Spike Lee’s graduate school thesis film centers on a young man named Zack, who takes over as the manager of a Brooklyn barbershop after the former owner, Joe, is killed by local gangster Mr. Lovejoy for trying to skim money from the numbers racket he runs out of the store. Zack wants to legitimize the barbershop, but, when business slows down and Mr. Lovejoy comes calling, he’s tempted to follow down the same path as his predecessor.
Director: Spike Lee.
Writer: Spike Lee.
Stars: Monty Ross, Donna Bailey, Stuart Smith, Tommy Redmond Hicks, Horace Long, LaVerne Summer, Africanus Rocius, Robert Delbert, Alphonzo Lewis, William Badgett, Herbert Burks, Vanita Taylor, Lynn Dummett, Loretta Cragett, Curtis Brown, Ahmad Carson, Carolyn Laws, Eric Wilkins.
Wow, great addition, Jon!
This doesn’t seem to get a ton of love — but it demonstrates Lee’s burgeoning gifts & promise as surely as “Who’s That Knockin’ On My Door?” did for Scorsese … at clearly an even way way more miniscule budget than that had …. And it’s amazing that Spike had already come up with the “40 Acres & A Mule” production company & “Spike Lee joint” moniker , at this very early phase!