Patriotism. Something many of us love…but also something many of us hate. The life-long need to be a loyal servant of one’s country – especially in the U.S of A – has proven to be empowering for both government and civilian, whether it be warranted or otherwise. But is paying the upmost pride and respect in one's country really what we should value most of all? Uncle Sam sure as hell thinks so! Originally released in 1997 as a commentary on George Bush Sr.’s exploits in the Gulf War, Uncle Sam takes on a whole new meaning today in light of George W. Bush’s recent Iraqi shambles. Genre veterans William Lustig (Maniac Cop trilogy) and Larry Cohen (It’s Alive!, Q: The Winged Serpent) take their country’s most iconic figure of patriotism and replace his American flag with a pair of garden shears for good use on anybody who disrespects the value of their citizenship.
THE LOWDOWN: June 14th. In the middle Kuwait, the body of decorated American soldier Sam Harper (David Shark Fralick) is discovered in a burnt out helicopter by a group of fellow marines and brought to the attention of a military Sergeant (the great William Smith). The young man appears to be the victim of an unfortunate case of "friendly fire" (a soldier killed accidentally by his own men) and the Sergeant quickly orders for his remains to be taken care of. However, just as his dog tags are being lifted Harper’s body springs to life and brutally kills the two officers in cold blood.
Meanwhile in the quiet town of Twin Rivers, California, Louise Harper (Anne Tremko) is informed of her husband’s demise and his body is soon shipped home for his funeral. While the rest of the family is somewhat relived by the news, Harper’s young nephew, Jody (Christopher Ogden), becomes unusually fixated with Sam’s military history and insists on one day enlisting in the armed services himself. But before the family can host Sam’s funeral, several unpatriotic townsfolk start turning up dead…and the 4th of July is just around the corner.
THE TERROR TALE & ITS TIMING: There have been several horror movies made about iconic figures throughout society taking a turn for the nasty (Santa wields an axe in Silent Night, Deadly Night, as does Ronald Regan in The Tripper), all which characteristically pit ‘morally corrupt’ civilians against an avenging angel in a fight for their lives. While never wholly serious in tone, these films usually carry with them some sort of socially relevant message amid all the bloodshed, although few are rarely effective in communicating their noble intentions. Uncle Sam, for the most part, is one of the more successful satires of American flag-waving and thus its willingness to serve both as a lampooning and as a good old-fashioned slasher movie make it prudent on both levels. The comedy of the film lies deep within Cohen’s predictably smart (although a little too talky) script which right from the get-go makes its burlesque intentions violently clear in a moody opening sequence detailing Uncle Sam’s revenge on two military superiors, before moving into suburbia for a more outlandishly jokey series of events. As a cautionary tale the film is amusing and fun to watch as Sam’s right wing extremism and perverted logic can be seen as a warning against the corrupted motives running rife in the American government. In retrospect, Cohen is more right today than he was back in 1997 when he penned his script.
However the film is not without its faults and unfortunately many of them lie in Lustig’s occasionally lackluster direction. Although he infuses the film with a good amount of style and memorable images, the film really doesn’t contain a palpable sense of tension or suspense. In many ways there is too much time spent trying to develop insubstantial characters that don’t ever really break outside genre conventions, thus leaving a certain taste of redundancy in the mouth. Also Uncle Sam himself is kept dormant for far too long, only to rise from the dead after the 40 minute mark has ticked over, leaving precious little time to spend on his reign of bloodshed as a result. The material in Cohen’s script is so rich for satire that the movie just feels a little under-cooked at times, never fully reaching its potential as the full-blown, maniacal romp it should be.
DOOMED CHARACTERS: Even though it’s a slasher film at heart and doesn’t call for extensive character development, Uncle Sam does make a considerable effort to build its key players into relatable human beings before their eventual meetings with the horrific. The film features two lead performances - one from Isaac Hayes as an ex-Vietnam vet named Jed and another by Sam’s nephew Jody – that are key to the story’s dramatic arc and also help illustrate the film’s point of view on patriotism and capitalist America. While Jody and Jed’s father-and-son-like relationship of heart-felt monologues and military mumblings seems to exist only to further the movie’s anti-war themes, it is well performed - particularly by the cold-eyed Ogden who is consistently impressive throughout. If anyone needed a creepy kid for their next movie, they should have hired this guy!
THE LOOK OF FEAR: While it may not feature anything particularly out of the ordinary visually for a horror movie, Uncle Sam’s red, white and blue stars and stripes motif is present in almost every scene. The movie is also heavily infused with imagery of small town Americana and assents to the armed services - almost to the tone of a 50s industrial film - which fits perfectly as a contrast to the later disruption of peace at the hands of Sam’s cleaver. And speaking of cleavers it is arguable that the movie skimps in the gore department, instead paying too much attention to its political aspirations. The satire of the film probably would have played stronger had the FX been given more spotlight (especially when Lustig’s Maniac is one of the most nihilistically gory films ever made) however Uncle Sam’s eventual demise is a definite set piece worth cheering for.
THE SOUND OF FRIGHT: Have you ever watched a movie that you knew was intended for theaters but featured a score that you swore could better suit it for television? It’s a difficult thing to describe but there is a certain elementary-sounding quality to some horror scores that, regardless of the film’s good assets, immediately default them to B-movie status. In the case of Uncle Sam, Mark Governor’s music is far from inadequate but occasionally feels a little feeble during scenes which should otherwise carry a more muscular impact. But make sure you stick around for the end credits poem read (and written!) by William Smith.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Even though it might not be entirely successful as a horror film (or even a horror/comedy for that matter), Uncle Sam’s social conscience must be commended. It is an interesting critique of war and the typical American values that often blindside the most naive of good people, as well a relevant comment on the Bush administration’s political misgivings. If not marred by an inconsistent tone and sluggish pacing, it may have well been a mini classic in the annals of socially-minded horror.
Dir: William Lustig
Writer: Larry Cohen
Cast: Isaac Hayes, Christopher Ogden, Leslie Neale, William Smith
Country: USA
Run Time: 89min
Rated: MA+
0 comments:
Post a Comment