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Movies / On DVD / Summer of Sam
Summer of Sam

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Summer of Sam (1999)

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Reviews Counted:96

Fresh:48

Rotten:48

Average Rating:5.6/10

Consensus: Spike Lee offers intense visuals but his storytelling feels crowded and overambitious.

Runtime: 2 hrs 22 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: SUMMER OF SAM, Spike Lee's sizzling interpretation of the summer of 1977 in New York City, when thermometers shattered and a serial killer terrorized the city, focuses on an Italian-American... SUMMER OF SAM, Spike Lee's sizzling interpretation of the summer of 1977 in New York City, when thermometers shattered and a serial killer terrorized the city, focuses on an Italian-American community in the Bronx--specifically, Dionna (Mira Sorvino) and Vinny (John Leguizamo), a couple whose marriage is threatened by Vinny's obsession with other women. After Vinny returns home one night to find a killer has murdered two local women, he promises to mend his cheating ways, albeit unsuccessfully. As the media exploits the murders and a blackout threatens to unleash anarchy on the city, its inhabitants begin to look for a scapegoat who will release them from the reign of terror created by the chilling figure known only as the Son of Sam (Michael Badalucco). Lee's ambitious film does more than re-create the events that unfolded during the summer of 1977; in addition to being an entertaining time capsule, it also deals graphically with the concept of the mob mentality. [More]

Starring: John Leguizamo, Mira Sorvino, Adrien Brody, Jennifer Esposito

Starring: John Leguizamo, Mira Sorvino, Adrien Brody, Jennifer Esposito, Michael Badalucco, Bebe Neuwirth, Patti LuPone, Anthony LaPaglia, Ben Gazzara, John Savage, Jimmy Breslin, Spike Lee, Mark Breland, Evander Holyfield

Director: Spike Lee

Director: Spike Lee
Screenwriter: Michael Imperioli, Victor Colicchio, Spike Lee
Producer: Jon Kilik, Spike Lee
Composer: Terence Blanchard

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Dec 21, 1999

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Summer of Sam

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
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Messy and belligerent.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
01/01/00
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I needed stronger and more balanced characters to really care what happened.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Trouble is, the overlong narrative, however entertaining from minute to minute, is a mess.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Nearly flawless as a production, but not the kind of movie I enjoy watching.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Report Card | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ross Anthony
Ross Anthony
Hollywood Report Card

Disappointing.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
08/11/04
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

In a season not known for quality cinema, this Summer is unforgettable.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rod Armstrong
Rod Armstrong
Reel.com

It's easily Lee's most accomplished and satisfying movie since Malcolm X.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
04/03/02
William Arnold
William Arnold
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Lee does a superb job!

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Lumbers like a Cadillac with a flat tire stuck in first gear.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

Lee sabotages his material by overloading it with splashy visual effects.

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
01/01/00
Tom Block
Tom Block
culturevulture.net

t's loud, long and interesting, yet it also feels cold and distant.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Even with the slick cinematography and pulsating rock soundtrack, the final product is a big disappointment.

Full Review Source: Houston Community Newspapers | comment Comment
01/01/00
Gary Brown
Gary Brown
Houston Community Newspapers

Lee's just not a good enough filmmaker - and finally, not smart enough - to achieve the grand statements that he's apparently after.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Peter Brunette
Peter Brunette
Film.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A riveting and unsettling look at the summer of 1977 when fear and paranoia reigned.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
03/05/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Manages to zero in on issues of class and race, while expanding the casting assumptions of black-directed films.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
01/01/00
Nick Carter
Nick Carter
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Overstuffed!

comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Lee does capture the terror a serial killer can wreak upon the community, but his concentration on the weak characters hurts in the long run.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

The world of the movie is so violent, drug addled, and unattractive that we were left somewhat aghast.

Full Review Source: CinemaSense.Com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Cornell & Petricelli
Cornell & Petricelli
CinemaSense.Com

More than anything else, Summer of Sam is a portrait of its chosen time period, the hot New York summer of 1977. And what a vivid portrait it is.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

A ragged mess that only rarely connects with its audience or with a point.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rod Dreher
Rod Dreher
New York Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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