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‘Do The Right Thing’ With Sean Fennessey and Wesley Morris
August 27, 2019 · Do the Right Thing (1989) · Comedy · Drama · 1:40:44 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
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Most Rewatchable Scene
Sean FennesseyOpening sequence with Rosie Perez dancing, Buggin' Out on the Wall of Fame scene, Fire Hydrant scene with Frank Vincent, Pino and Sal debate scene▶ 34:19
Casting What-Ifs
Sean FennesseyRobert De Niro — Robert De Niro as Sal would make it a different movie - De Niro might be cheered by viewers in ways Danny Aiello's Sal isn't, creating a morally different film▶ 1:01:19
Wesley MorrisRobert De Niro — De Niro would make it 'a De Niro movie' and tip the engagement balance, destroying the equality among characters that makes the film special. It would be morally different with easier audience sympathy for the racist character▶ 1:00:08
Dion Waiters Award
Sean FennesseyListed nominees including Bill Nunn as Radio Raheem, Robin Harris as Sweet Dick Willie, Rosie Perez, Sam Jackson, and Martin Lawrence, but didn't make a definitive pick▶ 1:02:58
Half-Assed Internet Research
Sean FennesseyPresented various production facts including Spike Lee's inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock, two-week screenplay writing timeline, original ending differences, filming location details, production design choices, and security issues during filming▶ 1:06:03
Wesley MorrisResponded to research facts with commentary on why the final ending was better than the original reconciliation ending, and discussed the racist nature of critical reactions compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger films▶ 1:06:43
Apex Mountain
Sean FennesseySpike Lee — Questioned if this is Spike's peak, mentioning Malcolm X, 25th Hour, Mo' Better Blues as alternatives, but concludes it's apex mountain for Spike▶ 1:16:35
Wesley MorrisSpike Lee — Do the Right Thing is Spike Lee's apex filmmaking, and Danny Aiello's best performance ever▶ 1:17:47
Joey Pants Award
Sean FennesseyListed several candidates including Frank Vincent, Frankie Faison, Roger Guinevere Smith, Miguel Sandoval, and noted Giancarlo Esposito used to win this category before Breaking Bad▶ 1:20:26
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Sean FennesseyAsked multiple questions: Did Mookie throw trash can to save Sal or express rage (thinks it can be both), why is Pino so mad, how long before Mookie and Sal patched up, did Tina and Mookie stay together (definitive no)▶ 1:30:41
Wesley MorrisMookie's motivation is truly unanswerable and could be both reasons; Pino is mad because he got rejected by a black girl; Mookie and Sal didn't really patch up, just needed each other practically; Mother Sister and Da Mayor stayed together after she made him shower▶ 1:30:46
Who Won the Movie
Wesley MorrisSpike Lee — Spike Lee - made his career, created one of the greatest movies America has ever produced, a perfect movie about America's biggest unsolved problem that people will still be watching in 100 years▶ 1:37:03
Movies Referenced (32)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malcolm X (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | ▶ 10:38 |
| Philadelphia (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Wesley Morris | ▶ 6:00 |
| The Matrix (1999) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | ▶ 0:23 |
| Weekend at Bernie's (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Wesley Morris | ▶ 5:27 |
| 25th Hour (2002) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | ▶ 45:38 |
| Die Hard (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 32:46 |
| Wedding Crashers (2005) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 16:35 |
| Barton Fink (1991) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Wesley Morris | ▶ 1:18:58 |
| Basic Instinct (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Wesley Morris | ▶ 1:13:13 |
| Beverly Hills Cop (1984) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 16:21 |
| Driving Miss Daisy (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | ▶ 4:24 |
| Inside Man (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | ▶ 1:15:17 |
Directors Referenced (9)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike Lee | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 57 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It | ▶ 1:24 |
| Martin Luther King | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | ▶ 10:33 | |
| Ernest Dickerson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey | Juice, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X | ▶ 12:13 |
| Richard Fearless | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Lost in Space, Mission: Impossible - Fallout | ▶ 57:58 |
| Eric Sadler | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Three Kings | ▶ 8:06 |
| Quentin Tarantino | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn | ▶ 50:36 |
| Alfred Hitchcock | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest | ▶ 1:06:09 |
| James Doh | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Wesley Morris | ▶ 1:33:34 | |
| Wes Anderson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | The Royal Tenenbaums, Isle of Dogs | ▶ 50:30 |
Actors Referenced (50)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosie Perez | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 19 | Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey | Fearless, White Men Can't Jump | ▶ 34:19 |
| Robert De Niro | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 14 | Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey | Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver | ▶ 59:56 |
| John Savage | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey | The Deer Hunter | ▶ 1:04:06 |
| Robin Harris | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Do the Right Thing | ▶ 49:52 |
| John Turturro | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Barton Fink | ▶ 46:20 |
| Right Said Fred | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Grumpy Old Men | ▶ 2:48 |
| Frank Vincent | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Goodfellas, Casino | ▶ 38:58 |
| Danny Aiello | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Do the Right Thing, Moonstruck | ▶ 4:57 |
| David Dinkins | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 23:18 | |
| Michael Jordan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey | Space Jam, He Got Game | ▶ 25:36 |
| Chuck D | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Friday Night Lights, End of Watch | ▶ 48:31 |
| Martin Lawrence | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:03:13 |
Writers Referenced (6)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | ▶ 3:21 | |
| Malcolm X | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Malcolm X | ▶ 10:38 |
| Joe Klein | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | ▶ 26:38 | |
| Arthur Miller | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 22:21 | |
| Michael Stewart | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Wesley Morris | ▶ 22:27 | |
| Ryan Coogler | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Black Panther, Creed | ▶ 1:22:59 |