Phifer, who is well known for his roles in Soul Food and Clockers, infuses his performance with just the right spirit.

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You know, Spike Lee did that with "Clockers" with Mekhi Phifer, I mean, you know, he got him, you know, from nowhere.

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Most days you could find Sweesy down in the paddocks, dazzling jockey agents and clockers with his instant recall of sire ratings and pedigrees.

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Spike Lee, who recently directed "Clockers, " a movie about drugs in the ghetto, said that he's taking a break from making that kind of film.

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Panelists included writers Richard Price (whose novel Clockers was turned into a film by Spike Lee), Barry Gifford (who wrote Wild at Heart, adapted to the screen by David Lynch), Philippe Dijan ( Betty Blue) and Jean-Philippe Toussaint ( Running Away), who is, in addition to a novelist, an experimental filmmaker.

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