Customer Reviews

School Daze (Special Edition)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I once heard on a TV talk show that you don't have to be a parent to know about kids. This was uttered by a single female with tons of doctorate credentials. As I listened, having kids of my own, I found her comments clinical and devoid of those fundamentals any parent experiences during daily contact with their offspring. I subsequently disregarded most of her observations with the exception of the obvious. Some things do have to be experienced. With that said, Spike Lee's School Daze had to be experienced to really appreciate the social comments being made. Being a graduate of Howard University (an Afro-American college since federal inception) in Washington, D.C., I could readily identify with the life and social levels depicted. This movie is FUBU (For Us By Us). The distinction between light skinned and dark skinned, "good hair" and "kinks", "Greeked" (Fraternity/Sorority) and outsiders, upper-class, middle-class and no-class, may be lost in an already segmented society. However, it hits home to anyone (irregardless of ethnic background) who has attended historically rooted colleges and universiies. The voluntary (and involuntary!) sub-segmentation on campus is real and extant. Spike Lee's direction, musical scenes and comedic comment, gives us a laugh at these really stupid concepts. Laurence Fishburne as usual gives an excellent performance as a politically aware student, trying to change a system that cannot be changed, and personally changing because of it. Spike Lee plays his usual "Baby, baby, pleaseee baby, baby" self-depreciating character caught-up in fraternity life but willing to play for the perceived rewards of acceptance. Giancarlo Esposito is the fraternity leader and movie antagonist bent maintaining class/segment separation. Tisha Campbell (Martin - TV show co-star) plays Esposito's "girlfriend" and gives an excellent performance as a "have" who is victimized by her own would-be ascension and maintenance of same. This movie demonstrates our society's nature for congregation by segregation as we matriculate through a "Black" college and the surrounding urban community. View this movie with an inquisitive mind and you'll find it a very entertaining movie. View it with a similar background and it will haunt you. On a lighter note, of all the musical numbers one of my favorite scenes is the talent show when Tisha Campbell belts out a soul-stirring song so strong I want to "play" (read blast) it every summer when the weather is hot, the windows are rolled-down and the world is out.

As an African American, fraternity member I found this movie not only entertaining, but also convicting. Being a man of Omega (those familiar with the Black Greek system know what I mean) I was a little offended by Gamma Phi Gamma's dipiction of the "dogs." More often than once I felt he was referring to the "dogs of Purple and Gold." Yet, once I got beyond my petty sensitivities, Lee's underlying critique of the social ills plaguing the African American community revolving around issues of social consciousness, skin color, hair texture, education, etc., made this movie provocative and challenging. Also, it's depiction of homecoming, pledging, parties and general "college life" made for an entertaining walk down memory lane. I found his attempt at making this a musical production to be somewhat forced, although the lyrics of the songs were pointedly appropriate.

I may not completely agree with Lee's conclusion concerning the advantages (or disadvantages) of participating in the Black Greek System. However, I appreciate his candid attempt to "tell it like it is." My mother used to say, "Don't air the dirty laundry in public." This is exactly what Lee has done, and unfortunately it is about time.

I have seen this film a few times. Although parts of it are a bit overdone, it basically shows that African Americans each have varying views on their own identity. The scene in the fast food restaurant where the locals and the the college kids clash shows that even African Americans have issues amongst each other. African Americans just like any other race or religious group need to accept each others differences and get along. Spike Lee and Lawrence Fishbourne give excellent portrayals of two conflicting characters in this movie and send a very powerful message especially in the final scene.

Why would they re-release this movie and audio is still in 2-channel? Do they know about 5.1 or DTS? The picture quality is still not that great to say that it's done in HD. HD have never looked this bad.My first copy of this movie was better.

The 2 disc is NOT of the movie. It's a DVD and the CD soundtrack. However, they don't tell you that on the packaging. What a RIP-OFF!!!

I am soooo disappointed. Please don't get fooled...if you are thinking of buying the new release of School Daze...my advice is DON'T!! keep your old copy...you'll be gald you did.

It takes an HBCU graduate to write about the HBCU experience, period. Just look at "A Different World" and how bad the first season was. Debbie Allen (a Howard grad, I believe) stepped in and gave the show the authenticity it sorely needed. So it's no surprise that Spike Lee, the Morehouse man, would make a movie that sparked so much emotion on both sides of the coin. I'm not saying that you had to attend an HBCU to UNDERSTAND "School Daze", but you had to have attended one to get the real "flavor" of what it was like. And you have to have an open mind.

Any HBCU alum saying that this film wasn't realistic is flat-out lying. Yes, it hit on some things that the old folks call "dirty laundry" (such as hazing, color issues, those who think that getting an education makes you "white", and so on), but those things are real at HBCUs - yes, even today. (Major props to Spike for having that ONE dark-skinned sista in the Gamma Rays. Isn't that ALWAYS the way?) And there are no "good" people or bad people; Spike leaves that decision up to you. Julian had his good points (his intelligence, leadership and pride in his town, school, etc) and Dap had his bad points (his blatant bigotry and bullying), and both of them had legitimate points.

One thing Spike nailed right on was the confrontations that the students tended to have on a regular basis. No offense to whites or anyone who graduated from a PWC, but in my experience at a predominately white high school, I noticed that students there were a lot more subtle with their dislike; they particpated in a more "destroying from within" kind of system, and grew wide-eyed and offended when confronted, even with solid proof. ("I would NEVER spread rumors about you/sleep with your boyfriend/steal your term paper!") Black students, on the other hand, will take ANYONE head-on, whether that person is the school president, captain of the football team, the richest kid on campus, crippled...doesn't matter. Your "status" doesn't count if you go to an HBCU. I had a friend who saw SD and said "That is SO unrealistic! Since when do college kids go fighting with each other all the time?" She graduated from the University of Texas. Enough said.

I'm so grateful for this film, and its realistic portrayal of black HBCU students for those who think that all young black people do is have babies and suck up welfare, and that people only go to HBCUs because they can't get into a "real" college. I wouldn't trade my experience at Florida A&M University for a degree at any PWC. RATTLERS!

To the person who gave this movie five stars yet panned this film, this is a film parodying life at a fictional HBCU during its homecoming, with a focus on three groups on campus: "Da Fellas" and their women (the women are known in the "Straight and Nappy" musical bit as the Jiggaboos, a racist term for African-Americans, because the women refuse to relax their hair), the people who would rather urge Mission College to divest from South Africa because of discrimination at that time; Gamma Phi Gamma and the Gammites, men who claim to have true brotherhood but dish out abusive punishments and orders to "obtain" that brotherhood; and the Gamma Rays (also known as the Wannabes because most--note I did not say all--of these women are light-skinned African Americans that relax their hair and are apparently rich), women that are just mere sex objects and trophies to the Gammas. And no, Spike Lee does not play Urkel--otherwise, he'd be wearing suspenders and speaking in an annoying nasal voice. He plays one of the Gammites who just happens to be connected to Dap (Lawrence Fishburne), one of Da Fellas. Of course, during its time, several people didn't understand this film. For example, while "School Daze" was shooting, the then-president of Morehouse kicked Lee and his cast and crew off of the college (Lee's alma mater) for the portrayal of the Mission College school president in the movie, who is dark-skinned. "School Daze" is a parody focusing mainly on colorism (discrimination among African-Americans based on skin tone), such as the view that the lighter your skin is if you're black, the more doors open for you (which was true prior to intergration laws). I really do like this movie, especially the song sequences done by cast members ("Straight and Nappy," "Be Alone Tonight"). I really encourage people to see this film. Although I realize this movie is not considered to be as good as "Do the Right Thing" or "She's Gotta Have It," this movie does have a point, and most people, despite their race, can relate to the themes presented in this movie.

When I first saw this movie, like most people, I couldn't really appreciate it. Years later, after my college days had swiftly passed, I recognize the movie's true genius.

The new DVD edition is a must (make sure you're buying the right edition on Amazon), because it includes Spike Lee's commentary throughout the movie. Watching the movie with the commentary makes for a fascinating journey into filmmaking. Without spoiling it too much, Mr. Lee discusses everything from his contentious relations with the Morehouse administration to the relationships between cast and crew members. One insight he offered stuck with me. He said that he housed the crew members of the competing factions in separate hotels (the jigaboos got the worst hotel), so that they could stay true to their roles and to foster role competition. Apparently, it worked a little too well. I'll let you buy the DVD to find out why.

In short, School Daze is a picture into a life that the large majority of us, of all backgrounds, will never get to experience directly. Its value is to take unfamiliar observers into one facet of the African-American experience and to do so with remarkable realism and insight.

Even with a small budget, Spike Lee can still get a lot done and still find great actors. Spike Lee's "School Daze" is probably his best flim standing next to "Malcomb X" respectively. The movie was released in 1988, 10 years before I even entered college, and all of issue that disrupted and seperated the black student body then, were still at the forefront when I went to college. Every character can be found somewhere on your college campus now whether you are at an HBCU or not. The movie is filled with many memorable scenes and will leave you with a feeling of belonging to one group or the other: either a black-frat-cat or a black conseious community builder. The movie also embodies Spike Lee's theatrical style that depicts the black culture of the time, talks about its issues, and in turn influences its future. For example, this movie influend late 80's and early 90's Hip-Hop music, the way we dressed and how we thought about HBCU's. As a matter of fact, southern HBCU's had a enormous growth in enrollment from blacks across the country after this movie was realeased in '88 and the ever so popular "FreakNeak" in Atlanta, GA was born out of this movie. It's a must see for any person wanting to know more about college life for black students. A great movie.

This is my favorite movie of all time. I have seen it 100s of times. I saw it the first time about a year after it came out. I was about ten years old and I was mesmerized. I really loved all the singing and dancing. But when I got older, thats when I got the message of movie. Thats what makes this movie such as classic. The only thing I don't like about it is that I read the book about the making of School Daze and Spike cut out so many scenes that would have been good for the movie. It would have made some of the scenes easier to understand. I wished he would've put them on the DVD. But still, one of the greatest black films of all time.

This was an excellent movie for those of us who grew up during that time period. The message came across. Those who are spike lee fans know that he always tried to deliver a message in a fun unconventional way. I attended a historically Black college and I could identify with what he was saying. I love going back to watch that movie from time to time and seeing another person I recognize. I think that was the last appearance of Phyliss Hyman or one of the few before. The soundtrack is great. People should just enjoy the movie for what it is - a Spike Lee Joint.