Spike Lee in ‘Malcolm X’ Daniel Scheinert’s ‘Crime Movie’ Twitter Controversy

Spike Lee is calling a ceasefire on the backlash after ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ co-director Daniel Scheinert called Lee’s biopic ‘Malcolm X’ a ‘crime film’.

During a criteria collectionWardrobe choice” video, Scheinert called “Malcolm X” a “compelling crime saga” and added, “Maybe my favorite crime? It just blew my mind when I first saw it like a year ago.”

Fans have since taken to social media to praise Scheiner for the true story of civil rights activist Malcolm X (Denzel Washington) and the events leading up to his assassination. Director Lee responded to the controversy in a new interview.

“I’ve never heard that description before,” Lee said The guardian “Malcolm X” is classified by fans in the crime genre. “But look, I’m not going to kill the guy.” I’ve also spoken badly many times in my life.”

The “Do the Right Thing” hitmaker added, “So I’m going to call Black Twitter to give the guy a break — because when Black Twitter gets on your ass, they get on your ass.”

Lee reflected on his own film: “’Malcolm X’ stands the test of time. And Denzel’s performance still amazes me. It’s one of the biggest I’ve ever seen.”

While the 2023 Oscar nominations are led by “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Lee weighed in on “Till” director Chinonye Chukwu and star Danielle Deadwyler and Viola Davis’ role in “The Woman King.”

“You know, I don’t really have anything to say about that,” Lee said. “I am delighted that Angela Bassett has been nominated. I am delighted that Ruth Carter – who was my costume designer for a long time – has been nominated. It’s going to be tough when you get those awards. And the Academy has a history… The Academy has a history, let’s leave it at that. But the whole #OscarsSoWhite hashtag definitely had an effect. The Academy, to their credit, has made changes to bring diversity to the voting body.”

Lee concluded, “Because I’ve never tried to position myself as someone who speaks for 45 million African Americans. I always say, “That’s my opinion.” Pretty early on, my late mother said, “Spike, we black people are not a monolithic group. We don’t look alike, we don’t talk alike, we don’t think alike. We are very diverse, with many backgrounds. And I took that to heart.”

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