UNCLE SAM (1996)

3 stars

88 Films. Blu ray. Out Now

In 1988 director William Lustig and writer Larry Cohen brought us the fun exploitationer MANIAC COP. UNCLE SAM is an attempt, in some ways, to bring the same vibe, but unfortunately it ends up as a fairly mediocre slasher.

One of the stars of that 1988 movie, William Smith appears as Major, in the opener in Kuwait. However he is soon dead when he visits the scene of a crashed helicopter, possibly the result of friendly fire, and the mutilated body of Master Sgt Sam Harper (David ‘Shark’ Fralick) suddenly comes alive, twists a man’s head, breaking his neck, shoots him for good measure and also fires at and kills the Major.

Three years later it is a few days before the 4th of July celebrations in the small town of Twin Rivers, when Louise Harper (Anne Tremko), Sam’s widow, is visited by Sgt Twining (Bo Hopkins) who tells her her husband’s body has been discovered and positively identified and can be returned to her.

Lack of space means the body ends up in its metal, sealed coffin at the house of Sam’s sister Sally (Leslie Neale). Her son Jody idolised his Uncle and wants to follow in his footsteps, little knowing that his aunt lived in fear of her abusive spouse.

It isn’t long before Sam has revived and goes on a killing spree through the town, dressed in an Uncle Sam mask and Stars and Stripes clothes he has stolen from a stilt-walker he has murdered. Luckily for him he fits right in to the Independence Day festivities as he goes about his bloody mayhem.

There’s a good cast of secondary characters – Isaac Hayes as Sgt Jed Crowley, who advises Jody that his Uncle wasn’t all he seemed, Robert Forster as a sleazy congressman and P J Soles as the mother of a blind boy in a wheelchair who is instrumental in identifying who the killer is.

Despite some good gory make up effects this is your standard killer on the loose thriller – it feels like a movie created from a strong poster image which can’t quite deliver. Not much tension is generated and the final solution to the killer is rather ridiculous.

The film is dedicated to Lucio Fulci

Steve Kirkham

Two Audio Commentaries: with Director William Lustig, Writer Larry Cohen and Producer George G. Braunstein/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