Summer of Sam

1999
R
2h 22m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

42K

YOUR RATING

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Serial Killer True Crime Crime Drama Romance Thriller

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 Northeast Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and di... Read allSpike 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 Northeast Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one another.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 Northeast Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one another.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

42K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 6 nominations total

Trivia
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 manner. As a result, the script had to be changed which focused more on the community than the killer himself. "Son of Sam" was rumored to be the original working title.

Goofs
At the beginning of the movie, set in the summer of 1977, characters are seen dancing in a disco to the song "There But For the Grace of God Go I" by Machine. The song wasn't recorded until 1979.

Quotes
Vinny: Come on, get in the car. Please, baby.
Dionna: Baby? Don't you dare "baby" me! I'm gonna wait here! I'm gonna wait here until somebody comes along. You know what? I'm gonna wait here until some soul brother comes along in his big black Cadillac. And you know and I know that he's got a big black dick too.
Vinny: Don't talk like that, just get inside the car.
Dionna: Oh, fuck you!
Vinny: Please, please, don't make me have to beg you. Get in the car. Come on- don't make me have to hurt you.
Dionna: Hurt me? Don't you even fuckin' lay a pinkie on me! I'll get him to kick your ass and then I'll fuck 'em! You wanna watch Vinny? Will that turn you on Vinny? You linguine dick mother fucker. You wanna watch while I suck a big black dick in the back of a big black cadillac?

Crazy credits
The credits are in the form of newspaper headlines.

Alternate versions
After they are refused entry into Studio 54, the sex scene between Dionna (Mira Sorvino) and Vinny (John Leguizamo) included more explicit shots in the original cut. This scene was edited a bit after the MPAA threatened the film with an "NC-17" rating.

Connections
Edited into Doggiewoggiez! Poochiewoochiez! (2012)

Soundtracks
Fernando
Written by Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus (as Bjorn Ulvaeus)
Performed by ABBA
Courtesy of Polar Music International AB
Under license from Universal Music Special Markets

User reviews383

Review

Featured review

pointless and long

Not sure what Spike was trying to say - that Son of Sam was a product of the craziness of NY and the heat of 1977?

While movies don't have to have endearing characters, you have to relate to them on some level to empathize with them. So that even if the circumstances of their lives or are not ours but we have find a connection on some level to be interested in them - in this movie, there are no such characters.

Some of them we are just tired of them because this movie is so long and enough already. The scary thing is we can relate to Son of Sam's breakdown more than any of the characters because we are starting to wonder if this dreary mess is ever going to end. Each character is unpleasant because they lead small, petty lives and are just whiners - we get it - let's move on Spike. Not interesting. And any characters we care about just dissolve into a pornographic and sleazy means.

Spike was a great director for exactly two movies - Spike, what happened? - he starts the movie by placing his characters in front of a sign that reads Dead End - as if that's not bad enough, in case we didn't get the pan on it or the lingering closeup, he cuts back to that sign about 50 times. In a local community college film class, you'd be derided as a rank amateur - let along a big budget movie.

Spike also appears in the film as a TV announcer - we know Spike can act - he choose not to act for his role - why? Who knows?

This movie is pointless, tiresome and dreary.