Do the Right Thing (Criterion Collection) 07/19 Blu-ray (Rental)

Set on one block of Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy Do or Die neighborhood, at the height of summer, this 1989 masterpiece by Spike Lee confirmed him as a writer and filmmaker of peerless vision and passionate social engagement. Over the course of a single day, the easygoing interactions of a cast of unforgettable characters—Da Mayor, Mother Sister, Mister Señor Love Daddy, Tina, Sweet Dick Willie, Buggin Out, Radio Raheem, Sal, Pino, Vito, and Lee’s Mookie among them—give way to heated confrontations as tensions rise along racial fault lines, ultimately exploding into violence. Punctuated by the anthemic refrain of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” Do the Right Thing is a landmark in American cinema, as politically and emotionally charged and as relevant now as when it first hit the big screen. Director-approved two-blu-ray special edition features • New 4K digital restoration, approved by cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack • Audio commentary from 1995 featuring director Spike Lee, Dickerson, production designer Wynn Thomas, and actor Joie Lee • Introductions by Lee • Making “Do the Right Thing,” a documentary from 1988 by St. Clair Bourne • New interviews with costume designer Ruth E. Carter, camera assistant Darnell Martin, New York City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr., and writer Nelson George • Interview with editor Barry Alexander Brown from 2000 • Programs from 2000 and 2009 featuring Lee and members of the cast and crew • Music video for Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” directed by Lee, with remarks from rapper Chuck D • Behind-the-scenes footage • Cannes Film Festival press conference from 1989 • Deleted and extended scenes • Original storyboards, trailer, and TV spots • PLUS: An essay by critic Vinson Cunningham, and extensive excerpts from the journal Lee kept during the preparation for and production of the film.