Messy and belligerent.
Summer of Sam (1999)
Tomatometer
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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
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Reviews for Summer of Sam
I needed stronger and more balanced characters to really care what happened.
Trouble is, the overlong narrative, however entertaining from minute to minute, is a mess.
Nearly flawless as a production, but not the kind of movie I enjoy watching.
In a season not known for quality cinema, this Summer is unforgettable.
It's easily Lee's most accomplished and satisfying movie since Malcolm X.
Lee sabotages his material by overloading it with splashy visual effects.
Even with the slick cinematography and pulsating rock soundtrack, the final product is a big disappointment.
Lee's just not a good enough filmmaker - and finally, not smart enough - to achieve the grand statements that he's apparently after.
A riveting and unsettling look at the summer of 1977 when fear and paranoia reigned.
Manages to zero in on issues of class and race, while expanding the casting assumptions of black-directed films.
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.
The world of the movie is so violent, drug addled, and unattractive that we were left somewhat aghast.
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.
A ragged mess that only rarely connects with its audience or with a point.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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