Summer of Terror: The Real Son of Sam Story

The "Son of Sam" was, of course, David Berkowitz, the serial killer who terrorized New York City during the mid-1970s by killing six people and wounding seven others with a pistol. This video capitalizes upon the release of Spike Lee's Summer of Sam to offer the real-life account of Berkowitz's rampage. Despite sensationalist devices (such as overwrought music and the odd device of dividing the segments into Acts 1-4), Summer of Terror offers an interesting look at the immense pressure placed upon detectives by the media, the terror felt by New Yorkers, and even includes interviews with Berkowitz himself. Perhaps the most absorbing aspect is the impetus the investigation provided for "profiling," the technique of painting a portrait of a serial killer. But, as the video points out, profiling tells you about the killer's likely behavior, but doesn't catch the criminal. In the end, old-fashioned police work and a bit of luck ended up in the capture of David Berkowitz. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Fisher)