Spike Lee: “The Bad Era Was the Best Time of Their Lives”

Spike Lee spoke to The Sun newspaper in London to promote his documentary about the album and the Bad tour, titled “Bad 25.” - Why did you make this film? Spike Lee: I’m a filmmaker and I love my work. I grew up loving Michael, and I’ve always admired him. The first time I saw him was on TV in 1969. He had thick, lush African hair, and I wanted to be him. - Wasn’t making the film a scary idea? (Jaco—The Sun still uses “Jaco” to refer to Michael. Read the offensive origin of this word here.) Spike Lee: No, the pressure is actually good—it stops you from letting other people down. If it hadn’t turned out well, they would’ve torn me apart piece by piece. - Which interviews in the film do you like the most? Spike Lee: I like all of them. The funniest one is Kanye West—he’s hilarious. Mariah Carey’s head was very busy, but she wanted to make it happen. I wanted today’s artists to be involved and talk about Michael’s impact. Stevie Wonder sang at my wedding, so I know him well. - In this film, you criticize the joint Michael and Stevie song “Just Good Friends.” Spike Lee: None of those two people wrote the song, and even Quincy Jones said they got it wrong. - What were the most standout memories of the people who worked on the Bad album? Spike Lee: They said it was the best time of their lives, and they knew they were collaborating with a great artist. Michael had come back from the top of the trailer, so he was happy too. - What do you think about his problems? Spike Lee: You don’t need to be a scientist to understand why he ran into problems in his life. Childhood affects our lives. - Some critics have said you didn’t show Michael’s dark side in this film. Spike Lee: That wasn’t the goal of the film. The film is about the music and making the Bad album. Some critics asked why it showed people crying by remembering Michael’s death. Well, that’s the truth—human emotions. Michael’s life deeply affected people, and they miss him. His death left me paralyzed for one or two months. He’s affected so many people. Source: eMJey.com / The Sun