Libramedi Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

mhendroff this had to be the biggest waste of time in a long while. I still struggle to understand why this film was made. it was all over the place adding nothing new to the story. i know the makers probably wanted to capture the mood of the era and how the killings affected everyday life in the Bronx, but the characters in the film all had zero redeeming qualities and it was impossible to like, let alone sympathize with any of them. Avoid like the plague. i only voted 1 cos there is no zero/negative rating.

jackmeat My quick rating - 6,5/10. This is really more like two stories in one. First is the obvious story about David Berkowitz (for those that don't know he was a serial killer in NYC in the late 70s.) and the second story about a man who has various mental problems and drug problems. Now the two really don't have anything to do with each other minus the fact both are happening at the same time and John Leguizamos character (which was acted very well I might add) has a best friend who is fingered as the Son of Sam (the killer). The acting in this film is well above average and the story itself, even if it is partially based on a true story, which it is, was well written out to hold your attention. I am unsure how I missed this one since serial killers are a thing I tend to be interested in, but I am glad I watched this finally and if you do, I am sure you will agree it was a good flick. Enjoy.

classicalsteve In my opinion, Spike Lee missed out on a great opportunity. The so-called "Son of Sam" was the most feared serial killer in New York in the 1970's, similar to the Zodiac killer of the west coast of a few years earlier. When I heard Spike Lee had made a film about the killer, which I had little knowledge of since I'm a west-coaster, I was excited that this might be a very compelling offering from Lee. Instead, the film is not really about the serial killer "Son of Sam" per se, but rather the film focuses on a community of middle-to-lower middle class Bronx guys and gals during the height of New York paranoia about Son of Sam in the summer of 1977.The story is really about these fictional characters who sometimes hear and/or speak about the Son of Sam killer. For most of my viewing of the film, I kept waiting for the film to develop more about the Son of Sam murders and the investigation. Instead the film centers on these fictional characters: Vinny, a hair dresser married to Dionna, a waitress, Ritchie, a punk-rock aficionado and part-time dancer at a gay bar, and Ruby, Vinny's half-sister who has a crush on Ritchie. At one point a New York police investigator, Detective Petrocelli, asks an urban mob boss, Luigi, to find the killer. Again, this detective is most likely fictional and had nothing to do with the real investigation of the crimes. Late in the film, one of the characters accuses another of being the Son of Sam killer.The poster for this film is very misleading as it shows newspaper headlines about the serial killer Son of Sam. But in truth, Lee's film uses Son of Sam only as a developing crime story in the background while the story is more about these fictional characters. I guess Lee's intent was to present the atmosphere of this strange moment in time in New York, not long before the infamous New York blackout caused perhaps the worst looting of an urban center in United States history. However, the film doesn't focus much on the serial killer and the real investigation. Unfortunately, there has yet to be a good film about the Son of Sam killer which ranks with "Zodiac" made not long after about the Zodiac killer of the San Francisco Bay Area. "Zodiac" focused all of its attention on the killer, his victims and the on-going investigation. "Summer of Son" does not tell the story behind "Son of Sam".

viewsonfilm.com In 1999, Spike Lee decided to direct a film based on a very hard hitting, true story. Depicting the events of the Son of Sam serial murders in New York City (summer of 1977), Summer of Sam periodically delves into the search and capture of famed murderer (dubbed the .44 Caliber Killer) David Berkowitz. It also peeks into the lives of the people that inhabit one of the Bronx neighborhoods he was terrorizing. "Sam" carries with it a majestic sense of time and place. However, it packs in very tightly, too many plot layers to go along with the central story. And the fact that this is all done in almost 2 and a half hours is a jaw-dropping miracle.Seeing this film for the first time in 7 years, it made me revert back to one of my favorite Spike Lee joints which would be Clockers. With shades of Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and hints of Saturday Night Fever (especially the overhead shot in "Sam" of the two main characters entering a discotheque), Summer of Sam is similar in structure to Clockers. But it's unable to juggle the plot points effectively like that 1995 film did. The reason: It could be the script which feels too abrasive and without thoughtfulness or ambiguity. Most of the characters talk in a racist manner with huge stereotypes to go along with it. Was that the culture of New Yorkers at the time? I'm not sure because I'm not from NYC and I was only 3 when these events took place. Regardless, this could create a rather large unlikability factor with the audience, an audience who invests their time to view this flick. In essence, Summer of Sam is the epidemy of restless, scatter shot film making. Spike Lee has harbored this style ever since he burst onto the scene with 1986's She's Gotta Have It. Sometimes he gets away with it and sometimes he doesn't. But you can't fault him for directing films that feel alive and have a pulsating sense of urgency. With his "plot over plot over plot" way of doing things, he unfortunately gets a mixed review from me. Bottom line: "Sam" is a mess but it's an ambitious mess with a couple of really powerful scenes that hint at what a great film this could have been (one of the best sequences is a fantastic montage of sights and sounds accompanied by the tune of The Who's "Baba O' Riley"). With this vehicle, you get a great soundtrack (a mix of classic rock from The Who and disco) and two edgy performances (John Leguizamo as Vinny and Mira Sorvino as Dionna) that highlight the strong points. Also, the appearance of real life columnist Jimmy Breslin (he received letters from the killer and narrates the beginning/ending of the movie) is a nice touch. But like I said earlier, "Sam" tries to include everything. You have plot elements such as the infidelity of Vinny in his marriage to Dionna, the glory of the 1977 New York Yankees, the supposed birth of the punk rock movement, and even the local mob joining the police to find the would be Son of Sam murderer. So OK, let's be honest, Summer of Sam is not that bad of a film. But it's way too cynical and ideological to be great. I'll leave you with this notion: In New York City, the summer of 77' was one of the hottest on record. After viewing Lee's exhausting, profanity laden marathon of a movie, you may feel just lukewarm.