Question 1

True or false: Spike Lee directed the 1992 film 'Malcolm X' starring Denzel Washington.

Accepted Answer

True. Lee directed and co-wrote the biographical epic, which earned Denzel Washington an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Question 2

True or false: Spike Lee graduated from Harvard Law School before becoming a filmmaker.

Accepted Answer

False. He earned a B.A. from Morehouse College and an M.F.A. from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts—no law degree.

Question 3

True or false: Spike Lee's production company is called 40 Acres and a Mule.

Accepted Answer

True. Founded in 1979, the name references the broken post-Civil War promise to formerly enslaved people.

Question 4

True or false: Spike Lee's birth name is Shelton Jackson Lee; 'Spike' is a childhood nickname.

Accepted Answer

True. His mother nicknamed him 'Spike' as a baby for his tough demeanor, and he's been known by it ever since.

Question 5

True or false: Spike Lee has never directed a non-sports-related documentary.

Accepted Answer

False. He directed 'When the Levees Broke' (2006), a documentary about Hurricane Katrina, plus '4 Little Girls' (1997).

Question 6

True or false: Spike Lee's first feature film was 'She's Gotta Have It', made on a budget under $200,000.

Accepted Answer

True. Spike Lee's directorial debut 'She's Gotta Have It' (1986) had a budget of $175,000, which is indeed under $200,000.

Question 7

True or false: Spike Lee originally turned down directing 'The Batman' because he disliked superheroes.

Accepted Answer

False. He was never offered 'The Batman'; he did, however, decline an early offer to direct 'The Color Purple' due to creative differences.

Question 8

True or false: Spike Lee won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film BlacKkKlansman.

Accepted Answer

True. He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 91st Academy Awards in 2019.

Spike Lee Trivia Questions