Spike Lee helps pass out Thanksgiving turkeys on eve of 'Chi-raq' premiere

CHICAGO -- Hundreds of Chicagoans will have a happier Thanksgiving after St. Sabina Church passed out 700 turkeys Saturday.

Father Michael Pfleger said people in the neighborhood are unemployed and desperate. They began lining up at 7 a.m. Saturday though the giveaway did not begin until noon.

Director Spike Lee was at the church helping out. Lee is in Chicago for the premiere of his new movie, "Chi-raq," which was shot in the city this summer. Lee has taken a lot of heat for the title.

"It's been a long, long hard task journey," he said. "I'm so excited to finally share the film with Chicago because a lot of people, talkin' a lot of mess, but they haven't seen the film."

The "Chi-raq" premiere is Sunday night and ABC7 will have complete coverage from the Chicago Theater, with live reports from the red carpet beginning Sunday night on ABC7 News at 5 p.m.