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Summer of Sam

Summer of Sam

1999
Romance, Drama
2h 22m
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 another. (imdb)
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Summer of Sam

1999
Romance, Drama
2h 22m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 47.33% from 1280 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1280)
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Rated 29 May 2023
85
86th
Last time I watched it I was about 12 years old so all I took from this was the boobies (things haven't changed too much) and not the joys of being all hey that's Ben Gazzara! Probably Spike Lee's most accessible film where Adrian Brody is a male prostitute. Always amazed when John Leguizamo starts whining online about Latino representation in movies when I've seen him play a sloth and Italians nonstop. This is a fun movie - fun in that sense it's pushing 2.5 hours but you never feel it. It'
Rated 20 Jun 2022
70
38th
Pointing out that this is Spike's first film without a Black cast misses, like always, how he's a director indebted to New Hollywood--as in the Scorsese/Goodfellas opening. The movie is bogged down by his usual tropes: tracking shots, his forced cameo, and awkward sex scenes. Still, Sorvino is great, as is the scapegoating of a cultural outsider. But other films (like Zodiac) do a better job of showing how famous killings impact a city. And it loses points for having a punk rocker love The Who.
Rated 22 Aug 2008
97
97th
Flaws: Lee lets 1 or 2 scenes go on too long (as if he let the actors dictate the pacing) and there's an egregious talking dog sequence. Still, this is a big meaty slab of fascinating& vividly real characters. The story strains to contain all their arcs & as a result some might see this as scattered, but I was fascinated by the characters' struggle and general failure to do what they know is right. This made some of them unlikeable, but that's reality for you - most people don't really change.
Rated 17 Nov 2009
60
62nd
Good film.
Rated 03 Jun 2010
68
44th
Lee's directing is superb as usual and the cast does a good job, but the screenplay is unimpressive. Wouldn't really need to be this long.
Rated 14 Dec 2011
80
80th
The cast is very good in this film, especially John Leguizamo, Mira Sorvino and Adrien Brody. This movie runs a little bit long but overall it is interesting. The story focuses more on the community instead of the killer. I definitely recommend this drama.
Rated 01 Jul 2021
70
42nd
One of my long standing issues with Lee is that he seems to pile on style for the sake of it. I think he kind he kind of gets in the way of the film.
Rated 20 Jan 2022
10
4th
Spectacularly bad, half of the movie is about John Leguizamo (who's supposed to be a red-blooded Italian-American disco era Travolta clone) being shit in bed and what this means for New York in the 70's. The rest is about ten minutes of the actual story of David Berkowitz - I would be remiss to not mention the PlayStation 1 era CGI dog muttering "Kill! Kill!" - and pre-Sopranos Michael Imperioli being howlingly terrible as a gay cowboy smut purveyor.
Rated 17 Jun 2022
4
51st
I mean, it’s no Zodiac, but few things are. This did have a talking dog tho.
Rated 18 Jun 2023
70
52nd
The kind of overstuffed film I enjoy. I just kept saying, "this is so strange," to my partner. And then the dog scene happened. I am not sure what was the bigger reach, Leguizamo playing an Italian or Brody playing a punk.
Rated 15 Jul 2023
78
55th
Sprawling, messy Lee indulgence never quite comes together, but there’s a great deal that’s good here: a terrific, well-chosen cast (highlighted by Leguizamo and Sorvino) who bring a sense of community to vivid life, and a good feel for the overwhelming sense of distrust and paranoia that pervades that community. Presupposes a mix of DOGVILLE and ZODIAC – its ultimate lack of focus makes the doughy mid-section a bit tiring, but it’s still an interesting and overall compelling journey.
Rated 11 Feb 2007
0
3rd
This left a bad taste in my mouth overall. I really didn't like anything about it.
Rated 25 Mar 2007
50
33rd
Spike Lee has been channel-surfing too long
Rated 14 Aug 2007
66
38th
Had no idea of what the film would be like, it was a blind rent. Spike Lee is being Spike Lee as he brings us into the world of working and lower class New York during the years the Summer of Sam was on the loose. Very lengthy, not completely satisfying. It was my first time to see Adrien Brody in a film, he turns in a very brave performance.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
72nd
Spike Lee's pretty damn good movie about that hot summer in NYC where tensions rose amidst the serial killings of Sam Burkowitz.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
73
45th
Interesting and realistic, but kind of scattered.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
88
68th
Some great stuff going on and some great acting, but too vulgar for its own good - the language becomes distracting to the story.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
16
4th
This is a terribly stupid movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
54
47th
Not Spike's finest hour, hampered by career worst performances from the entire cast.
Rated 19 Aug 2007
83
50th
This is a pretty visceral film, but ultimately not very rewarding. It seems as though Zodiac starring Jake Gyllenhal borrowed heavily from it and did the whole True Crime Serial Killer thing a whole lot better.
Rated 21 Aug 2007
70
69th
Good
Rated 16 Sep 2007
70
63rd
uneven but worth a look
Rated 08 Feb 2008
69
20th
Oh no...the talking dog.
Rated 31 Mar 2008
50
39th
Engrossing but long romp through nicely done shootings, fights, & even a good beating or two. Relying less on an old story & more on characters reacting to the times makes for a better Spike picture. The setting feels forced & fake at times, and most of the characters are interesting.
Rated 24 Apr 2008
55
42nd
Well done, but just unpleasant all around. I didn't like a single character.
Rated 15 Dec 2008
75
62nd
Wowed by this in highschool. Today? Well I'm not sure.
Rated 09 Apr 2009
25
43rd
The point of this shapeless ensemble piece seems to be a remark by a black woman that if the killer known as the Son of Sam had been black, there would have been riots in New York. Otherwise, it deals in minor panic and mishaps among stereotypical would-be mobsters; but not even the period detail is right.
Rated 22 Jul 2009
65
41st
The Who and The Son of Sam are always in the backdrop, but the forefront never gets going.
Rated 31 Jul 2009
82
68th
Didn't think I'd like this going it, but was pleasantly surprised.
Rated 11 Aug 2009
50
24th
Spike Lee really didn't have any clue what direction he wanted to go with this.
Rated 17 Sep 2009
70
59th
solid film ... umm sorry, joint, from spike lee. unfortunately one thing sunk this film for me. the talking dog. first off, it just looked ridiculous. if i was supposed the be drawn in, it didnt work bc i was laughing too hard (i want you to go out and kill. kill! kiiiiill!!!!). and secondly, the dog didnt talk to berkowitz, it was in their incessant howling that he heard messages. outside of that one blip, it really was a good film ... but damn, that talking dog.
Rated 27 Sep 2009
63
42nd
Suffers from stories that seem irrelevant to the whole serial killer -thing, making the movie drag on for too long. Could have profited from some heavy-handed cutting of the unnecessary material. I liked the general mood of the film, it seemed very gritty and realistic.
Rated 15 Oct 2009
4
38th
Well acted and the dialogue is strong, but it tries to do too many things, only really succeeding at being a period piece. Also, it's pretty bad when the fucking director looks like he doesn't want to even be in the film.
Rated 13 Jan 2010
90
54th
Spike Lee's best film about friends who live in the neighborhood where the Son of Sam murders are taking place. Very well acted.
Rated 15 Feb 2010
49
31st
Lee certainly wasn't lacking in ambition with this film. He piles more story and heavy import than just about any film could bear. Discotheques and punk rockers, gritty urban newscasts and brash bellowing neighborhoods, and it quickly collapses under its own weight. As with all of his more compromised efforts, Lee weaves together ingeniously constructed set pieces with tone-deaf scenes that tip over from clumsiness to embarrassment. The actors often push through the clutter, especially Sorvino.
Rated 28 Feb 2010
1
4th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THh1pPWEoWs - Says just about all that needs to be said, I think.
Rated 21 Sep 2010
64
39th
Not that the vingettes aren't interesting, but they often lose any focus of relating to the overall story. Some of it is still well done, and loved the soundtrack.
Rated 16 Aug 2011
40
14th
The issues that the entire film suffers from can be metaphorically compared to the issues with the use of music within it - it is overbearing, unnecessary and misplaced at times and, especially the use of The Who in a climatic sequence, completely disconnected to the emotional key of what Spike Lee is depicting. The film suffers from far too many 'frills' to a narrative - subplots, combinations of image and music comparable to Scorsese, documentary bookends - which is already lack sure.
Rated 03 Mar 2012
80
66th
Lee frequently ratchets up the intensity with explosive confrontations which might be a little much unless you're in the right mood. I found the tension riveting, not as much as his masterpiece Do the Right Thing but enough to make the film sufficiently engaging despite its length. The leads all do a very good job. The soundtrack is a mighty fine selection. Despite some missteps, I thought it was overall an impressive and intriguing effort.
Rated 28 Apr 2012
80
73rd
Full of awesome performances, visual style and attitude, Summer of Sam in a Scorsese-esque way peeks into a niché society and family affairs, but falls short in his attempt to include the personal torment of the actual serial killer at play. It seems as though the scenes of the killer's lonely torment were entirely unnecessary and that the absence of these would not have impacted the rest of the film.
Rated 12 Jul 2012
75
33rd
I wanted it to be good so badly that I blinded myself to the fact that John Leguizamo is the lead. It's not Terrible, it just doesn't really know what it is...it's not A Bronx Tale and it's not (insert serial killer movie title) but it kind of acts like it wants to be both. It's more of a scatterbrained homage to 1970s New York City and the events of '77 happen to provide the perfect backdrop. Also, "roll that beautiful bean footage," er, I mean, "Killll theemmm"
Rated 28 Oct 2012
23
6th
Spike Lee watches a lot of Scorsese and decides to tackle the late 70s in New York, a den of vice, Italian-American stereotypes and Adrien Brody getting haircuts. This feels like several different scripts mashed into one - the Son of Sam killings mainly act as a plot device to show how... immoral the 70s were? A far cry, in tone and quality, from Lee's stellar Crooklyn. Pacing is bad, feels like the film could end at any given point - and I wish it ended much much earlier.
Rated 24 Nov 2012
74
67th
Runs a little too long, but an entertaining story.
Rated 07 Aug 2013
74
59th
One of the better Spike Jonze joint's. The pacing is near perfect in this story about a group of ny kids in the summer of 77 in NYC, one of the hottest summers on record, there was a black out,riots, and also a serial killer who called himself the Son of Sam. The tension is kept up really well during the hunt for the killer, mostly by the performances of the 3 main leads ( Leguiziamo, Sorvino and Brody) . The soundtrack, directing, all others fine. If ya dont know about SOS, watch this movie!
Rated 07 Oct 2013
62
25th
62.000
Rated 13 Oct 2013
40
37th
Feels like the screenplay was lacking & drug the film down
Rated 10 Jul 2014
75
40th
This crime movie is more an examination of how a neighborhood reacts when possible death lingers so seemingly close than anything more conventional. The camera moves with a detached fervor around each of the characters and it all comes together as a sum of some intriguing parts with intriguing details that can be mistaken as a lack of focus. Unfortunately the whole of these parts isn't as appealing, with some strange tonal shifts, and Lee doesn't seem to love these characters as he often does.
Rated 10 Aug 2014
76
50th
Adrien Brody is hysterical as the fakest late-70's NY punk/Italian-American you'll ever see in a movie. John Leguizamo is also supposed to be an Italian stallion- type John Travolta stand-in, hilarious. Still probably my second favorite non-documentary Spike Lee joint.
Rated 17 Sep 2014
80
44th
Seems very slight at first in how little "Sam" there is in it, but on reflection, it's kind of the way I wish more serial killer movies were. Less pornographic lingering on murder and more social milieu. Zodiac makes a good sister film to this.
Rated 21 Aug 2015
75
84th
Summer of Sam is almost a remake of Do The Right Thing: it's a tale about how prejudice can manifest itself within small communities under extreme conditions and be subsequently mobilised against a common enemy, the proverbial 'other'. In Summer Of Sam, those conditions are the fear and paranoia resulting from the actions of a serial killer in the sweltering heat. A great ensemble cast and unpredictable directorial choices by Lee make this Scorsese influenced piece energetic and compelling.
Rated 08 Dec 2015
50
10th
Ridiculous even by Lee's standards. Of course, his movies are always interesting and worth watching, but the flaws that I couldn't get past were too numerous to forgive (and to go into in this limited space in any detail): the cartoonishly repellent characters; the sluggish pacing; the grossly saccharine tone amplified by Terence Blanchard's typically ruinous score; the elements of unintentional (?) comedy, especially the hideously misjudged scenes in Berkowitz's apartment. I could go on and on.
Rated 29 Mar 2016
60
19th
It felt disjointed - like it didn't know what it wanted to be. At times a crime thriller about a serial killer, at other times a rom com with mob members. The persepctive of what life was like living in these neighborhoods where the killings were happening is interesting, but the film didn't delve into it. A fascinating topic with a lot of potential, it ultimately was a drag.
Rated 05 Mar 2018
91
93rd
Similarly to Zodiac, this excellent film uses a serial killer story to comment on the wider society it existed in. Covering a wide array of characters, focusing more on the ones who have less interest in the killings, Lee covers a wide range of issues that bubble up from the multiple scenes in the close-knit culture and infect the more personal areas of their lives. Filmed with bravado, Lee again proves he's a filmmaker of consummate style, substance, and storytelling.
Rated 04 Mar 2019
30
10th
No idea what this was going for narratively. That inverted dolly shot was hype tho
Rated 12 Aug 2022
65
39th
77+coolthickroundlongpastadishlol+sogirlsdyehairblonde+finallykillsthedoglol+blackoutriots+mob/blockpartytofindhimlol+takeswifetogirl/guyorgythenhatesherlol+theystopthewrongguyslol+deaddogreturnssayingkilllol+theythinkit'shisfriend+iwillfuckyouwhereyoubreathelol+beatupfriendcuzdidntseecaught-cuzticketlol
Rated 17 Oct 2023
65
44th
A scatterbrained movie. I can see what it wants to accomplish, it's just a bit too all over the place. There are great things to enjoy in there though. A great mise en scène and some spirited performances by Leguizamo, Sorvino and Brody are among them. It was hard to enjoy at first because pretty much all of the characters are unlikeable. But that is sort of the point - they were the product of societal expectations that were pretty toxic. The movie does, in parts, succeed in driving that home.

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