Reviews (31)

A misunderstood classic
Spoilers ahead.Read with caution. I must confess that I actually love this movie. I'm very shocked at the bad reviews and negative publicity it's received over the years.It's awesome and one of the best B-movies ever.The special F/X are really cool and the gore is beautiful.The killings are very Friday The 13th- esque.A teen in a running sack gets his head sliced off with a meat cleaver,another teen in an Uncle Sam costume gets hacked to pieces with a pair of garden shears and a cop gets impaled on an american flag.Sam looks real ugly when he gets unmasked at the end too.The film is surprisingly very entertaining.It's just non-stop entertainment.Overall,Uncle Sam is a very cool and extremely gruesome slasher flick that deserves much more credit.Buy it now! Rated R for gore galore,strong language and brief nudity.

Psychotic Movie.
I really enjoyed this movie it was chessy but at the same time kinda creepy.It made no sense that they would send a three year dead corpse to a family's house.I think this was the last of creative Horror Movies brutal deaths ,and funny one liners by Sam Harper.I thought the plot was good Though it never explains why he came back from the dead.Anyhow this a must have for any horror movie fan Collection.

Serve Your Country...Or Else!
After his helicopter is shot down by "friendly fire" in Kuwait, the charred remains of Desert Storm hero Sam Harper (David "Shark" Frahlich) are recovered by a reconnaissance team and shipped off to his Midwestern hometown back in the States. His sister Sally (Leslie Neale) and his widow Louise (Anne Tremko) are actually relieved to learn that the abusive Sam is dead, because in life he was a fanatical right-winger whose legendary heroics actually stemmed from his propensity for being domineering and downright sadistic. In fact, the only person in town who seems to mourn Sam's demise is his nephew, Jody (Christopher Ogden), who has long worshipped his uncle as the epitome of bravery and manhood.

Sam's burned and apparently mummified body arrives home in a sealed casket a scant day or two before the 4th of July, and when some of the town's juvenile delinquents perform a disrespectful flag-burning ritual at the fallen war hero's freshly dug grave, not even Death can restrain Sam's patriotic indignation. Sam rises from his coffin, appropriates an Uncle Sam costume, and celebrates Independence Day by meting out fatal punishments to the town's hoodlums, crooked politicians, draft dodgers, and anybody else he considers to be un-American. When young Jody discovers who's behind the wave of killings, the lad realizes that his uncle may not be so worthy of admiration after all, and he and a few of his friends set out to thwart the activities of the flag-waving fiend. But will Jody and his buddies be able to stop Uncle Sam before it's too late?

On the surface, 1997's UNCLE SAM seems to hearken back to the early 1980s and the heyday of the slasher-flick. Following the basic formula of the popular films from that era--films such as HALLOWEEN (1978) and FRIDAY THE 13th (1980)--UNCLE SAM centers around a mentally unbalanced individual who inexplicably rises from the grave to become a serial-killing juggernaut, and only a few innocents are able to learn the killer's identity and ultimately halt his murderous spree. The unique variation in this film is that, instead of eliminating promiscuous teens (the typical slasher-flick victims), the unctuous Uncle Sam is picking off anybody who pooh-poohs old glory, hot dogs, baseball, apple pie, or any other icon of the American way of life.

But if viewed as straight horror, UNCLE SAM will read as a rather goofy film. There is actually much more going on here than just a bunch of gratuitous bloodletting. Scripted by indie auteur Larry Cohen--well known for penning and directing way-above-average exploitation genre flicks such as IT'S ALIVE! (1974), GOD TOLD ME TO (1976), and Q: THE WINGED SERPENT (1982)--and directed by Cohen's sometimes-collaborator William Lustig (1988's MANIAC COP and sequels), UNCLE SAM is actually a dark Juvenalian satire of cultural phenomena like blind patriotism, patriotic demagoguery, the romanticizing of war, and misguided hero worship. Although the satirical aspects are more blatant here than in THE STUFF (1985)--Cohen's top-notch feature-length mockery of consumer excess and the smarmy advertising industry that spurs it on--UNCLE SAM still cogently and humorously delivers its message and is therefore a lot of fun to watch. It has also been argued that UNCLE SAM is gently spoofing the slasher sub-genre itself. While it's obvious that this is not the primary theme, it would be difficult to deny that the film does offer a few playful jabs at other holiday-themed slasher flicks.

The acting in the film is above par, especially for a low-budget horror film. (Watch for lots of well-known faces, including Timothy Bottoms, Isaac Hayes, and the cute P.J. Soles of HALLOWEEN fame.) The cinematography is excellent, the attention to color (especially the reds, whites, and blues), the use of shadows and contrast, and the skillful framing in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio at times breathtakingly beautiful. And Lustig's direction is tight but not overbearing, and he keeps the plot moving along at a natural but exciting pace.

In many ways, UNCLE SAM is a family-friendly slasher flick. That's not to say that it's suitable viewing for the pre-teen Disney crowd, but the characteristics typical of the genre have been toned down. Some of the killings carried out by the titular character actually take place offscreen and are therefore merely implied, and even the murders that do occur within the camera frame are not nearly as bloody nor as gruesome as the genre norm. And unlike many horror films of recent decades, the T&A factor is practically non-existent, with only one scene offering a very brief flash of female nudity. For a genre-loving family with children aged 13 or older, screening this film as part of the 4th-of-July celebration could become a fun annual tradition.

The new DVD treatment of UNCLE SAM from Blue Underground is superb. The digital transfer is nearly perfect, with nary a discernable filmic or digital artifact. The sound quality is also wonderful, with viewers given two versions of Dolby from which to choose. And there is lots of cool bonus material, too, including two feature commentaries, the original theatrical trailer, and more.

UNCLE SAM may not be to every viewers taste, but most genre fans who enjoy dark satire will want to give the disc a spin. And fans of Larry Cohen will certainly want to add this one to their DVD collections.

refreshing new slasher/zombie classic!! done up 80s style!!
this is one of my new favorite horror flicks!! its more of a SLASHER flick than a ZOMBIE flick(the slasher is the zombie) this movie is a breath of fresh air in my opinion!!! it plays like a "HALLOWEEN" "FRIDAY the 13th" or a "NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET" on the 4th of july but then it has its own unique creative bite to it, wich makes it just as good if not better than those masterpieces!!! in the 80s this flick would have been a box office smash instead of going straight to video!! if some big name like WES CRAVEN was involved it would have been a hit!?!? "UNCLE SAM" makes "I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER" look like a freakin walk in the park!!! much better in so many different ways!!!! way scarier/more creative directing/better make up & special effects/acting isnt so bad. the only thing about the movie that rubbed me the wrong way was the stupid kid in the wheel chair!!! the movie could have done without him!!! they could have come up with a much better way for the kid to find out who his uncle was & you all will understand what i mean when you watch it for your self!!! anyway it doesn't ruin the movie by no means! so hurry up & get this refreshing new slasher/zombie classic!! done up 80s style!!!!! E!!!!N!!!!J!!!!O!!!!Y!!!!

UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU...to buy the dvd!
OH MY GOD...UNCLE SAM I WANT YOU DEAD IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER!!! A MUST SEE! SCARY, SUSPENSFUL, AND VERY FUNNY! HOLLA ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A monumental achievment
O.K. The movie itself wasn't that super. But compared to the first, the difference is astounding. It was not as gory, and the dinosaur movement effects were terrible. It not only apologizes for the terrible Carnosaur, but actually makes a decent movie while its at it. I wouldn't recommend it to those who liked CARNOSAUR, but to those who were appauled by it. Do I write good reviews or what???

The second best movie ever made
The best movie ever made is a magical little film known as Carnosaur. This sequel is a credit to that name. It is very unoriginal (the plot is a huge rip-off of Aliens) but it is enormously entertaining. It has interesting characters, good acting, good (and fun) special effects, and a script that works. The best thing about this film though is the setting. The uranium mine where this film takes place feels genuinely prehistoric. You can actually picture dinosaurs roaming about the mine quite naturaly. It seems like the perfect home for the modern dinosaur. The mine is also delightfuly creepy. Anyway, the bottom line is that Carnosaur 2 is the second best movie of all time and it must be seen by EVERYONE!

NOT ENOUGH BITE
CARNOSAUR II tries to outdo its predecessor by waiting a while to show us the monsters and by using more refined filming. However, somewhere in this translation, the movie failed to deliver the expected thrills.
First off, we have a very noticeable flaw in the script. This movie indicates that dinosaur DNA had been harvested; in the original, Diane Ladd took sole credit for creating this virus.
Secondly, the movie used the same device to battle the creature: the construction machine attacking and ultimately killing the dinosaur.
Third, how many more movies are we going to have the person who saves the day be a kid? Hard to believe this catatonic youngster can be so bright and brave and outmuscle the adults. I Have nothing against kids, but am tired of giving them such weight in a film, more than likely to attract a younger audience.
The acting is sub-par: John Savage and his Brooklyn accent; Cliff DeYoung chewing up the scenery in the expected governmental conspiracy role; seventies character actor Don Stroud with a patch on his eye is wasted; and Rick Dean who tries to be comic relief in the role of Monk acts like he's reading teleprompter cards.
There's not as much suspense as the original, and I will probably watch the third movie, just to see if they try anything a little more original. Highly overrated, but a good time passer.

The Best Of them All!
This sequel is much better than the original "Carnosaur". Part 2 has some fine special effects & exciting chills.
The plot is about a group of technicians who attempt to restore power at a top mining facility... The best in the series.

carnosaur 2
I loved this movie.I say that why did he made it short. he should make it 299 minites. when i was 10 years old i saw it.i saw the first one that was not relly good. the dinosaurs are great. they should make carnosaur 4. too bad they stop making carnosaur. thats all ... Read more

Amazon.com

This G.I.-zombie tale, smartly scripted by exploitation auteur Larry Cohen (It's Alive, God Told Me To) and directed by William Lustig (Maniac, Vigilante), straddles the line between antiwar satire and slasher-movie silliness. American soldier Uncle Sam, as he's known to his hero-worshipping young nephew, is a bullying homicidal misfit too ornery to die. His bloodied and burned corpse, sent home from Kuwait for burial, crawls out of his casket and declares war on punks, crooked politicians, draft dodgers, and pretty much anyone who wanders into his path. There are some interesting ideas floating around--a pointed commentary on the attraction of violence under the flag of patriotism, an undercurrent of psychosis and sadism in Sam's home life, and a clever twist on all-American iconography--which get lost in the Fourth of July reign of terror. Body-count fans will appreciate victims hacked with hatchets, cleavers, and garden shears, teenagers buried alive, and a severed head found smoking in a barbecue pit. David "Shark" Fralickstars as Sam, with Isaac Hayes as a crippled Korean War vet and small roles by cult stars Bo Hopkins, Timothy Bottoms, P.J. Soles, and Robert Forster, a smarmy governor given a fireworks sendoff he'll never forget.--Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (31)

A misunderstood classic
Spoilers ahead.Read with caution. I must confess that I actually love this movie. I'm very shocked at the bad reviews and negative publicity it's received over the years.It's awesome and one of the best B-movies ever.The special F/X are really cool and the gore is beautiful.The killings are very Friday The 13th- esque.A teen in a running sack gets his head sliced off with a meat cleaver,another teen in an Uncle Sam costume gets hacked to pieces with a pair of garden shears and a cop gets impaled on an american flag.Sam looks real ugly when he gets unmasked at the end too.The film is surprisingly very entertaining.It's just non-stop entertainment.Overall,Uncle Sam is a very cool and extremely gruesome slasher flick that deserves much more credit.Buy it now! Rated R for gore galore,strong language and brief nudity.

Psychotic Movie.
I really enjoyed this movie it was chessy but at the same time kinda creepy.It made no sense that they would send a three year dead corpse to a family's house.I think this was the last of creative Horror Movies brutal deaths ,and funny one liners by Sam Harper.I thought the plot was good Though it never explains why he came back from the dead.Anyhow this a must have for any horror movie fan Collection.

Serve Your Country...Or Else!
After his helicopter is shot down by "friendly fire" in Kuwait, the charred remains of Desert Storm hero Sam Harper (David "Shark" Frahlich) are recovered by a reconnaissance team and shipped off to his Midwestern hometown back in the States. His sister Sally (Leslie Neale) and his widow Louise (Anne Tremko) are actually relieved to learn that the abusive Sam is dead, because in life he was a fanatical right-winger whose legendary heroics actually stemmed from his propensity for being domineering and downright sadistic. In fact, the only person in town who seems to mourn Sam's demise is his nephew, Jody (Christopher Ogden), who has long worshipped his uncle as the epitome of bravery and manhood.

Sam's burned and apparently mummified body arrives home in a sealed casket a scant day or two before the 4th of July, and when some of the town's juvenile delinquents perform a disrespectful flag-burning ritual at the fallen war hero's freshly dug grave, not even Death can restrain Sam's patriotic indignation. Sam rises from his coffin, appropriates an Uncle Sam costume, and celebrates Independence Day by meting out fatal punishments to the town's hoodlums, crooked politicians, draft dodgers, and anybody else he considers to be un-American. When young Jody discovers who's behind the wave of killings, the lad realizes that his uncle may not be so worthy of admiration after all, and he and a few of his friends set out to thwart the activities of the flag-waving fiend. But will Jody and his buddies be able to stop Uncle Sam before it's too late?

On the surface, 1997's UNCLE SAM seems to hearken back to the early 1980s and the heyday of the slasher-flick. Following the basic formula of the popular films from that era--films such as HALLOWEEN (1978) and FRIDAY THE 13th (1980)--UNCLE SAM centers around a mentally unbalanced individual who inexplicably rises from the grave to become a serial-killing juggernaut, and only a few innocents are able to learn the killer's identity and ultimately halt his murderous spree. The unique variation in this film is that, instead of eliminating promiscuous teens (the typical slasher-flick victims), the unctuous Uncle Sam is picking off anybody who pooh-poohs old glory, hot dogs, baseball, apple pie, or any other icon of the American way of life.

But if viewed as straight horror, UNCLE SAM will read as a rather goofy film. There is actually much more going on here than just a bunch of gratuitous bloodletting. Scripted by indie auteur Larry Cohen--well known for penning and directing way-above-average exploitation genre flicks such as IT'S ALIVE! (1974), GOD TOLD ME TO (1976), and Q: THE WINGED SERPENT (1982)--and directed by Cohen's sometimes-collaborator William Lustig (1988's MANIAC COP and sequels), UNCLE SAM is actually a dark Juvenalian satire of cultural phenomena like blind patriotism, patriotic demagoguery, the romanticizing of war, and misguided hero worship. Although the satirical aspects are more blatant here than in THE STUFF (1985)--Cohen's top-notch feature-length mockery of consumer excess and the smarmy advertising industry that spurs it on--UNCLE SAM still cogently and humorously delivers its message and is therefore a lot of fun to watch. It has also been argued that UNCLE SAM is gently spoofing the slasher sub-genre itself. While it's obvious that this is not the primary theme, it would be difficult to deny that the film does offer a few playful jabs at other holiday-themed slasher flicks.

The acting in the film is above par, especially for a low-budget horror film. (Watch for lots of well-known faces, including Timothy Bottoms, Isaac Hayes, and the cute P.J. Soles of HALLOWEEN fame.) The cinematography is excellent, the attention to color (especially the reds, whites, and blues), the use of shadows and contrast, and the skillful framing in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio at times breathtakingly beautiful. And Lustig's direction is tight but not overbearing, and he keeps the plot moving along at a natural but exciting pace.

In many ways, UNCLE SAM is a family-friendly slasher flick. That's not to say that it's suitable viewing for the pre-teen Disney crowd, but the characteristics typical of the genre have been toned down. Some of the killings carried out by the titular character actually take place offscreen and are therefore merely implied, and even the murders that do occur within the camera frame are not nearly as bloody nor as gruesome as the genre norm. And unlike many horror films of recent decades, the T&A factor is practically non-existent, with only one scene offering a very brief flash of female nudity. For a genre-loving family with children aged 13 or older, screening this film as part of the 4th-of-July celebration could become a fun annual tradition.

The new DVD treatment of UNCLE SAM from Blue Underground is superb. The digital transfer is nearly perfect, with nary a discernable filmic or digital artifact. The sound quality is also wonderful, with viewers given two versions of Dolby from which to choose. And there is lots of cool bonus material, too, including two feature commentaries, the original theatrical trailer, and more.

UNCLE SAM may not be to every viewers taste, but most genre fans who enjoy dark satire will want to give the disc a spin. And fans of Larry Cohen will certainly want to add this one to their DVD collections.

refreshing new slasher/zombie classic!! done up 80s style!!
this is one of my new favorite horror flicks!! its more of a SLASHER flick than a ZOMBIE flick(the slasher is the zombie) this movie is a breath of fresh air in my opinion!!! it plays like a "HALLOWEEN" "FRIDAY the 13th" or a "NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET" on the 4th of july but then it has its own unique creative bite to it, wich makes it just as good if not better than those masterpieces!!! in the 80s this flick would have been a box office smash instead of going straight to video!! if some big name like WES CRAVEN was involved it would have been a hit!?!? "UNCLE SAM" makes "I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER" look like a freakin walk in the park!!! much better in so many different ways!!!! way scarier/more creative directing/better make up & special effects/acting isnt so bad. the only thing about the movie that rubbed me the wrong way was the stupid kid in the wheel chair!!! the movie could have done without him!!! they could have come up with a much better way for the kid to find out who his uncle was & you all will understand what i mean when you watch it for your self!!! anyway it doesn't ruin the movie by no means! so hurry up & get this refreshing new slasher/zombie classic!! done up 80s style!!!!! E!!!!N!!!!J!!!!O!!!!Y!!!!

UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU...to buy the dvd!
OH MY GOD...UNCLE SAM I WANT YOU DEAD IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER!!! A MUST SEE! SCARY, SUSPENSFUL, AND VERY FUNNY! HOLLA ... Read more