On S List of Movie Reviews
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Summer of Sam (1999)
Rate:
3
Viewed:
6/04, 10/25
10/25:
Spike Lee is one of the most inept filmmakers ever lived.
While watching the overlong, tedious Summer of Sam, all I could ask was: "What the fuck does this
have to do with David Berkowitz?" There's so much gratuitousness in every aspect: acting, dialogue, sex,
New York City, racism, homophobia, profanity, the Yankees, fake Italians, and John Leguizamo. I'm quite sure
Spike Lee was largely influenced by Boogie Nights and wanted to shoot
a porn film of his own.
According to Wikipedia: "Leguizamo is an outspoken critic of Hollywood's whitewashing in the casting of
movies. In 2022, he spoke out against the casting of James Franco to portray Fidel Castro in the upcoming
film Alina of Cuba: La Hija Rebelde, stating, 'I don't got a prob with Franco, but he ain't Latino!'"
That's funny because he ain't Italian but a Colombian.
Spike Lee makes David Berkowitz's reign of terror bigger than it actually was. In all, he killed six people in
the span of one year. If the film takes place in the summer of '77, it was only two incidents: June 26 and
July 31. Why would black people care? None of them was a victim. By the way, The Who isn't a punk band, a
fact that's completely lost on Adrien Brody's useless character.
All in all, anybody expecting to learn more about David Berkowitz in Summer of Sam must be prepared
for a major disappointment.