The Summer Of Sam is the story of just one group of people and what they went through during the Summer of 1977 in New York during the "Son of Sam murders". If you are expecting a film the is solely about the David Berkowitz and the son of sam murders you will be dissapointed because while this does tell that story all the way through the film it is more about a just one set of people and how it affected them. The acting is very good especially from John Leguizano (vinny) and the gorgious Mira Sorvino (Dionna) and although sometimes the film drags a little they make this fresh and worthwile sticking through the 137 minutes. The soundtrack is fantastic as is the direction from Spike Lee and it is nice to see him doing a subject that is different from his usual African American topics. A good movie . 8 out of 10.
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Don-10229 December 1999Spike Lee goes berserk with SUMMER OF SAM, a twisted revisiting of the Son of Sam killings, New York, 1977. Lee steps away from his usual message pictures depicting the differences between blacks and whites and plunges us into the small Italian neighborhood within the largest city in the United States that serial killer David Berkowitz terrorized for months. The "Son of Sam" himself (played by Michael Badalucco) is placed in the back seat and Lee presents a community and an era for that matter in complete chaos.
SUMMER OF SAM has its good points and its bad points. We get to know this locale very well whether we like it or not. The characters who populate the neighborhood are funny, sad, and stupid all at the same time. You get a feel for the smells and the language of that time in that place. 1977 was the year of Disco's peak, the uprising of British punk rock (represented well by the Adrien Brody character "Ritchie"), and the Yankees were on top of the baseball world. These characters are truly nuts in their vigilante approach to finding the killer. Hell, Reggie Jackson (#44) may be the .44 caliber killer.
Aside from seeing into a sometimes gripping and stupefying world of violence and flash, the film does go overboard many times. Lee continuously rams the sex aspect of the period into our minds and Berkowitz is not seen or known enough. I did not expect a Berkowitz bio at all, however a more focused look at the killer would have proved more effective. The relationship between "Vinny" and "Dionna" (John Leguizamo and Mira Sirvino) is well-done, but over-told. True, "Vinny" is the movie's central character, but he has barely a redeeming quality and is a hard-headed product of his environment.
The cinematography and overall sound of SUMMER OF SAM is awesome. It looks grimy when it should and the use of The Who on the soundtrack is emotionally rousing, especially during the inevitable climax. I liked the picture mostly for cinematic reasons than for historical or emotional ones. The fictional neighborhood pieces are not as good as the small glimpses of Berkowitz, who does indeed chat with dogs. It did remind me in many ways of Lee's DO THE RIGHT THING, but this film has a larger canvas to paint. It works despite the shortcomings.
RATING: *** -
Flagrant-Baronessa3 August 2006With films like 'Inside Man' and the upcoming 'Selling Time', it appears as though Spike Lee is departing from his gritty streetwise films on racial prejudice, and into the pleasant commercial world of Hollywood. He stills touches upon the odd racial issue today, as is his trademark, but they seem more like mandatory inclusions than anything else, being left unexplored and unimportant. This is not saying Summer of Sam is a lecture on racism or anything (in fact, it steers away from the topic), but it fits the gritty crime-infested streets style that Lee used to do so well.
Summer of Sam brutally zooms in on an Italian-American South Bronx neighbourhood in the summer of 1977 -- the hottest summer ever, a real killer. Lee does not shy away from sex, drugs, raunchy dialogue or violence in his portrayal of the events which are based on reality of the summer nights when Sam murdered women on the streets. As the Bronx inhabitants grow anxious and suspicious of the murders, Summer of Sam focuses its story on Vinny (John Lequizamo), his marriage with Dionna (Mira Sorvino) and his friends and we see how the killings affect their lives, while plating the "Son of Sam" himself in the backseat to make room for these dynamic characters.
I can admit that there is no strong point or focus in this film, but I don't think it's entirely necessary. It's a portrayal, and a realistic one at that -- it is also a portrayal of an era, the 1970s and this is most apparent in the flashy 54-styled nightclubs that Vinny and Dionna go to. It occasionally drags on, but this is good because it emphasizes the terrible heat and anxiousness of the city, making it almost nightmarish. It is so realistic that you can almost feel the heat and dirt on your clothes as if you were right there in steaming hot New York City. I therefore feel that a great deal of praise is due to a film that succeeds in being haunting without actually dealing with the murders head-on.
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At the time I watched Summer of Sam, it had an average rating of 6.6/10 on IMDb. For a while, I didn't think much of the movie, as I didn't think it was supposed to be very good. However, after reading Roger Ebert's praising review, I decided to check it out. 2 hours and 20 minutes later, I was amazed. How is this movie not talked about more? This is easily one of Spike Lee's best films, along with Do the Right Thing and 25th Hour. A small detail that tells a lot about what to expect is the film's title. Most people expected a profile of the Son of Sam serial killer. However, the movie is called SUMMER of Sam, which tells what the film is about. It's about the time period and the paranoia that gripped New York during the killings, not the killer himself. There are several scenes showing the killer's life, who is played excellently by underrated actor Michael Baddalucco, but these scenes do not take up the majority of the film. Though he isn't the main character, the film belongs to Adrien Brody as wannabe punk rocker Richie, who is slowly believed to be the Son of Sam by his paranoid friends. His performance is eccentric, dramatic, and just close enough to over-the-top to be believable. The film's best sequence is about halfway through the film, in which Richie rocks out to The Who in his garage, and the scene is dazzlingly intercut with Richie moonlighting as a dancer in a sleazy club and the killer doing his business. I must also give a large applause to the film's top notch editing and soundtrack which play a big part in making the film unique. Despite any negative reviews you've heard, I highly recommend this film for any fan of unique thrillers and Spike Lee's other work.
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tomimt24 August 2005At first it's pretty hard to see any connection with the over all story of the film and the case of Son Of Sam. There are flashes, where we see Sam doing his crimes. But then we see these people, who have nothing to do whit the case. We see sex and punk and disco. Mafiosos and vigilantes trying to figure out who is Son of Sam. But it all relates very little whit the case itself.
In the end it all explodes, the anger and fear caused by the murderer, and it all clicks in and shows, that even thought the movie is filled with unnecessary scenes and plot lines that don't go anywhere it all did relate on the case.
"Summer of Sam" is a story about what serial killer does to people who aren't his actual victims. Sam is just the engine, which makes the wheels turn in peoples head. Vinny (John Leguizmo) sees Sam's victims in a car and then he unnecessarily gets scared, that if Sam is thinking if he saw something of him. Vinny is also driven by guilt of cheating his wife Dionna (Mira Sorvino). Richie (Adrine Brody) is a punk rocker, who just wants to get away with his girlfriend Ruby (Jennifer Esposito)and become a real rocker. But as he is too different of others, who are into disco and stuff the vigilantes start to think that Richie is Sam.
SOS doesn't let you go easily, you need to watch to the end, because it's very different from all the other serial killer films. Even thought it revolves around the murders, it's about more things than that. It about people and their feelings. It's just that some times the film drags and it has too much of things going besides the point.
But if you can go over those points you got yourself a good flick. Well worth of watching. -
ironhorse_iv17 June 2016While, this movie really seize, what life of fear and alienation was like the summer of 1977, in New York City. It didn't really capture, the 'Son of Sam' expect that well. I get that, director, Spike Lee was facing a lot of negative feedback from the family members of the victims who didn't want a film being made which might glorify the killer in some sorts, but I think the movie would had work better, if the film focus, more on the murders case, than anything else. After all, I was really, hoping for a more insight tone about the way, the detectives and the press, were trying to figure out, who this man is. It would had made a very interesting story, similar to the way, 2007's film, 'Zodiac', told its story. Instead, the film mainly focuses on a group of fictional characters in The Bronx that has little to do with the police investigation. Directed by Spike Lee, the film follows local, hairdresser, Vinny (John Leguizamo) as he slowly unravels, into believing that his best friend, punk-rocker, Richie (Adrien Brody) might be the notorious '.44 Caliber Killer' that been, terrorize, their neighborhood, for weeks now. Without spoiling the movie, too much, I think this film plot would had work, if the movie didn't ruin the mystery, by exposing who the killer is, within the first 20 minutes. I believe, the movie would have work best, if they didn't show, .44 Caliber Killer at all, until the end. It could make the events of the third act, seem somewhat believable, and a lot more tragic, than it originally turn out. After all, the film really could had capture, the prejudices and witch hunts toward anything outside the norms, a lot better than they did. It wasn't ambiguous, enough. Another problem with this film, is how many loud & obnoxious unlikeable stereotypical clichés characters, there were. They had no redeeming qualities at all. Plus, there was way too much, annoying and mean-spirited yelling from these characters, for my taste. It's was really deafening, and somewhat numbing. It's weird to find out, that this film was previously known as the most use of the F-word in a mainstream film, until 2013's 'The Wolf of Wall Street' came out. I never really notice, on my first watch. Maybe, it's because, I was trying to drown out, most of the useless dialogue, with 1970s music. However, after watching it, for a second time, I don't mind, the large profanity levels, since most of it, was used in, a somewhat realistic aggression tone that works with the intense subject matter, but I would love, if they just lower, their volume, a little down, at times. I thought my ears were going to start to bleed. About the sexual content of the film, it wasn't as bad, as people make it out to be. It wasn't very pornography. Yes, one of the opening scenes finds Vinny sodomizing his wife's cousin in the backseat of his car, while another scene finds him, and his wife, Dionna (Mira Sorvino) going to 'Plato's Retreat', a notorious swinger club, after they are refused entry into Studio 54, but those scenes were somewhat trim down, compare to the explicit original cut. I think, the only reason, why the MPAA threatened the film with an "NC-17" rating, was because of the scenes where a bisexual character was having sex with older men for money. It makes more sense. About the film's drug use, it was indeed somewhat glamorized here, like any other 1970s movie, but at least, the filmmakers were able to show the negative output, of living a life of substance. After all, it may be no coincidence, that Vinny & Ritchie's drug use, cause them, to really distrust each other, leading to a climatic uber violence, encounter. As much, as the real serial killer, plays only a minor role in this two hour and 16 minute film; his scenes repeatedly shooting victims at nearly point-blank range were somewhat graphic and brutal. I just wish, he played, a bigger part in the film, and had more interacts with these characters. Another thing, the delivery of why, he was doing it, was always somewhat laughable. They were could had made, the dream sequence with 'Sam' seem, more menacing than cartoony. Despite that, the acting in this film, was alright for the most part, even if the women character don't really stand out, much. Each person, did what they were supposed to do, even if it was somewhat "demoralizing" to their careers. I also love the little cameo from Spike Lee, here, as well. Another thing, I kinda like, about this film, is Spike Lee was trying to expand beyond his previous black centered stories. It really make him, seem, least than one-trick pony. Overall: the film's direction is a mess. It's a highly repetitive film, full of many filler scenes, only there to make, certain New Yorkers, feel nostalgia for the 1970s. The only good things about the film, had to be, the music, costume design and cinematography; other than that, I really didn't like how this fake fictional story overtakes the whole real-life murder fiasco. I really can't recommended, watching this film.
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guyfromjerzee14 August 2004I know I may be one of the three people to say this (Roger Ebert being another of the few), but I think "Summer of Sam" is a great movie! First off, I'm a Spike Lee fan and I do feel that this is one of his best films. I think the problem most people had with the movie was that it wasn't the standard serial killer thriller they were expecting. If that's what you're expecting, you will be disappointed. Instead, "S.O.S." is a character study that focuses on the paranoia that spread amongst New Yorkers in the summer of the late seventies, when everyone was suspecting one another of being the Son of Sam. It was like a modern-day version of the Salem Witch Hunt. If you were as much as an eccentric, you were a suspect (like in the case of Adrien Brody's character in this movie). I like movies that focus on characters, and take time to develop them to a point where a feel a deep connection to each of them. Spike is one of those directors who favors character development over plot devices, and I think that's what makes most of his films work. The characters and dialogue are written in a very realistic fashion. It helps that Spike cast mostly authentic New York actors (i.e.: Adrien Brody, Jennifer Esposito, Mike Starr, Michael Rispoli). First of all, they don't have to fake their accents. Secondly, New Yorkers just have a certain vibe that cannot be fabricated. It also helps that the actors all have a great chemistry with one another. The cast is excellent all-around, with not one bad apple in the bunch. I think John Leguizamo gives the best performance of his career. For a comedic actor, he can surely pull off a straight role with flying colors. Part of the reason why is because he doesn't try too hard to play the drama, and when there's a scene that gives him a comic opportunity, he takes advantage. It's nice to see that Brody became famous, after winning an Oscar for "The Pianist" (as a side note, he's the youngest ever actor to win a Best Actor Oscar). If you're anxious to check out one of his good earlier performances, he does a superb job in this movie. Some people have criticized the use of F-bombs throughout the film--and yes, there are many. If you're easily offended by bad language, this will be like sitting through a death camp. But I didn't feel the language was in any way gratuitous. We're dealing with working-class Italian-Americans from the Bronx, who are involved in things like drugs and prostitution! Obviously, they're not going to be saying things like "gosh darn it!" This is not like "South Park" where there's just profanity for the sake of profanity. It adds to the film's realism. Finally, I loved the film's lighting style. Some of the shots are rough and grainy, but it helps intensify the gritty tone of the film. If you're one of those people who likes slow-moving character studies with great acting, you might share my feelings about "Summer of Sam." Obviously, if you're part of the summer blockbuster crowd who favors explosions and gross-out gags, this will put you to sleep. The movie runs at approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, yet I never once felt bored. I'm not one of those people with a minute attention span, but any movie that can sustain my interest for 2 hours and 20 minutes deserves much acclaim. I have nothing wrong with long movies, as long as they're not overlong. After all, bad movies are never too short and good movies are never too long. When a movie is this great, you don't want it to end abruptly; you want it to keep going. (10 out of 10)
P.S.: The seventies soundtrack is magnificent! -
Agent1020 May 2002While this wasn't Spike Lee's best film, it was certainly his most unusual. Instead of depicting the life of the common black man, he decided to focus on the travails of one hot summer in Brooklyn. All of the lifestyles the people lived mixed and matched nicely, and the performances were rather believable. I was rather surprised Spike Lee's signature was under the directorial credit in this film, considering the only black man in the film was Reggie Jackson. But then again, he proved he could depict the lives of other cultures as well as he could his own. Not perfect by any respect, but an interesting tale about paranoia.
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Becky-919 July 1999I really enjoyed this movie. The Son of Sam killings are just a backdrop to a slice-of-life story in New York City in the summer of 1977. I believe that Spike Lee wanted to tell a story about the seventies - the excesses of sex, drugs and the desperation of the times. He chose a summer that stood out in the minds of the people who lived through it because of the record heat, the murders and the blackout. The Son of Sam killer was in one sense a strongly contrasting back drop and in another sense an extreme sign of the times. David Berkowitz was out of control and driven by invisible demons, but that could be said of the main character Vinnie. The difference between the two could almost be reduced to a matter of degree. I was struck by the part of the story where a group of friends thought the killer was one of their own because he was into punk rock and same-sex sex for money. Their misunderstanding of the killer seemed startling in light of what we know about serial killers today, but was dead on for the time. Spike Lee reminds us with this movie how much damage is done when we allow ourselves to be driven by our ignorance and fear. He makes us uncomfortable, of course, but the lesson rings so true. As far as the direction went, I thought that it was classic Spike Lee with a little taken from some other popular young directors, but if someone imitates something good and does it well, I don't complain. My favorite scene is where the punk rocker character Richie does a porno dance to The Who. The soundtrack is also pretty good, by the way. I gave the movie a 9 out of 10.
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Spike Lee's film revolves not so much upon the Son of Sam serial killer himself, but on the effect his killing spree has upon the people of New York City. It's a fairly interesting film. Lee's portrayal of certain character types shows obvious bias and/or ignorance, just as he so often unjustly criticizes people about being racist, showing that he is clearly far from a level headed person. Nonetheless, he has made a few good films, and one really good film in my view, Malcolm X. While Summer of Sam is far from a great film, it is worth a watch, especially if you're interested in serial killers or the effect they have on their environments. 6.5/10.
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heronwatts27 September 2022Meaningless meandering scenes that go nowhere and then onto the next one - the camera follows the character like a sick puppy, then some sex scenes.
Add some stereotypical Italian Americans in vests driving muscle cars and shouting at each other and there you have it - end credits. A bizarre, boring movie with the Son of Sam merely in the background occasionally shooting people.
Watch the film as a curiosity with the sound down whilst playing with your phone. And ask yourself, why is Adrian Brody imitating an English punk, putting on a weird English accent, what is the relevance? And do all Italian families shout at each other? And why have the Son of Sam even in the film? -
shane_deboss29 May 2018This film is quality. I've loved it for nearly 20 years. It's got to be one of the most underrated films of all time.
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I'd heard good things about Adrien Brody's performance in this film, so I rented it to see what all the fuss was about. Along with THE PIANIST, SUMMER OF SAM (SOS) cemented my conviction that Brody is not only one of the most talented actors of his generation, but also one of the most fearless actors working today. Brody's work as THE PIANIST was physically and emotionally grueling as he starved himself, all but froze to death, sold his car and apartment and cut himself off from friends and family for 6 months as he attempted to emulate the sense of loss that Wladyslaw Szpilman felt as the Nazis took away his family, home, and dignity. Before Brody took on that Oscar-winning, star-making role, however, SOS featured him as Richie, an Italian-American kid from the Bronx in the summer of 1977 (not far from where I grew up, in fact). Against the backdrop of a New York City terrorized by serial killer "Son of Sam," a.k.a. "The 44-Caliber Killer" (one of his victims was a student at St. Catharine Academy, my high school), Richie goes punk (spiky hair, chains, even an outrageous fake Cockney accent), gets drawn into a life of graphically-depicted gay hustling and porno performances in Times Square while trying for punk rock stardom at CBGB's, and his best friend Vinnie (John Leguizamo) lures him into an ambush by a mob of paranoid goombahs who've gotten it into their heads that Richie must be the killer (SPOILER ALERT...Imagine the meatheads' disappointment when Richie's stepdad interrupts their beating and near-lynching by announcing in the nick of time that the police have just arrested David Berkowitz for the shootings...END SPOILER ALERT). Like that's not enough, Richie cuts off a hostile diner patron at the pass and generally freaks out the straights by breaking a glass bottle on his own head as the diner owner tries to make him leave (in an interview, Brody said Spike Lee swore the bottle was only candy glass, but the subsequent bleeding was real enough)! Here I am, so shy it takes all my courage just to strike up small talk with my little daughter's school friends' moms, and Adrien Brody's got the cajones to do such outrageous things onscreen for SOS and other movie roles. I've gotta admire someone with that kind of gutsiness! :-) As for the rest of the film, the acting is uniformly good, but there are so few people to root for that I had a hard time staying interested when Richie and his girl Ruby (Jennifer Esposito) weren't onscreen. Indeed, the character who's concentrated on most isn't even killer Berkowitz (who's mostly confined to murky cutaways where he's either shooting people or screaming in psychotic agony in his dingy apartment, plus an unintentionally hilarious scene where his neighbor's dog speaks to him -- in John Turturro's voice, no less!), but hairdresser Vinnie, who's not only easily swayed by mobs but also has this Madonna/Whore complex whereby he screws seemingly every woman who crosses his path while being afraid to have sex with his beautiful, loving, willing wife Dionna (Mira Sorvino is beguiling as one of the film's few likable characters). Well, at least SOS serves as an interesting time capsule of NYC, especially the outer boroughs, during that fearful summer. Too bad Lee and co-writers Victor Colicchio and Michael Imperioli couldn't find more engaging characters to follow around.
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Lechuguilla13 January 2005I wish Spike Lee had chosen a different title for his film. "Summer Of Sam" conveys the impression that the film is about the infamous serial killer, David Berkowitz. It's not. It's a gritty, earthy portrait of NYC street life during the hot summer of '77 when Berkowitz terrorized that city.
The film follows several young fictional characters in an Italian-American neighborhood, and their reactions to the Son of Sam threat. There's Vinny and his wife Dionna; there's Richie and Ruby, and several other characters.
The problem is that these characters are not likable. They are routinely annoying, and at times unbearable. Lee then belabors their high energy, chaotic lives, which are filled with anger, lust, and general turmoil. There are at least two protracted fight scenes between Vinny and his wife, redundant disco dance scenes, countless gabfests ... Over and over I kept wondering: where's the film editor?
Meanwhile, with all that bulk, the film passes up the chance to convey any real sense of fear or dread arising from the Son of Sam menace, which is too much in the background. Lee is more successful at showing a different kind of menace, that arising from neighborhood vigilante groups.
The acting is uniformly good. That, combined with 70's disco music, and lavish attention to costumes and production design, make you really feel like you are in an Italian-American neighborhood in NYC in 1977.
The film's atmospheric authenticity, however, is not nearly enough to offset a rambling, overblown script about the lives of grossly irritating people. -
Magnesi16 January 2000Summer of Sam was berated on its US release by New Yorkers and relatives of the victims of serial killer David Berkowitz alike. In the summer of 1977, paranoia eclipsed disco fever as the so-called .44 Killer murdered six and injured seven, all while keeping in contact with columnist Jimmy Breslin (whose comments bookend this movie). Not the kind of events to revisit in these days of the easily offended, and seeing Lee's claustrophobic take on Berkowitz in his deranged apartment is almost enough deter you from visiting the Big Apple.
The focus of the movie is an insular community of Italian-Americans. Mistrust rules the roost: the only thing close-knit about them is an occasional cheesy tank-top. Fear and conformity underpin the set-pieces upon which Lee thrives, from cops meeting a Mafia chief (Ben Gazarra) to a half-hearted Studio 54-style orgy. John Leguizamo thrives when passing himself off as John Travolta, but his marriage is a hollow sham. His quest for redemption hinges on saving punk friend Ritchie (Adrien Brody) from both himself and the lynchmob they grew up with.
Summer of Sam has invited comparisons with Do the Right Thing, on account of its portrayal of the simmering tensions building up to horrendous violence. Yet the lifestyles on show throughout make it closer to Scorsese's Mean Streets, albeit balanced by several strong female leads, notably Mira Sorvino. At 142 minutes it has stretched the attention span of some viewers and reviewers, but as the closing credits roll Lee has got us to care about the characters as each boils over. Ditching the irksome music video/sitcom visuals - even at a Late-term Abortions gig, with Ritchie on guitar - this is Spike Lee's most mature joint to date.
Graham Barnfield -
A true freak show of a film. I've never seen such a confusing Spike Lee joint. Are we supposed to laugh? Did he just make this to troll us? Was he laughing the whole time? It's like a parody of Goodfellas with the style of something like The Butterfly Effect. Nearly every character feels like a parody of a New York personality rather than being a believable one, but I'm pretty sure this isn't supposed to be a comedy, right? And, Adrien Brody's case...I can't believe this was one of his first prominent roles. Just absurd. Everything about it feels so off, and so impossible to take seriously. But, this is the wonder of it all - this is what makes Summer of Sam such an anomaly, and what makes it a very entertaining viewing.
Some parts of effective...like the murder scenes, but you'll go right from some innocent couple getting their heads blown off to some ridiculous montage of "punk rocker" Adrien Brody rocking out to...The Who (woof) in his bedroom with his liberty spikes. I mean, this is no Green Room. Half of the dialogue is pretty goof-troop, but it's always entertaining.
It was a long time ago that I added this movie to my to-watch list and honestly I think it may have primarily been just to see more Mira Sorvino. Her character is one of the most believable and locked in and also she is stunningly beautiful so that never hurts. John Leguizamo does a great job of playing a fully despicable lead, but at 2 hours and 20 minutes, it's a long ride with a fool who you just want to see receive what he deserves - his performance is good enough that it almost feels out of place amidst the rest of this cheese. With many of these cast members who are typically great, it's almost as if Spike Lee directed them to act corny on purpose.
Regardless of all its confusing faults, Summer of Sam never slows down and stays amusing from scene to scene for all 140 minutes. My girlfriend and I mostly enjoyed making fun of it, but I could see it going both ways for people. "You look like a piece of mozarell!" -
SnoopyStyle16 August 2015It's the Bronx summer of 1977 and the Son of Sam serial killer is on the loose. After a night of disco dancing, hair dresser Vinny (John Leguizamo) and his wife Dionna (Mira Sorvino) encounter the latest victims. Even the mob is enlisted in the search for the killer. Women are changing their hair and people are avoiding public places. Vinny's friend Richie (Adrien Brody) has become a British punk rocker and an outcast in the neighborhood. Vinny's half-sister Ruby (Jennifer Esposito) accepts Richie's changes. The movie also follows David Berkowitz (Michael Badalucco) aka the .44 Caliber Killer. As the pressure mounts, suspicions land on Richie.
Spike Lee is tapping into his inner Scorsese. This is a costume drama movie with good style. It has the terrific atmosphere. However the story feels scattered. The movie really needs more focus. Actually the lead should have been Richie rather than Vinny. Also Berkowitz should be left out since the movie is never about catching him. It's an interesting move by Spike Lee but it's a slight miss. -
Lamprey2 January 2000It's a shame this movie came out when it did, during a time when it was as politically incorrect as it could get to have violence in a movie (think post-Colorado shootings). If this movie were released a year sooner or later it wouldn't have been as ignored and hated as it is. This is really a good movie, if you aren't expecting a crime-thriller, but an interesting look at the summer of 77 in New York. The use of music is outstanding in this movie, the atmosphere is incredible, the editing is flawless, and it makes my top ten of 99. Not for the faint of heart (ie. conservatives who go insane when they see sex or violence on the screen). There is nothing 'a priori' wrong with having sex or violence in a movie. If you don't like that kind of stuff, what the #$%$ did you see this movie for?
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Joel I16 July 1999This mess of a film seems like the work not of the accomplished Spike Lee but of some new director just out of film school, who wants to imitate Scorcese (from the Mean Streets milieu down to the bumper's eye shot of a cruising car right out of "Taxi Driver") while throwing in every theme he can think of, and randomly trying out exotic tricks with camera and lighting. It starts out as the story of serial killer "Son of Sam," but soon switches to a group of Italian-American characters living in Brooklyn at the time the killings took place. These characters may or may not be stereotypes, but for sure none of them is very interesting. Lee cuts back and forth among the Italian-Americans and their various problems and every so often goes back to the Son of Sam story, without bothering to make any connections (did Lee have anything in mind?). The scenes are without a unifying style or look. The acting is generally good, especially Adrien Brody and Mira Sorvino. But it is wasted in a story that fails to gain the audience's sympathy or interest. Even the steamy sex scenes fail to involve. Footnote: Lee should not encourage his actors to improvise. They seem to think that when portraying lowlife characters, the goal of improvisation is to use the word "f**k" as frequently and in as many parts of speech as possible.
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dataconflossmoor-118 November 2011Originally, the term, Chauvinist, derived from the articulate Frenchman, Chauvin, who thought French culture was unquestionably superior to virtually all other cultures in the world. Today,the term, Chauvinist, is construed as something pejorative with regards to eschewing feminism, aka the "Male Chauvinist Pig". When implementing Chauvinism by its real definition,New York is the number one city (Dallas being a distant second) that would be classified as the most Chauvanistic city in the world! This adamant belief, which is garnered by many New Yorkers, (Including the people in this movie) evokes a quintessential candor with everyone about how New York is the only real city in the world. Snobbery amongst New Yorkers is not about country club elitism, rather, it deals with a cosmopolitan superiority which pertains to the actual concept of a city, and, its aggregate potential that purports how intensely urban a city like New York, and only New York, can actually be! Ironically enough, the New Yorker's bravado is predicated on how New York City is one big citadel for imperfection, and intransigent life lessons. There is just something acutely enlightening, and genuinely humorous about meeting an individual who truly believes that he is the best at something. New Yorkers of this ilk have the exuberance, not to mention, the b**ls (time to insert a euphemism) to cogently believe that they are, indeed, the greatest city in the world. What does this long dissertation have to do with the movie "Summer of Sam"? Only this, all of the characters in this movie were New Yorkers who all possess this Promethian New York City attitude.This movie deals with a lot of Italian Americans living in New York. I am Italian in descent, and, I have noticed that New York Italians differentiate themselves from all other Italian Americans in that they are for more ingrained with the old world Italian ideals. The film, "Moonstruck" established such a theory as their foundation for their movie's dynamic. Focusing now on the movie "Summer of Sam", the whole plot was very high strung. The reaffirmation of the "Saturday Night Fever" mentality gave the movie audience a crystal clear concept of the prevailing mindset for all the significant characters in this film. Set in New York, back in 1977, Elvis passed away,"Studio 54" became a nightclub sensation, Jimmy Carter was President, disco was king, gas was rationed, inflation was double digits, and that summer in New York City, in 1977, was one of the most hot and sweltering summers in the city's history. These young men were not just hot from the oppressive summer days, but also, from "really liking" Farah Fawcett Majors. While culture clashes disseminated an old stand-by motley crew of lost souls from the Bronx, the "Son of Sam" was at large to terrorize everyone just totally sh**less(time to insert another euphemism). The violence, the agitation,and the paradoxical love/hate relationship with New York City, all were executed flawlessly with this film! I found it interesting how someone would not slug you if you bumped into him and uttered profanity at him, but, he would deck you for being a Red Sox fan... Only the Yankees... Remember! The movie "Summer of Sam" covered the phenomenal event whereby Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in one game to win the 1977 World Series for the New York Yankees. This is painstakingly ironic that I just saw this movie, as I recently witnessed the World Series this year, 2011, in which, Albert Puljous hit three home runs in one World Series game against Texas. Only three players in the history of baseball have accomplished something so paramount: Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, (As this movie points out) and, the 2011 World Series, Albert Puljous (For the champion St Louis Cardinals). Baseball in New York City has perennially been an identifiably pandemic obsession for New Yorkers to thrive on! Spike Lee directs this film, and, he is a wealth of talent (Including his performance in "Do The Right Thing"). The acting in this movie has a sensational authenticity to it.John Leguizamo was particularly convincing with his role in this movie, as the John Travolta incarnate case. Adrien Brody displayed an effective innocence as the emerging spawn of Punk Rock pop culture. Finally, the strong performance by Bebe Neuwirth(Formerly "Lilith" of "Cheers") was very impressive! The use of cuss words in this film, overwhelms you, as the "F" word is used 324 times! Invariably, if a film is truly a good one, more often than not, it sensitizes you with some sort of indelible concept.. In my case, the New York Chauvanism, as depicted with such a fervent intensity in the movie "Summer of Sam", was emphatically and indisputably, the concept which achieved such a feat. It is realistically indicative of our honestly innate human nature to be intrigued with someone who is convinced that his city is undeniably, the overall, number one, best city in the entire world, period! Americans still love a winner, in that case, they should love this movie! Without a doubt; "There are eight million stories in the naked city,and this (Wonderfully creative masterpiece of a movie) was one of them!"
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petera211 January 2005I just saw it on DVD. Basically, it was an absorbing look back at a very different time and place. You can almost sense Spike Lee's wistful nostalgia imbuing this seemingly violent movie. One gets the impression Lee is looking lovingly back on a hometown that was going through some very dark days -- yet days whose darkness was mixed with brilliance (like the '77 Yankees, and the world-conquering NYC explosion called disco).
I agree with some of the other comments. Spike Lee is very obviously a gifted filmmaker, especially in technical matters. He very convincingly recreates the feel, the atmosphere, the heat, and the fear of New York City those many summers ago. The camera work rate is first-rate, and if the Scorcese-like use of ubiquitous pop music is a bit cliché, at least Lee has chosen powerfully evocative songs. Especially effective are a couple of pulsating tracks from The Who that nicely balance out the diso feel-goodery (an obvious but still effective use by the director of symbolic music that contrasts the danger and violence of late 70's New York with its sophistication and glamor).
There were some excellent acting performances, as well. Mia Sorvino is very good. The Adrian Brody of 1999 is very clearly a major star in the making. And John Leguiziamo's (sp?) genuinely moving and powerful performance may be the best thing about whole movie.
All this said, the Summer of Sam is somewhat flawed. It does drag a bit in places. If you're going to make a film that lasts nearly 2.5 hours, the plot really has to grab the audience and not let go. Summer of Sam wasn't quite strong enough in this area. I think the problem is basically the script. The focus on the troubled marriage may be necessary to construct a meaningful narrative, but it's a difficult task to blend it with the overall panorama of New Yorkers and their battle with the monster on the loose. The former subplot drags down the latter, in my opinion.
Still, Summer of Sam is a visually stunning, generally absorbing piece of movie-making, that, if too long, is a valiant -- and very entertaining -- effort. -
bafoon21 July 1999The film is a collection of cliche's on just about anything out there. It has no focus whatsoever, no goals, no real message. Symbolism is pushed over the top and stereotyping is abundant and outrageous. This movie can't resist the temptation of making drama where non exists. Every small exchange of words turns immediately into a lengthy, unjustified dialog that is so typical of an acting class rehearsal. Where there is no substance to this exchange, the actors (regardless of how good they are normally) can't help but compensate with exaggerated emotion, aka "raising the stakes". Over acting, to put it simply. The directing is of no help here. Nothing can save this non-story. It is forced, faked and boring to tears. Inaccuracies in portaraying punk rock with The Who, piercings and flashy 90's outfits. Characters wander without a role, detail and motive. Locations are arbitrary. This is Boogie Nights cum The Good Fellas cum Saturday Night Fever, with meaning and art ripped out.
Good DP. I'll give it that.
Some films have flaws. This film is Lee's flaw. He sold out, like the rest of them. Became irrelevant. He has nothing of interest to say anymore.
I have no desire to see anything again from this guy (whom I'll refrain from naming from now on). -
rkhen22 February 2017This is what Spike does best: capturing a moment in time, and looking deeply into the human condition. Ignore those whining that it's "not about the Son of Sam." Yeah. That's why it's not _called_ "Son of Sam".
What it is, is an extremely well-done vignette of New York City, and the world in general, in 1977 -- a period when "Sam Hysteria" gripped that city, and the rest of us watched obsessively from afar.
Along the way Spike gives us another "Sam": a man with a sexual compulsion he can't control, complete with the pseudo-religious angst typical of such personalities. This is a fantastic technique. I won't spoil anything for other viewers, but you'll see how Spike juxtaposes these two characters in the film.
Other classic Spike themes are here: bigotry, intolerance, hatred of anybody different, the universality of all of this regardless of "race" or community, the stupid callowness of youth, the dumb brutality of the uneducated, and the quiet existence of fundamentally decent people in the midst of it all.
For those complaining about the Plato's Retreat scene, welcome to the 70s, mofo. Sex was invented in the 1970s; we were sure of it. I'm not saying everybody (or even many) did that Plato stuff, but we were told everybody was doing it. And one thing is certain: everybody was talking about it. Everybody. All the time. So it was part of the era. It would have been a serious oversight not to include it in a film that purports to capture the feel of that city at that time.
If you remember the media furor over those killings; the saturation-covered moral and physical rot of NYC in the 70s; and the golden age of KC and the Sunshine Band, this movie will be a visit home.
And if you like complex, unflinching, insightful films, you just might learn something. -
carlj1225 July 2020This wasn't what I expected. The son of Sam killer really is just a back drop for this story and it is an interesting look at communities in the late 70s. My one glaring problem with this movie? The try hard version of the punk rick scene. I was too young to be around it at that time, but I think Spike Lee just took a really stereotypical view of them (an almost insulting to be honest). For a director who seems to love detail it was disappointing
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drterylene17 April 2000This long winded film turns out to be less about Berkowitz and his effect on NYC, but more about painting caricatures of a certain group of Italian-Americans, known locally as "Guidos." The problem is that "Guidos" are uninteresting, no matter what kind of story or setting they are immersed in. They are already living caricatures, so Lee only amplifies them, rather than simply portraying them.
When someone has a caricature done of themselves, they don't go home and say, "Hey, let's make the ears and nose even bigger!" That's what Lee has done in this film. The most interesting characters in the film are the two (Adrian Brody and Jennifer Esposito) who wish to escape the "Guido" lifestyle. Top it off with an uninteresting storyline for the characters, particularly John Leguizamo's, and you get a nice film to fall asleep by. Especially considering it's lengthy run time.
One more strike against it: For someone proclaiming to be a Yankees fan, and has grown up in New York, Spike Lee should know how to spell Phil Rizzuto, which is spelled incorrectly in the closing credits.