‘Uncle Sam’ Wants YOU To Buy This New 4K Release
Anthony Arrigo
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There was a period of time when director William Lustig could be counted on to deliver the grindhouse goods: Maniac (1980), Vigilante (1982), the Maniac Cop series (1988-1992). But his one attempt at delivering a holiday horror picture missed the mark, and it also turned out to be his last. Uncle Sam (1996), as the name so clearly suggests, features a jingoistic G.I. Joe, reanimated and out to slash the unpatriotic citizens of his hometown.
You would think even on a gimmicky premise Lustig and frequent collaborator Larry Cohen, who wrote the script, might deliver a tongue-in-cheek picture full of visceral violence, draped in the flag of our country. Instead, Uncle Sam is a rough ride from start to finish, with the only fleeting bright spots being some inspired cameos from Lustig’s roster of legacy players. For example, that opening is sloppy but getting some William Smith action makes it worthwhile. This is a film I wanted to turn into a yearly staple, for those 4th of Julys when I can squeeze in another movie after Jaws (1975) and Independence Day (1996). But revisiting this nearly 15 years after I last saw it was a firm reminder there’s little to celebrate.
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After Master Sergeant Sam Harper (David Fralick) is killed during a Desert Storm skirmish by friendly fire his body is shipped back home to Twin Rivers, where it’s left in the care of his estranged sister Sally (Leslie Neale). And when I say “in the care of” the casket with his body is literally in the living room. Jody (Christopher Ogden), Sally’s son, is a young patriot who worshiped his Uncle Sam. Now he acts out, mourning the loss of his hero. Uncle Sam’s red, white, and blue juices start to flow again once July 4th hits, and a late-night encounter with a peeping tom sees Sam score an outfit to match his avuncular name. The undead madness culminates with an Independence Day celebration turned blood red when Sam slices up the townsfolk like BBQ. This leaves Jody to think maybe his uncle isn’t a courageous idol after all.
My biggest problem with the film is there aren’t any compelling characters. There’s nobody you want to get behind. Jody, ostensibly the lead, is a kid and he just doesn’t have it. Lustig tosses in plenty of familiar faces: Isaac Hayes, P.J. Soles, William Smith, Frank Pesce, Bo Hopkins, and Robert Forster, whose cameo gives the film a badly needed shot of gravitas. But not a single one of the main cast is anything above average. And as much as I tend to love Larry Cohen’s work this script feels like it was written for the holiday angle and not much more thought went into it beyond being a July 4th slasher.
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Let’s not even discuss the blind kid who has a psychic link to the eponymous character.
What does work? I like the Small Town U.S.A. vibes. Having grown up during the ‘80s and ‘90s I find some charm in the direct-to-video aesthetics of Lustig’s film, even if it does look cheaper than anything he’d done prior. As I mentioned Forster’s cameo is a winning moment. I’d love to praise Isaac Hayes but he seems half asleep here. Oh, and we do get a signature full-body burn during the climax, courtesy of Lustig’s ace-in-the-hole stunt coordinator Spiro Razatos. I looked for all the good I could but precious little of this 89-minute feature did much to inspire me like its eponymous mascot was designed to do.
This is the last of Lustig’s Blue Underground-owned films to get the 4K treatment and the results are as expected. It has a beautiful 2160p 2.40:1 picture that comes from a 4K 16-bit scan of the original camera negative. The colors are lush and bright. Black levels are dark and inky. There isn’t a speck or dirt or debris to be seen, and film grain hovers over the image in a fine sheen. The aesthetic is somewhere between direct-to-video and cinema. One downside to the increased resolution is some makeup effects don’t hold up under that level of scrutiny. Even though I’m not crazy about the movie I am totally in love with the incredible 4K work of Blue Underground to get it looking pristine.
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An English Dolby Atmos track has been included as an upgrade over the also-available DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix. I found the dialogue sounded a little low at times but the track is clean and the mix is proficient. Mark Governor’s score is decent, but it doesn’t stand out like the scores of Lustig’s previous films. Not a whole lot of OOMPH to the track either, although some climactic explosions do register a bit on the low-end side of things. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French, and Spanish.
There are two audio commentary tracks – one, with director William Lustig, writer Larry Cohen, and producer George G. Braunstein; two, with Lustig and actor Isaac Hayes.
“Fire Stunts” (SD) is a fantastic featurette that runs for 9 minutes and 48 seconds. This on-set footage features an interview with stuntman Chris Durand (who played Uncle Sam for stunts) with audio commentary by stunt coordinator Spiro Razatos.
A deleted scene (SD) runs for 53 seconds.
A gag reel (SD) runs for 40 seconds.
The film’s theatrical trailer (4K) runs for 1 minute and 34 seconds.
A poster & still gallery (SD) features 53 images.
Special Features:
- EXCLUSIVE NEW 4K RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL 35MM CAMERA NEGATIVE COMPLETED FOR THE FILM’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- NEW DOLBY ATMOS TRACK
- Audio Commentary #1 with Director William Lustig, Writer Larry Cohen and Producer George G. Braunstein
- Audio Commentary #2 with Director William Lustig and Star Isaac Hayes
- Fire Stunts with Audio Commentary by Stunt Coordinator Spiro Razatos
- Deleted Scene
- Gag Reel
- Theatrical Trailer
- Poster & Still Gallery
- Optional English SDH, Français, and Español subtitles for the main feature
- Limited Edition moving lenticular slipcover (First Pressing Only!)
- REGION-FREE
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Uncle Sam
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Special Features
Summary
I wish I had more kind things to say about Lustig’s would-be yearly slasher but this one hasn’t ever worked for me. I’ll say it was moderately fun to revisit it some 15 years later. The unparalleled quality of the 4K transfer is no doubt the best part of the package, along with that cool piece on the fire stunts.
