now, we give shout outs - much love to black lives matter in this film chi-raq.ut i have sort of a different approach. is that and father... michael pfleger. you know, we talk about this all the time. it can't be about... just about what is the color, the complexion of the hand, the finger that pulls the trigger. so for me it just can't be black lives matter. let's talk about the cops who are shootin' us down like dogs in the street. not all cops. >> right. >> but... look, people... mothers and fathers are burying their sons and daughters. that's a fact. but we're... we have to look amongst ourselves what we're doin' too. so me... for me... and i'm not speakin' on... on behalf of 45 million african americans. for me, if you... if... you... you don't have a moral... for me a moral foundation if you're only talkin' about cops. we're killin' ourselves. so... >> so it's just not these incidents of police brutality or officer-involved shootings, what you're saying is we also have to pay attention to this daily gun violence that's plaguing... >> our communities. >> all

> "chi-raq" where we at? >> land of pain, misery and strife. >> people are debating on whether i should name this film "chi-raq" like the mayor of chicago. but i didn't even come up with that term. that term came up by local chicago rappers who live on the south side of chicago who felt and still feel today that iraq is safer than their neighborhood, than their block. in fact, the impetus for me doing "chi-raq" came from people from chicago commenting on my instagram. because i have a friend, great graphic artist, his name is adrien franks. every time a black person got murdered by the cops or private so i put that portrait on my instagram. and every time i did that, someone in chicago was saying, all right, we're cool with travon, we're cool with mike, we understand. but when you do something about chicago? there are a lot of things that i think that kept the focus of what the film is about which is saving lives. >> in the making of this film i noticed a lot of controversy around the film. >> can i just say

it's called "chi-raq." so chicago, iraq. you have statistics about the death of people in chicago versus the wars the people have been fighting in the last few years. >> yes. more americans have died, more chicago people, more people in chicago have died on the streets on the south side of west side than the american special forces combined, afghani, and iraqi wars. >> it is really chilling when you hear it put that way. and, yet, as the president has tried to say, each time there's been a shooting -- >> again and again and again. >> and also saying america is an outlier in this regard. >> why is it we have more mass shootings than any country on god's planet. >> but i want to ask you why. you grew up here. you're telling the stories of america. >> i don't know what it's going to take. i would just say that we have a love affair with guns. i mean, i'm 58, and my generation, you know, cowboys, indians, we all wanted guns. and now it's video games, and you could just say what the country is built upon. i travel all over the wo

, and i recognize that "chi-raq" spike lee "chi-raq." it comes from folks in chicago. you recognize that term, part of the objection to that term is sometimes when we talk about urban violence and i'm talking about us, me, the media, okay? >> all right. >> you can talk about west side of chicago, detroit, a lot of places. it's very easy in communicating how bad it is and how traumatic it is to live there to make it seem like some other place. that's not us. that's "chi-raq." that's some other place. >> i totally disagree with that. if you saw the film angela bassett, you might have forgotten, angela bassett has a scene where she says is, people don't know what they're talking about. a character in the movie says she hates the word "chi-raq." >> you have characters ins the movie saying everything. >> people have to have a right. they want to see the different viewpoints. as a filmmaker, i'm not going to have every character in my movie say what i believe. >> right, now. >> that's what he artists do. >> so the other reason i think -- this

(singing) >> baby, "chi-raq." don't call it chicago. i live in "chi-raq"! >> peace! >> rose: pleased to have spike lee back at this table. welcome. you have been here so many times. >> if this table could talk -- >> rose: yes, we would have a best seller. >> how are you doing, sir? >> rose: doing good. thank for having me. >> rose: what brought you to "chi-raq"? >> my co-worker who is also a professor, he had this idea and we tried to get this script made six years ago. that script is based upon the great play by aristophenes. that was written 411 b.c. and the play is about women using sex to stop the war. >> rose: would give you no sex and you have to stop the war. if you don't stop the war, no sex. >> it's locked up. >> rose: yeah. so we took that premise and moved it to the south side of chicago today where -- i'm not bragging about it, but chicago is the murder capital -- a part of chicago, not the whole city, but the south and west sides is the murder capital of the united states of america today. >> rose: there is a lot of gun violence in chicago. why is that?

his latest film is called "chi-raq." >> i'm down for the cause but how?r men to negotiate peace by exercising [bleep] self control and total abstinence from knocking the boots! [ cheering ] >> man, you really think something like that can bring peace? >> you know the power we have over them withholding just a day. a week. imagine a month. a year! oh, they gonna bring the peace! >> trevor: please welcome spike lee! [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] >> trevor: the legend, spike lee. no one has ever drank water from that cup. thank you. people think -- >> another one of my firsts, huh? >> yes, it is a first. how you doing, sir? >> trevor: you are -- i'm good. thank you. how are you? >> great, glad. i'm honored to be on your show. >> trevor: no, no, the honor is all mine. >> he's doing it! [ cheers and applause ] >> trevor: i know we're talking about "chi-raq," but before i watched it, i went back and watched "do the right thing" and it was insane how prophesorial that movie was. >> yeah, a lot of things. we predicted global warming. >> trevor:

our guest from the spike lee movie chi-raq and host nick canon is here, everybody!cheers and applause) but first we start tonight in paris. >> president obama and 150 world leaders converge on paris, a city on lockdown with one mission to save the planet. >> trevor: that's right, the planet is dying. and now obama has to clean up everything. he has to clean up the job that captain planet and planeteers left behind. you remember these guys, right? >> earth, wind, fire and water! i applicant am captain planet! >> trevor: i still can't believe we put the safety of the earth in the hands of a blue guy with red underwear. of all of the powers, really, a heart ring? what are you going to do with the heart? theout rest of the rings control earth, wind, fire and water. no one would choose the heart ring. what, did you show up late to the movie where they gave out the rings? they just let you join as a make a wish thing? too bad the animals will say, i wish i could talk to the guy with the fire ring, he's cool. your parents don't tell anyone what you do. is that your son wit

chi-raq is a very strange movie. it's directed and created by spike lee.nating film about, i guess, the violence in chicago and the women in chicago decide to go on a sex strike. >> yes. >> trevor: and they say, we will give no man sex until there is peace. >> yes. >> trevor: and you are one of those men that gets no sex. >> aim one of those men. >> trevor: yes. and you get really angry about this. (laughter) >> i love your synopsis of the film, trevor! >> trevor: i'm just trying to lay this out because it's a very strange movie. did you method act for this thing? >> did i abstain from sex? >> trevor: yes. i did, i did! i'm still going strong, too! ladies, hit me after the show. >> trevor: you looked like you got into it, though! for real, though, this was honestly, you were really amazing. it's a strange movie to watch, i told this to spike lee, it's a beautiful film and so many messages but you were fantastic in this film. >> wow, that means a lot coming from you. >> trevor: it was! and you jacked up as well, right? >> what? >> trevor: you were jacked up

." >> welcome to "chi-raq." >> brown: the forum is his affordable satire. deadly serious issues of gang violence. in a washington, d.c. movie theater recently, lee told me why he felt compelled to make the film. >> we as americans should not be okay with our young people being shot down in the street. >> the south side of chicago is a mass murder capital of the united states of america. chicago is the canary in the coal mine. >> brown: the emergency, he sees, guns in america used by black men to kill other black men, in the same city. you're telling a tale of two cities. >> charles dickens. >> brown: looking at chicago. i have been making movies since 1986. nothing i do is by happenstance. i'm very in command of my craft. i know what i want to do. i know how to do it. >> brown: if lee had charles dickens in mind, he looked most directly to an ancient greek play, aristopenes astrada, in which women banned together to abstain from sex to get their men to make peace. the main female role decides the only way rival gangs will lay down arms is if women take a st

so you're movie "chi-raq" is that how you say it?> "chi-raq." >> larry: this is based on a 2600-year-old play. >> written by aristotle. we felt the premise which is women going on the sex strike to stop the war. so we took the premise and moved it to south side chicago contemporary today. >> larry: so this is interesting to me. the women refuse to have sex with the men to get peace and then the men get frustrated. i'm assuming these aren't married men. >> some are. >> larry: no, your film is so stylized. it's done like in verse. >> not all in verse but a lot of its. we felt it wouldn't be so foreign because we felt people would get past the first scene they'd be with it. >> larry: to keep it 100 you could have taken an iphone through chicago and had an amazing movie. >> well, depends what type of movie. >> larry: this stuff happening at every turn it seems. >> the thing i'd like to say it's not just chicago. it's a canary in the coal mine but brooklyn, the bronx, manhattan, philadelphia, murderland, dc, dodge city, atlanta, south cen

"chi- raq" is doing well at the box office and is amazon' s first feature-length film, but it is people in chicago are protesting the film and its title, which compares the city of chicago to iraq. >> this is an emergency. >> homicide in chicago and hanoi have surpassed the death toll of american special forces in iraq. >> welcome to chi-raq! >> land of pain, misery, and strife. >> everybody got a man banging and slanging. >> all for the bang bang. >> it all started with a gorgeous -- >> what' s up? >> a woman like no other. >> you just try taking way they guns. >> my gun go boom, i will make sure a trojan end up in the neck. >> i will deny all rights of access. >> i will deny all rights of access for interest. >> had them all take a solid of -- solemn oath. stop the murder madness or there would be no more poke. >> the situation is out of control because i' m in front of an empty stripper pole. >> oh, snap! >> gon' make sure these. it down these guns -- full' s put >> p eace! karen: "chi-raq " is out into theaters just as the city of chicago as an due to the recent indictment of police

chi-raq is rated-r. as star wars fever spreads across the country in anticipation of the new movie " the force awakens," walt disney world unveiled a new star wars experience. the "star wars launch bay" is filled with movie props and art from the series. the popular star tours ride also has new elements from the "force awakens" movie. fans of the movie will also be able to have more character experiences with darth vader, chewbacca and stormtroopers on patrol in the area. the new experience is now open so that movie fans can instantly step into a galaxy far, far away. (matt) coldplay will headline super bowl 50's half-time show. the british rock band has a string of best selling albums and is known for hits such as clocks and viva la vida. their new album "a head full of dreams" is due out today. we'll be right back after one south dakota school is investigating how two men entered the building without authorization. (matt) ktiv's tommie clark spoke with both police and the school district about the inci

of spike lee's drama about gang violence in chicago "chi-raq." >> many of the people in the film are people who are in that community. so it wasn't like we were hiring actors- other people from other towns. we were immersed in the community. so it was- i won't say effortless, but we didn't have to create the environment. we were in the real environment with real mothers, people who have lost their children, and people who are grieving, and people who are trying to make a difference, and take the city back block by block. when you're in the hands of spike lee, and you understand that he's the leader and he's going to steer the ship, you've got to just go along for the ride, but it was beautiful. i mean, being familiar with lysistrata and the story, and understanding everything from verse and the ideologies of greek theater and love and war, and being able to put that into pretty cool. >> there were so many amazing people that were a part of this film, just legends, and our community and the cinematic community period. working with them i was just it is soaking up so much trying to lea

his much anticipated new movie "chi-raq" opens this friday.n an ancient greek play, only this time it is about modern day chicago and the violence plaguing that city. >> chicago, illinois has surpassed the death toll of american special forces in iraq. >> welcome to "chi-raq"! ♪ "chi-raq" where we at >> land of pain, misery and strife. >> everybody here got a man banging and slanging fighting for the flag risking that long zip for the cadaver bag. >> all to the bang bang. >> bang bang. >> spike lee in studio with me right now to uk thtalk about hi film. tonight is the new york premier. you had the chicago premier. what did you want people to feel, to see after seeing this film? >> well, we opened nationwide friday and there's a lot of confusion because the amazon film, people think it is going automatically to prime. no, it's going to be in theaters first. usually when i get asked that question i say, i'm not going to answer but i'm going to make an exception this time. i really want people who see this film really think harder and longer abou

steve: it's called chi-raq. baruch shemtov is there for the premier tonight. >> chi-raq opens today. the film has a serious social message about gun violence presented in the form of comedy. as the film opens in theatres around the country, here at the cinema's, it is resonating with new yorkers. >> absolutely the truth. everyone should see it. >> it's like a culmination of all the great films that we like. >> something to talk about for the black culture to understand what we're going through. >> reporter: at spike lee explained at a press conference, laughter can be a vehicle for change. >> welcome to chi-raq. >> we felt that satire would be the best way for us to tell this very serious story. we have to bring more awareness to gun violence. >> the story is one of violence plaguing cities around the country, including chicago, the setting for this film. >> new york city has three times the population of chicago. yet chicago has more homicides. >> reporter: inspired by the ancient greek comedy, the women in the

. >> welcome to chi-raq. land of pain, misery and strife. >> everybody here got their men banging and slanging, fighting for the flag, risking that long zipper of the cadaver bag. >> wesley snipes, john cusack, teyonah parris and nick cannon help acclaimed director spike lee shed some light on gang violence in chicago with "chi-raq." >> do you want justice? >> we give such a detailed description of how the guns get from the indiana gun shows knows about it, and the cops know about it, and it's not anything that any one sector can be responsible for except the gun manufacturers and those that are making money on the proliferation of weapons, but 2,200 people have been shot in chicago this year, and it's not over yet. if you think about theheublic outctc of what's happened in paris, which people should, because if you're a human being you believe that all human beings should have the same value. it doesn't matter if you're black, brown, whether it's in paris or anywhere else. so why there isn't as much state of

spike lee's new movie "chi-raq" has been called everything from a collage of provocation and fury toup alarm. the warning, though, he is trying to ring is one about guns in america. and while the pew research center says gun violence has declined since the 1990s, the backdrop to the senseless violence depicted in lee's film is the city of chicago where, according to the "chicago tribune," there have been almost 3,000 shooting victim this is year alone, including a police shooting that left two people dead early saturday morning. but it's not just police shooting that spike lee wanted to draw attention to when he sat down with chuck to talk about his movie. >> who is the audience for this movie? >> everybody. >> it's interest i don't go say that. >> i say everybody, you know why? >> why? . >> i've been asked many times. i've been making films since 1986 and the one question filmmakers always say, what is the take away? what do you want people to think when they come out of that theater. and you say i don't ask that question. but just know, i want people to think about guns. that's the

"chi-raq" isisated r. that's the box office e eview, raphael seth, nbc news. . >> a pioneer christmas, next on around siouxland. jeb bush: here's the truth you will not hear from our president: we are at r with radical islamic terrorism. it is the struggle that will determine the fate of the free world. the united states should not delay in leading a global coalition their aim is our total destruction. we can't withdraw from this threat or negotiate with it. we have but one choice: to defeat it. vo: right to rise usa is responsible for the content of this message. <

( laughs ) ( laughter ) the new film is called "chi-raq." which is a combination of chicago and iraq. >> yes. >> stephen: why that combo? >> well, you have to ask-- i mean, really, i did not come up with that name. local chicago rappers came up with that name, who felt that-- not all chicago-- but the south side of chicago, is a war zone. and so they feel-- probably even today-- that it's safer in iraq than it is on the south side of chicago. >> stephen: well, the stats on that are: since 2001, more americans have died in chicago than iraq and afghanistan combined. >> right. >> stephen: okay, what is the root of this violence? what is causing it? >> well, it's many different things. but i think that, one thing i really hope people come out of the film, when they see it, is that we have to have a real discussion about guns in this country. i'm not talking about taking away anybody's second amendment rights, but there are certain tougher background checks. we can title guns like cars. i mean, chicago is very, very tight. ( cheers and applause

he wants his film to save the city. >> welcome to "chi-raq." land of pain, misery, and strife. >> to tell a story about gangs and guns in chicago, spike lee went as outrageous as the violence itself. >> all you care about is this tired gangster game. it's lame. >> rhyming gang bangers and the women who love them star in lee's musical satire. women stop sleeping with their men to force an end to the war. in "chi-raq," a group of women tried the same to stop a gruesome gang war. >> y'all know the power we have day. >> using a greek comedy to tell the story of an american tragedy. why? >> satire has been used most effectively to deal with very serious subject matters. >> in his film, when a stray bullet kills a little girl in chicago's south side, no one says anything because snitches get stitches. lee maintained this street code is one reason why many killers go unpunished. >> there's a stress between the community and the police, and also there's a fear of retaliation.% >> music, social media, drugs, poverty, unemployment, and hopelessness. they

his new film is called "chi- raq." >> i'm down for the cause, but how? >> we force our men to exercise peace by knock the boots! >> you really think something like that could bring peace? >> you all know the power we have over them withholding just a week? imagine a month. a year! oh, they gonna bring the peace! >> suppose, suppose that the men just dump us. >> if we all hold out, who can they go to? >> them 'hoes over there. >> we will enlist them, too. >> we want our men alive. we want our babies to thrive, we gonna have to organize. >> stephen: please welcome spike lee. ( cheers and applause ) ( cheers and applause ) >> you know, i made a special request. my father wrote that song, that's the theme from "mo better blues." thank you for playing it. beautiful. >> stephen: now, you know jon because he was in "red hook summer," one of your films. >> yes, yes, yes, and he is one of new orleans' greatest. >> stephen: he's amazing. he's amazing. >> keeping that jazz tradition alive in new orleans. >> stephen: for those of you-- out there, for those of you wh

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