Last-Minute Shopping Plans: Spike Lee Signing at Barbara's Bookstore

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 24, 2010 6:45PM

Spike Lee's intense 1989 film Do the Right Thing was a seminal achievement. An ambitious, aggressive, stark look at American race relations and how we approach or ignore them until they reach a breaking point, Do the Right Thing has informed Lee's work ever since, for better or worse. When Lee's on, his films match the level set by "DTRT" (Crooklyn, Malcolm X). When he's not, his films suffer (Bamboozled)

More than 20 years later, Lee's new book, also called Do the Right Thing, takes a look back at the making of the film, offers behind-the-scenes interviews and photos from production and looks at the cultural impact of the film. For film buffs, students of race relations or memoirs, this book would make an ideal gift.

Lee will be signing copies of Do the Right Thing starting at 4 p.m. at Barbara's Bookstore (1218 S. Halsted, 312-413-2665)