Do The Right Thing

Do The Right Thing

From How to Make Films and Influence People by Andrew Curzon and Peter Kimball

March 6, 2026 · 1h 15m · Season 1 · Episode 18

About this episode

Peter and Andrew explore Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, discussing its themes of racial tension and storytelling techniques.

Peter and Andrew explore Spike Lee's 1989 masterpiece Do the Right Thing, examining how this vibrant portrait of a Brooklyn neighborhood on the hottest day of summer builds to an explosive climax that still sparks debate today. They analyze the film's nuanced approach to racial tension, its refusal to provide easy answers, and how Spike Lee creates a slow-burn masterpiece without a clear protagonist. In their remake scenarios, they face a sensitive challenge: How do you adapt a film about racial conflict for family audiences? Could it work with kids learning from their parents' prejudices? What would a no-budget pizzeria-only version look like? Would it work better as a TV series exploring ongoing neighborhood dynamics? The hosts also share their current viewing habits, including Sinners, while referencing Die Hard, The Hangover, Boys in the Hood, Menace to Society, Black Panther, Star Wars, Zootopia, Elemental, and various Spike Lee films like 25th Hour, Inside Man, and Malcolm X in their discussion. Topics covered: Slow-burn storytelling, ensemble character development, the heat as metaphor, moral ambiguity in cinema, and why some films work better without clear heroes and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Peter, Andrew

Topics covered

  • Slow-burn storytelling
  • ensemble character development
  • the heat as metaphor
  • moral ambiguity in cinema
  • films without clear heroes and villains

Keywords

  • Spike Lee
  • Do the Right Thing
  • racial conflict
  • film analysis
  • remake scenarios

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Sinners, Die Hard, The Hangover, Boys in the Hood, Menace to Society, Black Panther, Star Wars, Zootopia, Elemental, 25th Hour

Books & works: Do The Right Thing, Sinners, Die Hard, The Hangover, Boys in the Hood, Menace to Society, Black Panther, Star Wars, Zootopia, Elemental

Places: Brooklyn

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