Summer of Sam1999
Summer of Sam (1999)
Summer of Sam Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as Vinny
as Ritchie
as Dionna
as Ruby
as Joe T
as Helen
as Woodstock
as Bobby
as Anthony
as Brian
as Gloria
as Eddie
as Detective Petrocelli
as Detective Atwater
as Luigi
as Tony
as Crony
as Mario
as Simon
as Himself
as Son of Sam
as John, John Jeffries
as Joey T.
as Chiara
as Officer Cruz
as Debbie Cadabra
as Raygun
as Fire
as Bite
as Spider
as Chickie
as Detective Timothy Dowd
as Sam Carr
as Anchorman
as Anchorman
as Anchorwoman
as Yankee Broadcaster
as Himself
as Girl in Parked Car
as Girl in Parked Car
as Chuckie
as Rose
as Ron
as Dee
as Father Cadilli
as Italian Woman at Murder Site
as Italian Woman at Murder Site
as 2nd Bowler at Diner
as Officer
as Officer
as Doorman
as Simon's Male Friend
as Simon's Female Friend
as Simon's Female Friend
as Neighbor
as Punk
as Bed Stuy Woman Interviewed
as Bed Stuy Man Interviewed
as Bed Stuy Man Interviewed
as Bed Stuy Woman Interviewed
as Man in Riot
as Dot--Atwater's Girlfriend
as Young Woman Shot by Son of Sam
as Young Woman Shot by Son of Sam
as Woman Victim
as Man in Car
as Husband
as Wounded Man
as Woman in Car
as Johnny Nasso
as Woman Victim
as `L.E.S. Stitches' Band Singer
as `L.E.S. Stitches' Band Bassist
as `L.E.S. Stitches' Band Guitarist
as `L.E.S. Stitches' Band Guitarist
as `L.E.S. Stitches' Drummer
as Brian's Girlfriend
as Joe T's Girlfriend
as Anthony's Girlfriend
as Princess
as Patty aka Man with Weird Eyes
as Guitar Store Owner
as Rocco
as Rocco's Girlfriend
as Man Pulled from Car
as Lady at Block Party
as Girl at Block Party
as Girl at Block Party
as Girl at Block Party
as Italian Chef
as Officer Cruz Partner
as Detective with Decoy Dummy
as Crime Scene Cop
as Bouncer
as Limo Driver
as Lady in Window
as Lady in Window
as Lady in Car Window
as Lady with Dog
as Arresting Detective
as Young Detective Petrocelli
Critic Reviews for Summer of Sam
All Critics (98) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (49) | Rotten (49) | DVD (4)
Summer of Sam, for all its flash and well-crafted fury, is only superficially disturbing. It's a nightmare stroll down memory lane: feel-bad nostalgia.
Like most of Lee's work, this bites off more than it can chew, but the breadth and energy are impressive.
This is trashy exploitation at its clumsiest. Once more, a Spike Lee movie has been undone by the earnestness of being important.
Trouble is, the overlong narrative, however entertaining from minute to minute, is a mess.
The disappointment with Summer of Sam is not that it's exploitative; it's just difficult to figure out what it's supposed to be about.
Lee is a powerful filmmaker who certainly knows how to have an impact on an audience, but those who survive his ministrations are likely to wonder if in this case the battle was worth the bruises.
Audience Reviews for Summer of Sam
A thrilling, often bizarre film, Summer of Sam is a bigger triumph than its general critical reception would make it seem due to a great ensemble and a strong screenplay.
Super Reviewer
I am usually one to dislike Spike Lee's work due to his knack for starting fights and complaining about more talented directors. Even I can admit however that Lee can at times make a good effort. Although Summer of Sam is not a great piece of cinema, this is much better film than most in Spike Lee's filmography. The cast really elevate the material, and for what it is, this is an engaging thriller from start to finish that will certainly appeal to viewers looking for a well acted movie with effective thrills. The film could have been better as well, and though Lee tries to craft something quite different from his other work, he at times feels uncertain on how to really make this a standout feature. Spike Lee has made a good film here, and though I hate the guy, I quite enjoyed this dramatic thriller. If only he would change his outlook and shut his mouth, he would be more respected. With this film, he crafts something compelling and worth seeing. This is quite different and even if it's not perfect, it's one of his better films. The film is mixed in terms of what it tries to be, but it's always engaging due to its varied cast and well thought out characters. I will be honest, I wanted to avoid this film, and I thought it wouldn't be good due to the fact that Lee's films tend to be preachy and packed with racial tension, but Summer of Sam is different and refreshing. The cast and plot are compelling and elevate Spike Lee sometimes lacking direction. I did enjoy the film, and along with Malcolm X is Spike Lee's second best directorial effort. Even Lee's haters, like me can admit that this is an entertaining film and it works due to well written characters and standout performances. You can only imagine how much better the film would have been better if someone else would have helmed the project. This is a flawed film, but better than what I initial thought.
Super Reviewer
Know what? I bet that Spike Lee would make a really brilliant zombie movie. He really excels at crafting stories about groups of characters caught in circumstances that bring out the worst in everyone. This movie reminds me a lot of Do The Right Thing, but it's made twelve years after and set ten years before. I was surprised (though perhaps I shouldn't have been) that this movie spent so little time with David Berkowitz himself and so much more with all the characters made paranoid and hostile to each other in the wake of his insane and random murders. The Son of Sam murders have fostered an atmosphere of suspicion that leads former friends and people who've grown up together to mistrust each other, form vicious little in-groups and turn on other people to make themselves feel more secure. Not unlike in The Walking Dead. These characters seem really three-dimensional and real to me, and everyone's motivations, while sometimes despicable, are at the very least understandable. I really like the way Ruby and Ritchie get into the burgeoning CBGB's punk scene and come together, and I really liked Vinny and Dionna as the profoundly unhappily married couple trying to repair their strained relationship. Are they even compatible? I love this movie. It's so human and so big, and Spike Lee tells the story with a real sense of flair and zeitgeist.
Super Reviewer
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