Larry Cohen has made his name as writer and director of some of the sharpest horror satire in modern times. Beginning with It’s Alive and continuing with The Stuff, Body Snatchers (with Stuart Gordon), and Manic Cop (with director William Lustig), Cohen penned a few episodes for Columbo as well as such mainstream titles as Phone Booth and Cellular along the way. As always, he goes for the throat with Uncle Sam.
As a sergeant in Desert Storm, Sam Harper (David Fralick) dies in friendly fire. News returns to Twin Rivers, U.S.A. where Sam’s relieved wife, Louise (Anne Tremko) and sister, Sally Baker (Leslie Neale) rejoice in the news. Yes, relieved because, as we come to discover, Sam didn’t go to war to uphold the American way of life but did so because he liked being mean and figured killing people was just another extension of his trademark malevolence. However, Sam’s nephew, Jody (Christopher Ogden) idolized his uncle and doesn’t take kindly to anyone renouncing soldiers, the government, or any other aspect of stereotypical America. Three years after the fact, Sam’s body is shipped back to the states and on July 4th, when Sam’s body is to be laid to rest, mysterious deaths begin appearing. The only thematic strain which the victims share is that they have, in one way or another, renounced or criticized some facet of American existence.
Yes, the film readily carries Cohen’s trademark cynicism. For the first fifty minutes, Cohen lays the groundwork for his political agenda in that there are no deaths as we are introduced to a catalogue of disenfranchised mindsets which are the result of a series of meaningless wars and countless American deaths. We have a Joey’s skeptical draft dodging teacher, Donald Crandall (Timothy Bottoms), as he explains to his class why he protested Vietnam. Jed Crowley (Isaac Hayes), a Vietnam vet, tells Joey that it is no longer admirable to join the armed forces (Joey’s dream) because only the insane would fight a war in which there is no discernable enemy. Sergeant Twining (Bo Hopkins) is on assignment from the Army as he delivers the confirmation of Sam’s death to Louise. He has taken the job, not because it is his duty, but because it affords him the opportunity to be in contact with emotionally unstable women whom are easily coxed into bed. Also, we have lawyers winning court battles against the government on technicalities, teenagers who burn the American flag and desecrate Sam’s burial plot, as well as political officials out for personal gain instead of upholding the American public’s best interests. Lustig and Cohen succinctly span the spectrum of American political disillusionment in less than a half hour.
The characterizations in the film are extremely polar but work for the movie’s satirical purpose in that they are hyper exaggerations representing stock mentalities and mindsets. Joey is so dogmatically diligent in his tried-and-truisms that viewers will find themselves wanting to kill the teen personally. Hayes does a good job as a cynical vet who has stepped away from his past and critically analyzed it. Overall, the characterization and representative acting, for what it set out to accomplish, works to a tee.
In typical B-movie fashion, the filmmakers had to be creative with their budget, especially regarding the special effects. This said, the murdering antagonist is seen in the costume of Uncle Sam, complete with mask, which–believably–is more harrowing then what lies beneath. Interestingly, but not surprising considering the production was handled by horror veterans, a large portion of the budget was saved for a pyrotechnic climax which, considering the season in which the film is set, can be viewed as a parody in and of itself.
Yes, Uncle Sam is fraught with horror clichés but, as it is a scathing satire, William Lustig and Larry Cohen know when to use such standardizations in their favor and do so to tantalizing effect. The film is comparable to Michael Cooney’s Jack Frost in its over-the-top characterizations and rapid-fire plot. However, the effectiveness of Cohen’s social criticism is up to debate but the fun which the viewer can have within the film’s running time is irrefutable.
-Egregious Gurnow
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
