December 15, 2025

Summer of Sam - S13 E102

1 hour 20 minutes

Welcome back to Shoot the Hostage, where Sarah and Dan continue their season dedicated to true crime films with Episode 4 of 8. This week, we take on our first Spike Lee joint in his 1999 New York based film, Summer of Sam.

This episode acts as the second movie in our "Big Apple double bill" since it’s our second film featuring the incomparable John Leguizamo (or Johnny Legs) playing an Italian man living in New York. Although in this one, he’s swapped his wrench for some scissors and leopard print underwear.

As we get into his leopard print pants and the surprising extent of his improvisations on set, we discover that although the film is set during the Summer of Sam in 1977, the film is less about the specifics of the case itself and much more about the effect on the local Bronx community.

What to Expect in this Episode:

Differing opinions on 70s fashion, specifically the dagger collar.

We ask whether the film's shift in focus makes it more, or less respectful to the victims' relatives.

A look at the film's technical style, including Spike Lee’s signature double dolly shots and Scorsese-esque influences.

How Adrien Brody’s character, Richie, embodies the fear and paranoia directed toward outsiders in the community.

Discussion of the film’s theme of identity and the hypocrisy exposed by the neighbourhood’s judgments.

Commentary on Vinnie’s vile nature and the hosts' "Johnny Legs bias".

The connection between the shift from the disco to the punk era and the film's excellent music selection.

Would you like to see the full lineup for season 13? The only place you can see it is on Patreon but you don't need to be a paying member. Sign up for a free membership and get access to the lineup.

If you do have some loose change consider signing up as a paid member. Our £3 a month Patreon tier will grant you access to all of our end of season wrap shows for seasons 1-12 and a minimum of 2 reviews of brand new movies each month. Plus the back-catalogue of reviews from 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Enjoy the show but can't support us financially? We get it. You could submit a review on the podcast player you're reading this on right now. Or if you listen on Spotify and you haven't given us a five-star rating yet, what are ye waiting for? It's easy.

If you've done some or all of that and still want to do more, we would love it if you tell a friend about the show.

Or come find us on social media:

Instagram | TikTok | Threads | YouTube

...more

View all episodes

By Shoot The Hostage Podcast