Summer of Sam
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Summer of Sam

Year:
Duration:
142 min
Genres:
Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller
IMDB rate:
6.6
Director:
Spike Lee
Awards:
4 nominations
Details
Country: USA
Release Date: 1999-07-02
Filming Locations: Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
Earnings
Budget: $22,000,000
Opening Weekend: $7,991,450 (USA) (4 July 1999)
Gross: $19,283,782 (USA) (12 September 1999)
Cast
Actor
Character
John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo
Summer of Sam
Adrien Brody
Richie
Mira Sorvino
Dionna
Jennifer Esposito
Ruby
Michael Rispoli
Joey T
Saverio Guerra
Woodstock
Brian Tarantina
Bobby Del Fiore
Al Palagonia
Anthony
Ken Garito
Brian
Bebe Neuwirth
Gloria
Patti LuPone
Helen
Mike Starr
Eddie
Anthony LaPaglia
Detective Lou Petrocelli
Roger Guenveur Smith
Detective Curt Atwater
Ben Gazzara
Luigi
Joe Lisi
Tony Olives
James Reno
Crony
Arthur J. Nascarella
Mario
John Savage
Simon
Jimmy Breslin
Himself
Michael Badalucco
Son of Sam
Spike Lee
John Jeffries
Lucia Grillo
Chiara
Nelson Vasquez
Officer Cruz
Darielle Gilad
Debbie Cadabra
Michael Harper
Raygun
Jessica Galbreath
Fire
Evan Cohen
Bite
George Tabb
Spider
Michael Imperioli
Midnite
Victor Colicchio
Chickie
Peter Maloney
Detective Timothy Dowd
Christopher Wynkoop
Sam Carr
John Turturro
Harvey the Black Dog
Ernie Anastos
Anchorman
Jim Jensen
Anchorman
Melba Tolliver
Anchorwoman
Phil Rizzuto
Yankee Broadcaster
Reggie Jackson
Himself
Danielle Burgio
Girl in Parked Car
Lisa France
Girl in Parked Car
Peter Epstein
Chuckie
Jill Stokesberry
Rose
Joseph Lyle Taylor
Ron
Kim Director
Dee
Bill Raymond
Father Cadilli
Mildred Clinton
Italian Woman at Murder Site
Emelise Aleandri
Italian Woman at Murder Site
Michael Sorvino
Bowler at Diner
Phil Campanella
Second Bowler at Diner
William H. Burns
Officer
Ernest Mingione
Officer
Frank Fortunato
Doorman
Dan Zappin
Simon's Male Friend
Murielle Arden
Simon's Female Friend
Christina Klobe
Simon's Female Friend
Charlotte Colavin
Neighbor
Clayton J. Barber
Punk
Joie Lee
Bed Stuy Woman Interviewed
Rome Neal
Bed Stuy Man Interviewed
Mark Breland
Bed Stuy Man Interviewed
Susan Batson
Bed Stuy Woman Interviewed
Evander Holyfield
Man in Riot
Toneda Laiwan
Dot - Atwater's Girlfriend
Janet Paparazzo
Young Woman Shot by Son of Sam
Jodi Michelle Pynn
Young Woman Shot by Son of Sam
Jennifer Badger
Woman Victim
Jeff DeRocker
Man in Car
Nick Oddo
Husband
Damian Achilles
Wounded Man (as Damien Achilles)
Joanne Lamstein
Woman in Car
Gabriel Barre
Johnny Nasso
Tara McNamee
Woman Victim
John Michael Brown
'L.E.S. Stitches' Band Singer
Damian Branica
'L.E.S. Stitches' Band Bassist
Lorne Behrman
'L.E.S. Stitches' Band Guitarist
Curtis Gove
'L.E.S. Stitches' Band Guitarist
James Baggs
'L.E.S. Stitches' Band Drummer
Rozie Bacchi
Brian's Girlfriend
Grace DeSena
Joe T's Girlfriend
Zoe Bournelis
Anthony's Girlfriend
Ashleigh Closs
Princess
Frank Cadillac
Patty a.k.a. Man with Weird Eyes
Daniel J. Courtenay
Guitar Store Owner
Michael Prozzo
Rocco
Kathryn Hud
Rocco's Girlfriend
Antonio Torres
Man Pulled from Car
Pamela Wehner
Lady at Block Party
Dionna Colicchio
Girl at Block Party
Victoria Galasso
Girl at Block Party
Danielle Tutelian
Girl at Block Party
John Martucci
Haircutter
Mario Macaluso
Italian Chef
Andrew Lasky
Officer Cruz Partner
Richard Paul
Detective with Decoy Dummy
Ray Carlson
Crime Scene Cop
Alexander J. Vega
Bouncer
Steven Croft
Limo Driver
Mary Jo Todaro
Lady in Window
Jacqueline Margolis
Lady in Window
Iris Braydon
Lady in Car Window
Valerie Mazzonelli
Lady with Dog
Hal Sherman
Arresting Detective
Nicholas Brown
Young Petrocelli
Jack Brickhouse
Himself - 1954 World Series Announcer (archive sound) (uncredited)
David Brown
CBGB Bouncer (uncredited)
Tom Cassell
Waiter
Tom Cochran
Principle Dancer (uncredited)
Jenna Colby
Protestor
Howard Cosell
Himself - 1977 World Series Announcer (archive sound) (uncredited)
Kevin Coyle
Protester
Anna Damergis
Salon Patron
Bobbito Garcia
Deejay (uncredited)
Keith Jackson
Himself - 1977 World Series Announcer (archive sound) (uncredited)
Willie Mays
Himself - 1954 New York Giants Outfielder Making Great Catch in World Series (archive footage) (uncredited)
Michael Mercurio
Protester
Michael J. Meyers
Detective
George Nicolaidis
Protester
Rich Pecci
Protestor
Elvis Presley
Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Christian Reeve
Club Dancer (uncredited)
Rocco
Club Dancer (uncredited)
Guy Shahar
Club Dancer (uncredited)
Sharon Shenk
Principal Dancer (uncredited)
Cory Surovy
Club Guy
Kevin Craig West
Man in Barber Shop
Jaime Zevallos
NYPD Cop
Did you know?
Trivia
In the beginning of the movie, Vinny and the gang go to a disco called Virgo. There is actually no nightclub there, but the outside was painted to make it look so. The Virgo sign remains painted on the same building to this day.
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Adrien Brody's nose was broken during the final, climatic fight scene in which his character Richie is brutally beaten by his friends.
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In the script, Richie (Adrien Brody) was the lead character while Vinny was a secondary character. But Spike Lee enjoyed John Leguizamo's improvising so much that he ended up giving him more screen time. The scene where Vinny pours coffee on Gloria was one of many improvisations by Leguizamo.
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Goofs
During certain parts of the movie, Richie is wearing black combat boots that did not become available until the US military adopted the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) in the early to mid 1980s. The boots in questions are officially designated "Boots, Combat; Mildew & Water Resistant, Direct Molded Sole" and were "standardized 30 Oct 1984."
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Phil Rizzuto's name is spelled incorrectly in the end credits. His last name is RIZZUTO. In the end credits, it's spelled RIZUTO.
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The Son of Sam killer is shown wearing a camouflage field jacket which has on the left breast a black Velcro backing designed to hold a removable "Aircrew" style ID patch. This was exclusively issued to US Air Force personnel in the early to mid-'90s.
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Quotes
Ritchie: You know that song "Baba O'Riley"?
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Dionna: [crying] I thought that what we had was special together.
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Anthony: Hey, Ritch, why buy the cow when everybody else is gettin' the milk and steaks for free?
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Faq
Q
What is "moulinyan"?
A
"Moulinyan" is an Italo-American word for "eggplant". It's used in this movie as a derogatory term for black people. The Italian word for "eggplant" is actually "melanzana"
Q
How was the Son of Sam finally caught?
A
Pretty much the way the film showed it. On the evening of one of his shootings, a witness saw Berkowitz loitering in the neighborhood and noticed a parking ticket on his yellow Ford Galaxie that had been parked too close to a fire hydrant. She reported the incident two days after the shooting. Police were able to trace his ticket and, about a week later on 10 August, 1977, they decided to question Berkowitz, thinking that he might be a witness to the shooting. When they inspected his car parked outside his apartment, they noticed a rifle in the backseat. They also found a dufflebag holding ammunition, maps of the crime scenes, and a letter threatening further murders. When Berkowitz emerged from the apartment building just before 10:00 PM, he was carrying a .44 Bulldog in a paper sack. His first words, like in the movie, were reported to be, "You got me. What took you so long?"
Q
If David Berkowitz was the "son" of Sam, who was Sam?
A
Berkowitz had a twisted fantasy life and was diagnosed by several forensic psychiatrists as paranoid schizophrenic. He was particularly terrified of big, black, barking dogs that he felt were demons giving him instructions to kill. At one point in 1967, Berkowitz rented a room from Jack and Nann Cassara, and they remembered that David had been unusually bothered by their dog. When they got a strange letter from a couple named Sam and Francis Carr, whom they had never met, the Cassaras and the Carrs got together and, after comparing notes, found that the Carrs' black Laborador Harvey had recently been shot and killed, along with another German shepherd in their neighborhood. They wondered whether this might have been the handiwork of David Berkowitz and took their suspicions to the police, but there was no followup. When Berkowitz was finally caught ten years later, and the police were able to piece together David's story based on the facts and on his confessions, it appeared that Berkowitz had imagined an elaborate satanic cult whose members included the Cassaras and the Carrs, among others. In his fantasy, David thought that Sam Carr was possessed by a demon named "Sam" who ordered him to kill. Thus, David thought of himself as the "son" of Sam.
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Photos from cast
John Leguizamo
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