Reference Degustation

Themes

51 themes tracked across the show. Pivot by theme to see how different directors handle the same idea — or browse by director or patron.

Visuals & Audio

14 themes

Cinematography

#Cinematography

Cinematography

2 directors·9 episodes

New York

#NYCinFilm

Setting/Location

1 director·5 episodes

Long ass movies

#Pacing

Editing/Pacing

1 director·5 episodes

Scorsese Bingo: Freeze Frames, Slow Mo, Split Diopter, Tracking Shots, Extreme Closeups

#ScorseseCinematography

Cinematography

1 director·5 episodes

Voiceover as an effective storytelling tool

#Voiceover

Music/Sound

1 director·5 episodes

Unflinching graphic nature of the violence

#GraphicViolence

Cinematography

1 director·4 episodes

Even though the movies you're watching aren't the most vibrant visually, use of colour and film stock to evoke feeling (DTRT - bright colours, MX - classically shot, hazy filters, BBZD - shot on digital video)

#ColorPalette

Cinematography

1 director·4 episodes

Spike double-dolly shot (When it looks like the character is just floating towards the camera)

#SpikeDolly

Cinematography

1 director·4 episodes

Double dolly shot. Pretty sure every one of his movies has it at least once

#CinematographyTechnique

Cinematography

1 director·4 episodes

Double dolly-shot, people speaking straight to camera saying manifestos or their direct thoughts

#CameraMovement

Cinematography

1 director·4 episodes

Music in general, namely jazz & hip-hop

#FilmScore

Music/Sound

1 director·4 episodes

Spike Lee was known for his love of jazz music and innovative use of modern music during his career

#FilmScore

Music/Sound

1 director·4 episodes

Military marches in the music score to signify determination, rather than destruction

#FilmScore

Music/Sound

1 director·4 episodes

Documentary footage cut in to remind muthafuckas that real life and filmmaking are one and the same!

#DocumentaryStyle

Editing/Pacing

1 director·4 episodes

Narrative & Subtext

30 themes

Commentary on World

#SocialCommentary

Commentary/Politics

1 director·5 episodes

Historical retelling of real events

#HistoricalAccuracy

Plot Devices

1 director·5 episodes

Narrating

#Narration

Plot Devices

1 director·5 episodes

The minutia of large scale operations presented as an entry point into our characters' world and lifestyle

#WorldBuilding

Plot Devices

1 director·5 episodes

crime/gangster drama

#CrimeDrama

Themes

1 director·5 episodes

Catholic guilt. That's a big one

#CatholicGuilt

Themes

1 director·5 episodes

Catholic guilt (or just guilt) revealing itself through self-flagellation/self harm (mental or physical)

#CatholicGuilt

Character Psychology

1 director·5 episodes

Religion or religious overviews, sacrifice, temptation and the seduction of good by evil

#ReligiousThemes

Themes

1 director·5 episodes

Powerful cabals and the inner workings of absolute power

#PowerPolitics

Commentary/Politics

1 director·5 episodes

Violence as the means to resolve conflict

#FilmViolence

Themes

1 director·5 episodes

The idea that sooner or later our sins catch up with us and sooner or later you learn that crime doesn't pay

#MoralConsequences

Themes

1 director·5 episodes

Conflicted protagonists who are charming and righteous in their cause, they really believe what they're doing is right

#ConflictedHeroes

Character Psychology

1 director·5 episodes

Walking the tightrope when depicting morally compromised characters in a way that doesn't condone their actions while also keeping them interesting as protagonists.

#MoralAmbiguity

Character Psychology

1 director·5 episodes

Challenging protagonists who are ethically and morally flawed yet human and layered

#ComplexProtagonists

Character Psychology

1 director·5 episodes

The struggle to be spiritual in a materialistic world

#SpiritualityVsMaterialism

Themes

1 director·5 episodes

Living by a specific code of conduct

#CharacterCode

Character Psychology

1 director·5 episodes

The toll of keeping necessary secrets from the people you love

#SecretKeeping

Character Psychology

1 director·5 episodes

Commentary on Japan/World

#SocialCommentary

Commentary/Politics

1 director·4 episodes

What is real.What is not

#RealityVsIllusion

Themes

1 director·4 episodes

The interaction between sex and violence

#SexAndViolence

Themes

1 director·4 episodes

Brutal justification to right the wrongs

#MoralJustification

Themes

1 director·4 episodes

Unchecked desires/passions

#ThematicPassions

Themes

1 director·4 episodes

Women in dominant positions

#GenderPolitics

Commentary/Politics

1 director·4 episodes

Prostitution/Sex Work

#SocialCommentary

Commentary/Politics

1 director·4 episodes

Emasculation

#Masculinity

Themes

1 director·4 episodes

Sexual liberation

#SexualPolitics

Themes

1 director·4 episodes

Racism and the Black American experience

#RacialCommentary

Commentary/Politics

1 director·4 episodes

Scenes where multiple characters start ranting, usually racist/sexist/xenophobic stuff, angrily in chorus with one another

#HateSpeech

Commentary/Politics

1 director·4 episodes

Countryboi

#RuralIdentity

Commentary/Politics

1 director·4 episodes

'Nice guy' whites who show their true colours

#RacialPolitics

Commentary/Politics

1 director·4 episodes

Production & Meta

7 themes

Throwback films

#RetroStyle

Direction/Stylistic Choices

1 director·5 episodes

Marty cameo!

#Cameo

Casting/Characters

1 director·5 episodes

All of his films being considered as "Spike Lee Joint"

#SpikeLeeJoint

Direction/Stylistic Choices

1 director·4 episodes

Spike cameo appearance (or outright full blown member of the core cast)

#SpikeSignature

Direction/Stylistic Choices

1 director·4 episodes

Denzel Washington

#DenzelWashington

Casting/Characters

1 director·4 episodes

Public Enemy

#CastingChoices

Casting/Characters

1 director·4 episodes

You HAVE to do Visitor Q simply because of how batshit crazy it is.

#ExtremeFilm

Direction/Stylistic Choices

1 director·1 episode