In the upcoming issue of King Magazine, director Spike Lee tells the rag that he’s pretty sure he’s dashed his chances of getting receiving an Oscar nomination for his new WW II movie “Miracle at St. Anna.“ due to his beef with Clint Eastwood.

You loyal daily readers of the Nation will recall us talking about Lee going on Eastwood for his omissions of the black soldier experience in his World War II films “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Letters From Iwo Jima.” The two exchanged elementary school-like verbal blows at the Cannes Film Festival in May with Eastwood telling Lee should “shut his face,” to which Lee responded “we’re not on a plantation.”

“My wife Tonya told me I may have hurt my chances with the Clint Eastwood stuff” Lee told the magazine.  They (The Academy Award brass) will take everything into account with me. They take into account that I like the Knicks or that I’m in New York.” “If you did a survey, the bulk of the people who vote in the Academy are in Los Angeles,” he continued. “There’s definite bias, considering that my films are typically New York-based.”

Apparently still ticked about his 1989 Oscar snubb, Lee says he’s still miffed how “Driving Miss Daisy” could win Best Picture while his movie “Do the Right Thing,” wasn’t even nominated.

“Nobody is watching motherf**king ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ today. ‘Do The Right Thing’ is being taught in classes at major universities and high schools all over the world. That’s how you’re supposed to test art. Does the work stand up?”

LMAO Spike!  I like the fact that Spike in his older age has gotten a little more testy and willing to speak through the media and not just through his films.  Spike has always been a very outspoken individual.  However in the past we had to weed through his carefully burried messages in his films to understand his various political viewpoints. 

Now while it wouldn’t be a shock to me if Spike wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award I think that has more to do with Spike Lee the man, the institution than it will be his comments.  Spike Lee’s films although more mainstream than they were at the times of “School Daze” or “Do The Right Thing,” still are more about the director than they often are about the film and to that end along with a large helping of racism he won’t sniff a nomination this year.  Something however, tells me Spike is cool with that.  Not only does it fuel him but allows him to remain the scorned underdog.