Summer of Sam

Without a doubt, the most memorable summer of my life was the one in 1977 that I spent working in midtown Manhattan. New York was gripped by the menace of the "Son of Sam," a serial gunman who targeted young girls at night.

I also remember the famous New York City blackout in early July in which looters were heisting console TV sets and couches from department stores. There was also the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium. I sat in the left field bleachers and watched future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Jim Palmer give up four homeruns in the first two innings.

My memories of that very hot summer don’t quite jive with those of filmmaker Spike Lee. His newest film, Summer of Sam, examines the Son of Sam story through the eyes of some Italian-Americans living in the Bronx. These grossly over-stereotyped characters go on about their lives reacting to the events surrounding them.

There’s hairdresser Vinny (John Leguizamo), who discoes the night away with his wife, Dionna (Mira Sorvino), when he isn’t running around on her. Ritchie (Adrien Brody), Vinny’s best bud, is a punk rocker with a spike haircut and a secret sexual hangup. There’s also the local crime boss, Luigi (Ben Gazarra), who acts like one of those characters they used to lock up on the old "Barney Miller" show.

Every 20 minutes or so, Lee jumps back to look at the demons affecting the serial killer named David Berkowitz (Michael Badalucco). A pudgy postal clerk who supposedly takes his killing cues from a barking dog, the brief glimpses of Berkowitz taking dead aim at his victims are quite chilling.

Instead of focusing on the murderer and the police chase, Lee spins his story wheels, seemingly stuck in reverse. We follow the desultory lives of the neighborhood tough guys, a collection of cement headed vigilantes who are determined to find the Son of Sam. Lee’s social commentary is a replay of his 1989 classic, Do the Right Thing. Even with the slick cinematography and pulsating rock soundtrack, the final product is a big disappointment.

I’m been a big fan of Spike Lee. Despite all the controversy the film has generated, Summer of Sam will not be remembered as one of his best.