Summer of Sam

1999
18
2h 22m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

42K

YOUR RATING

Play trailer2:34

2 Videos

99+ Photos

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

Videos2

Photos214

+ 208

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Storyline

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Did you know

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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

This movie is excellent. Hands down.

This is one of Spike Lee's greatest films. To start, the acting is incredible. Leguizamo and Sorvino, as well as the other actors, give amazing performances grounded in emotion and realism. The story is enthralling, and incredibly original. It pits the people of New York City in the seventies against their fears, desires and each other. Also Ellen Kuras's cinematography is beautiful. It employs an expressionistic use of color, giving the film a very unique and very different look, creating stark contrasts between hues. Any fan of Spike Lee's who hasn't yet seen this film must, and anyone else who hasn't should. It is brilliant, simply brilliant.