Rating: 
Summary: Very Average
Review: I Feel Spike Lee is a Film Genius but he has had Duds.and this is one of them.This Film Trys Too Hard Too Capture a TIme PEriod.if i didn't know that this was about The Son Of Sam',I would have thought this was a 2nd tier take or Spoof on Boogie Nights.John Leguizamo is still one of the most Underrated Actors Today.He does really well here also Mira Sorvino&Michael Rispoli.but alot of the film is Missing Structure.also since Girl 6 Spike has Gotten caught up in the Music Video aspect.way Overplaying music here too fit a Scene.sometimes it works but often it doesn't.Still I Give Him Credit for always trying something different but Knowing the Spike Pattern his Next Film will Be Real Good.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, not Spike's best
Review: This is far from Spike Lee's best. It was an entertaining movie but the simplistic research passing off as 70's style did make it seem a bit weak. An Italian "guido" Bronx CBGB punk rocker affecting a British accent who has old Who posters all over his room? And plays air guitar to Babo O'Riley on his new '77 Fender Strat? And he's also a gay stripper and porno star? The vigilante characters are just as unbelievable; as well as the token "mob" element. If you watch this with the thought in your head that this is some alternate universe and not trying to portray 70's NYC then you will be fine.
Rating: 
Summary: Lee captures the SUMMER perfectly!
Review: Summer of Sam is by far the best work of Spike Lee(even better than Do the Right Thing),and its a travesty that this film was overlooked at the 1999 Oscars when films like 6th Sense(Bruce Willis? )and the tragi-comdey American Beauty made the cut.This film works in so many ways, its impossible to thoroughly review it and do it justice. Lee is one of the few filmakers that was able to really capture that "vibe" or "feel" of the 70's, and NY in the summertime in particular (the only other movie to do so was Boogie Nights). He didn't just slap some plaid on some actors and make this a slasher/action film. Instead his focus is on characterization. And what characters!John Leguizamo gives an incredible performance as the cheating lothario who has an epiphany when a couple is murdered by Berkowitz in the exact spot where he was having a "rendezous" just minutes before!He becomes obsessed w/Berkowitz's killing rampage & swears off cheating, but is to weak not to give into temptation. It's a crime that Leguizamo wasn't nominated for best actor, he gives such a compelling performance.Lee also captured that often elusive feel of a country in the midst of change, as was the U.S. at the end of the 70's.He creatively introduces a neighborhood kid who returns to NY sporting a mohawk & punk gear in the middle of the disco era.His suburban punk attitude clashes w/his friends who are desperatly clinging to their old italian ways.All the while these characters interact, their stories are given the background of the Son of Sam's killing spree. We see Berkowitz only in shadows and in frantic clips, mostly spouting unitelligble ravings and screaming at the next door neighbors continually barking dog(presumably the one he supposedly heard voices from that told him to kill all of his victims).Again, the movie is so complex and Lee has so many interesting characters and subplots running all at once that he creates a crazy quilt of a film that reflects a crazy time in recent American history!Excellent!
Rating:
Summary: Nothing to Prove
Review: Spike Lee has nothing to prove to me. So many of his films--Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Get On the Bus, and 4 Little Girls--have touched my heart and soul and changed my way of thinking that I can excuse him for one muddled, uneven mediocrity.
Rating: 
Summary: His best work since Malcom X
Review: Up until now Spike Lee has been portrayed as a "black" film maker who deals in black, or African American subjects. But he's much more than that. His portrayal of Malcom X showed how much the black American's existence is forged by white men, and ultimately that movie is an indictment of all white men. In "Summer of Sam" Lee confronts White Male American more head-on. The scariest thing about the story is not David Berkowitz--although he is controlled by the same forces that shape all men--rather, it is the Bronx neighborhood in which the story takes place, which is run by narrow-minded, bigoted, hateful, low-class, white men, one of whom is a drug dealer. The triumph of their ignorance is to beat up a neighborhood guy they think is Son of Sam because he doesn't "fit in." Though the movie is, like all of Lee's, overwrought and filled with cliches, it is still another powerful indictment of the White male American. See it.
Rating:
Summary: An Alright Film
Review: Summer of Sam... I saw this in the theatre when it came out last summer and thought it was a good movie, but it really could've been better. Since I wasn't alive in the 70's I couldn't tell you if everything is accurate or not, so I didn't judge the film in that way. The murder scenes are well done and there is enough plot for 3 movies...which can be malignant. Major flaw is(can't believe I'm writing this)too many sex scenes. I mean come on, it's really not neccessary. I'd say the acting was good as well, but remember I saw this film almost a whole year ago and don't quite remember it that well. I will mention two things, I have pretty good taste in movies(it's true) and secondly, when I walked out of the theatre, my two initial reactions were: I think I'll by that when it comes out and I also thought it was good, but could've been better. When you watch the film, that is if you have an open mind, you'll see what I mean.
Rating: 
Summary: this actually made it to the theaters?
Review: Having been a teenager in the 70's, I was excited about the prospects for this movie. The film disappoints on all fronts, however. Instead of a period piece, or cultural revelation of that time period, we are served a poorly acted, "in your face", directionless movie in search of itself. While the son of sam seems artfully and accurately portrayed as the sub plot, it gets completely out of hand. If you don't find yourself asking 'why am I watching this?' when you get to the scene with the talking dog, then you and I will disagree and part ways here, but for the rest of you, skip this one.
Rating:
Summary: "Feverish, intense, and electrifying."
Review: The Summer of Sam is one of my favorite movies in recent memory. The story takes place in 1977 in NYC. The story doesn't focus on the "Son of Sam",but rather focuses on the people and accounts that made 1977 a summer to remember. Oppression, sexuality, violence, fear, and rebellion are the key elements in the Spike Lee feature. However, that is not a bad thing, instead of exploiting these traits they are weaved through each characters unique personality where each person copes with them in a certain way. This is what makes The Summer of Sam such a great film. We see the different reactions and actions people had in 1977 in NYC. The movie shows us the darker side of humanity on many levels. The film also does a great job of showing memorable 70's culture such as the beginning of the punk-era and the height of disco. The performances are wonderful. John Leguizamo, Jennifer Esposito, Mira Sorvino, and the rest of the cast performances' are brilliant. Adrian Brody does an outstanding performance as Ritchie. His punk personified, male-hustling, open minded role was electrifying. The cinematography is sleek and feverish and is accompanied by a sizzling soundtrack. The Summer of Sam is one of the best films I seen last year. The performances, characters, script, and cinematography were all wonderful. The film is vulgar, but often touches on lighter notes such as humor and friendship. Overall, The Summer of Sam is a great film and shouldn't be missed. I recommend it highly. Thank you, Mr. Lee.
Rating:
Summary: Not Even Close
Review: The Summer of Sam has its good and bad points. Although the feature film was to depict a serial killer gone made in New York City during the summer of 1977, the film focused on a tight knit group of people reacting to the possibility of unfortunately becoming the next victim. I thought the acting was impeccable. However, John Leguizamo still appeared to be more hispanic than Italian which took away from Vinny and Dionna's relationship. Unlike other Spike Lee features, Mira, John and the other cast members did a superb job. At times it seemed as though there were two movies spliced into one to create what was dubbed the Summer of Sam.
Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: Having grown up in Queens, NY and being an Italian male who was single and dating in 1977, I was really looking forward to seeing this film because I could have been one of the guys being depicted. You might say I was in Son of Sam's "target demographic". To say I was grossly disappointed would be an understatement. First, this film was deftly misrepresented as a story about the 44 Caliber Killer, when in fact it was really a slice of New York life in 1977. The killings served as a more of a psychological backdrop to the story than the story itself. In fact, Berkowitz gets little more treatment here than the New York Yankees. After I resigned myself to the fact that this was really a story about the lives of half a dozen New Yorkers in the seventies, I tried to enjoy it as a period piece. The trouble is, it was not a good period piece. This was more of a caricature of New York in the seventies than a realistic portrayal. Spike Lee, who is usually known for his stark realism has produced a lampoon of the era, (probably without intending to). As a period piece it was hit and miss. The wardrobe and hairstyles were all wrong for that period. Bell bottoms were still a mainstream style back then. Despite the burgeoning of the disco generation, hard rockers were the majority and were not in evidence in the film. Punk was very fringe yet it was treated as if it were mainstream. Hair was styled and much longer. You seldom saw anyone's ears. The majority of men in New York, particularly Italians, had moustaches. I didn't see one white male with facial hair in the whole movie. Generally, the look in the film was more of New York in the late 80's. On the plus side, the vernacular was fairly true to form. Most of the New York accents were well done, although there were not enough of "yeah right" and "fugetaboutit" which was really quite prevalent back then. We also didn't hear much of New York's trademark sarcasm. They did use a few words only used in New York like `schkieve' (to make one's skin crawl, usually with disgust) and `skank' (an ugly woman) which you normally don't hear in movies. It was really true that for a while, the restaurant and night club business was in the tank in New York. Those types of businesses on Long Island saw a surge as a lot of New Yorkers would go to the Island for entertainment, since Berkowitz was a city killer. This allusion was never made in the film. The story itself meandered and seemed content to portray New York life, without really having much point. There were a few good scenes, such as the one where Vinny (John Leguizamo) was begging Dionna (Mira Sorvino) not to leave him as she was packing, but most of the writing was hack and overly stereotyped. At two and a half hours, it was far too long. John Leguizamo gave a strong performance, though he looked more Puerto Rican than Italian. Michael Rispoli plays the New York Italian perfectly (I don't think he has to do much acting) and his was one of the best performances in the film. Mira Sorvino was terrific as Vinny's wife. She was just exactly the right mix of insecure good girl trying not to be so good, and the fuming betrayed wife. Though her accent wasn't the best, her behavior and mannerisms were very New York middle class. As for Spike Lee, this was probably the most mediocre film I've seen by him. He toned down his creative use of the camera and he wasn't attentive to realistic details that usually mark his films. I rated this film a 4/10. It was a poor masquerade for a New York story.
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