SPIKE LEE COLLECTION, THE: VOLUME 2

THE PLOT THUS FAR

Spike Lee’s take on the “Son of Sam” murders in New York City during the summer of 1977 centering on the residents of an Italian-American South Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one another.

Set in 1944 Italy, the story of four black American soldiers who get trapped in a Tuscan village during WWII.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“Summer of Sam” was a weird film that tried to give you a sensory appeal of what the Son of Sam attacks were like for New Yorkers. That being said, it was one of the last movies that I can remember my grandparents walked out of back in 1999. The other that stands firmly in my mind was “Magnolia”. Back to the film, it was about relationships and sexuality. Adrien Brody danced with a sex doll, while disco and punk filled the air. Hell, John Leguizamo even brought the gold and made you believe that he could get a girl like Mira Sorvino. Plus, what was up with Bebe Neuwirth?

“Miracle at St. Anna” is surprisingly a pretty superficial lit adaptation for Spike Lee.  During a particularly brutal encounter, Staff Sergeant Stamps calls for artillery backup. However, the white commanding officer cannot believe that black soldiers could have crossed the river line, and the strike never comes. Once the smoke clears, we are left with four survivors trapped behind enemy lines, Stamps, Negron, Bishop Cummings, and Sam Train. They take refuge in a small hillside village, along with an injured boy named Angelo. Angelo forms a bond with Train that crosses the language barrier and helps inject the story with its heart.

Anyway, the quartet of soldiers must find a way to survive alongside the Italian villagers. They are surrounded on all sides by German soldiers and have been charged with capturing one for questioning by their superiors. The film feels like a legit throwback to the first decade of films made by veterans that survived the War. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not. But, it felt like a very authentic take on the War from an under-represented part of our Armed Forces.

The Blu-Ray comes with new commentaries, old commentaries, featurettes and deleted scenes as the special features. The 1080p transfer plays a little washed out, but that’s typical for the chosen aesthetic. The DTS-HD 5.1 kicked up where it needed. It felt soft, but the amp kept reading it as DTS-HD, so I’ll stick with the tech on that one. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!