Summer Of Sam

When I think about watching art that isn't safe, my mind immediately turns to Spike Lee. Yes, "Do the Right Thing" is every bit the masterpiece that people think it is, but the filmmaker doesn't get nearly enough credit for his work throughout the '90s. "Summer of Sam" is my personal favorite from that decade, as it's a deeply thoughtful and exhilarating look at a group of extroverts having their freedom to express taken away because of the murderous fervor that the Son of Sam killings threw people into.

It's not without its flaws, of which there are a few, but there are more ideas in this film than you'll find in whatever blockbuster just came out. The new Blu-ray from Kino Lorber and their Studio Classics label has stunning picture quality, a thorough commentary, and a great new interview with John Leguizamo. I can't recommend it highly enough.

It's the summer of 1977 in New York City, and the lives of people in a fictional Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx are upended by David Berkowitz's string of murders. The film focuses in on Vinny (Leguizamo), a hairdresser who's cheating on his wife, and Ritchie (Adrien Brody), a punk musician and exotic dancer at a gay club. Once Berkowitz (Michael Badalucco) starts picking off people having sex in their cars, all the hot social spots go empty. The residents have chosen to stay indoors because of the killings. The fear suppresses their real passions. But both Vinny and Ritchie refuse to fall in line, and that in part will change their lives forever.

"Summer of Sam" premiered at Cannes back in 1999 and received mixed reviews, some deriding Lee's treatment of Italian Americans. Some critics even went further to say that the film bordered on pornographic, and didn't like its unromantic view of these people. Those with those opinions are kind of ignoring the story as a whole, I think. The climax is something that's been building and boiling for over two hours. The hate crime we see against Ritchie is heartbreaking, as it shows all the main characters giving in to their worst impulses.

In the hunt for Berkowitz, violence beats out rational thought. The tribalism that Lee spends so much time exploring in the film reminded me of Fritz Lang's "M" and "Fury," two great works about lynch mob mentality. It even takes that idea a step further by showing how eager people are to self-destruct, and that all they need to do so is a push. The Son of Sam was that push.

The audio commentary with Lee and Leguizamo is terrific, too, as they both have a great rapport and can talk breathlessly about every single thing in the film. They discuss everything from the incredible soundtrack to dissecting shots. It's a rare feature that opens up the story even more. With Kino Lorber's new Blu-rays of Lee's work in the '90s, this release comes out on top. Other special features include:

� "Fear City" – New interview with John Leguizamo
� Theatrical trailer

"Summer of Sam"
Kino Lorber Blu-ray
$29.95
https://www.kinolorber.com/film/summer-of-sam