Summer of Sam

1999
18
2h 22m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

43K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:34

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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

43K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

4,874

1,164

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 6 nominations total

Videos2

Photos214

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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

Featured review

8/10

Just one story about the summer of 1977 in New York.

The Summer Of Sam is the story of just one group of people and what they went through during the Summer of 1977 in New York during the "Son of Sam murders". If you are expecting a film the is solely about the David Berkowitz and the son of sam murders you will be dissapointed because while this does tell that story all the way through the film it is more about a just one set of people and how it affected them. The acting is very good especially from John Leguizano (vinny) and the gorgious Mira Sorvino (Dionna) and although sometimes the film drags a little they make this fresh and worthwile sticking through the 137 minutes. The soundtrack is fantastic as is the direction from Spike Lee and it is nice to see him doing a subject that is different from his usual African American topics. A good movie . 8 out of 10.