael DiCosimo ... stereo sound consultant: Dolby (as Mike DiCosimo)
Patrick Disanto ... sound recordist
William Docker ... apprentice sound editor
James Flatto ... assistant music editor / assistant sound editor
Tom Fleischman ... re-recording mixer
Rudy Gaskins ... sound editor
Eugene Gearty ... sound editor (as Gene Gearty)
Charles Hunt ... cableman production assistant
Skip Lievsay ... sound designer
Marissa Littlefield ... assistant sound editor
Alexander Markowski ... Rough Cut Sound Mix Engineer
Tony Martinez ... sound editor
Bruce Pross ... sound editor
Nic Ratner ... assistant sound editor
Andrew Schmetterling ... boom operator (as Andy Schmetterling)
Gail Showalter ... foley editor
Stuart Stanley ... sound editor
Jeffrey Stern ... dialogue editor (as Jeff Stern)
Frank Stettner ... sound recordist
Philip Stockton ... supervising dialogue editor
Brunilda Torres ... adr editor
George A. Lara ... foley mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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John Berry ... special effects assistant (as John N. Berry)
Wilfred Caban ... special effects assistant
Paul Colangelo ... special effects assistant (as Paul Collangello)
David Fletcher ... special effects assistant (as Dave Fletcher)
William D. Harrison ... special effects assistant (as Bill Harrison)
Don Hewitt ... special effects assistant
Steven Kirshoff ... special effects (as Steve Kirshoff)
William Vanderputten ... special effects assistant (as William Van Der Putten)
Denis Zack ... special effects assistant (as Dennis Zack)

Stunts

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Danny Aiello III ... stunt double: Sal
Chantal Collins ... stunt coordinator assistant
Andy Duppin ... stunts
Gary Frith ... stunts
Rashon Khan ... stunts
Erik Koniger ... stunts
Francine Renee Lawrence ... stunt coordinator assistant
Malcolm Livingston ... stunts
David S. Lomax ... stunts
Dominic Marcus ... stunts
Eric Payne ... stunts (as Eric A. Payne)
Eddie Smith ... stunt coordinator
Roy Thomas ... stunts
Mharaka Washington ... stunt driver
Tom Wright ... stunts
Hugh Aodh O'Brien ... stunts (uncredited)
Garry Pastore ... utility stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Stuart Allen ... crane technician: Louma crane
John Archibald ... additional grip
Erich Augenstein ... additional grip
Rodney Bauer ... third grip
Donald Bialer ... additional grip (as Donald Bailer)
James Boorman ... electrician
Jonathan Burkhart ... first assistant camera
Addison Cook ... electric trainee
Val DeSalvo ... best boy (as Val Desalvo)
Bob Gorelick ... additional assistant camera
Charles Houston ... gaffer
Robert Ippolito ... key grip
Roger Kimpton ... additional grip
David Lee ... still photographer
Juan Lopez ... electric trainee
Darnell Martin ... second assistant camera
Serge Mihajlov ... third electrician (as Sergei Mihajlov)
John Newby ... camera operator
Rex North ... dolly grip
John O'Malley ... third electrician
George Pattison ... additional camera operator
Frank Prinzi ... additional camera operator
Paul Reuter ... additional assistant camera (as Paul S. Reuter)
Derrick Still ... generator operator
Marcus Turner ... grip trainee
Christopher Vanzant ... electrician
Paul Wachter ... best boy

Casting Department

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Sarah Hyde Hamlet ... extras casting (as Sarah Hyde-Hamlet)
Andrea Reed ... casting assistant
Tracy Vilar ... casting production assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Michèle Boissière Armstrong ... wardrobe production assistant (as Michele Boissiere)
Valerie Gladstone-Appel ... wardrobe seamstress (as Valerie A. Gladstone)
Karen Perry ... assistant costume designer
Jennifer Ruscoe ... wardrobe supervisor
Millicent Shelton ... wardrobe production assistant

Location Management

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Brent Owens ... location manager
Eddie Rehfeldt ... location scout (uncredited)
Grant Harper Reid ... location scout (uncredited)

Music Department

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Elena Barere ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Kenny Barron ... musician: piano, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Sandra Billingslea ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Terence Blanchard ... musician: trumpet, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Alfred Brown ... musician: viola, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra (as Alfred V. Brown)
Carol Buck ... musician: cello, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
John R. Dexter ... musician: viola, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Lewis Eley ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Barry Finclair ... musician: viola, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Michael Fleming ... musician: bass, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra (as Michael M. Fleming)
Eileen M. Folson ... musician: cello, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Maureen Gallagher ... musician: viola, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Winterton Garvey ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Kenneth Gordon ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Donald Harris ... musician: alto saxophone, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Juliette Hassner ... musician: viola, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Richard Hendrickson ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra (as Richard Henrickson)
Cecelia Hobbs Gardner ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra (as Cecelia A. Hobbs)
Robert Hurst ... musician: bass, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Regis Iandiorio ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Marlon Jordan ... musician: trumpet, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Gregory Komar ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Bill Lee ... conductor: The Natural Spiritual Orchestra (as William J.E. Lee)
Patmore Lewis ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Charles Libove ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Joe Malin ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra (as Joseph Malin)
Branford Marsalis ... musician: tenor and soprano saxophone, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Lois Martin ... musician: viola, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra (as Lois E. Martin)
Mauricette Martin ... vocals
Melissa Meel ... musician: cello, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Diane Monroe ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Louann Montesi ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Paul Peabody ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Marion Pinheiro ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra (as Marion J. Pinheiro)
John Pintavalle ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Rufus Reid ... musician: bass, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Maxine Roach ... musician: viola, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Alvin Rogers ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra (as Alvin E. Rodgers)
Bruce Rogers ... musician: cello, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Elliot Rosoff ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Alen W. Sanford ... musician: violin, concert master, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Astrid Schween ... musician: cello, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Mark Orrin Shuman ... musician: cello, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Laura J. Smith ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Alex Steyermark ... music editor
Gerald Tarack ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Lesa Terry ... musician: violin, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Zela Terry ... musician: cello, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
James 'Jabbo' Ware ... music copyist
Jeff 'Tain' Watts ... musician: drums, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
James Williams ... musician: piano, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Harry Zaratzian ... musician: viola, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Frederic Zlotkin ... musician: cello, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra (as Frederick Zlotkin)
Mervyn Warren ... music producer (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Joe Gonzalez ... script supervisor

Transportation Department

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William K. Gaskins ... driver (as Willi Gaskins)
Clifford Johnson ... driver
Sullie Jordan ... driver
Brian Maxwell ... driver
Martin Whitfield ... driver
Carlos Williams ... driver

Additional Crew

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Jackie Bazan ... dvd publicist
Richard Beaumont ... intern
Kai Bowe ... intern
Kenny Buford ... set production assistant
Steve Burnett ... office production assistant
Beverly Cable ... electric production assistant (as Beverly C. Jones)
Dawn Cain ... intern
Fritz Celestin ... intern
Spencer Charles ... set production assistant
Holly Chase ... auditor
Melissa A. Clark ... intern
Eric Daniel ... set production assistant
Arlene Donnelly ... intern
Robin Downes ... assistant production office coordinator
Mike Ellis ... set production assistant (as Michael Ellis)
Peggy Farrell ... provider: Malcolm X/Martin Luther King Jr. photos
Susan D. Fowler ... production coordinator: Forty Acres
Michael Gaynor ... dailies projectionist
Juliette Harris ... intern
Stanley G. Hunte ... violins contractor: The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
Eddie Joe ... set production assistant
Stephanie Lynn Jones ... set production assistant (as Stephanie Jones)
Erik Knight ... set production assistant (as Erik Night)
Avril Lacour-Hartnagel ... product placement coordinator
James Leavey ... teamster captain (as Jim Leavey)
Ernie Mapp ... intern
Mitchell Marchand ... intern
Sam Mattingly ... unit publicist
Jacki Newson ... intern
Robert F. Nickson ... production controller (as Robert Nickson)
Fred Nielson ... set production assistant (as Frederick Nielsen)
Judith Norman ... office production assistant
Eric Oden ... assistant auditor
Alexander Ostrovsky ... piano tuner
Rosie Perez ... choreographer
Traci Proctor ... intern
Kia B. Puriefoy ... set production assistant (as Kia Puriefoy)
Lillian Pyles ... production office coordinator
Sara Renaud ... intern
Bruce Roberts ... set production assistant
Carolyn Rouse ... intern
Astrid Roy ... intern
Otis Sallid ... choreographer
Cheryl Ann Scott ... craft service
Art Sims ... logo designer: "Do the Right Thing"
Sharoya N. Smalls ... intern
Alan C. Smith ... intern
Audra C. Smith ... production assistant: Forty Acres
Susan Stuart ... intern
Karen Taylor ... intern
Jean Warner ... intern
Dale Watkins ... set production assistant
Gail White ... intern
Latanya White ... intern
Monique Williams ... intern
Randall Balsmeyer ... title designer (uncredited)
Kim Delgado ... adr loop group (uncredited)
Solomon J. LeFlore ... Production financing (uncredited)

Thanks

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Rush ... special thanks
John Wilson ... special thanks
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

This film looks at life in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn on a hot summer Sunday. As he does everyday, Sal Fragione opens the pizza parlor he's owned for 25 years. The neighborhood has changed considerably in the time he's been there and is now composed primarily of African-Americans and Hispanics. His son Pino hates it there and would like nothing better than to relocate the eatery to their own neighborhood. For Sal however, the restaurant represents something that is part of his life and sees it as a part of the community. What begins as a simple complaint by one of his customers, Buggin Out - who wonders why he has only pictures of famous Italian-Americans on the wall when most of his customers are black - eventually disintegrates into violence as frustration seemingly brings out the worst in everyone. Written by garykmcd

Plot Keywords
Taglines It's the hottest day of the summer. You can do nothing, you can do something, or you can... See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Heatwave (United States)
  • Heatwave (India, English title)
  • Haz lo que debas (Spain)
  • Faça a Coisa Certa (Brazil)
  • 為所應為 (Taiwan)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 120 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $6,500,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia During the 1990 Oscar ceremony, while announcing the Best Picture nominees, Kim Basinger caused some controversy when she ignored her scripted text and said: "We've got five great films here, and they're great for one reason: because they tell the truth. But there is one film missing from this list, that deserves to be on it, because ironically, it might tell the biggest truth of all, and that's Do the Right Thing (1989)." Spike Lee would later thank her for it in a 2019 episode of the podcast "Unspooled". See more »
Goofs When Mookie throws the trash can through Sal's window, the reverse shot from inside the restaurant reveals the main camera, in the lower left portion of the screen, dollying in towards the window as it's smashed. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into Film Title Poem (2016). See more »
Soundtracks Fight the Power See more »
Crazy Credits Film title logo at the end of closing credits See more »
Quotes Radio Raheem: Let me tell you the story of Right Hand, Left Hand. It's a tale of good and evil. Hate: it was with this hand that Cain iced his brother. Love: these five fingers, they go straight to the soul of man. The right hand: the hand of love. The story of life is this: static. One hand is always fighting the other hand, and the left hand is kicking much ass. I mean, it looks like the right hand, Love, is finished. But hold on, stop the presses, the right hand is coming back. Yeah, he got the left hand on the ropes, now, that's right. Ooh, it's a devastating right and Hate is hurt, he's down. Left-Hand Hate KOed by Love.
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