Spike Lee & Kickstarter: An Opinion

Titled "The Newest Hottest Spike Lee Joint," Spike Lee has initiated a huge deal of controversy with both supporters and naysayers taking to the social media streets and voicing their opinions on this new Kickstarter campaign. Allow us here at LCA Film to do the same.
Spike Lee is one of the most influential and important filmmakers in cinematic history. Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, and Jungle Fever are examples of his more talked about fare, and one can see why; blending visual panache with societal undertones is no easy feat and Lee pulls it off effortlessly. In terms of credibility, there is no question of his reach and power.
There seems to be a common thread among the "haters" (as Lee put it) of this crowdfunding campaign: "Why, in his wealth, does he need me to help him fund this movie?" It's not about needing the money, but where the money is coming from. Us. The fans. And not just fans of his, but fans of cinema. In his initial campaign update, he writes about how Hollywood cranks out blockbuster moneymakers but audiences want more than that. While an explosion fest is a good time, it is true; the cinema that sustains and that proven to pass the test of time have good and relatable characters, beautiful cinematography, and a worthwhile story to tell that is told with an artist's touch. Lee has proven he can do that.
Another thing about the campaign that I love is the lack of detail on the film. This is the full synopsis as of now: "Human beings who are addicted to blood. Funny, sexy, and bloody (and it's not "Blacula")..." When questioned on the lack of plot, he replied "It's a THRILLER." What this tells us is that he is concerned with good-old fashioned storytelling. No leaks, no spoilers, no nothing. He wants us to trust him and give him our money in order to make this film, and we are behind him 100%. I backed the film with no reservation. So did Steven Soderbergh, showing yet again that he truly cares about good cinema moving forward, with a $10,000 pledge that buys him dinner and a Knicks game with Lee in his court-side seats (and over 25 other people have pledged the $10,000 as well). Yes, there are prizes for pledging and most of them are worthwhile. A Knicks game, a day in the editing room, a smorgasbord of signed memorabilia...the list goes on and on.
It is exciting when a filmmaker (and Lee describes himself as an "indie filmmaker") experiments with the changing times and pulls something like this. We are just hoping he can pull it off before the end of the campaign so we can see the film that will certainly generate a massive amount of buzz upon its release. If history tells us anything, it'll be damn good as well.