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Plot:
Spike Lee's take on the "Son of Sam" murders in New York City during the summer of 1977 centering on the residents of an Italian-American South Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one ...( read more 
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:July 24, 2008A few brilliant scenes spliced into a long, distasteful story about unlikeable characters, kinda like Scarface.
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MCT:July 12, 2008wow what a movie 2 watch..this is a good thriller movie which is really enjoyable its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout the movie...i think that the director spike lee has made some good movies throughout n i think that he done a good job of directing this Drama, Mystery & Suspense movie because you never know what 2 expect throughout this movie because he keeps you on the edge's of your seats throughout n you never know what's going 2 happen throughout this movie because he keeps you guessing whats going to happen next n its really suspenseful movie..
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MCT:June 17, 2008
Interesting look at the frightening Summer in which the Son of Sam terrorized New York City. More than just a crime drama, it focuses on the fun, the characters, and the high tension of the time.
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MCT:June 12, 2008solid story recounting the hot summer of 1977 and the random killings that gripped the big apple....suspenseful and interesting, this is gripping storytelling and keeps the viewer involved!
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MCT:May 28, 2008this is one of my favorite movies that portrayed a serial killer next to it i'd say zodiac would be my 2nd choice
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MCT:May 14, 2008
It's the summer of '77 and New York is under attack from a heatwave, punk rock and a serial killer, all of which conspire to bring out the worst in people. This film is brilliant, choosing to deal with the effect of the above factors on everyday life instead of the serial killer - he's no more than a subplot but an important one. Mira Sorvino and Adrien Brody really stand out in what I'm going to say is Spike Lee's best film. Recommended.
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MCT:April 20, 2008In the 1970s, New York was shaken by what was known as the "Son of Sam" murders. A satanical serial killer, called David Berkowitz, murdered late-night lovers parked in lay-bys and threw the whole city into panic and disarray.
Spike Lee takes the scenario and studies the effect that this time of uncertainty had in the life of a small band of friends. Philandiring hairdresser, Vinny (Leguizamo - "Spawn", "Romeo + Juliet", "The Fan", "Carlito's Way"), is married to Dionna (Sorvino - "Mimic", "Beautiful Girls", Oscar Winner for role in "Mighty Aphrodite"). Vinny is notorious in his neighbourhood as a likeable smart-alec, but he's got a womanising problem despite his obvious love for his wife. Dionna is a sweetheart, seemingly oblivious to Vinny's ways but loyal to him and eager to please. In fact she is so eager to please, she even goes as far as to ask an ex-girlfriend of Vinny's what sort of things he likes in bed.
Enter Ritchie (Brody - "Thin Red Line"), MIA for a while, he returns to the neighbourhood decked out as a punk rocker, complete with irritating over-emphasised London accent, desperately doing his best to ensure he never fits into society. We also meet a small selection of Vinny and Ritchie's other friends, most of whom spend their time loitering around the streets and selling drugs.
A misconception about "Summer of Sam" is that it is a film about David Berkowitz. It is not. With few of the actual murders shown, the focus of the film are the characters who are affected by the serial killer hysteria which grips New York. It shows how kings of the neighbourhood like local mobster, Luigi (Ben Gazzara - "Big Lebowski", "Thomas Crown Affair"), get shaken enough by the killer that they end up joining the cops in helping to track him down. We see Vinny terrified after having what he believes was a close run in with the killer, get a look at how fathers fret for the safety of their daughters and how all the young women are getting their hair dyed blonde after it becomes apparent that the killer likes to kill brunettes.
But "Summer of Sam" is a miserable failure in just about all areas. With little coverage of Berkowitz himself and hardly any exposure of the cops who are chasing him, the movie depends on the characters who are affected by the murders. Outside of the excellent Sorvino, few of the others deliver performances that are bearable. Brody's punk-rock misfit role is as annoying a character as I've ever seen in a movie, and Leguizamo's sleazy, womanising turn is one of the most unlikable celluloid appearances in a long time. I was longing for him to be killed and felt no sympathy for him throughout.
There is a small amount of entertainment to be gained from Vinny's drug-dealing friends who are shown drawing up a short-list of likely and unlikely suspects for the Son of Sam. Eventually this leads to them forming a vigilante group which attacks anyone they suspect to be the killer - guilty until proven innocent. Obviously this is part of Lee's attempt to display how people's sense of reality and morality (these are drug dealers!) is lost in times of hysteria. But it is too late by then and your interest has waned so much that you long for the whole cast to be taken out.
I'm not Spike Lee's biggest fan by any means, but this feature really must be his worst. Full of gratuitous sex and needless coarse language, "Summer of Sam" is unwatchable and utterly boring from start to finish. -
MCT:April 4, 2008i actually walked out on this movie.
i think i was too young to appreciate it, but now i might try watching it again. -
MCT:February 11, 2008
This was not that great. I didn't like how the story wasn't about David Berkowitz but about a bunch of kids.
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MCT:February 3, 2008Want to see at some point in the future...
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MCT:January 27, 2008
Spike Lee's ambitious ensemble drama is a fictionalised re-creation of New York City during the blistering summer of 1977, when the serial murderer dubbed "Son of Sam" erupted into full-blown homicidal fury. The resulting cauldron of suspicion and paranoia is tailor-made for Lee, who demonstrated a similar fascination with friendship under heat-induced stress in Do the Right Thing. The cynical director always expects people to revert to jungle savagery, and he structures the relationships in this film accordingly. The key story involves the deteriorating marriage between John Leguizamo and Mira Sorvino, and the latter's good-hearted spirit helps balance the film's often nasty tone; in a film littered with deplorable and repellent characters, Sorvino positively sparkles.
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MCT:January 9, 2008
Spike Lee's take on intolerance and paranoia in the crazy hellish summer of 1977 is a bit hit and miss in some parts. But manages to be more focused than other films he has made.
John Leguizamo can be very good in the right roles, Brody is solid as usual, and Mira Sorvino should seriously get more roles, specially the ones that require her to appear in lingerie. The rest of the supporting cast was also spot on. -
MCT:December 4, 2007
Graphic movie, but I love it. I can just feel the 70's and the soundtrack is great! DID I NOT MENTION THIS IS THE BEST SPIKE LEE MOVIE EVER?????
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MCT:November 22, 2007This is one of Spike Lee's best.....a DO THE RIGHT THINGish depiction of how the Son of Sam killings affects a New York neighborhood in the 70s.
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MCT:October 26, 2007
Lee sets up the story with plenty of gloriously dark suspense, but his follow through fails miserably. Still, I gotta admit Turturro makes a great dog.
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MCT:October 17, 2007
There are some intriguing allusions to Fritz Lang's masterpiece 'M' here but it achieves nowhere near the power of Lang's great film! Good effort though!
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MCT:October 16, 2007
eh i didn't really like it, it was basically one man's quest to get in his wife's butt, with some murder and then into the end of goodfellas nice but too bland on the murderer side. leguizamo is wasted in this
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MCT:September 28, 2007
I didn't know anything about the american serial killer so I lost nothing for the watching of this flic. It is well put together and well acted.
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MCT:September 16, 2007
Lee's social commentary gets annoying at times, but a great story and great performances by John Leguizamo and Adrien Brody.
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MCT:August 13, 2007
Love this movie! Has much broader appeal than most Spike joints because of the historical context. Still has all the trademark Lee qualities. In a way I'd compare this film to Boogie Nights -- in terms of their epic approach.
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MCT:August 11, 2007
i dont like spike lee but john leguizamo and adrien brody plus i like movies about real life serial killers
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