Summer of Sam - Production

Production

The film was largely shot during the summer of 1998 and set in the Italian-American neighborhoods of Country Club, Morris Park and Throggs Neck sections of the Bronx which David Berkowitz terrorized in 1977, with some scenes filmed in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Specifically, Marie's Beauty Lounge, the salon where Vinny works, is a real, still active salon located on Morris Park Avenue, between Williamsbridge Road and Bronxdale Avenue. Most of Berkowitz's killings actually took place in Queens. The real CBGB was used, the band playing on stage, L.E.S. Stitches, is a contemporary punk band operating in Los Angeles.

Adrien Brody's nose was broken during the final climatic fight scene in which his character Richie is brutally beaten by his friends. After they are refused entry into Studio 54, the sex scene between Dionna and Vinny included more explicit shots in the original cut. This scene was edited after the MPAA threatened the film with an "NC-17" rating. Idina Menzel is known to have been in the film as Richie's girlfriend, but her scenes were cut before final release.

The word "fuck" or its derivatives are used 436 times in this 142-minute film, an average of 3.1 times per minute, on which the film is number three (number one being a documentary on the word).

The role of Dionna was originally written with Jennifer Esposito in mind. The role of Ruby was originally offered to Sarah Michelle Gellar. However a cast reshuffle ended with Mira Sorvino as Dionna and Jennifer Esposito as Ruby.