Uncle Sam (1997)

User Rating:

3.7/10   

Director:

William Lustig

Writer (WGA):

Larry Cohen (written by)

Release Date:

4 July 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Uncle Sam wants you... DEAD!

Plot:

Desert Storm vet who was killed in combat rises from the grave on July Fourth, to kill the unpatriotic citizens of his hometown...

Plot Keywords:

Uncle Nephew Relationship | Firework | Impalement | Fourth Of July | Neck Breaking

Cast

William Smith	...	Major
David 'Shark' Fralick	...	Sam Harper (as David Shark Fralick)
Christopher Ogden	...	Jody Baker
Leslie Neale	...	Sally Baker
Bo Hopkins	...	Sgt. Twining
Matthew Flint	...	Phil
Anne Tremko	...	Louise Harper
Isaac Hayes	...	Jed Crowley
Timothy Bottoms	...	Mr. Crandall
Tim Grimm	...	Ralph
P.J. Soles	...	Madge Cronin
Tom McFadden	...	Mac Cronin (as Thom McFadden)
Zachary McLemore	...	Barry Cronin
Morgan Paull	...	Mayor
Richard Cummings Jr.	...	Dan

MPAA:

Rated R for strong horror violence and brief nudity.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #34575) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:18 | South Korea:18 | UK:18 (video premiere)

Filming Locations:

La Verne, California, USA

Company:

A-Pix Entertainment

Trivia:

A lenticular 3-D poster was produced for Uncle Sam. Reportedly, only 10 of the 3-D posters were issued. The images shows four versions of Uncle Sam changing from an old man into a ghoul.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Sam is blown away, the support wires are visible. In fact, when his body leaves a hole in the house, the wires also leave a linear hole in the house.

Quotes:

Sam: Don't be afraid, it's only friendly fire.

Movie Connections:

References Paura nella città dei morti viventi (1980)

Soundtrack:

Whathitcha

"Don't be afraid, it's only friendly fire."

Talk about a disappointment. I know it's only Uncle Sam, but it's Bill Lustig and Larry Cohen. This dynamic duo should have had better results (see Maniac Cop). Uncle Sam is just so...I don't know, but it's not fun. And fun is exactly what it should have been. It's very goofy but I never once laughed with it, only at it. Perhaps the funniest aspect was the kid in the wheelchair. Where did he come from? He was never mentioned or shown and out of nowhere (and in the middle of the movie) he becomes a major character. Talk about bewildered. The best part is that he's always left behind. If someone goes into a house, the wheelchair kid stays outside. If someone leaves to get a cannon, the wheelchair kid just chills where he's at. It's accidentally hilarious. I can say some good about Uncle Sam. I can say it has one of the best casts to ever grace a slasher film. It's a 70's who's who that features Isaac Hayes, Bo Hopkins, William Smith, and Robert Forster. It's even got the guy who played the president on That's My Bush. I'm not sure how Lustig brought this cast together for this film, but it still doesn't compensate for the negative. If you're wanting to see a hokey horror flick with a killer who never runs out of quips, stick to the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels. If you're wanting to see a serious horror film with deep social commentary about war, watch Deathdream.

"Uncle Sam wants you...dead!"