Episode 295 - Clockers

Welcome back to Not A Bomb!—the podcast where we resurrect cinema’s most infamous box office disasters and ask the burning question: was it really that bad? We’re celebrating five years of cinematic redemption.

For the month of February, Not A Bomb is shining a spotlight on some of the greatest Black directors in cinematic history. This week, Troy and Brad take on their very first Spike Lee joint with his 1995 crime drama Clockers — a film that blends gritty realism, moral complexity, and Lee’s unmistakable visual style.

Set in a Brooklyn housing project, Clockers allows Spike Lee to use his sharp eye for cultural tension, systemic injustice, and the lived realities of urban America, the film becomes more than a crime story — it’s a layered portrait of community, policing, and the cycles that trap people in impossible choices.

Is Clockers one of Spike Lee’s most underrated films? And how does it fit into the larger conversation about ’90s crime cinema and Black storytelling on screen? Troy and Brad dig into all of it.

Clockers is directed by Spike Lee and stars Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Delroy Lindo, Mikhi Phifer, Isaiah Washington, and Ketih David.

Want to help support the show? Head over to the Not A Bomb Tee Public store and check our merchandise. Special thanks to Ted Blair for the amazing designs!

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Cast: Brad, Troy