Summer of Sam

Spike Lee's latest joint is about the effects of the Son of Sam serial killer's 1977 reign of terror on a New York neighborhood. Despite this promising premise, this is without a doubt the most interminable and dull film Lee has ever made. In fact it may be the most boring mainstream movie of 1999. This is one of those movies that feels like the filmmakers took a 1 1/2 hour long story and somehow managed to cram it into 2 1/2 hours, if you know what I mean. In fact, in the movie's 150 minute running time, there are only 3 very brief points where it is truly entertaining or interesting--and these sequences are each very, very brief.In one Mira Sorvino rants and swears to great effect. In another a dog speaks, "Babe the Pig" style. In the last, the dumbass jerkoffs who serve as the film's main characters get shown up for the...well, the dumbass jerkoffs they are. That's a total of maybe 10 minutes of screen time that isn't a snore. The rest just rambles, aimlessly repeating itself without much happening beyond cliches we've all seen before in many, many, other movies. Except forthe basic idea, the script has nothing to recommend it, but "Summer of Sam" could have been made into an ok movie with a lot--and I mean A LOT--of skillful editing. There's much more flab than meat here. Should have been no more than an hour and 40 minutes long.