Uncle Sam (1996) * 1/2 (out of 4) William Lustig directed horror film comes from a screenplay by Larry Cohen. Sam Harper (David Fralick) is killed in the Gult War and after his body returns to his home he comes back to life to kill anyone who goes against America. His young nephew looks up to his uncle but he's not quite aware of his past or what he's presently doing. UNCLE SAM is a real disappointment and I think the majority of the blame goes towards the screenplay because for the life of me I couldn't understand what the writer was going for here. On one hand you're thinking this is just a good, old-fashioned "if you're against America then we're going to destroy you" patriotic movie and had it gone for this and really played up the flag waving it could have been interesting. Just as you think that's the type of movie you're watching you then get this entire backstory about Sam being a complete and utter jerk who was very abusive to his family and it seems no one who really knew him cares about him. So, if this guy is such a monster is the viewer supposed to hate him? The screenplay makes you hate him yet it then asks you to like him as he goes on this killing rampage. The entire film is just all over the map. It's clear that Cohen can write a terrific screenplay but there are times where his work just seems rushed and out of focus and this is such a time. Fans will get to see several familiar faces here including William Smith, Bo Hopkins, Isaac Hayes, Timothy Bottoms, P.J. Soles and Robert Forster. Lustig does what he can with the material and I'd give him credit because he really does capture the spirit and feel of an 80's slasher movie. Those expecting non-stop gore will probably be disappointed as there's really not too much of it. With that said, UNCLE SAM could have been an interesting film but sadly the screenplay just doesn't come together.

So me and my Buddy's everyday, go too a local video store and deliberately rent terrible looking horror movies, usually ones from the 80's, rarely ever the 90's, especially 97. So yesterday Uncle Sam was on the list, being intrigued by it's creative cover on the VHS we decided to get Uncle Sam and too are surprise we didn't rent a terrible unwatchable movie, Uncle Sam's plot was good, the acting was not bad at all, but that Jody girl/boy really pisses me off. The main reason why I am commenting on this movie and this being the first, was because of the kills. Too me and my buddy's they were plain old rough and done extremely well, like when Uncle Sam pulls that guy all the way up the flag pole with the rope around his neck, that disturbed me, clearly seeing him making excruciating facial expressions and writhing in pain and squirming, and once at the top his neck breaks, that was done really really well, and the scene where that kid is in Sam's grave and Sam burries him alive, that was not cool man, thinking of the situation he was in, broken leg, isolated....6 feet deep. Rough man, very rough, mind you there were a lot of goofs in this movie but all and all it was a good laugh, and a good time. So get really stoned like we did kiddies, and this movie is a riot.

This movie is a cheese masterpiece. Come on, from the writer of Maniac Cop and THe Stuff you can't go wrong. Also, from the director of Maniac Cop. This is about a dead soldier who is dressed in an uncle sam costume in a 4th of July parade...if that is not good, I don't know what is! This movie is brilliant and is in my little "Ice Cream Man/Jack Frost" category, all those 1996/1997 cheese horror movies from A-PIX entertainment. The special effects really are not bad, except for the end when you can see the wires which is hysterical. Other than that, the gore isn't too bad, and when this idiot sings the National Anthem horribly, that is a highlight of the film. A great movie if you like cheese movies, recommended to any fans of WAR movies and GORE movies!

The 1990's were a truly weak decade for insane and bloody slashers, unless of course if you think "Scream" and all its uninspired clones qualify as good horror films. Luckily enough, there still was the companionship between William Lustig and Larry Cohen, who finished their "Maniac Cop"-trilogy and even pleased us horror fans with the entirely new and delightfully trashy "Uncle Sam". Naturally, this is a pretty insignificant film when it comes to plotting and building up tension, but it does deliver some great gore and splendid social sarcasm. Sam Harper was a loyal yet slightly deranged American soldier who got killed by friendly fire during operation Desert Storm. Some years later, his heavily burned corpse is brought back to the States just in time for the annual Fourth of July celebration in his hometown, where his young and naive nephew Jody still considers him to be a true role model. He comes back to life, obviously, and starts an ingenious killing spree dressed up like "Uncle Sam"; the symbol that used to recruit young men as American soldiers. "Uncle Sam" works well as a satire, criticizing the US Army forces that often don't really know what they're fighting for as well as typical blind patriotism, but foremost it's an exciting horror flick with several violent deaths and a cool, old-fashioned villain. The drama-story lines in Larry Cohen's screenplay (revolving on the aunt and mother trying to convince young Jody that warfare is actually a horrible thing) are surprisingly subtle and well-argumented. The two female leads (Leslie Neale & Anne Tremko) aren't very memorable and the young kid is rather annoying, but – and as usual – Lustig & Cohen could count on the presence of several B-movie veterans to star in supportive roles. Isaac Hayes is great as the retired army commander and Halloween's P.J. Soles appears as some kid's obnoxious mother. Good fun, recommended!